Use winter to prepare for Ramadan
“If we don't put in the seed right now, then how can we complain that our tree has no fruit in the month of Ramadan?”
Believers should use the short winter days and long nights to fast, pray, and build family worship habits now so Ramadan becomes the harvest of steady preparation rather than a last-minute switch.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Treat short winter days as an easy opportunity for voluntary fasting.
- Use longer winter nights for Tahajjud and more focused prayer.
- Replace passive winter-break routines with family Qur'an, character, and worship goals.
- Use Rajab and Sha'ban to plant and water habits before Ramadan.
- Let personal practice deepen concern for oppressed Muslims while avoiding judgment of others.
- Build mutual family and community reminders while protecting good deeds from quarrels and fault-finding.
In the khateeb's words
“Fasting in the winter is that easy spoils of war.”
“But we have to find a substitution for this break for the kids to utilize that time and take advantage of this opportunity that Allah SWT has given us.”
“If we don't put in the seed right now, then how can we complain that our tree has no fruit in the month of Ramadan?”
“As a family, we work together to help each other, to advise each other, to remind each other, to create programs that help us and understand this.”
For the dinner table
Imam Saif reminded us that winter offers special opportunities to draw closer to Allah through shorter days for fasting and longer nights for prayer. He encouraged us to start with manageable steps, such as choosing an easier day to fast or praying two rakats before Fajr. He also urged families to make winter break meaningful and enjoyable with activities like learning Qur'an, memorizing du'as, and building good character together. Preparing for Ramadan is like growing a tree: we begin and nurture our habits before we hope to enjoy their fruit. As we grow, we should lead by example, help one another kindly, and avoid judging others or hurting them through our words and actions.
- What could we learn or practice together during winter break that you would look forward to?
- What small habit would you like to grow before Ramadan?
- How can we remind each other to do good in a way that feels kind?
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