The Islamic calendarFrom the masjid's own video, Sep 3, 2025.
Use Sha'ban to prepare for Ramadan
“It is what you do with the time that has been given to you.”
In one sentence
Sha'ban is a neglected opportunity to prepare for Ramadan through fasting, repentance, worship, consistent habits, and service to others.
The khutbah in 7 steps
- Introduces Sha'ban and explains several historical reasons for its name.
- Presents Sha'ban's virtues, including raised deeds, increased salawat, and the change of qiblah.
- Uses hadith about the Prophet's fasting to frame Sha'ban as spiritual training for Ramadan.
- Calls for repentance, making up missed prayers and fasts, settling debts, and seeking forgiveness.
- Urges improvement in prayer, fasting conduct, dhikr, charity, Quran recitation, and Quranic understanding.
- Emphasizes small consistent habits, Ramadan goals, and using time purposefully.
- Extends preparation to family, community service, mutual forgiveness, and competition in good deeds.
Try this week
Begin with sincere tawbah and abandon recurring bad habits.
Make up missed prayers and Ramadan fasts, settle debts, and seek forgiveness from anyone harmed.
Increase optional fasting in Sha'ban, including Mondays, Thursdays, and the 13th, 14th, and 15th days.
Correct wudu and Salah, while developing khushu' and khudur.
Maintain daily dhikr and Quran recitation, study its meanings, and correct tajweed and pronunciation.
Set small, consistent Ramadan goals, including one habit to adopt and one to leave.
Give charity, volunteer, check on others, and serve family and community.
Sources the khateeb cited
Sunan an-Nasa'iUsed to explain that Sha'ban is neglected and that deeds are raised during it.
Surah 33Used to connect Sha'ban with the command to send salawat upon the Prophet.
Sahih al-BukhariUsed to show that the Prophet fasted more in Sha'ban than any month besides Ramadan.
Quotes
In the khateeb's words
“Fasting means abstaining from a number of things. It is the inculcation of good habits.”
“But it's not simply the recital. But it is also taking a step further than that to understand the ma'ani and the meanings of the Qur'an.”
“It's not about the passage of time, it is what you do with the time that has been given to you.”
Talk about it at home
For the dinner table
The khateeb reminded us that Sha'ban is a chance to prepare our hearts and habits for Ramadan. He explained that fasting trains us not only to leave food and drink, but also to improve our speech and actions. He encouraged sincere repentance to Allah, making up missed obligations, and seeking forgiveness from people we have hurt. He also urged us to give more care to prayer, read and understand the Quran, and practice charity. We can begin with small, steady good deeds and help one another grow while serving our families and community.
- What small good deed could our family start practicing before Ramadan?
- How could we practice kinder words when we feel hungry or frustrated?
- Who could we check on or help together this week?
Keep listening
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