Khutba on Last Ten Days

الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي خص آخر رمضانَ بالعتق من النار، وجعل فيه ليلةً يفرح من وجدها من عباده الأبرار، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير،  ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدّى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع 

الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر. قال الله تعالى في كتابه الكريم: “وَٱلْفَجْرِ وَلَيالٍ عَشْرٍ 

Allah says in His Noble Quran, “By the dawn and ten nights”. Al-Qurtubi mentions in his Tafsir that, according to Ibn Abbas and ad-Dahhak, one of the interpretations of these ten nights is that they refer to the last ten nights of Ramadan. And as we know, the fact that Allah swears by something indicates its tremendous worth and elevated status. Those ten nights, starting this year next Tuesday night, have been referred to in a hadith as a time of freedom and protection from the Fire. They are a time of unparalleled opportunity and immeasurable reward. A time to ignore the distractions, brush off the last vestiges of laziness and dedicate oneself to the worship and remembrance of Allah, for thus was the example of the best of creation, the Messenger of Allah:

عن عائشة رضى الله تعالى عنها قالت كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يجتهد في العشر الأواخر مالا يجتهد في غيره

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah used to strive harder in the last ten nights of Ramadan (in worship) than he would in the rest of the year. 
Indeed, so great was the merit of these last ten days and nights in the eyes of the Messenger of Allah that he was loath to spend even a single moment of them in any activity other than the worship of his Lord, and actively encouraged his family and Companions to do the same. 

عن عائشة رضى الله تعالى عنها قالت كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا دخل العشر شد مئزره وأحيا ليله وأيقظ أهله

Aisha is narrated as having said, “When the last ten nights of Ramadan began, the Prophet would tighten his mi’zar, bring its nights to life and awaken his family.”
There are three things the Messenger of Allah is mentioned as doing in this hadith. The first is that he would ‘tighten his mi’zar’ – a garment that is wrapped around the waist. This is an Arab metaphor that conveys the meaning of both ‘rolling up one’s sleeves’ and intensifying one’s efforts, as well as that of keeping away from women and sexual intercourse. In other words, he dedicated his time during those ten nights to dhikr and worship of his Lord, and forswore all other activities and distractions. 
The second is that he would ‘bring its nights to life’. In other words, he would stay awake during those nights and fill them with dhikr, Quran and prayer.

عن ‏عائشة‏ ‏رضي الله عنها ‏قالت ‏‏لا أعلم رسول الله ‏صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏‏قرأ القرآن كله في ليلة ولا قام ليلة حتى الصباح ولا صام شهرا كاملا قط غير رمضان ‏

Aisha is narrated as having said, “I never knew the Messenger of Allah to recite the entire Quran in a single night or stand the whole night until dawn in prayer or fast a complete month except during Ramadan.”
And the third is that he would ‘wake his family’, meaning his wives, so that they too might enjoy the benefits of that special time. Normally, night prayers and additional supererogatory acts are something one does alone, hidden by the darkness of the night from the eyes of other people. Something private between you and your Lord that no one knows about but Him. But in Ramadan, and especially in the last ten days, it is different, as is shown by the fact that we pray night prayers during it in congregation in the form of the Tarawih. So great is the reward on offer, so special is the time, that simply standing by and letting our families or our Muslim brothers sleep through it and miss it would be the very height of selfishness and greed. The greatest sign of our love for them when the treasure doors are opened is to wake them up so they can enjoy the same access we have been granted.
The Messenger of Allah recognised the great value that Allah had placed in these days and nights and acted accordingly so we must do the same, for the Messenger of Allah was not placed on this earth to represent an unattainable dream – if Allah had wanted that He would have sent down an angel. No, he was sent down to be followed and emulated, to be an example to his umma. Allah says:

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآَخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

the translation of which is, “You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much.”
One of the greatest features of these last ten nights of Ramadan is that it is in this period that the Laylat al-Qadr falls, as has been confirmed by numerous hadiths.

عن عائشة قالت كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول تحروا ليلة القدر في العشر الأواخر من رمضان

Aisha narrated that the Messenger of Allah used to say, “Seek the Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan.”

وعن ابن عباس رضى الله عنهما أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: التمسوها في العشر الأواخر من رمضان في تاسعة تبقى في سابعة تبقى في خامسة تبقى

And Ibn Abbas narrated that he said, “Seek it in the last ten nights of Ramadan, when there are nine [days] left, when there are seven left, when there are five left.”

وعن ابن عمر رضى الله عنهما أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “من كان متحرياً ليلة القدر، فليتحرّها ليلة سبع وعشرين”

And Ibn Umar narrated that he said, “Anyone who seeks the Laylat al-Qadr should seek it on the 27th night of (Ramadan).” 
But, what is this laylat al-Qadr and what makes it so special? 
Well, firstly it is the night upon which Allah sent down the Quran in its entirety. Allah says:

إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ

the translation of which is, “Truly We sent it down on the Night of Power.”  According to Ibn Abbas, the entire Quran was sent down from the Preserved Tablet to the Bayt al-Izza – House of Might in the Lowest Heaven on this night, from where it was revealed to the Prophet over a period of 23 years.
Secondly, Allah made it better that 1000 months – the equivalent of 83 years – the life-span of the human being. Allah says:

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ

the translation of which is, “And what will convey to you what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.” Thus, you could stand your whole life in prayer and not obtain an equivalent reward!
Thirdly, on it the angels come down and spread their wings over those who are standing in prayer or sitting worshipping their Lord. Allah says:

تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ 

the translation of which is, “In it the angels and the Ruh descend by their Lord’s authority with every ordinance.” And the Prophet said, as narrated by Anas ibn Malik,

إذا كانَ ليلةَ القَدرِ نزلَ جبريلُ في كَبْكبة من الملائكة، يُصلُّون ويسلمون على كل عبد قائم أو قاعد يذكر الله تعالى

“On the laylat al-Qadr, Jibril and a host of other angels descend, and pray for every slave who they find standing in prayer or sitting remembering Allah, and give them salaams.”
Fourthly, it is a night of peace and safety, during which people are protected from the wiles of Shaytan and many are freed from the Fire. Allah says:

سَلَامٌ هِيَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ

the translation of which is, “It is Peace- until the coming of the dawn.”
Fifthly, it is a blessed night upon which the decree for everyone for the coming year is decided – who will live and who will die, the amount of provision each will receive and so on. Allah says, referring to the laylat al-Qadr according to the majority of the mufassirin, 

فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ أَمْرًا مِنْ عِنْدِنَا

the translation of which is, “During it every wise decree is specified by a command from Our presence.”
And sixthly, those who bring it to life will be rewarded by all their past sins being forgiven. The Prophet said, 

من قام ليلةَ القدر إيمانا واحتسابا غُفر له ما تقدم من ذنبِه

“Whoever stands in prayer on the Laylat al-Qadr, with belief and the anticipation of reward for doing so, will be forgiven all the wrong actions that he has committed up to that point.” All of this for just one night of worship – a paltry few hours. This is an opportunity that none of us can afford to pass up. This is something for which we must all be selfish. Forget the petty concerns of this world – what are a few days of tiredness in exchange for the unimaginable treasures and rewards that await you if you bring this night to life? So do not miss it for the world. 
And do not put all your eggs in one basket and limit your efforts to the 27th night. Yes, the 27th night is the most likely night for the laylat al-Qadr to fall, but it is not guaranteed that it will be on that night for it could fall on any of the odd nights of the last ten days. Indeed, some of the people of knowledge, such as Hasan al-Basri, have mentioned that it could even fall on the even nights. So, at the very least, we must strive to pray Isha in the mosque on every one of those nights and be present at the Tarawih. It is but an hour or two out of your lives and that way you guarantee yourself at least a portion of the laylat al-Qadr. What greater use of an hour could there be than that?

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه، إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيمالحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته. قال الله عز وجل في كتابه العزيز: وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ

Allah says in His Mighty Book, the translation of which is, “But do not have sexual intercourse with them while you are in retreat in the mosques/ while you are in i’tikaf in the mosques.” One of the very best ways of spending one’s time in the last ten days and nights of Ramadan is to do i’tikaf, for such was the practice of the Messenger of Allah.

عن ابن عمر رضى الله تعالى عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يعتكف في العشر الأواخر من رمضان

Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet used to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in the mosque doing i’tikaf. 
This practice is recommended for both men and women, depending upon facilities, and involves retreating into the mosque and dedicating one’s time exclusively to dhikr, Qur’an and prayer. However, for a person’s i’tikaf to be valid, there are a number of preconditions and rulings that must be fulfilled.
Firstly, i’tikaf must be done in a mosque. Allah says: 

وَأَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ

the translation of which is, “while you are in retreat (i’tikaf) in the mosques.” I’tikaf is not valid anywhere else, not even in a zawiyya or cave.
Secondly, it must be accompanied by an intention, for i’tikaf is an act of worship like any another and as such requires an intention. innama’l-a’malu bi-niyyat. Your intention should specify the length of time you plan to spend in i’tikaf.
Thirdly, on any day upon that you intend to do i’tikaf, you must enter the mosque before Maghrib and remain there until the following Maghrib. That is the minimum length of time for i’tikaf – one cannot do i’tikaf according to Imam Malik for less than a day And you should not leave your place of i’tikaf except for a pressing need. And by pressing need, we mean one of four things: either meeting the call of nature, buying food and provisions for your stay, illness or, in the case of a woman, beginning your menstrual period.
Fourthly, you can only do i’tikaf when you are fasting. So if you are too ill to fast or are not permitted to fast because, for example, you are menstruating, then you must leave i’tikaf and not come back to it until you have recovered or that preventative has been lifted. 
And fifthly, you must dedicate your time there to acts of worship as much as possible, to prayer, dhikr and the recitation of Qur’an. And you should keep to yourself and refrain from engaging others in conversation, for i’tikaf is not simply about sleeping in a different place, but rather about taking on the state of the angels – i.e, being in a state of constant dhikr – and denying your base appetites. As for studying the deen and activities of that sort, according to the strongest position in the Maliki madhhab, that is not a proper use of the time spent in i’tikaf. 
These things we have mentioned are the conditions and obligations of i’tikaf. As for those things which render it invalid, they are: engaging in sexual relations, even kissing; leaving the deen; drunkenness; deliberately breaking your fast during the day; and leaving the mosque for any reason other than those four we mentioned, no matter what. This is a summary of the rulings relating to i’tikaf. 
We ask Allah to accept the i’tikaf of all of those who are doing it this year, here in this mosque and throughout the world. And we ask Him to make it the means by which they draw near to Him and obtain His pleasure. We ask Allah to open up the secrets of these last ten days to us all and grant us the strength to stand its nights in prayer and fill them with dhikr and nawafil. We ask Him to make us from among those who find the Laylat al-Qadr and benefit from its rewards. And we ask Him to strengthen this community, protect its shaykh and amir and join our hearts together in obedience to Him and His Messenger.

إنَّ اللهَ ومَلائِكَتَهُ يُصلُّونَ على النَّبِي يَا أَيُها الذينَ آمنوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وسَلِّمُوا تَسْليماً. اللهمَّ صَلِّ وسَلِّم وبارِك عَلَيْهِ وعلى آلِهِ وصَحْبِهِ  أجمعين. 

وارض اللهم عن الخلفاء الراشدين أبي بكرٍ وعمرَ وعثمانَ وعلي ، وعن سائر الصحابة أجمعين، خصوصا الأنصارَ منهم والمهاجرين، وعن التابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

اللهم اهد أولات أمور المسلمين لما يرضيك ولاتباع سنة نبيك صلى الله عليه وسلم  وثبت أقدامهم على الصراط المستقيم وأصلحهم يا رب العالمين.

اللهم بارك على شيخنا، و على أميرنا، وعلى جميع أمراءِ وزعماء المسلمين.  

اللهم بارك على المسلمين في هذه المدينة ووفقهم لما تحبه وترضاه يا أكرم الأكرمين. 

اللهمّ أَعِزَّ الْلإسلامَ والمُسِلمينَ (3)  واَخْذُلِ الكُفْرَ والكافِرينَ، وانْصُرِ المُجاهِدينَ في سَبِيلِ اللهِ. واجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وكَلِمَةَ الكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلى.

ربنا ءاتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الأخرة حسنة وقنا عذاب النار. 

اللهم لا تضعْ في مقامِنا هذا ذنبا إلا غفرْتَه، ولا عيبا إلا سترْتَه، ولا مريضا إلا شفيتَهُ وعافيتَه، ولا مسجونا إلا طلَّقْتَ سراحَه، ولا مسافرا في برِّك وبحرِك إلا سلِمتَهُ وغنِمْتَه.

إن الله يأمر بالعدل والإحسان وإيتاء ذي القربى وينهى عَنِ الفحشاءِ والمُنكَرِ والبغي، يعظكم لعلكم تذكرون، ولَذِكْرُ اللهِ أكبر والله يَعْلَمُ ما تَصْنَعُون. وقُومُوا إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يرحمكم الله