Khutba on the Last Ten Days and Keeping going till the End

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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. 

The end of the month of Ramadan is fast approaching – we are already into its 23rd day, and as with all things that start and stop, there is a tendency to start looking beyond it, to slacken off and anticipate its completion, to turn our attention to what lies ahead and concentrate lest fully on what lies in the now. This tendency becomes even more accentuated after the night of the 27th has past, and for some all that remains of Ramadan at that point is waiting for it to end. This tendency is a most dangerous one and one which threatens to render all your considerable efforts throughout this month null and void. For it is ever those final few yards that determine success or lack of it. The Messenger of Allah said,

إنما الأعمال بِالخواتيم

“Actions are according to their seals.” And he said,

إنما الأعمال كالوعاء، إذا طاب أعلاه طاب أسفله، وإذا خبث أعلاه خبث أسفله

“Actions are like a jar – if the top of it is good, the bottom is good, but if the top is spoilt then the bottom is spoilt.” And sayyidina Abu Bakr used to ask,

اللَّهم اجعل خير عمري آخره، وخير عملي خواتمه، وخير أيامي يوم ألقاك

“O Allah, make the best of my life be its end, the best of my actions be their seal, and the best of my days be the day I meet You.” The seal of an action – the manner in which it is completed – is always its most vital part. You can spend your whole life following a particular course and going in a particular direction, but if you turn aside at the end, all of that effort will have been in vain. The Prophet said,

إن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها ذراع فيسبق عليه الكتاب فيعمل بعمل أهل النار فيدخلها

“One of you may do the actions of the people of the Garden right up until only a few feet lies between him and it, and then his fate will catch up with him and he will do the actions of the people of the Fire and enter it instead.” There was an example of this during the lifetime of the Prophet. During the course of a battle, a man was to be seen showing exceptional bravery and skill. The Muslims looked on him with admiring eyes and mentioned him to the Prophet, but instead of praising him, he said,

إنه من أهل النار

“This man is one of the people of the Fire.” They were greatly surprised and shocked and asked themselves which of them could ever hope to enter the Garden if this man was bound for the Fire, so one of them offered to follow the man to see what he did. And he followed him throughout the rest of the day, and when the man was eventually wounded, saw him take his own life. Despite having been engaged in one of the great acts of obedience to Allah, jihad in His Name, the man rendered it all worthless by making the seal of that action an unforgiveable act of ingratitude to his Lord. 
You must keep going right to the final moment, you must not slacken off and you must not turn aside until whatever you are doing is complete. This is true in all avenues of life – ask any athlete, any student, any trader – you only succeed when you push on right to the end, and not just push on, but redouble your efforts during the last stretch in order to extract the most that you possibly can. Athletes sprint, students cram and men of Allah dedicate their time more completely to the worship of their Lord. And that is especially true of Ramadan. The fasting and standing of Ramadan may take its toll, and may become more and more difficult as the month progresses and we lose some of the vigour, energy and freshness that marked its beginning, but the men of Allah do not use that as an excuse to slow down and cut back, but rather to do the exact opposite. They see its moments slipping away and are anxious to take advantage of them before they are gone forever. In this, they are following the example of our noble Messenger. Sayyidatuna Aisha said,

كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يجتهد في العشر الأواخر مالا يجتهد في غيره

“The Messenger of Allah used to strive harder in the last ten nights of Ramadan than he would in the rest of the year.” And she also said,

كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا دخل العشر شد مئزره وأحيا ليله وأيقظ أهله

“When the last ten nights of Ramadan began, the Prophet would tighten his mi’zar, bring its nights to life and wake up his family.” 
There are three things she mentions here. The first is tightening the mi’zar. This is an Arab metaphor that has roughly the same connotation as the English metaphor ‘rolling up one’s sleeves’. In other words, it means getting stuck in, getting on with things, dedicating oneself fully. It also conveys the meaning of keeping away from women and sexual intercourse, indicating that he filled these nights with prayer and worship and turned aside during them from more worldly activities.
This is further indicated by the second thing she mentions, “bringing its nights to life”. To bring the night to life is to stand it in prayer, whether that be part of the night or the whole night, and fill it with recitation of Quran and dhikr. Aisha said,

‏‏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 ‏

“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.” There are few activities more beneficial to the human being than standing the night in prayer. To the extent that some of the ulama have described the state that descends on the heart during it as being akin to the bliss of the Garden. Ibn Ajiba mentions in his book, Iqaz al-Himam, that some of the ulama said,

ليس في الدنيا ما يشبه نعيم الجنة إلا ما يجده أهل التملق في قلوبهم بالليل من حلاوة المناجاة

“There is nothing in this world that resembles the bliss of the Hereafter except that sweetness the people of adulation find in the night when they intimately converse with their Lord.” munajaat – intimate conversation with Allah refers to the prayer.
The third thing Aisha mentions in the hadith is that he would ‘wake his family’, meaning his wives, so that they too might enjoy the benefits of that special time. This indicates a number of things: Firstly, it is not a requirement for bringing the night to life that you remain awake for the whole thing. Waking someone up indicates that they were sleeping. Every person does what he can and acts according to his own capacities. Even a single pair of rakats prayed during the hours of the night is enough to bring it to life. Secondly, the best portion of the night is the latter portion, the last third, the part that follows your sleep, not the part that precedes it, although it is all night and whatever you pray in any part of it equates to bringing it to life. And thirdly, it indicates that these nights are special and different to other nights in the year, for night prayers are by their nature a most private act of worship, something done under the cover of darkness, a closely-guarded secret between you and your Lord. You do not advertise to other people that you are doing them and you do not wake them to join you unless they specifically ask. And yet, here we find the Messenger of Allah, whom we are commanded to emulate and follow, waking up his ahl, his family. This, more than anything, indicates the incredible nature of these last ten nights. So great is the reward on offer, so valuable the treasure, that to not give your families and close friends the opportunity to partake of it when you have unlocked the doors would be a crime and the very height of selfishness and greed.
Purify your intention and take advantage of these moments. And do not fear tiredness or lack of sleep. Your Lord will give you the strength and the energy to thrive and endure. He will make your legs firm, your eyes open and your heart awake. He will not let yet your efforts go to waste. Allah says,

إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ 

the translation of which is, “As for those who fear Allah and are steadfast [and persevere], Allah does not allow to go to waste the wage of any people who do good.” 

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه، إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم

الحمد 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.

Aside from fasting, the two major actions of these last ten days are qiyam and i’tikaf, standing the night in prayer and retreating to the mosque. As we have seen from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, he made great effort to bring these nights to life and to encourage others to do so who might not normally make the same effort. And that is because these nights contain a night of such value that all other nights pale in comparison. That night is the Laylat al-Qadr. Aisha narrated that the Prophet said,

تحروا ليلة القدر في العشر الأواخر من رمضان

“Look for the Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan.” It can fall on any of these nights, but it is most likely to fall on one of the odd nights, in particular upon the 27th night, which will fall on Monday night, this coming week. Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet said,

من كان متحرياً ليلة القدر، فليتحرّها ليلة سبع وعشرين

“Anyone who seeks the Laylat al-Qadr should seek it on the 27th night.” 
So special a time is this Laylat al-Qadr that it is worth a thousand months. In other words, any action you do on it, it will be as if you have done it every day without fail for more than eighty years. Al-Qurtubi reports that Sayyidina Ali said, “The Prophet mentioned four slaves of Allah from among the Bani Israel – Ayyub, Zakariya, Hizqil bin al-Ajuz and Yusha bin Nun – and said that each of them worshipped their Lord continuously for eighty years and never once disobeyed Him, not even for an instant. When they heard this, the Companions marvelled at them so Jibril came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Muhammad, your people marvel at the fact that these people worshipped their Lord without ever disobeying Him for eighty years. Well, Allah has revealed something even better than that for them.’ And then Jibril recited surat al-Qadr, and the Messenger rejoiced.”
Those who take advantage of it receive a life’s worth of good action, and have their slates wiped clean. It is as if they never wronged Allah or disobeyed Him for an instant, like those right-acting slaves of the Banu Israil. 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.” So do not miss out. And do not limit your efforts to the 27th, for it may fall on any of the other last ten nights, even the even ones according to Hasan al-Basri. Just two rakats will enter you into the ranks of those who brought these nights to life.
As for i’tikaf, it is an action unique to Ramadan, one that is not done at other times of the year. And it is a sunna of our noble Messenger. Ibn Umar narrated that,

كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يعتكف في العشر الأواخر من رمضان

“The Prophet used to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in the mosque doing i’tikaf.” This practice of i’tikaf is highly recommended, both for men and women, depending upon facilities, but in order to be valid, it must fulfil certain preconditions and rulings.
Firstly, it must be done in the mosque and nowhere else, not even in its courtyard or annexes. The mosque means the prayer hall. Secondly, there must be an intention to do i’tikaf. Spending time in the mosque, even days, without such an intention does not count. Thirdly, the minimum period for i’tikaf is a day, and the day is counted from Maghrib to Maghrib. You must arrive before Maghrib on the first day and leave after Maghrib on the second or third or fourth or tenth or however many days you decide to stay. Fourthly, while you are in i’tikaf, you cannot leave the mosque for any reason except if it is a pressing need. In other words, going to the bathroom, getting food and provisions – although it is better if you arrange someone to bring it to you, falling ill or starting your period. The last obviously applies only in the case of women. There are no other valid reasons to leave, not even the death of a loved one. Fifthly, you must be fasting. If for any reason you are not, you cannot do i’tikaf. And sixthly, you must fill your time with worship – i.e. prayer, Quran and dhikr, and refrain from engaging with others unless absolutely necessary. Study, even if it is of the deen, is not a correct use of the time in i’tikaf according the strongest position of Malik. 
You should be aware, if it is your intention to do i’tikaf, that it is invalidated by a number of things. These include any form of sexual contact, even if that be just kissing; drunkenness; deliberately breaking the fast during daylight hours; leaving the mosque unless for a pressing need; and leaving the deen. 
We ask our Lord to protect us from that. And we ask Him to accept the i’tikaf of all of those who plan to do 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.

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً. 

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ  أَجْمَعِينَ. وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وعن أم المومنين عائشة التي أمرنا الله في سورة النور أن ندافع عنها، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ، وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى. 

رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ. 

إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.