Dear Muslims!
The three holy months are a climate of mercy and forgiveness when Allah the Almighty showers the believers with blessings and favors. It is a blessed period of time when we reflect upon our purpose of creation over and over again and review our covenant of servitude. The three holy months provide us with the opportunity to purify our minds and hearts, which we sometimes taint by greed and avarice. It serves as a reminder for us to seek refuge in Allah (swt) with our entire being, and to earnestly repent for our mistakes and sins. Our Almighty Lord’s (swt) call in this regard is very clear: “O believers! Turn to Allah in sincere repentance, so your Lord may absolve you of your sins and admit you into Gardens, under which rivers flow…”1
Dear Believers!
Our Lord’s (swt) door of mercy and forgiveness is always wide open. So, let us seize the three holy months as an opportunity to enter through that door with faith, worship, and good morals. The grace and favor of Allah (swt) are upon the believers. Therefore, let us increase our acts of charity and benevolence, and extend care to the victimized, the oppressed, and the needy. Our Lord’s (swt) mercy and compassion encompass all existence. Therefore, let us put aside hatred, envy and enmity, and strengthen our bonds of love and brotherhood.
Dear Muslims!
According to our great religion, Islam, worship and devotion are not limited to certain days and nights. Every moment is valuable in the pursuit of earning the pleasure of our Lord (swt). Allah the Almighty states, “Worship your Lord until the inevitable comes your way.”2 So, let us live a life full of faith, ikhlas, sincerity and taqwa in order to attain the bliss of both this world and the Hereafter. Let us endeavor to illuminate our hearts, dimmed by worldliness and selfishness, through acts of worship. Let us seek forgiveness from our Lord (swt) for our mistakes and sins through our Tawbah Nasuh (genuine repentance). Let us persist in our noble stance to bring an end to oppression and violence in various parts of the world, particularly in Palestine, and strive to bring smiles to the faces of the oppressed.
[1] Tahrim, 66/8.
[2] Hijr, 15/99.
Friday Khutba of Tokyo Camii “Climate Of Mercy And Forgiveness: Three Holy Months”