FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMİİ “RAMADAN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS“

Honorable Muslims!
In the verse I have recited, our Lord Almighty (swt) states, “Indeed, those who have said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and then remained on a right course – the angels will descend upon them, [saying], ‘Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised.’”^[i]

In the hadith I have read, the Messenger of Allah (saw) says, “Truth leads to piety and piety leads to Paradise. And if a man continues to speak the truth and makes truth his object he will be recorded as truthful before Allah.”^[ii]

Dear Believers!
Our sublime religion Islam commands us to be straightforward in our words and behaviors. It forbids lying, which contradicts our essence and distorts our standing on the true path. Righteousness is the essence of Islam, and the most important attribute of a moral and virtuous society.

Righteousness entails a wholehearted belief in Allah (swt) and a wholehearted commitment to His Messenger (saw). It means kneading our body with worships and our soul with piety. It means to stand by the right and truth at all times. It takes us to be true to our word, loyal to our promise, and take care of what is entrusted to us. It requires to refrain from telling lies, backbiting, slandering, and using derogatory language.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
The Messenger of Allah (saw) warns us as follows: “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink.”^[iii]

Let us thus view the month of Ramadan as an opportunity to empower ourselves with truthfulness and ensure that it prevails our lives. Let us not forget that losing truthfulness automatically translates into losing the good. Lies and injustices committed with the intention of gaining worldly benefits will undoubtedly lead to evil. Being steadfast and truthful in all affairs and words will lead to good, and the good will lead to paradise.

^[i] Fussilat, 41/30.
^[ii] Bukhari, Adab, 69.
^[iii] Bukhari, Sawm, 8.

FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMİİ “RAMADAN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS“.(PDF)