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AlHamdulillah was Salatu Wassalamu 'ala Rasulillah
wa ba'ad.
Allahumma balligna Ramadan!
Oh Allah, allow us to reach the month of Ramadan!
This is a du'a that you may have heard before.
In fact, it's attributed to The Prophet
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
that he would say, Allahumma barik lana fee Rajab wa Sha'ban
wa balligna Ramadan
Allah, bless for us Rajab and Sha'ban,
and allow us to reach the month of Ramadan.
However, this is not authentically reported
on the authority of The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam,
and therefore, there's really no formula
that we need to use to ask Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala
to reach the month of Ramadan.
However, it was very common during the time of the Tabi'in.
The Tabi'in, there were the students of the companions.
So there's just one generation between them and The Prophet
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
You know, it was common during their era
that they would ask Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala
to allow them to reach the month of Ramadan.
One of the early scholars of Islam,
Mu'allah ibn al-Fadl
he said that they used to, ya'ni,
his scholars, they used to ask Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala
six months in advance
to allow them to reach the month of Ramadan.
So there was this beautiful anticipation
for the month of Ramadan,
the month in which the gates of heaven are opened,
in which the gates of the fire are closed,
and the devils are chained.
A month in which every night of that month,
lillahi utaika minan naar
There are those whom Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala
frees from the fire.
A month in which there is a night
Laylatul Qadr
that is better than a thousand months.
So who would not anticipate the blessing of this month
and want to reach the month of Ramadan?
The famous story of the three men,
two whom were martyred,
and the third, who, after them,
died in the comfort of his own home.
The three of them were seen in a dream.
The one who died in his own home, who was not martyred,
he was seen in a place higher than them in Paradise.
And so they went to ask The Prophet
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam about this.
And The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
responded by saying,
didn't he reach the month of Ramadan after them
and fasted that month?
Didn't he pray in a year?
This and that many such,
this and that many prostrations.
The distance between them
is like the distance between heaven and the earth.
One of the most popular du'as in this regard
among the early generation of Muslims
was narrated by the great Imam al-Awzai
Rahimahullah
who said that his Shaykh
Yahya ibn abi-Kathir
was from the student of the companions.
Yahya ibn abi-Kathir said
Kana min du'aa ihim, ya'ni
It was from their du'a meaning the du'a of the companions
Allahumma sallimni ila Ramadan was sallim li Ramadan
was tasallamhu minni mutaqabbla.
Allahumma sallimni ila Ramadan,
Oh Allah, keep me safe until Ramadan.
Was sallim li Ramadan,
and safeguard Ramadan for me.
Was tasallamhu minni mutaqabbla,
and accept it from me.
This du'a has three separate components,
and they're all very important components of this du'a.
So what we're asking Allah at the very beginning to keep us
safe, to preserve us until Ramadan.
That is, obviously to keep us alive so that we
are able to witness the month.
And then Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la keeps us
physically safe, that He keeps us mentally safe,
that are we are in good spirits.
That our iman is strong.
You know, as we approach the month of Ramadan.
So this is Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la
keeping us safe until Ramadan.
The second part is, was sallim li Ramadan.
In other words, safeguard Ramadan for me.
Well, what is it, what does that mean to safeguard Ramadan
for me, meaning the month itself, that your approach
that you are able to take advantage
of that month of Ramadan, that you fast its days,
that you pray its nights, that you sacrifice your wealth.
And some of your comfort, all of this is part
of Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la safeguarding the month
of Ramadan for you
so that you're able to take full advantage
of the month of Ramadan.
And remember, brothers and sisters in Islam:
there's no guarantee that this won't be our last Ramadan.
You look at the statement of some of the early scholars
of Islam when they would say
al-furass saree-atul faws batee atul awd
that opportunities go quickly
and they come back very slowly.
And so we have to take advantage
of the opportunity of Ramadan.
The last part of this du'a is
was tasallamhu minni mutaqabbla, which means, and accept it
from me; that is, receive the deeds that I do
with Your acceptance, Oh Allah.
because ultimately what we're trying to aim for
in this month of Ramadan is
Allah Subh'anaHu Wa Ta-A'la's pleasure.
We want Him to accept our deeds from us, which means
that they have to be sincere, that they truly have to be
for Allah and Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala alone.
So we have to be very careful about, you know
not just the fasting part of Ramadan and showing off
in Ramadan but anything that we do during the month
of Ramadan that it is solely for the sake of
Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala and that it is in compliance
with the teachings of The Prophet
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
so that they will be accepted deeds.
This is what we're looking for in the month of Ramadan
Allahumma sallimni ila Ramadan
was sallim li Ramadan
was tasallamhu minni mutaqabbla.
Learn this du'a, teach it to others,
Jazakumullahu khairan
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