Rajab: The Doorway to Ramadan

As we approach the last Friday of the year 2025 and prepare to enter the first Friday of the sacred month of Rajab, 1447, I pray that Allah Ta‘ala accepts all our good deeds from the past year and forgives us for our shortcomings. I pray that He blesses our new year with the strength to do what is right and the discipline to stay away from what is wrong. And I pray that Allah blesses this new month of Rajab, placing barakah in our lives and allowing us to reach Ramadan and beyond in good health and strong faith.

Dear brothers and sisters, I remind myself and all of you of two important truths and obligations as long as we remain alive in this world.

First: The end of the year is a powerful reminder of the end of our journey in this dunya. Allah Ta‘ala tells us in Surah al‑Munāfiqūn:
“O you who believe, spend from what We have provided you before death comes to one of you, and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short time so I could give charity and be among the righteous.’ But Allah will never delay a soul when its time has come.” (63:10–11)

And the Prophet ﷺ taught us:
“When the son of Adam dies, all his deeds come to an end except for three: a righteous child who prays for him, beneficial knowledge that people benefit from, and ongoing charity (ṣadaqah jāriyah).” (Sahih Muslim)

Therefore, let us increase our ḥasanāt while we still have the ability, and let us not hesitate to give generously—especially in support of our Islamic Center—so that our charity continues to benefit us long after we leave this world.

Second: We must begin preparing for the blessed season that is approaching—the month of Ramadan. I will speak more about this soon, insha’Allah, but it is essential that we plan our lives around our sacred occasions so that when Ramadan arrives, we enter it ready, organized, and spiritually awake. Ramadan is only about two months away, and this blessed month of Rajab is the doorway to it. Traditionally, the early generations would say: “Rajab is the month of planting seeds, Sha‘bān is the month of watering them, and Ramadan is the month of harvest.”

So let us begin now—with fasting, giving charity, reconnecting with one another, and renewing our intentions.

May Allah bless Rajab for us, allow us to reach Sha‘bān, and deliver us to Ramadan with hearts full of light and purpose.