Assalamu Alaikum, everyone. Just want to congratulate you on personally being invited to another Ramadan, and I hope you don’t think that this is just another Ramadan. No, no, no this Ramadan is very special. This Ramadan is very unique. There’s a big difference between last Ramadan and this Ramadan.

You know what that is? Last time alone there were people amongst us whom Allah had it written that it would be their final Ramadan. But not you.

Last Ramadan there were people amongst us who were healthy and strong enough to fast and this year they may be struggling to find an alternative route to that sweetness of faith that they once found through fasting inshaAllah you’re ready to go.

Last Ramadan there were people who were Muslim and now they’re battling for their survival and their a prosperity, having misstepped or perhaps fumbled their faith and they’re fighting for their life to get it back and retain it or retrieve it.

When the month of Ramadan began, our Prophet reminded us of the importance and the value of being excited about it. He would say, “The month of Ramadan is now upon you. It is a blessed month.”

Then he mentioned that of its blessings is that Allah obligates you with fasting it. He said, “In it the gates of Paradise are opened.” Meaning it’s so easy to get in.

He said, “And the gates of the Hellfire are locked.” Meaning it’s so hard to get in.

He said, “And the devils are shackled, they’re chained.” Meaning their influence is so restricted.

He said, “Allah has, after transforming the whole universe for you to stack the odds in your favor.” He says, “Then He has callers call out from the Heavens saying ‘O you who seeks out good, come forth. Step up. And O you who seeks out evil, go away. Depart. There’s nothing here for you.'”

Then he said, “In it is a single night worth more than a thousand months.” And he said, “Whomever is deprived of the good abundant good of this month, whoever is deprived of the height of this month, faqad hurima, has truly been deprived.”

So may Allah help me and you power through the month of Ramadan and show Him good from ourselves and unlock the treasure of this month by beginning at excitement, gratitude, cheerfulness, feeling floored by the graciousness of Allah that He gave us yet another Ramadan.