Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Once again, we are about to reach the month of Ramadan, which Allah (swt)has granted us as mercy, forgiveness and blessing. InshAllah, this coming Thursday we will begin our first fast. In the Qur’an, Allah says: “O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain God-consciousness.”^[1] The fast we observe by Allah’s command is not merely abstaining from food and drink, it also means purifying our hearts, disciplining our will and rebuilding our awareness of servitude to Allah. This blessed month teaches us the importance of intention and how conscious worship should be.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
In Islam, deeds gain value through intention. Our beloved Prophet (saw) said, “Actions are judged by intentions.”^[2] reminding us that the soul of worship lies in intention. Allah (swt), who says, “Whether you conceal your words or declare them openly, He surely knows what is in the hearts,”^[3] evaluates actions not only by their outward form but by the purpose and direction within the heart. If a person performs worship seeking Allah’s pleasure, they earn reward; if the same act is done for show or personal gain, it loses its value. The fast of Ramadan is no different. We must observe it not as a mere tradition or habit, but as an act of submission to Allah’s command. Intention elevates us from ordinary hunger to worship and from hardship to mercy.

Dear Jama’ah!
Ramadan is an opportunity for every believer in Allah, His Messenger and the Hereafter to renew their consciousness. It is to live our days with awareness rather than neglect, recognising the value of time. It is to remain fasting not only physically, but spiritually, from dawn to sunset. If we can protect our tongues from lies and backbiting, our hearts from resentment and our eyes from the unlawful, then we have truly attained Ramadan awareness. Otherwise, fasting becomes nothing more than hunger and fatigue. Our Prophet (saw) expressed this reality in the following hadith: “Many are those who fast, yet gain nothing from their fast except hunger; and many are those who stand in prayer at night, yet gain nothing but sleeplessness.”^[4].

Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Ramadan is also a month of training: training in patience, sharing, compassion and most importantly, intention. By experiencing hunger, we learn the value of blessings and better understand the condition of the poor. Around iftar tables, we learn to share and through zakat and charity we strengthen our brotherhood. The true success is to carry the beautiful habits gained in Ramadan into life after Ramadan. Let us not forget, intention is not only necessary when beginning a fast, it is essential in every aspect of life. When we direct our intentions toward Allah’s pleasure in our work, family life and worship, even ordinary actions become acts of worship.

May Allah (swt) make us among His servants who truly comprehend the essence of Ramadan, act with sincere intentions and reflect this awareness in their lives. May our Ramadan be blessed and our fasts accepted. Ameen.

[1] Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:183

[2] Buhârî, Bedü’l-Vahy, 1; Müslim, İmare, 155; Ebû Dâvûd, Talak, 11

[3] Surah Al-Mulk, 67:13

[4] İbn Mâce, Sıyâm, 21

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