Benefits of the Winter - Shaykh Aqeel Mahmood

Khutbah al-Ula — The First Sermon

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds.

Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him. And whosoever He misguides, none can guide him. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.

O you who have believed, fear your Lord, Who created you from one soul, and created from it a wife, and spread among them many men and women. And fear Allah in Whom you ask for help and mercy. Verily, Allah watches over you.

O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak the truth. He will correct your deeds and forgive your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great triumph.

As for what follows — the best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace be upon him.

The Winter Season: A Time of Opportunity

We are now, brothers and sisters, almost halfway through this winter season. And as you all know, whenever the winter season comes, it's for many of us a time of dread. It's not something that we look forward to. It's cold, it's miserable, the days are short, a person has to really wrap up warm before he goes out. He's worried about himself and his family becoming sick. He hopes and he wishes he can be somewhere else where it's warmer and sunnier. And some of us do travel to warmer climates in this season. And it's a season that many of us will express our dislike of — "I hate the winter, I hate the cold." It's not something that we enjoy.

But if we reflect on the bounties and the blessings of Allah, there are those blessings of Allah which are apparent — things which we can see, things that are clear in terms of their blessings, and they're in front of our eyes, they're easy to see. But then there are other blessings where a person has to dig a little bit deeper. He has to look for the silver lining. He has to look at the benefits and the opportunities and the advantages of certain circumstances and certain situations.

And us being here in this country, it's something that we experience every single year — the severe cold, the dull weather, not just in the winter but generally throughout the year.

The Breath of the Hellfire

Allah once had the hellfire complain to Him — as mentioned in a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari — where the hellfire complained and said that some of itself is consuming itself, part of it is eating itself up because of the severe heat. And so Allah gave it permission to have two breaths: one breath in the summer and one breath in the winter. The breath in the summer is what we experience of the severe heat and the hot weather in that season. And the severe cold that we experience is from the effects of the breath of the hellfire in that season.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 537; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 617)

Allah also tells us in the Quran that He is the Master of the two easts and the two wests — the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests. And the scholars said: what does it mean, the two easts and the two wests? They said: the sun when it rises in the summer and in the winter, and the sun when it sets in the summer and in the winter. And so Allah is the one who is the master, the controller, the sustainer, the creator of all the seasons that we experience as human beings living on this earth.

And Allah also tells us not to dislike something too much. It may be that something that you hate, something that you despise, Allah places a lot of good — a lot of khair — in it.

And so this season that we're experiencing, this cold that many of us don't enjoy, that we don't like — it's something that we have to ponder and reflect on: whether or not it's something that we can take advantage of with regards to our deen, with regards to our acts of worship.

The Two Prizes of Winter: Fasting and Night Prayer

In fact, the companions and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ actually spoke about the winter season. They talked about the benefits of the winter season — things that a person could do in the winter that maybe he wouldn't be able to do with as much ease in the summer or in the other seasons.

Umar رضي الله عنه spoke about the winter and he said:

"The winter is the prize of the worshipper."

And also the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned in a hadith, talking about the winter:

(Reported by Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi; classified as hasan)

"Fasting is the prize of the winter."

And the companions would also talk about the winter and they would welcome the winter whenever it would come. Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه, whenever the winter would come, he would say:

"Welcome, O winter! Blessings descend at this time of the year. The night becomes long for praying to Allah, and the days become short for a person to be able to fast."

These are the two prizes of the winter, brothers and sisters. And we should reflect and think about what our mindset is during this time of the year — how do we behave, what do we think, and how do we respond? Because it is a time of bitter cold. It is something which a person wishes would pass by quickly. But as we experience these seasons year after year, in reality, how much benefit do we actually take whenever this winter season comes by? What do we do to take advantage of these winter seasons? How much do we offer fasts at this time of the year? How many of us are able to wake up in the night — because the night is long — and offer salah and worship Allah during this time?

Imam al-Hasan al-Basri on the Winter

Imam al-Hasan al-Basri رحمه الله would talk about the winter and he would say:

"The best time for the believer is the winter. Its nights are long so he stands in prayer, and its days are short so he fasts."

Fasting in Winter: Short Days, Great Reward

If we think about six months prior to today — roughly around six months — we were fasting the month of Ramadan, which falls in the summer. And we all know how difficult that is and how hard it can be. Fasting those extremely long days — a person by the end of it is thirsty, he's hungry, he's tired. And then when he breaks his fast, he gets that reward from Allah by the permission of Allah, and he quenches that thirst. But then he has to go for Taraweeh, and that lasts a number of hours, and by the time he goes home, there's only a number of hours before Fajr begins again.

And so that time that the individual has in the winter at this moment in time is something that he won't be able to get in the summer. It's something which a person should take advantage of. Just like the companions, they would welcome the winter. They would be happy when the winter would come. It was something they would look forward to, because they knew of the opportunities that the winter brought that the summer never brought.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a hadith said:

(Reported by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad, with a hasan chain)

"The winter is the spring of the believer — its nights are long so he stands in prayer, and its days are short so he fasts them."

An individual, when he wakes up in the morning to go to work in these winter days, it's possible that he goes to work and it's still dark — the sun hasn't yet risen because of how long the nights are. And how much effort would it truly take us to wake up prior to Fajr beginning, have a suhoor meal, and then fast for that day — in which, for the most part, most likely you'll be at work during that period of time. And even when the time of sunset does arrive, when Maghrib comes, when the time for iftar comes, when he can open his fast, most likely he'll still be at work. Meaning the days are so short that it's possible you haven't even eaten even if you weren't fasting.

An individual may go to work, you and I, and miss breakfast in the morning — it happens, we get late. And then lunchtime comes and you're so busy you don't even have lunch. And so you may end up having a late lunch at 3 or 4 o'clock. What time is Maghrib these days? Around 4 o'clock. And so very little effort on our part brings about a huge reward from Allah. Simply fasting — where possibly we won't even be eating anyway, even if we weren't fasting — will bring about so much reward from Allah.

Ibn Rajab on Night Prayer in Winter

If we reflect on Ibn Rajab رحمه الله and what he said about the winter, he talked about an individual who prays during the winter in the night time, and he said:

"Standing in the nights of winter is equivalent to a person fasting in the summers."

A person praying during the night in the harsh, severe cold of the winter will get the same reward as an individual who is fasting in the long, hot days of the summer — because the effort is equivalent. He's making the same type of effort. And so that small sacrifice that the believer takes for the sake of Allah will bring about an immense amount of reward.

The Flexibility of Voluntary Fasting

We know that fasting is something which is flexible — it's not something that is very specific. There are certain days where it is recommended for a person to fast. We know, for example, that the fast of Dawud عليه السلام was the best type of fast — he would alternate, fasting one day and then not fasting the next. This was the best type of fast according to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. But if a person isn't able to do this, if we're not used to fasting on a regular basis, then we know the sunnah of fasting specific days in the week — the Mondays and the Thursdays. And even if we can't do those two days, then one of those days. And even if we can't do one of those days, whichever day is comfortable for us. And if it happens to be a Friday, then we know the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ where he would fast along with Friday either the day before or the day after — not singling out Friday for a fast.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us something which would encourage us even if we're not able to fast on a weekly basis. He said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1975; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1159)

"Whoever fasts three days in the month, then it is as if he has fasted for the whole of the year." The reward is as if he has fasted for the whole of the year. And that can be the recommended days of the 13th, 14th, and 15th of each month, or it can be towards the end of the month or the beginning of the month. They can be together or they can be separate. But when a person fasts with this intention, the reward is immense, brothers and sisters.

Not to mention what happens to us every single year when Ramadan approaches and we're not prepared for fasting those long days. So imagine fasting from now in the winter season regularly and consistently — because Allah loves those acts which are regular and consistent, however small they may be. If we decide to fast once a week and we continue this tradition, this effort on our part, of fasting once a week until the month of Ramadan approaches, no doubt physically our bodies will be much more equipped and much more prepared to be able to fast the whole month of Ramadan. And this is why the scholars of the past would prepare six months before Ramadan began. And so this is another benefit of fasting in these winter days — the days are short, it's not difficult, we probably won't even feel hungry by the time Maghrib comes. It'll just feel like we're having a late lunch or an early dinner.

The Reward of Wudu in the Cold

So when we reflect on these benefits, these prizes, brothers and sisters — these are prizes which are easy to attain at a time when things are dark and miserable, the weather isn't enjoyable. But there are always advantages for the believer if he looks for them.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once told the companions: "Should I not inform you of something by which Allah will raise your status, raise your ranks, and remove your sins?" And the companions said: "Of course, O Messenger of Allah." And he said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 251)

Performing wudu completely even when one dislikes it, even when it's difficult. When we wake up in the night time — or even for Fajr — and it's cold, and we're warm in our beds, the last thing we'd want to do is put water on our faces and on our bodies. But the reward of a believer, a slave of Allah, when he gets out of that warm bed during the night time when it's freezing cold, makes his way to the bathroom, washes himself, performs wudu with that cold water, and then prays to Allah — it's not something he may particularly enjoy. The water's cold. But it's that effort that he's making. He's doing something which his body is refusing to do. It's not something which is natural for him to do at that moment in time. But he's making that effort for the sake of Allah. And that's true strength, brothers and sisters.

The strong one is the one who can overcome the plots and the traps and the tricks of Shaytan, the influences of Shaytan, and carry out the orders and commandments of Allah — to seek Allah's pleasure when it's difficult to do so.

The Descent of Allah in the Last Third of the Night

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us in a hadith:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1145; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 758)

Our Lord descends — in a manner that befits His majesty — to the lowest heavens of this world, and then He speaks and asks and declares: "Who is there from My slaves? Who is asking Me so I can answer them? Who is awake? Who is present? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I can forgive them? Who is supplicating to Me so I can respond to their supplication?"

Allah in the last part of the night descends to the lowest heavens of this world, looking and waiting to forgive people who have that strength, that energy, that ability to wake up at that moment in time and to worship Allah, to supplicate to Him, to make du'a to Him, to ask Him whatever they wish. One of the times a person's supplication is accepted is during that last part of the night.

How hard would it really be for us to wake up half an hour before Fajr begins and make sincere supplication and du'a to Allah? Many of us will be waking up anyway for work. And even if we didn't, that small sacrifice is something which is worth it. It's not something where we're wasting our time or wasting our sleep — because Allah is the one who gives us that energy. Allah is the one who gives us that ability to be able to go about the day and not become tired. So when we remember Allah, Allah will increase that resolve, Allah will increase that energy, Allah will give us strength upon strength.

Those Who Sacrifice Their Sleep for Allah

From the characteristics of those who are in paradise, those who are granted paradise, Allah says about them:

"Only a little of the night would they sleep." From the characteristics of those who are in paradise is that they would sacrifice their sleep.

We may be aware of individuals who are successful from a worldly perspective — millionaires, billionaires. And when we hear what they say, they'll talk about how little they sleep. "It's a waste of time. Time is precious to them. They don't waste their time sleeping at night — they'll sleep maybe 3 or 4 hours and it's enough, because they have things to do. They want to make the most of their time. Time is money." And yet when we reflect on our situation, on our circumstances, we're not even willing to sacrifice our sleep during the night for something which is forever — for paradise. For something which, if we were to attain it, Allah will never take away from us — unlike wealth, unlike money.

Also, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ talked about one of those things which causes a person to enter paradise peacefully, and he said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3549; classified as hasan)

"Pray during the night while the people are asleep and you will enter paradise peacefully" — with no worries, nothing to worry about, with safety and security. But that effort needs to be made. That effort of waking up during the night while everybody else is asleep — going that extra mile, just like we go that extra mile when it comes to work, when it comes to study, when it comes to our families — going that extra mile for the sake of Allah.

In fact, a slave who wakes up during the night to worship Allah is like a bright shining star in the sky amidst all the darkness. Allah sees him, even if no one else does.

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم إنه هو الغفور الرحيم

Khutbah al-Thaniyah — The Second Sermon

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الأنبياء والمرسلين، نبينا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين.

We were talking about the prizes of the winter season — the two prizes of the winter season which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the companions would take advantage of. This time of the year, brothers and sisters, like we said, is a time when many of us struggle. It's miserable, it's dark, it's cold. It's something we don't enjoy. We're worried about becoming sick. The bills are higher in terms of how much we have to pay than in other times of the year. And so it's something we don't enjoy particularly. We may end up traveling outside somewhere else where it's warmer and sunnier.

But as believers, we always look at the positives. We're always optimistic. In any circumstances in which the believer is placed, he takes advantage of that situation, of those circumstances that Allah has placed him in. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as we mentioned, talked about the virtues of the winter and how it's the prize of the believer, and how the companions would welcome the winter.

As Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه would say: مَرْحَبًا بِالشِّتَاءِ — "Welcome, O winter!" And how they would take advantage of the short days by fasting, and take advantage of the long nights by praying — taking advantage of the hadith that we mentioned of Allah descending to the lowest heavens of this world during the last part of the night. They would wake up and they would worship Allah.

We talked about the virtues of those who are in paradise — that from the things they would do that cause them to enter paradise is that they would worship Allah while everybody else was asleep:

They would only sleep a short amount during the night.

Paradise: No Burning Sun, No Bitter Cold

If we reflect, brothers and sisters, and we look at Allah's statement in the Quran about paradise — He compares paradise and the blessings of paradise and what a person will experience, and the things he won't experience in paradise — it is a reminder for us especially in this season that we're in. Allah tells us:

"They will be reclining upon couches in paradise — they will see therein neither burning sun nor bitter cold." The sacrifices that we make in the severe cold that we're experiencing now will enable us to recline on couches in Jannah, where there is no burning sun and no freezing cold.

How the Companions Organised Their Nights

We reflect and we look at some of the companions and how precious they were with their time, how careful they were with how they used their time. Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه talked about how he would organise his time and he would say: "I would divide my nights into three — one third I would use to pray, one third I would sleep, and the other third I would use to remember the narrations of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the statements of the Prophet ﷺ."

This was his routine. This is how much they would divide their time and organise their time. We may organise our days and what we're going to be doing during the daytime. But the companions — they would organise their nights. They would organise what they're going to be doing during the nighttime. Whereas for many of us, the night is just used for sleep.

Closing Du'a

And so, reflecting on all of this, brothers and sisters — it's something that we can take advantage of while Allah has given us this opportunity. We ask Allah that He gives us the ability and the power and the strength to be able to make the most of this winter. We ask Allah that He gives us the ability to be able to fast in these short winter days. And that Allah gives us the power and the strength to be able to stand in these long winter nights.