First Ramadan lecture of Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi 1447 AH
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that our master Muhammad is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.
O Allah! Confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad’s good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.
O Allah! Guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the Hearing, the Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting, the Merciful.
Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Congratulations to us all on the arrival of the blessed month of Ramadan—the month of goodness, mercy, and forgiveness. Allah has distinguished this month from all other months through the immense bounty, mercy, and favour He bestows upon His servants. It is a month in which He offers a tremendous opportunity to His believing servants—those who seize it due to their devotion to Him (the Almighty) and their eagerness to draw closer to Him by embracing the means He has prescribed for goodness, success, and righteousness.
Our dear Yemeni people are among those known for their great devotion and care for the blessed month of Ramadan. In fact, the technological developments the world has witnessed in recent times, especially at the media level—the internet, satellite channels, and the TV series and other content they broadcast—have affected most Muslim peoples, diminishing their engagement with what truly deserves priority during Ramadan, such as divine guidance, the Holy Quran, spiritual remembrance, acts of worship, and the wide range of righteous deeds. Despite that, our Yemeni people remain among the most devoted in this blessed month, showing a remarkable commitment to the mosques, worship, spiritual remembrance, and the Holy Quran, along with the many virtuous qualities and righteous practices that characterise Ramadan.
This is a great blessing from Allah, the Almighty. The general atmosphere during Ramadan—where there is a collective focus on the Holy Quran, adherence to fasting, and a heightened interest in spiritual remembrance, supplication, and worship in mosques—encourages cooperation in righteousness and piety among the community. This environment motivates many individuals to engage actively in that. Therefore, this is a good thing, and it is, as we said, one of the manifestations of the divine principle: {‘Cooperate with one another in righteousness and piety‘}[Al-Ma’idah 5:2].
That is why the enemies’ misleading and corrupting campaign of Satanic soft warfare focuses on undermining righteousness and faith within the Muslim Ummah. They seek to weaken the general commitment to Allah’s obligations, righteous deeds, and acts that draw people closer to Him, the Almighty. They also aim to reduce the number of those known for actively engaging in such acts. In particular, they concentrate heavily on targeting the youth, aiming to turn them away from such engagement, as well as influencing other segments of society. In some Arab countries and elsewhere in the Muslim world, they have achieved a degree of success. Nevertheless, among certain peoples, the level of interaction and commitment remains strong.
The prevailing feature across the Islamic world as a whole is the acknowledgement of the sanctity of the blessed month of Ramadan and a generally positive engagement with it. There is also widespread recognition of its immense virtue—that it represents a tremendous opportunity for righteous deeds, multiplied reward, firm commitment, and spiritual and moral elevation. This includes the significance of the night of Qadr, supplication, and much more besides.
This is generally known throughout the Islamic world. However, there is considerable disparity in the degree to which people truly benefit from Ramadan. Allah, (Glory be to Him) opens the doors of His mercy in an extraordinary and generous manner during this month, presenting vast opportunities. The gracious opportunities He extends— opportunities of immense goodness, elevated ranks, multiplied reward, spiritual and moral nurturing, and every form of good He has made available to His servants—are truly immense.
What is regrettable in people’s reality—foremost within the Muslim Ummah—is the weak appreciation of this great and compelling divine offer, which we urgently need and cannot do without. Instead, we often find ourselves tirelessly pursuing trivial and insignificant matters, overshadowing the immense good that Allah offers us for this world and the Hereafter.
Indeed, many people become easily enticed by trivial matters, chasing after their desires and whims, while paying little attention to the tremendous blessings that Allah offers them and the rewards that await those who respond to Him and embrace the goodness He presents. It is a profound loss to turn away from Allah and the abundant mercy and opportunities He opens for us.
Allah’s bounty is vast, and His mercy is great and expansive. He continually extends goodness to His servants; the doors of His mercy are always open. Yet there are special seasons distinguished by multiplied grace—times in which His giving, favour, and mercy increase, and in which extraordinary opportunities arise. It is a matter of deep regret and grievous loss for a person to miss such opportunities, foremost among them the blessed month of Ramadan.
For this reason, a person ought to pause for sincere self-examination and reflect seriously on his own reality, reminding himself of these important truths: that he must not allow this opportunity—of which he is in desperate need—to slip away. We are all in need of Allah (Glory be to Him) in every matter, in the affairs of this world and of the Hereafter, in what concerns our present lives and our eternal, everlasting future. A person’s negligence or distraction—caused by mental confusion and the pressures of surrounding distractions—brings no benefit whatsoever; rather, he loses out and only regrets it when it is too late.
The Holy Quran shows us the depth of regret and remorse felt by those who squander these divine opportunities that Allah has granted them out of His mercy, grace, and generosity. They lose themselves in this life for trivial pursuits, desires, and distractions, living in a state of recklessness and loss. The Holy Quran tells us how overwhelming their regret is when the time suddenly comes for their departure from this temporary and time-framed life: {‘When death approaches any of them, they cry, “My Lord! Let me go back, so I may do good in what I left behind.” Never! It is only a [useless] appeal they make. And there is a barrier behind them until the Day they are resurrected’’}[Al-Mu’minun 23:99-100]. By then, it is too late. The opportunities have been lost—but the burdens, sins, and misdeeds remain, carrying their grave and dangerous consequences for a person’s eternal future on the Day of Resurrection.
This intense and overwhelming regret will also be experienced in the place of gathering: {‘He says, “If only I had put forth something for my life”‘}[Al-Fajr 89:24]. This is followed by the greatest and most horrific regret in Jahannam, where a person wishes, implores, and earnestly supplicates to be returned to this worldly life so that he may perform righteous deeds and make proper use of this life, having finally come to realise its true worth, significance, and the consequences that flow from it—but it is far too late. For this reason, the Holy Quran speaks at length about many details related to this reality, reminding us—while we still have the opportunity—to seize it and beware of wasting it.
The blessed month of Ramadan is great and momentous, and at this critical stage the Ummah needs—more than ever before—to make full use of it and of the abundant gifts that Allah has placed within it. The condition of the Muslim Ummah today is extremely difficult; it is facing crises, pressures, challenges, and dangers unlike those faced by any other nation. It is facing intense targeting and alarming polarisation, along with profoundly serious dysfunction within its own ranks. For this reason, the current state of the Ummah is disturbingly similar to a state of loss, wandering, and despair among many people. It is like blindness: no awareness, no understanding, and widespread confusion. In fact, it is a deeply alarming condition. The Ummah therefore needs to return to Allah (the Almighty) so that He may deliver it from its present plight and enable it to fully seize and benefit from these precious opportunities.
Allah says about the obligation of fasting in the month of Ramadan, which is the foremost pillar of this blessed month, {‘O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you (as it was for those before you) so that you may become mindful of Allah‘}[Al-Baqara 2:183]. {‘So that you may become mindful of Allah‘} is the great, important, and foremost benefit of fasting in the blessed month of Ramadan. This is the case when a person performs this obligation with full awareness of its significance, its benefits, and its rewards, seeking Allah’s help and assistance to attain these results and objectives. Therefore, piety is the primary and most important gain that can be attained in Ramadan.
While the month of Ramadan—with its fasting, night prayers, and blessings—brings numerous benefits, piety stands above all. Yet this great and vital gain is precisely what the Ummah has lost; it is largely absent in its life today due to widespread neglect of its sacred duties and failure to uphold Allah’s commands and prohibitions in practice. For this reason, it is essential to pay serious attention to our reality as Muslims. This is a matter of great importance, both for our lives in this world and for our future in the Hereafter.
In light of the true promises contained in divine guidance, Allah has made great promises contingent upon obedience to Him and the fulfilment of His prescribed obligations and teachings. Many of these promises are connected to the theme of piety: {‘Had the people of the towns believed and feared Allah, We would have opened for them blessings from the sky and the earth”}[Al-A’raf 7:96]; {‘And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make a way out for him and provide for him from where he does not expect‘}[At-Talaq 65:2-3]. He also says, {‘Whoever fears Allah, He will create ease for him‘}[At-Talaq 65:4]; {‘And whosoever is mindful of Allah, He will remit his misdeeds, and reward them immensely‘}[At-Talaq 65:5]. There are many verses that show us the immense importance of piety and the promises that Allah has attached to it.
In the reality of the Ummah, we see a great loss when, for example, some of Allah’s obligations are observed only to a limited extent, while many of His commands are neglected, sacred responsibilities are abandoned, and His limits and prohibitions are violated. As a result, the Ummah can no longer reap the full fruits of even the duties and obligations of faith that it still performs. Therefore, this clearly shows us that there is a flaw in the reality of the Ummah and that it urgently needs to reform and correct its relationship with Allah’s commands, prohibitions, and teachings. The Ummah must adhere to them in a complete and proper manner so that it can witness clear signs of Allah’s acceptance by seeing His promises manifest in its reality. This is an important matter because it is not only relevant to our worldly life but also crucial for our future in the Hereafter.
The Ummah must reinforce its relationship with the Holy Quran, grounded in the correct understanding that it is a book of guidance. We must understand that our relationship with it should be one of seeking guidance, adherence, and practical commitment and that it is as Allah has described it: {‘Verily, this Quran guides to that which is most upright‘}[Al-Isra 17:9]. For failure to adhere to piety stems from following desires and lacking in the purity of souls. It might also be the result of a major flaw in ideas, perspectives, and concepts that deviate from Allah’s guidance and His true path and lead to disobedience to His commands and prohibitions, the Almighty.
The alarming reality of Muslims today—assessed in light of the Quran—indicates that they are being subjected to divine punishment. The majority of the Ummah is living in this very state: {‘Then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people‘}[At-Tawbah 9:24]; {‘If you do not march forth, He will afflict you with a painful torment and replace you with other people, and you can do Him no harm at all. And Allah is Most Capable of everything‘}[At-Tawbah 9:39]. There are massive shortcomings in fulfilling practical responsibilities across all fields within the Ummah. The overall reality of the Ummah—on the political, economic, security, and military levels—and the humiliating dependence of most regimes in the Islamic world, both Arab and non-Arab, on the enemies of Islam, to the point of submission and accepting violation by Zionist Jewish enemies against this Ummah, represents an extremely awful situation. For this Ummah to be humiliated before those upon whom Allah has stricken with humiliation, submissive to those whom Allah has stricken with destituteness, and being under the control of those who have incurred Allah’s wrath is a deeply alarming state that requires a serious and urgent return to Allah, the Almighty.
There is a failure to uphold most collective responsibilities:
- striving in Allah’s cause and holding firmly to His rope,
- upholding equity,
- nurturing faith-based brotherhood,
- enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong,
- calling others to righteousness,
- showing compassion and promoting solidarity,
- cooperating in righteousness and piety, and
- fulfilling most collective duties.
In fact, there are profound deficiencies at the moral, behavioural, and practical levels. Injustices abound without limit—both among the peoples themselves, and on the part of regimes and governments. This state of affairs demands reform and a deep awareness that the true danger lies in these failings, in disobedience to Allah’s commands, and in the severe consequences that result from them.
One of the most important matters requiring our attention is to correct our understanding of Allah’s teachings, commands, and prohibitions—recognising that they arise from His mercy, wisdom, and knowledge. Indeed, He is the One Who knows the unseen and the seen; He knows all things, and nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from Him. He knows best what serves the interests of humanity and what brings them good in this world and the Hereafter. Therefore, we must place our trust in Allah (Glory be to Him) and in what He has promised. In addition, we must believe that He is the Ever-Living, the Sustainer, and that He upholds His book and fulfils His promises. This draws us to the guidance of Allah (Glory be to Him).
Concerning the month of Ramadan, Allah says, {‘Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind and as clear proofs of guidance and criterion‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:185]. In Ramadan, a person finds himself more prepared than at any other time to benefit from the Holy Quran: to be moved by it inwardly and spiritually, to engage with it, and to listen to it attentively. For this reason, it is important to devote oneself wholeheartedly to the Holy Quran during the month of Ramadan. On the basis that it is a book of guidance, we must realign our concepts, outlook, orientations, relationships, and stances in accordance with the Holy Quran.
The month of Ramadan is one of the most significant seasons for supplication, so it is important to give due attention to supplication during this month. Allah says, {‘If My servants ask you about Me, I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be guided‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:186]. It is a tremendous opportunity that must be fully seized. Indeed, we are in need of Allah in all things. Supplication should address personal worries and private matters, as well as wider public affairs.
It is important to engage frequently in remembrance of Allah and to reflect upon His saying, {‘So remember Me; I will remember you‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:152]. This is a powerful incentive to remember Allah (Glory be to Him) more often. Remembrance should be made with both the heart and the tongue: {‘Remember your Lord inwardly with humility and reverence‘}[Al-A’raf 7:205].
Moreover, it is important to give due attention to acts of kindness, righteousness, maintaining family ties, and performing good deeds: {‘Allah certainly loves the good-doers‘}[Al-Baqarah 2:195]. These are among the greatest acts that draw a person closer to Allah (Glory be to Him), and among their worldly rewards is that Allah grants a person abundant good in return for his generosity and kindness. It is also important to devote oneself to worship and to make the most of the multiplied reward: giving attention to voluntary prayers alongside the obligatory prayers and engaging in the various prescribed forms of worship.
Being keen to rid oneself of accumulated spiritual residues and striving for spiritual elevation is a matter of great importance. Over the course of the year—through the problems, pressures, challenges, and various influences one has faced—negative traces may have settled within the soul. These manifest as negative emotions, personal ill-feelings, temptations, and tendencies. The most opportune time to rid oneself of these is the blessed month of Ramadan. Hence, a person should seek not only to cleanse himself of such residues, but also to strive for something greater: spiritual elevation and moral refinement. Furthermore, he should seek to grow in faith, strengthen his relationship with Allah, deepen his trust in Him, increase his attachment and turning towards Him, and nurture within oneself feelings of hope, fear, reverent awe, longing, and trust in Him. It also requires practical commitment: a sincere desire to perform righteous deeds, to adopt a faith-centred orientation, and to refine one’s character as reflected in one’s dealings, conduct, and priorities.
It is essential to prepare for the blessed night of Qadr, for this is among the most significant matters. Preparation—as we noted in the speech of preparation for Ramadan—begins from the very start of Ramadan. This includes preparing oneself, readying oneself, and pursue the means that lead to divinely granted success, so that one may attain goodness, be granted success in observing that blessed night in worship, and receive immense good from Allah.
We must approach the month of Ramadan as a tremendous opportunity, as stated in the noble hadith, ‘It is a month whose beginning is mercy, whose middle is forgiveness, and whose end is the acceptance of prayers and deliverance from the Fire.‘ Among our foremost concerns must be the pursuit of the greatest protection—being mindful of Allah—so that He shields us from His punishment, from the Fire of Jahannam, which is the gravest danger that can befall a person. Such a fate is reached through a person’s evil deeds, negligence, and heedlessness; through following one’s desires; through succumbing to the whispers and incitements of Satan; and through being swayed by negative influences. One of the most important priorities to keep at the forefront of our concerns is striving to save our souls from Allah’s eternal punishment: the Fire of Jahannam. We seek refuge with Allah.
This is among the central matters to focus upon during the month of Ramadan. In addition, a person should approach this opportunity with awareness, strong resolve, and a clear recognition of its significance.
Allah willing and by His grace, I shall be at your service throughout this blessed month, delivering the Ramadan lectures and speaking on the blessed Quranic narratives, which Allah has related to us in the Holy Quran. These contain profound lessons, insights, and abundant guidance, enabling us to draw benefit and to be guided by Allah in confronting the challenges of this critical stage.
We ask Allah (Glory be to Him) to grant us success in seeking what pleases Him. O Allah, have mercy on our virtuous martyrs, heal the wounded among us, set free our captives, and grant us victory. O Allah, accept our fasting, night prayers, and good deeds. You are the Hearer of Prayer!
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.