This is an announcement from the Emperor of Emperors the King of Kings and the One who is in supreme control of the universe.

All believers are invited to be the guests of Allah (SWT) during the month of Holy Ramadan. Allah (SWT) invites them to a divine feast and gives them glad tiding of blessings and forgiveness.

This invitation is to tell you how much your Lord loves you and wants you to be close to Him. He has invited you to remember Him so He may remember you.

To ask from Him so He may grant you. He wants you to rid yourself of the burden of sins so that you may be lighter when you return to Him. He has prepared for you special gifts and rewards and stored for you precious robes. He has asked you to seek Him so you can be from among His friends.

Such a royal invitation must be accepted with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement. Preparations must be made to attend the royal feast in an appropriate manner. Please make haste as the opportunity for accepting the invitation will soon be over.

Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) reports that Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) has said that Sha'ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of Allah (SWT). Therefore, if anyone observers one day of fasting during Sha'ban, I will do his/her "Shafaat" on the day of judgment, and one who observers two days of fasting then his/her previous sins would be forgiven and if someone observers three days of fasting then it would be just like all the sins have been washed away.

Imam Ali Raza (as) has said that if someone observes fast during the last three days of Sha'ban and combines them with the fasting during the month of Ramadan then Allah (SWT) will grant the sawab (reward) of two months of continuous fasting to that person.

During Meraj (Night Ascension) the Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) asked: "O Allah, what is the gift of fasting?"

Allah (SWT) said: "Fasting leads to wisdom, enables you to understand my signs and ways that will elevate you to a stage of certitude. And when a person has reached the stage of certitude, he or she cares not whether the days pass in plenty or scarcity".

The Holy month of Ramadan is where Allah (SWT) is the HOST, we are his GUESTS and the Holy Quran is His BANQUET.

We pray to the Almighty Allah (SWT) to make us his blessed guests and, in turn, we can gain the utmost from his banquet, as the spiritual container, unlike the physical container, never gets full.

The Holy month of Ramadan had started; he entered the mosque of Kufa. He went up the pulpit and after praising Allah (SWT) and sending greetings upon His great Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw) addressed the people as such,

"O people! We are observing the month which Allah (SWT) has made it superior to all other months. This is the month in which the gates to the sky and doors to the mercy of the Lord are open; and the gates to fire are closed.

This is the month that the voices (of people) are heard and prayers are accepted and the weeps cause the mercy of Allah (SWT).

This is the month in which there is a night that angles come down from the skies by the order of Allah (SWT), and offer their peace to fasting men and women until dawn. That night is the night of Qadr (Night of Power or Lailatul Qadr). Fasting in the next day is greater than fasting a thousand month; and performing any good is greater than performing that good for a thousand month.

Allah (SWT) is sending his blessing in every day and night of this holy month of Ramadan. Thus, whoever makes any small benefit from this month, he shall have great respect in the day that he faces Allah (SWT); and no one shall have respect in front of Allah (SWT) unless Allah will grant the paradise to him."

Then Amir al-Mu'minin, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) continued his speech on the top of pulpit of Kufa mosque:

"O Servants of Allah! This month is not like any other; its days, nights and every hour of it is the most valuable among all others. This is the month that the Satan's are imprisoned for the whole month. Allah (SWT) increases the sustenance of people and increases the length of lives and selects the guests of His house (for Hajj Pilgrimage).

O you who fast! Be very careful about what you do and perform. You are the guests of your Lord in this month. Observe your behavior every day, and watch how you prevent your organs and body from committing sins.

Watch out not to sleep all night and be careless during the day and as a result this month passes and you are still carrying your sins. Otherwise, on the day that believers get the reward of fasting, you will be among losers; and they will enjoy the blessings and bestowing of the Lord while you cannot get any of that; and they will be neighbors to Allah (SWT) for life while you will be among those who are taken away from Him!

O you who fast! If you are rejected from your Lord, where are you going to turn? If your Lord left you alone, who is going to help you? And if He does not accept you among His people, who are you going to submit? And if He does not forgive you, who are you going to ask forgiveness?

O you who fast! Recite the Holy Quran in day and night as a means of getting closer to Allah (SWT); indeed the Book of Allah can intercede for those who recited it and its intercession will be accepted on the day of resurrection. Therefore they (the reciters) climb to higher levels of paradise by reciting the verses of this Book.

Glad tidings for you who fast! I heard from my most beloved one, the Prophet of Allah that, "Allah forgives a high number of people from agony of fire, but no one knows how many they are except Himself. On the last night of Ramadan Allah will forgive as many as He has been forgiving throughout this month."

At this time a man from a tribe named Hamdaan stood up and said, "O Amir al-Mu'minin! Tell us more from what your beloved (Holy Prophet Mohammad (saw)) told you about Ramadan."

Amir al-Mu'minin said, "I heard that my brother and my cousin, the Prophet of Allah, have said, 'Whoever fasts during the month of Ramadan and avoids the sins, he shall enter the paradise.'"

The man from Hamdaan repeated his request three more times and Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) replied him in the third time as follows,

"I heard that the greatest of all Prophets, Messengers and angles to Allah said, 'The Master of Successors will be killed in the Master of all Months.'"

I asked: Which month is the master of all month and who is the Master of Successors?

Prophet of Allah said, "The master of months is Ramadan and the Master of Successors is you O Ali."

I asked, "O Prophet of Allah! Is this going to happen?"

Prophet of Allah said, "I swear to Allah this will happen. Indeed, the worst among the people of my nation will hit the top of your head with a sword such that blood will cover your face and beard."

People started to cry and weep after these words; Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as) finished his sermon and came down from the pulpit.