الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي جعل لإتمامِ رمضانَ فرحة، وعمّ سرورِ وبركاتِ عيدِه بسَنِّ زكاةِ الفِطرَة، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير،  ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدّى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر. قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: إنما الأعمال بِخواتمها

    The Prophet said, “Actions are according to their seals.” Muslims, these last few days of Ramadan are the most important for each and every one of us, for they are the seal of our month and are the portion of it that Allah looks at most strongly to see if our intention was pure and our resolve was strong. The Prophet said in a well-known hadith,

إنما الأعمال كالوعاء، إذا طاب أعلاه طاب أسفله، وإذا خبث أعلاه خبث أسفله

    “Actions are like a jar - if the top of it is good, the bottom is good, but if the top is spoilt then the bottom is spoilt.” For it is in the seal of action that a person’s true intention reveals itself, when that action is no longer as easy to do as it might have been earlier. Like at the end of Ramadan when the days of fasting and nights of praying have started to take their physical toll and energy levels are starting to dip. It is here, when the going gets tough that a person’s true colours come to the fore. There is a hadith of the Messenger of Allah that exemplifies this perfectly. In one of the battles that were fought in the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, a number of Muslims were admiring a particular man’s prowess on the battlefield and praising him, for he was fighting the enemy with bravery and skill. But when the Prophet saw him, he said,

من أحب أن ينظر إلى رجل من أهل النار فلينظر إلى هذا

   
One of the men was surprised by that and so followed him to see what he did. And lo, he saw that when the man was eventually wounded, he took his own life. Despite having been engaged in one of the great acts of obedience to Allah, jihad in His Name, he rendered all of that worthless by making the seal of that action an unforgiveable act of ingratitude to his Lord. The Messenger of Allah said,

إن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها ذراع فيسبق عليه الكتاب فيعمل بعمل أهل النار فيدخلها وإن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل النار حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها ذراع فيسبق عليه الكتاب فيعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيدخلها

   
This is what happens when someone lacks sincerity in his actions and acts, not to please Allah, but to be seen by people as one of the right-acting. They seek to cheat Allah and the believers, but the only ones they end up cheating is themselves. Allah says,

يُخَادِعُونَ اللهَ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَمَا يُخَادِعُونَ إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ

    the translation of which is, “They think they deceive Allah and those who have iman. They deceive no one but themselves but they are not aware of it. May Allah safeguard us from that and give us true sincerity in all our actions and specially in our fast. May he give us the strength to redouble our efforts instead of letting them slacken off and allow us to emulate his noble Prophet who, as Sayyiditina Aisha narrated,
كان يجتهد في العشر الأواخر مالا يجتهد في غيره

    the translation of which is, he used to strive harder in the last ten nights of Ramadan than in the rest of the month. Let us complete the month on a high note and not simply wait impatiently for it to come to an end. Let us make these final blessed moments count and fill them with those actions most pleasing to Allah. Let us see off our guest with the same fanfare with which we greeted him.
    Muslims, just as the coming to an end of this month is a source of sadness, so too is it a source of joy. For it is on that day that we complete one of the great acts of worship that Allah has prescribed for this umma. It is on that day that we break our fast and once again freely partake in all the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon us. That day is the Eid al-Fitr and this year it will coincide with either Tuesday or Wednesday next week, depending upon the sighting of the moon. Given that this is the last Jumua before then, I would like to mention a few important things relating to that day.
    Firstly, it is forbidden to fast the day of the Eid. Indeed, it is recommended that you make a conscious effort to eat something in the daytime even before the Eid prayer, for that was the practice of the Messenger of Allah.
    Secondly, the Eid prayer is a strongly-emphasised sunna for the entire community, both men and women, young and old. Everybody should make the effort to come.

عن أم عطية أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يُخرج الأبكارَ والعواتقَ وذواتِ الخدورِ والحيضِ في العيدين فأما الحِيضُ فيعتزِلْن المصلى ويشهِدْن دعوةَ المسلمين

    Umm Atiyya narrated that the Messenger of Allah used to make the young unmarried women, older women, those who were secluded in the homes and even menstruating women go out for the Eid prayer. The menstruating, women, however, kept out of the Musalla and joined in the duas of the Muslims from afar.
    It is recommended that everyone who comes to the Eid prayer should have a ghusl before coming and put on their best clothes, preferably something new, and in the case of men, scent themselves with their best perfume. Muadh ibn Jabal narrated that the Prophet

كان يأمرُنا إذا غدونا إلى المصلى أن نلبسَ أجودَ ما نقدرُ عليه من الثيابِ لما في ذلك من إظهارِ النعمةِ والفرحِ والسرور

    that the Prophet used to command us when we went out to the Musalla to wear the best clothes we could find, since that was one of the best ways of showing our happiness and joy and the blessings we had received.” This is one occasion you must not dress down for, for the day is all about taking pride in the blessings that our Lord has granted us.
    Finally, one must not neglect the night that precedes the Eid. Although, there is no tarawih that night, still it is strongly recommended to fill it with dhikr and night prayers. The Prophet has said,

من أحيا ليلةَ العيدِ وليلةَ النصفِ من شعبانَ لم يمتْ قلبُه يومَ تموتُ القلوب

    “The heart of anyone who brings to life the night of the Eid and the night of the middle of Sha’ban will not die on the day when the hearts die.”

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته.    عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِي اللَّهم عَنْهممَا قَالَ: "فَرَضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهم عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَكَاةَ الْفِطْرِ صَاعًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ أَوْ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ عَلَى الْعَبْدِ وَالْحُرِّ وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى وَالصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَمَرَ بِهَا أَنْ تُؤَدَّى قَبْلَ خُرُوجِ النَّاسِ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ"

    Ibn Umar narrated that the Messenger of Allah made it obligatory for every Muslim, slave or freeman, male or female, young or old, to pay a zakat al-Fitr of one sa’ of barley or one sa’ of dates, and commanded that it be paid before people went out to the ‘Eid prayer.”

بعث رسولُ الله صَلَّى اللَّهم عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ منادياً ينادي في فِجاجِ مكةَ ألا إن صدقةَ الفطرِ واجبةٌ على كلِ مسلم

    And at-Tirmidhi transmitted that the Messenger of Allah sent out someone to call out in every street of Makka that Zakat al-Fitr was obligatory upon every Muslim.
    As is clear from these hadiths, Zakat al-Fitr is obligatory on every Muslim, regardless of social status, age, sex or wealth although those who are so poor that they do not even have enough to meet their families’ basic needs for the day of Eid are exempt. So, the master of a household should pay it for every single one of his dependents, even those who were only born the previous day.
    Zakat al-Fitr should be paid in the basic staple foodstuffs of the country in which a person lives, be that rice or pasta or dates or whatever else, on condition that it be a staple. This is the generally accepted position of both Maliki and Shafi’i madhhabs, although the Hanifis permit substituting the food for a cash equivalent. When paying zakat al-Fitr, the quality of food you give must, at the very least, be on a par with that which most of the people customarily eat on a day-to day basis. But it is better to give food you would be pleased to receive yourself, and best of all to give of the highest quality you can find.
    The amount of zakat al-fitr that should be given for every person is a sa’ of the sa’s of the Messenger of Allah. A sa’ is four mudds or four double handfuls measured according to the size of the hands of the Messenger of Allah. That has been calculated as being approximately two kilograms of rice or grain. So, if you have a family of three, you should give six kilos and if you have a family of five you should give ten kilos and so on.
    The best time to give Zakat al-Fitr is between the time of Fajr on the day of the Eid and the Eid prayer, although it is permissible to give it a day or two beforehand. In fact, in order to ensure that it is distributed before the Eid prayer, it is probably best to give it to the amir or the relevant authority the night before, any time after Maghrib. If you delay beyond the time of the Eid prayer, then you have missed the time of Zakat al-Fitr, even though you should still pay it. The Prophet said,

من أدّاها قبل الصلاةِ فهي مقبولةٌ ومن أدّاها بعد الصلاةِ فهي صدقةٌ من الصدقات

    “If you pay it before the prayer it is accepted, but if you pray it after the prayer it is the same as any other sadaqa.”
    As we have just mentioned, it is best to give your zakat al-fitr to the amir or relevant authority in your community, since he is far likelier to know the condition of the people and who is in need and who is not. But you are permitted to give it directly yourself if you know of someone who is in dire need of it. You should be aware that zakat al-fitr is only given to Muslims, no one else, so if you want to be generous to poor non-Muslims whom you know, then do so from outside the zakat al-fitr.
    Zakat al-Fitr fulfils two purposes, firstly to purify your wealth, for the Prophet said,
 
أَمَّا غَنِيُّكُمْ فَيُزَكِّيهِ اللَّهُ وَأَمَّا فَقِيرُكُمْ فَيَرُدُّ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا أَعْطَى

    “As for the rich among you Allah will purify them, and as for the poor among you Allah will give them back more than they gave.”
    And secondly to enable the poor and the destitute to share in the joy and happiness of the Eid without them being forced to ask. The Prophet said,

أَغنوهم عن طوافِ هذا اليوم

    “Spare them the need of going around (begging) on this day.” We ask Allah to make this coming Eid a time of joy for everyone in the community and everyone throughout the umma. We ask Him to accept our Ramadan from us, both our fasting and our prayer, and make it weigh heavily in the balance for us on the Day of Rising. And seal it for us with the best of possible of seals. Allahumma, give us husn al-khatima in everything that we do and shower us with your fadl and mercy in every moment of our lives. And give us the success to take whatever we have gained from Ramadan and use it to bring light to the dark times in which we live and restore your deen.

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ  أَجْمَعِينَ.
وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وَعن عائشةَ وسائر أزواج النبي، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ. 
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ (3) وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.
رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.