Friday sermon: Increase your good acts and repent sin

Monday night is a great chance to seek forgiveness from Allah, this week's sermon reminds worshippers.

Next Monday night is a good time to seek forgiveness from Allah, today's sermon tells worshippers.

In the hijri month of Shaban, which precedes Ramadan, Muslims' deeds are raised to Allah, so worshippers are advised to increase their good acts during this time.

"This is why our Prophet would pay greater interest to these days by fasting and increasing his late-night prayers," the sermon says.

"It is a month in which the deeds are taken up to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my deeds be taken up when I am fasting," the Prophet Mohammed said to a companion.

"Mid Shaban night [the 'night of records', which falls next Monday) is when Allah offers to bestow His mercy on those who supplicate to Him, forgive those who seek His forgiveness and wipe out the sins of those have repented," the sermon says.

"Yet He excludes people who keep sinning and whose hearts are filled with rancour."

The Prophet Mohammed said that on this night, Allah looks down and "forgives all His creation, apart from the idolater and the Mushahin".

Repentance is obligatory for Muslims, who are required to regret and refrain from acts of sin. Muslims should repent their sins regularly, but at certain times of year doing so is even more desirable.

A Quranic verse says: "Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves."

The Prophet Mohammed explained in a Hadith: "Allah the Almighty has said, 'O Son of Adam, as long as you invoke Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind.

"'O Son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and you then asked forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you.

"'O Son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the Earth, and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it'."