Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Friday Sermon
13 September 2024 / 9 Rabiul Awal 1446H
A Reflection of Sunnah: Dealing with Divergent Opinions
Dear blessed Friday congregation,
Let us deepen our taqwa to Allah by obeying His commands and abstaining from His prohibitions, exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Let us regularly study the Prophet’s life and embody his character, especially when faced with divergent opinions. May Allah make us a source of inspiration, drawing others to the beauty of Islam. Amin.
My dear brothers,
On this blessed day, let us reflect upon a verse from the Qur'an that beautifully captures the character of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., who cared deeply for his followers, even those he never met:
Which means: “There certainly has come to you a messenger from among yourselves. He is concerned by your suffering, cares for your well-being, and is gracious and merciful to the believers.” (Surah At-Tawbah, verse 128).
Dear Brothers,
Today's sermon briefly offers guidance on ways to uphold the Sunnah when encountering different opinions, especially in matters of religion.
The message of Islam brought by the Prophet s.a.w. is one of beauty and ease. His life serves as a guide for our daily affairs, including how to deal diverging and differing opinions. The Sunnah does not teach us to be harsh toward those who disagree, particularly on issues where scholars have differing interpretations, such as the timing of the Asr prayer between the Shafi’i and Hanafi schools, or the permissibility of paying zakat al-fitr in form of cash. Islam allows flexibility, encouraging acceptance and respect for differing opinions as long as they are within the bounds of Shariah.
Brothers,
When we look into the life of the Prophet s.a.w., we find several guiding principles in dealing with differences of opinion:
First: Be open-hearted when differences arise, especially within the scope of differing scholarly opinions (khilafiyah) accepted by Shariah. For example, after the Battle of the al-Ahzab, the Prophet s.a.w. instructed his companions not to pray Asr until they reached the settlement of Banu Quraizah. The companions, however, had differing interpretations in trying to understand this command. Some prayed Asr on time, even if they had not reached the destination, while others delayed their prayers until they reached their destination, even if the time of prayer has passed.
When this matter was brought to the Prophet, he did not oppose either group. Instead, he accepted both opinions. This event serves as a reference and guideline for the companions, the tabi'in, and later scholars in handling differing understandings. In today’s context, this approach forms the basis for addressing new issues where there is no consensus (ijma’).
Second: Uphold the Sunnah of the Prophet s.a.w. when faced with differing opinions. During the caliphate of Abu Bakr r.a., there was concern over the loss of Qur'anic verses as many who had memorised the Qur'an were martyred in battle. Sayyidina Umar Al-Khattab r.a. suggested to Sayyidina Abu Bakr r.a. that the verses of the Quran be compiled and arranged into a single mushaf.
Initially, Abu Bakr r.a. was hesitant to accept this view, as it had not been done by the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. This matter was discussed with another companion of the Prophet, Zaid bin Thabit r.a. Eventually, the differing opinions were resolved after considering the needs of the time.
This is the Sunnah of the Prophet s.a.w. and the practice of his companions that we should emulate when dealing with diverging opinions. Allow room for different perspectives, consider them, or at the very least, respect the diversity that exists within the boundaries of Shariah.
Dear beloved congregants,
May this brief reflection inspire us to nurture our love for the Prophet s.a.w. and follow his Sunnah in our daily lives.
As we commemorate the month of the Prophet’s birth, let us remember his profound connection with the Qur’an. I conclude today’s sermon with a hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad for our reflection. Rasulullah s.a.w. said, which means: “It will be said to the reciters of the Qur'an (on the Day of Judgment): ‘Recite the Qur'an and keep ascending (through the levels of Paradise), and beautify your recitation as you used to beautify it in the worldly life. Indeed, your position (in the Hereafter) will be based on the last verse that you recite.”
أَقُوْلُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظِيْمَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْم
Second Sermon
الحَمْدُ للهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا كَمَا أَمَرَ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَن لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَيَا عِبَادَ الله، اِتَّقُوا اللهَ تَعَالَى فِيمَا أَمَرَ، وَانتَهُوا عَمَّا نَهَاكُم عَنْهُ وَزَجَرَ.
أَلَا صَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ الْمُصْطَفَى، فَقَدْ أَمَرَنَا اللهُ بِذَلِكَ حَيْثُ قَال فِي كِتَابِهِ العَزِيزِ: إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَـا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ.
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالمُؤْمِنَاتِ، وَالمُسْلِمِينَ وَالمُسْلِمَاتِ، الأَحْيَاءِ مِنهُم وَالأَمْوَاتِ. اللَّهُمَّ ادْفَعْ عَنَّا البَلَاءَ وَالوَبَاءَ وَالزَّلَازِلَ وَالمِحَنَ، مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ، عَن بَلَدِنَا خَاصَّةً، وَسَائِرِ البُلْدَانِ عَامَّةً، يَا رَبَّ العَالَمِينَ. اَللَّهُمَّ انْصُرْ إِخْوَانَنَا اْلمُسْتَضْعَفِيْنَ فِي غَزَّة وَفِي فِلِسْطِينَ وَفِيْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ عَامَّةً، يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ. اَللَّهُمَّ بَدِّلْ خَوْفَهُمْ أَمْنًا، وَحُزْنَهُمْ فَرَحًا، وَهَمَّهُمْ فَرَجًا، يَا رَبَّ العَالَمِينَ. اَللَّهُمَّ اكْتُبِ السِّلْمَ وَالسَّلاَمَ وَالأَمْنَ وَالأَمَانَ لِلْعَالَمِ كُلِّهِ وَلِلنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ. رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنيَا حَسَنَةً، وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً، وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.
عِبَادَ اللهِ، إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي القُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ، فَاذكُرُوا اللهَ العَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَاشْكُرُوهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ يَزِدْكُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ يُعْطِكُم، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ، وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ.
