Islamic Religious Council of Singapore

Friday Sermon

 29 May 2020 / 6 Syawal 1441H

A Story of Faith: The Mother of Prophet Musa A.S.

 

My dear Muslims,

Let us establish taqwa towards Allah s.w.t. Perform all His commands and abstain from His prohibitions. May Allah s.w.t. grant us His forgiveness and mercy. On this blessed day, I call upon everyone to reflect upon a story recorded in the Quran. Allah s.w.t. says in Surah Al-Qasas, verse 7:

 

Which means: “We inspired the mother of Mūsā saying, “Suckle him (Mūsā). Then once you fear about him, cast him in the river, and do not fear, and do not grieve. Surely We are going to bring him back to you and appoint him one of (Our) messengers.”

 

My beloved Muslims,

This verse depicts the resilient faith of Prophet Musa’s mother towards the promise of Allah s.w.t. Initially, she was worried about the danger that may befall her child. However, with the faith she had in Allah s.w.t, in full reliance on Allah s.w.t. she left her baby to float on the Nile River. The baby was found by the wife of Pharoah and was eventually saved by Allah s.w.t. In fact, Prophet Musa a.s. was returned to his mother sometime after, and was brought up in the palace of Pharoah, the king who wanted to put the baby’s life in danger.

 

Let us contemplate the sacrifice of a mother in pursuit of saving the child from danger. With the faith she had in her, she kept a positive mindset in face of the challenge . She had complete faith in the promise of Allah s.w.t., hence managed to find a way to save her child and taste the sweetness of her sacrifice. These are the traits of a believer that we should all strive to develop in the face of hardship and adversity, instead of whining and blaming the circumstances. In fact, a true believer would find ways to overcome the challenge and have full trust in Allah s.w.t. to grant His help and assistance.

 

My dear Muslims,

The same goes for the situation we are currently facing. Although this year’s Ramadan was celebrated in an unprecedented manner, it has taught us numerous life lessons. The past Ramadan has taught us about the importance of having faith in Allah s.w.t. in face of hardship. The difficulties and restrictions of staying at home did not prevent us from continuing our acts of worship. In fact, we strived to enliven our Ramadan at home by breaking our fasts with our household members more often than usual, on top of performing prayers in congregation with them.

 

As we enter the month of Syawal, we accept Allah’s decree on the day of Eid with resilience and patience. We recite takbir, perform prayers and celebrate the day with our household members. While we yearn to meet our parents and kiss their hands, we managed to partially fulfil those yearnings by seeking their forgiveness via a telephone call or online platforms. We did not stay home doing nothing and spend the time wallowing in sadness. Instead, we made some adjustments in the way we sought forgiveness from others, on top of giving words of encouragement to one another in facing this challenging situation.

 

Through our online interactions, we have found alternative ways of maintaining good relations with our family and friends in a safe manner. All that we have been doing from the beginning of the month of Ramadan until today, are proof of our strive and commitment in doing good and in protecting the safety of our lives. Remember that Allah s.w.t. has promised His assistance in our attempts to do good. Allah says in Surah Al-Ankabut verse 69:

 

Which means: “As for those who strive in Our way, We will certainly take them onto Our paths, and indeed Allah is with those who are good in deeds.”

 

Be grateful for all the blessings that Allah s.w.t. had granted us along with this test, for Allah s.w.t. has answered our sincere prayers and supplications. Alhamdulillah, the circuit breaker measures will end soon, but this journey is not over yet. We still need to play our part in practising safety measures that are needed to contain this pandemic. We must not be complacent with the easing of circuit breaker measures, as it could bring harm to our lives.

 

May we become His servants who are always positive in facing the challenges in life. May Allah s.w.t. grant us the strength of faith, just as He had granted that strength to the mother of Prophet Musa a.s. in the face of hardship. Amin ya Rabbal ‘alamin.