Islamic Religious Council of Singapore

Friday Sermon

1 January 2021 / 17 Jamadilawal 1442H

Celebrating the New Year with Tremendous Hope

My dear brothers,

Let us increase our taqwa of Allah by carrying out all His commands and refraining from all His prohibitions. May Allah bless us in this world and the hereafter. Amin.

My dear brothers,

With Allah’s mercy and love, He has granted us the opportunity to welcome the new year. In addition, we are still given the opportunity to worship Him and serve the community.

Thus, to start the sermon for this month, let us reflect upon several hadith qudsi so that we may benefit from the lessons and guidance found in them.

My dear brothers,

On this blessed day, allow me to share a hadith qudsi which means:

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: Allah (s.w.t.) said: “My servants, each of you is in hunger, except those whom I give food. So ask for food from me, and I will give you food…” (Hadith narrated by Imam Muslim).

My dear brothers,

As a believer, we are taught to place our hopes in Allah, as He is The Only One who has the power to grant all forms of goodness to His servants. He suffices all our needs in this world. In fact, all that we have asked for, including the inner aspirations kept within our hearts, are known to The One and Only. Allah’s mercy is abundant for all His believing servants.

Indeed, we are taught in our religion to always begin our affairs by supplicating to Allah. We supplicate to Allah as we leave our homes, when boarding a vehicle, when it rains, as we eat or drink, and so on.

Making supplications to Allah teaches us the importance of beginning our actions with the right intention and resolution. It teaches us to strengthen our trust in Allah and rely upon Him in all aspects of our lives. This is something that we must internalise, especially in facing the new year. Set a new resolution to prepare ourselves in facing the challenging days to come.

My dear brothers,

The year 2020 has been a challenging year indeed. There are many adjustments that we have gone through in our daily lives. All the efforts that we have put in thus far, have started to produce results. We are now in Phase 3 and the situation in Singapore seems to have stabilised.

This is reflected in Allah’s words, where He promises a good ending for those who strive and have taqwa in Him. He says in Surah at-Talaq verses 2 and 3:

Meaning: “...Whoever has taqwa in Allah, He (Allah) will grant a way out for him. And will provide for him from an unexpected source. And whoever places his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him. Surely Allah is set to accomplish His purpose. Allah has set a due measure for everything.”

Glory be to Allah for all His provisions! He has provided us with health and solutions. We have now received the good news of Singapore’s access to vaccines in fighting the virus, which is clearly in line with our religion’s guiding principle of seeking cure and treatment for illnesses and diseases. Alhamdulillah for this recent development and progress. Indeed, it provides us with a way out, and becomes a part of our efforts to preserve the well-being of our beloved community.

May Allah (s.w.t.) continue to grant us good health, protect us and our community from any form of harm, and help us overcome this pandemic as soon as possible. Amin. Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

أَقُوْلُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظِيْمَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ

 

Second Sermon

 

الْحَمْدُ 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 الْعَزِيزِ: إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَـا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَ بَارِكْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ.

وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ المَهْدِيِّينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيِّ، وَعَن بَقِيَّةِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالقَرَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ، وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ، وَعَنَّا مَعَهُم وَفِيهِم بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالمُؤْمِنَاتِ، وَالمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ، الْأَحْيَاءِ مِنهُم وَالْأَمْوَاتِ. اللَّهُمَّ ادْفَعْ عَنَّا الْبَلَاءَ وَالوَبَاءَ وَالزَّلَازِلَ وَالْمِحَنَ، مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ، عَن بَلَدِنَا خَاصَّةً، وَسَائِرِ الْبُلْدَانِ عَامَّةً، يَارَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ. رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنيَا حَسَنَةً، وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً، وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.

عِبَادَ اللهِ، إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ، وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ، فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَاشْكُرُوهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ يَزِدْكُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ يُعْطِكُمْ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ، وَاللهُ  يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ.