Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Friday Sermon
24 December 2021 / 19 Jamadilawal 1443H
Contemplating The Name of Allah: Al-Barr
Brothers and sisters blessed by Allah,
Let us continue our efforts to elevate our taqwa towards Allah (s.w.t.) by obeying all His commands, and by abstaining from all His prohibitions. May Allah (s.w.t.) grant what is good for us and make us amongst those who are patient and grateful for everything that He has given us. Amin.
Brothers and sisters,
The sermons for this month invite us to reflect upon a few names of Allah (s.w.t.). Today, the name that I would like to share is al-Barr which refers to how Allah (s.w.t.) grants His blessings generously to all His creations.
In the book Sha’nu al-Du’a (شأن الدعاء), Imam al-Khattabi wrote that al-Barr means: Allah is gentle towards His servants while also being benevolent towards them. This is because the goodness and mercy of Allah (s.w.t.) encompasses all His creations, He is generous with His bounty towards His creations.
Therefore, the bounties and favours of Allah (s.w.t.) are bestowed upon all His creations – be it on this earth or in the sky, the visible and the hidden, the believers as well as the non-believers. Allah mentions in surah at-Tur verse 28:
Which means: “Indeed, we used to supplicate Him before. Indeed, it is He who is the Beneficent, the Merciful.”
Brothers and sisters,
While we acknowledge the bounty and blessings of Allah, we do not deny that there are also obstacles in this life. At times, we may be tested with several challenges. However, as a believer, we are certain that everything decreed by our Creator, al-Barr, will have wisdom behind it.
For example, we may be tested with sickness, obstacles in finding sustenance, the passing of a loved one, and many more. The truth is that we do not know the wisdom or goodness that lies behind the decree of Allah (s.w.t.) because our intellect and knowledge are limited. Therefore, here lies the importance of faith and belief in the Qada’ and Qadar of Allah (s.w.t.), when we learn about the name of Allah, al-Barr.
Once we have understood and appreciate the beauty behind His name al-Barr, we would be able to have positive assumptions of Allah. He is the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate, and He would surely want the best for His servants.
Let us observe this hadith from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.): “Let there be none from amongst you that dies except in a state of good assumption towards Allah.” (Hadith narrated by Imam Muslim).
Brothers and sisters,
The year of 2021 is ending soon. We have gone through a lot, especially in terms of navigating our lives during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, Allah (s.w.t.) who is al-Barr continues to grant us His bounty in abundance. An example in recent times would be how despite the restrictions and limitations put in place, we are seeing measures being progressively eased. Our mosques in Singapore are gradually opening more spaces for Friday prayers as compared to the past. This allows more congregants to perform their Friday prayer. This is also a chance for those who have not been able to perform the Friday prayer due to limited space. Alhamdulillah.
However, our efforts should not end here. We still need to exercise caution as there may be new emerging variants that continue to pose new threats. Therefore, we need to observe the guidelines provided in order to ensure public safety. We pray that Allah (s.w.t.) will grant us protection and guidance in overcoming this trial.
May Allah (s.w.t.) The Most Generous continue to shower us His countless blessings and protect us from any harm. Amin. Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
أَقُوْلُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظِيْمَ لِي وَ لَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ
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.
Brothers and sisters,
I would like to share with you a trusted organization such as The Singapore Red Cross (SRC), that is conducting a donation drive to support our brothers and sisters in Malaysia who were affected by the flood. Let us help those who were affected through our donations. More information on the donation can be found at SRC’s website. May our contributions give strength and a glimmer of hope to those affected to continue their lives. Amin.
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 تَسلِيمًا. 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 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، يَارَبَّ العَالَمِينَ. 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 يَذْكُركُمْ، وَاشْكُرُوهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ يَزِدكُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوهُ مِن فَضلِهِ يُعطِكُم، وَلَذِكرُ اللهِ أَكبَرُ، وَاللهُ يَعلَمُ مَا تَصنَعُونَ.
