Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Friday Sermon
17 January 2025 / 17 Rajab 1446H
Lessons from the First Migration to Abyssinia
Dear blessed congregation,
Let us strengthen our taqwa towards Allah by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. Seek Allah's assistance and entrust our hopes to Him. May we always receive Allah's protection and guidance in all our affairs. Amin ya Rabbal 'Alamin.
Dear blessed congregation,
In this sacred month of Rajab, a significant event in Islamic history once took place. This was the first migration of Muslims – not to Madinah as we more commonly hear, but to a land called Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
My dear brothers,
The journey of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. in delivering the message of Islam was not without challenges and hardships. Although he was known for his honesty and truthfulness, after being entrusted with the revelation, and appointed as a prophet and messenger, he faced insults, threats, and even persecution from his own people.
Similarly, the sahabah or companions who first embraced Islam endured severe hardships. Among them were Bilal bin Rabah, Khabbab bin Al-Arat, and the family of ‘Ammar bin Yasir r.a. They were subjected to abuse and torture solely for their belief in Allah.
Considering these difficulties, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. allowed his companions to migrate from Makkah to Abyssinia to ensure their safety. He explained that Abyssinia was ruled by a just king, who did not oppress anyone under his rule. This migration would give the companions a chance to practice Islam in a more peaceful and secure environment.
Dear blessed congregation,
The migration to Abyssinia should not be seen as a sign of hopelessness or a lack of trust in Allah. Instead, it required unwavering faith, reliance on Allah, and wisdom in overcoming challenges.
My dear brothers,
1,400 years ago, an individual’s status in society depended on family lineage, tribal affiliations, and close alliances. By migrating and uprooting their lives, the companions left all of this behind, risking their status, wealth, and personal safety. Instantly, they lost access to all forms of privilege and protection.
This brings us to the first lesson, that is the importance of reliance and trust in Allah (tawakkul).
In facing challenges and an uncertain future, the faith of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and his companions never faltered. They faced hardship after hardship, yet they were firm in their belief that only Allah had the power to ease their difficulties.
This character is one that we should strive to emulate when facing challenges in our personal lives or in community affairs. We must try to overcome any difficulty to the best of our ability, while maintaining firm belief and hope that Allah will provide a way out of every hardship.
Allah s.w.t. says in Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 3:
Which means: "And place your trust in Allah, and sufficient is Allah as the Disposer of affairs."
My dear brothers,
Not long after the companions were welcomed by the King (Negus) in Abyssinia, the Quraysh sent a delegation to incite the Negus against them. They accused the companions of being troublemakers, and claimed that they insulted the Negus's religion at that time.
Among the companions, Sayyidina Ja'far bin Abi Talib r.a. responded to these accusations with wisdom. He did not raise his voice nor use harsh words in his reply. Instead, he calmly explained the noble values upheld by Islam, such as truthfulness, kindness towards neighbours, and refraining from spilling blood (rejecting animosity and oppression).
Without compromising his faith, Sayyidina Ja'far r.a. successfully refuted the wrongful claims of the Quraysh. He appealed to the Negus’ sense of justice, and defended the rights of the Muslims by highlighting the shared values.
This presents to us the second lesson from this incident, that is overcoming challenges with wisdom and good judgement.
Dear congregants,
Today, Muslims around the world still face many misconceptions about Islam. Some accuse Islam of backwardness, inciting hatred, or oppressing women. How should we, as believers, respond to such challenges?
My brothers, this is an opportunity for us to reflect on whether we truly embody the values of Islam in our every action and behaviour. Imagine if every Muslim manifested the beauty of Islam through their conduct and character – wouldn’t this help correct certain perceptions towards Islam? Ultimately, true guidance lies only in Allah’s hands, and He is the Opener of all hearts.
Dear blessed congregation,
The first migration to Abyssinia offers profound lessons and values for us to reflect upon. These include maintaining faith in Allah even in times of difficulty and uncertainty, addressing challenges with wisdom, and demonstrating the noble character of a true believer.
May Allah grant us wisdom, good judgement, and steadfastness in our faith as we navigate our future. Ya Allah, bestow upon us Your guidance and blessings until the end of our lives. Amin ya Rabbal 'Alamin.
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 ارْحَمْنَا وَارْحَمْ وَالِدِينَـا وَارْحَمْ أُمَّةَ نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَجْمَعِينَ. اَللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ وُلَاةَ أُمُوْرِنَا، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا فِيْهِ صَلَاحُ الأُمَّةِ أَجْمَعِينَ. اللَّهُمَّ وَلِّ أُمُوْرَنَا خِيَارَنَا، وَلَا تُوَلِّ أُمُوْرَنَا شِرَارَنَا، وَارْفَعْ مَقْتَكَ وَغَضَبَكَ عَنَّا، وَلَا تُسَلِّطْ عَلَيْنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا مَنْ لَا يَخَافُكَ وَلَا يَرْحَمُنَا، وَحَوِّلْ حَالَنَا إِلَى أَحْسَنِ الْأَحْوَالِ، وَفَرِّجْ مَا نَزَلَ بِنَا مِنَ الْأَهْوَالِ، بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ. اَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ هَذَا البَلَدَ وَسَائِرَ البِلَادِ عَامَّةً آمِناً مُطْمَئِناًّ سَخَاءً رَخَاءً بِقُدْرَتِكَ يَا رَبَّ العَالَمِينَ. اَللَّهُمَّ انْصُرْ إِخْوَانَنَا اْلمُسْتَضْعَفِيْنَ فِي غَزَّةَ وَفِي فِلِسْطِينَ، وَفِيْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ. اَللَّهُمَّ بَدِّلْ خَوْفَهُمْ أَمْنًا، وَحُزْنَهُمْ فَرَحًا، وَهَمَّهُمْ فَرَجًا، يَا رَبَّ 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 يَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَاشْكُرُوهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ يَزِدْكُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ يُعْطِكُم، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ، وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ.
