Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Friday Sermon
26 April 2024 / 17 Syawal 1445H
Preserving the Value of Solidarity Among Humankind
My blessed Friday congregants,
Let us continue in our efforts to elevate our taqwa towards Allah s.w.t. by obeying all His commands, and abstaining from all His prohibitions. May Allah s.w.t. place us among those who are successful in this life and in the Hereafter. Amin Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
My beloved brothers,
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. once said, in a hadith narrated by Imam Tirmizi:
النَّاسُ بَنُو آدَمَ، وآدَمُ خُلِقَ مِن تُرَابٍ
Which means: "All human beings are the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay."
This embodies the essence of our humanity. Despite differences in appearance, skin colour, ethnicity, or religion, we all originate from the same source, even though we are not identical. Why did Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. remind his followers about the origin of humankind? It is because Islam teaches us the principle of equality among human beings. We are taught to act justly towards our fellow humans, and in fact towards all of Allah's creation. The question that arises then is: How can we strengthen our unity, while still celebrating our differences?
Brothers,
If we reflect upon the Islamic history, we find that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. celebrated the cultural diversity and distinct customs of the communities around him. He honoured the different lifestyles of the Ansar and Muhajirin leading to a formation of an agreement known as the Constitution of Medina. This agreement aimed to establish a sense of unity and togetherness, enabling peaceful coexistence in the society of Medina. It nurtured a spirit of solidarity, mutual support, and safeguarded the public interest.
Dear congregants,
In this beautiful month of Syawal, we open our doors to welcome guests, be they relatives, friends, neighbours, or anyone visiting our homes, we greet them with joy and sincerity. In doing so, we embody one of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. – to treat guests kindly. Our Prophet s.a.w. said:
مَن كَانَ يُؤمِنُ بِاللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الأَخِرِ فَليُكرِمْ ضَيفَهُ
Which means: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honour their guest." (Hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari and Muslim).
Allah s.w.t. did not create humans in this world to live in isolation, for we are inherently social beings. With families, neighbours, and friends, we thrive within communities. We are bound by a universal brotherhood that transcends age, gender, nationality, and more. This is the essence of solidarity in Islam, exemplified by recent practices like the recitation of Qunut Nazilah every Friday since last October. SubhanAllah! Is not Islam truly beautiful? Are we still not convinced that Islam teaches us the value of solidarity among humankind?
Dear respected brothers,
In recent weeks, the Friday sermons have reiterated the importance of forgiveness, and maintain kinship among us. We are also reminded to remain steadfast in upholding the noble values embraced throughout Ramadan. These efforts are all directed towards fostering love and solidarity among humankind.
A true Muslim who loves Allah s.w.t. and His Messenger will never entertain thoughts of insulting, belittling, oppressing, or harming their fellow brothers and sisters. They will not easily utter harsh words or spread slander, especially on social media platforms. As Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said, "A believer is not one who slanders, curses, speaks obscenely, or is vulgar." (Hadith narrated by Imam Tirmizi).
A believer will also never abandon their brothers in times of distress or hardship. Instead, a believer is among the first to extend help and render assistance with sincerity and compassion. We are reminded of this in the verse often recited by the imam on Fridays:
Which means: "Indeed, Allah commands justice and good conduct and generosity towards relatives, and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He instructs you so that perhaps you will be mindful." (Surah Al-Nahl, verse 90).
Dear brothers,
Understand that differences in backgrounds, ethnicities, and the like, are opportunities for us to get to know, learn from, and benefit one another. Let us not allow differences in identity or opinions to undermine the sense of unity and spirit of togetherness that we have cherished thus far.
May Allah s.w.t. gather us among His servants who lead others to goodness, and exhibit excellent conduct towards all humankind. 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 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 وَالسَّلاَم وَاْلأَمْنَ وَاْلأَمَانَ لِلْعَالَمِ أَجْمَع يَا لَطِيْف. 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.
