Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Friday Sermon
26 July 2024 / 20 Muharram 1446H
Ukhuwah as the Bedrock of Society
الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَنَا مِن أُمَّةِ خَيرِ النَّاسِ خَلْقًا وَخُلُقًا، وَاصْطَفَاهُ عَلَى سَائِرِ الأَنبِيَاءِ وَالرُّسُلِ بِأَحْسَنِ الشَّرِيعَةِ مَنْهَجًا وَطَرِيقًا، وَأَشْهَدُ أَن لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّم عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحبِهِ أَجمَعِينَ. أَمَّا بَعدُ، فَيَا أَيُّهَا الـمُسْلِمُونَ، أُوصِيكُم وَنَفْسِي بِتَقوَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَقَد فَازَ الـمُتَّقُونَ.
O you who believe,
Let us continue to elevate our taqwa towards Allah s.w.t. Obey all His orders, and abstain from all His prohibitions. Be kind towards our fellow human beings. Exemplify the noble character of a believer. And guide those who make mistakes with wisdom and good advice. May these allow us to receive protection and forgiveness from Allah s.w.t. Amin.
Dear blessed congregation,
Do we still remember the connection between the hijrah with the values of perseverance, faith, and upholding justice? From his time in Makkah, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was always patient in the face of provocations and threats. He remained steadfast when being hunted down by the Quraysh. He also constantly sought solutions to overcome injustice.
Today, let us reflect upon another core value from the hijrah, which is the virtue of ukhuwah or brotherhood.
Dear blessed congregation,
The Muhajirin (Muslims from Makkah) arrived in the city of Madinah with almost nothing. Some left behind their families, and many others left behind all their wealth and property. The Muhajirin, coming to a faraway land in such dire conditions, could have posed a huge challenge for the Ansar (Muslims of Madinah). Why do I say so?
Think about it, my dear brothers. Surely the arrival of the Muhajirin would have disrupted the social life of the Ansar? Don’t disputes and conflicts always occur between two distinct groups who have never met before?
My brothers, the exemplary leadership of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. succeeded in establishing bonds of brotherhood between the Muhajirin and the Ansar. They were taught to share basic needs, regardless of status, skin colour, or background. Abdullah bin Rawahah, a well-known poet, was paired with Bilal bin Rabah, a dark-skinned slave. The sense of brotherhood between them, based on compassion and sincerity, became the identity of the Islamic society at that time.
Moreover, the Ansar showed genuine care and goodwill, to the extent that many offered their own lands to be shared with the Muhajirin. Their generosity is mentioned in Surah Al-Hasyr, verse 9:
Which means: “Those (Ansar) who were already settled in their homes in Madinah, and had adopted faith. They loved those who migrated to them for and had no desire in their hearts for what has been given to them (Muhajirin). They give them preference over their own selves, even if they too are in need. It is those who are saved from the greed of their own souls who are truly successful.”
The Muhajirin, in turn, showed their consideration and deep appreciation for every offer and gift they received from the Ansar.
In addition to forging brotherhood between the Muhajirin and the Ansar, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. also established the mosque as an institution that is central to religious and community life. The mosque became a place of worship, a platform for sharing knowledge, a centre for fostering relationships, and a forum for discussing social issues.
O people of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.,
I will summarise two important lessons from today's sermon. May they serve as points of reflection this week.
Firstly, the importance of fostering ukhuwah or brotherhood in building a strong community. Sincere brotherhood teaches us to always help each other, and to care for the welfare of another person. The hijrah also teaches us the value of prioritising the needs of others over our own personal wants in a responsible manner. This is in line in verse 9 of Surah Al-Hasyr as recited earlier. Reflect, dear brothers, are we ready to sacrifice a small portion of our comfort and wealth in order to help those who are more in need in our community?
Secondly, the importance of making our religious institutions, such as mosques, core centres in our efforts to empower the community. Religious institutions should not be limited to spiritual roles alone. Instead, they should involve community affairs and be of benefit to the general community.
By supporting religious institutions like mosques and madrasahs, we are developing the social and educational capabilities of the community. These institutions should also be the centres of unity among us, fostering togetherness, as achieved through the establishment of the mosque in Madinah. In this manner, it is our hope that we will be able to foster a successful, confident, and empowered Muslim community.
Ya Allah, Ya Latiff, unite our hearts in iman, and strengthen our brotherhood in goodness and piety. Ya Karim, Ya Wadud, grant our hearts love and mercy. Ya Aziz, Ya Wahhab, make us Your servants who always call to goodness and prevent wrongdoing with wisdom. Accept our acts of worship and forgive our sins. Count us among the servants with whom You are pleased. Amin Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
أَقُوْلُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظِيْمَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْم
SECOND SERMON
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.
