Khutbah Jumat

Khutbah Jumat 25 July 2014
If This Is Our Last Ramadan

Main source: http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/uploadedFiles/MuisGovSG/Khutbah/E14Jul25%20-%20If%20This%20Is%20Our%20Last%20Ramadan.doc

Khutbah Pertama

Blessed Friday Jemaah,
Today is the final Friday of this Ramadan. In these last few days of this blessed month, let us boost our takwa to Allah s.w.t. and to increase in our supplication of doa to Allah, seeking from Him in the hope of being able to meet this month, which is full of barakah, again. Companions of Rasulullah saw were crying in the end of Ramadan because Ramadan is the month to multiple our reward of ‘amal from Allah, the month to remove our sins, the month acceptance of du’a, the month of victory, the month of education, the month of changing to be better muslim, the month to get taqwa.

The Prophet (PBUH) ascended the minbar and said: “Ameen, ameen, ameen.” It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you ascended the minbar and said, ‘Ameen, ameen, ameen.” He said: “Jibreel came to me and said: ‘If Ramadan comes and a person is not forgiven, he will enter Hell and Allah will cast him far away. Say Ameen.’ So I said Ameen… (Tirmidhi)

Dear Jemaah,
Every second of Ramadan is extremely valuable for those who understand the beauty and how special this month is. If we knew the value of Ramadan, surely we will not let it pass without having gained something from it.

Last week, we were reminded of the importance of increasing our doa (supplication) to Allah s.w.t. throughout Ramadan. Allah s.w.t. encourages us to make doa to Him, to seek from Him, especially in these last ten nights of Ramadan where one of these nights is the night of Lailatul Qadar. It is the night where every person who meets this night in a state of worship to Allah, will be granted Allah’s rahmah and forgiveness. How unfortunate it will be if we continue to be ignorant and forgetful even as Ramadan will soon leave us.

However, what if this is the last Ramadan for us? Have we put in enough effort to ensure that this is our best Ramadan? Are we satisfied with our good deeds and acts of worship throughout this month? Jemaah, ask yourselves, are you ready to bid farewell to this blessed month?

Beloved jemaah, we should be aware that none of us will know what will happen tomorrow. None of us knows when death will come upon us and where we will be buried. It is all in Allah’s decree and only Allah s.w.t. is the Most Wise and Most Knowing.

Allah s.w.t. says in surah Luqman verse 34:

Which means: “Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn tomorrow: Nor does anyone know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).”

Honourable jemaah,
If one is to know that it will be one’s last opportunity to perform good deeds, one will definitely appreciate every second to do so. Every deed and act of worship will be done to the best of one’s ability, to ensure that it is more meaningful and of a high standard. On that basis, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. reminded his people to focus on their deeds as if it is the last time one will be able to perform the deed. Rasulullah s.a.w. said, regarding solat (prayers):

Which means: “When you stand to pray, pray like a man bidding farewell”. [Hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah]

Subhanallah, that is indeed the advice of our beloved Rasulullah s.a.w. for anyone who is performing an act of worship. Imagine dear jemaah, if this Friday prayer that we are about to perform is our last prayer, the last time we will be able to recite the Fatihah, the last time we bow in rukuk and prostrate in sujud; will we be able to perfect this prayer that will be presented to Allah?

Jemaah,
This is the effect that one will feel if one can truly appreciate the meaning of death. This awareness will not cause a person to be less enthusiastic and lead to asceticism, drawing away from his surroundings. On the contrary, a mukmin who can appreciate and understand that death will definitely come, will be more driven and motivated to strive in doing one’s best and will be encouraged to perform more good deeds. Just like the Companions r.a. who truly appreciated the reality of death, and in fact they were the most hardworking in this world, “investing” to increase their rewards in the hereafter.

A believer does not only sit around waiting for an opportunity to come to him, a believer does not simply wait for the next Ramadan. Instead, a believer will hold on to this principle that was shared by Ibn Umar, a companion of Rasulullah s.a.w.:

Which means: “If you survive till the evening, do not expect to be alive in the morning, and if you survive till the morning, do not expect to be alive in the evening, and take from your health for your sickness, and (take) from your life for your death”. [Reported by Imam Al-Bukhari]

In these last few days of Ramadan, let us reflect upon ourselves; reflect upon our deeds and our acts of worship throughout this entire month. If there are still many shortcomings in our fasting, then we should strive hard to compensate for it in these last few days, whether through increasing our acts of worship or giving more charity.

Friday jemaah,
I would like to share a doa that was taught by our beloved Rasulullah s.a.w. which means: “O Allah, ‪Make the best of my life the end of it, the best of my actions the last of them, the best of my days the day in which I meet You.‬ ” [Musannaf Ibn Abi Syaibah].
May Allah s.w.t. forgive our mistakes, and with Allah’s mercy and love grant us and our entire family a strong iman and takwa. May we attain success in this world and the hereafter. Amin ya Rabbal Alamin.

Khutbah Kedua / Doa

اللَّهُمَّ إنَّك عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
اللَّهُمَّ إنَّك عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي
اللَّهُمَّ إنَّك عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّياَللَّهُمَّ انْصُرْ إِخْوَانَنَا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِيْنَ فِي فِلِسْطِيْنَ
اَللَّهُمَّانْصُرْ إِخْوَانَنَا الْمُجَاهِدِيْنَ فِيْ فِلِسْطِيْنَ َ
اللَّهُمَّ انْصُرْهُمْ نَصِرًا مُؤَزَّرًا
اَللَّهُمَّ وَحِّدْ كَلِمَتَهُمْ وَسَدِّدْ رَمْيَهُمْ وَأَنْزِلْ فِي قُلُوْبِهِمُ الْسَكِيْنَةَ
اَللَّهُمَّ كُنْ لَّهُمْ وَلِيًّا وَنَصِيْرًا،
اَللَّهُمَّ أَنَّهُم ْمَظْلُوْمُوْنَ فَانْتَصِرْ لَهُمْ، إِنَّهُمْ فُقَرَاءُ فَأَغْنِهِمْ
اَللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْ مَوْتَاهُمْ وَاشْفِ جُرْحَاهُمْ وَتَقَبَّلْ شُهَدَاءَهُمْ،
اَللَّهُمَّ أَيِّدْهُمْ بِتَأْيِيْدِكَ وَاحْفَظْهُمْ بِحِفْظِكَ يَا قَوِيُّ يَا عَزِيزُ.اَللَّهُمَّ مُنَزِّلَ الْكِتَابِ، مُجْرِيَ السَّحَابِ، سَرِيْعَ الْحِسَابِ، هَازِمَ الأَحْزَابِ اهْزِمُ الْيَهُوْدَ المُعْتَدِيْنْ وَالصَّهَايِنَةَ الْإسْرَائِلِيِّينَْ الْغَاصِبِيَْن وَزَلْزِلْهُمْ وَعَذِّبْهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيْدًا
. اَللَّهُمَّ إنَّهُمْ قَدْ بَغَوْا وَسَعَوَا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا. اَللّهُمَّ فَرِّقْ جَمْعَهُمْ وَشَتِّتْ شَمْلَهُمْ وَأَنْزِلْ فِي قُلُوْبِهِمُ الرُّعْبَ. وَاجْعَلْ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ شَدِيْدًا، وَيَامُنْتَقِمُ مِنَ الْمُجْرِمِيْنَ اِنْتَقِمْ مِنْهُمْ وَأَنْزِلْ عَلَيْهِمْ بَأْسَكَ الَّذِيْ لاَيُرَدُّ عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجْرِمِينْاللَّهُمَّ ادْفَعْ عَنَّا الْغَلاَ وَالْبَلاَءَ وَالرِّبَا وَالزِّنَا وَالزَّلاَزِلَ وَالْمِحَنَ وَسُوْءَ الْفِتَنِ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ عَنْ بَلَدِنَا خَاصَّةً وَعَنْ سَائِرَ بِلاَدِ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ عَامَّةً يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِيْنَوَصَلىَّ اللهُ عَلَى عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُوْلِكَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ

 

Khutbah Jumat 20 June 2014 Making The Quran Our Culture

Main source: http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/oomweb/khutbah.aspx

Khutbah Pertama

Blessed Friday jemaah, Let us show our takwa towards Allah s.w.t. in all earnestness and with our fullest convictions. Obey all of Allah’s commands and avoid what Allah has prohibited upon us by appreciating the teachings of the noble Quran. Friday jemaah, Ramadhan will come soon to us within days. Let’s get ready for welcoming the Ramadhan with happiness and full of religious and knowledge preparation. Ramadhan is syahrul Quran, the month of the Quran. As we know that Allah SWT revealed the Quran in Ramadan.

إِنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ فِى لَيۡلَةِ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ

Which means: “Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’ân) down in the night of Al-Qadr (Decree) ” (Surah Al Qodr, verse 1). I am confident that every one of us here owns at least one copy of the Quran or an application of the in our phone. We are often reminded that the Quran is a guidance and compass for us provided by Allah s.w.t. in surah Al-Isra’, verse 9: Which means: “Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward”. This verse explains that the Quran was sent as a guide for humankind. Thus, we have to always reflect upon our relationship with the Quran. Have we recently referred to the Quran to seek guidance and help from Allah to get through our lives? Have we reflected upon the stories in the Quran and learn the lessons found in them? We do not want the Quran to simply be a decorative item in our house; or as a symbolic gift during our wedding. We also do not wish for the verses of the Quran to be read only when there is a death in the household. We need to realise that the Quran is first and foremost, aimed for those who are still alive and not for the dead. The Quran aims to guide humankind in our daily lives. Rasulullah s.a.w. once warned us in a hadith: Which means: Whoever keeps it (that is, the Quran) in front of him, then the Quran will lead him to paradise. And whosoever keeps it behind their backs, it will show him the way to hellfire. [Hadith narrated by Ibn Hibban] Dear jemaah, To ensure that we reap the benefits from the Quran, we need to make it our culture. This requires two basic steps: The first step: Learn to recite the Quran. Al-Quran is the Word of Allah or Kalamullah, and it becomes a form of worship or ibadah for those who recite it and enliven the teachings of the Quran. Jemaah, just by simply reciting the Quran we are promised rewards and benefits, one hasanat for one letter. As an authentic hadith in At-Tirmithee proves: “Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah, he will have a reward. And that reward will be multiplied by ten. I am not saying that “Alif, Laam, Meem” is a letter, rather I am saying that “Alif” is a letter, “laam” is a letter and “meem” is a letter.” Brothers, no one knows the meaning of Alif Lam Mim, only Allah knows the meaning. Therefore, this rewards is for reciting the Quran without knowing the meaning. If we know the meaning, of course we get many benefit and reward from Allah. So increase your recitation of the Qur’an to gain these merits, and to gain the following merit as well [1]. So imagine what rewards await us if we were to appreciate it, and apply what is taught in the Quran to be our character/akhlaq in our daily life. One day, Sa’d ibn Hisham ibn ‘Amir was asking to Aisha r.a. as follow: I said: Mother of the Faithful (Ummul Mukminin), tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (Rasulullah ﷺ). She said: Don’t you read the Qur’an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah (Rasulullah ﷺ) was the Qur’an. [Sahih Muslim: Book 4, Hadith 1623] [2]. Jemaah, when was the last time we looked at the noble verses from Allah s.w.t. Is the Quran the antidote that helps to ease our anxiety and is music to our ears? With advancements in technology today, none of us can say that we do not have access to the Quran. In the past it may be difficult to carry a mushaf with us all the time, and to ensure that we are in a state of wudhu all the time, but today many of us have smartphones that have various Quran apps. We should make it a point to learn and reap the benefits from the Quran just as how our hands are hardly “free” from using our phones. We need to make the Quran a part of our lifestyle. Spend some time with the Quran every day. If we are not fluent readers of the Quran, then we should make it an effort to listen to beautiful recitations of the Quran, which are now easily available on YouTube and various apps and websites. Start our day with the melodious recitation of Quranic verses. Apply the same to our families. For example, during this school holiday, we can come up with a Quran challenge for our kids, for them to recite the Quran everyday, at their pace and ensuring that they do not get bored. On our way to our holiday destination, ensure that Quranic recitations are part of our audio playlist while in the car. This will signal to our children that the Quran is not a boring book or one that is recited only at official events. When the Quran is part of our family life when we are on holiday and when we are relaxing, then it will become a norm for us to be close to the Quran and from there, we can develop this into an interest. There is a hadith of the Prophet s.a.w. which means: “Whoever reads the Qur’an and acts upon what is contained in it, his parents will be made to wear a crown on the Day of Judgment. The brightness of it will excel that of the sun that lights up your worldly houses. So, what do you think (the situation is) about the person who himself acts upon it?” [Hadith narrated by Abu Daud] Subhanallah! Just see how noble and how great an honour Allah has given to parents who work hard to educate their children to be close to and to love the Quran. The Prophet s.a.w. only gave a picture of Allah’s reward for their parents who will be treated like Allah’s guests; just imagine how great the reward will be for the child who applies the lessons from the Quran. If we look at the reality of life, we will find that much of our time and energy is spent working. Hence, we must make time to read the Quran with our family. Do not let our family and our children stray away from the Quran because it is the source of barakah. Rasulullah s.a.w. said in a hadith that means: “Increase the recitation of the Quran. Indeed a house that does not recite the Quran will not have much goodness, and more badness and it will be narrow and will burden the residents.” [Hadith narrated by Al-Daruqutni] Dear jemaah, The second step after making it a habit to recite the Quran is to realise the importance of applying the lessons from the Quran. In the hadith that was shared earlier, the Prophet s.a.w. said: “…Anyone who reads the Quran and applies what is in it”. Hence, among the virtues of a Muslim who commits to making the Quran as his guide, is that he will strive to understand the meanings stored in the verses of the Quran. However, for us to apply the Quran well, we need to know how to understand the lessons in the Quran. We need to understand the stories in the Quran, the main themes in the Quran that are related to our daily lives and our family. Imam Ibn Kathir, in his book of tafsir, noted a practice that was narrated by Saidina Uthman bin Affan and Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: When the Companions learnt the Quran from the Prophet s.a.w., they would only learn ten verses at a time. They would not move on to the next ten verses until they have learned, understood and applied the lessons from the verses that they are learning. Jemaah, let us use this coming Ramadan to motivate and inspire ourselves to learn to read the Quran and to appreciate its contents. Attend classes that teach Quranic recitation and classes aimed at helping us to understand the Quran, conducted by the various mosques throughout the year. Ensure that our children receive a complete Quran education. May Allah s.w.t. bless our efforts and make the Quran our adornment and that of our family’s, and at the same time a source for us to gain His pleasure and barakah in this world and the hereafter. Amin.

Khutbah Kedua / Doa

Ref: [1] http://www.themodernreligion.com/basic/quran/quran-benefits.html [2] http://sunnah.com/muslim/6

Khutbah Jumat 16 May 2014 Death – Meeting With Allah

Diambil dari MUI Singapura http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/uploadedFiles/MuisGovSG/Khutbah/E14Mei16%20-%20Death%20-%20A%20Meeting%20With%20Allah.pdf. Copy paste dulu baru diedit nanti 🙂

Khutbah Pertama

Blessed Friday Jemaah, Let us renew our resolve to strengthen our takwa towards Allah s.w.t. He is the One who gives live and we will definitely return to Allah. Thus, obey all of Allah’s commands and avoid what He has prohibited upon us to achieve success in this world and the hereafter. Friday jemaah, Life is a blessing from Allah s.w.t. which we should always be thankful for, because with it comes many blessings such as family, health, wealth and so on. The blessings or nikmat from Allah are meant to help us in our life’s journey on this earth, to help us fulfil our responsibilities as His vicegerent or khalifah in this world. However, people often forget that these blessings are just a means and not the end goal. We may forget that this world is just a temporary stop for us to prepare ourselves and as a means to seek Allah’s pleasure in the hereafter, which will be our final destination and eternal abode. Hence, we need to constantly remind ourselves of the hadith of the Prophet s.a.w. who taught us that we should be like travellers or musafir in this world. This means that even though we dream of wealth, comfort and convenience in this world, but we should ensure that all these are to assist us in preparing for the moment which Allah s.w.t. mentions in surah Al-Qiyamah verses 26 to 30: Which means: “No! When the soul has reached the collar bones. And it is said, “Who will cure [him]?” And the dying one is certain that it is the [time of] separation. And the leg is wound about the leg. To your Lord, that Day, will be the procession.” In fact, the Prophet s.a.w. encouraged us to constantly remind ourselves and others that death will surely come to us. In his hadith which means: “Remember frequently the thing that cuts off pleasures: which is death, verily the grave says everyday: I am the home that is abandoned, the solitary abode, the home made of earth, the home of worms. When a believer is buried, the grave will say: Welcome, you are the person I love most, now you have come to me. And the grave will be expanded as far as the eyes can see, and the door of Paradise is opened for him.” [Hadith narrated by Imam Tirmizi] Blessed jemaah, even though the moment of death is not made known to us, it is one that will surely occur. Thus, it is pertinent upon us to prepare ourselves for the moment when death is immediately upon us. Perhaps, we have had many friends and family members who were still young and were still very healthy, but Allah has called them to return to Him earlier. We do not want to meet Allah in a condition where we are stained with sins and wrongdoings. We hope that the end of our lives is beautiful. We would want the angel of death to greet in the manner mentioned in Surah An-Nahl verse 32: Which means: “The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, “Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do.”” Dear jemaah, let us ask ourselves, how will our first night be in the grave, with the earth as our bed? Will it be spacious and beautiful, like the gardens of paradise as mentioned in the hadith earlier, or will it be cramped, our bodies crushed and suffering from the torment of punishment? Let us strive to prepare ourselves to return to Allah. Ensure that our hearts are filled with beneficial knowledge. Those who have religious knowledge, ensure that they practice what they have learned because that will help us to answer the questions asked when we are in the grave. Our knowledge should not remain as information that’s simply stored and not applied. Friday jemaah, While we should constantly prepare ourselves for death, it does not mean that we ignore our lives in this world. In fact, constant reflection of our condition when death comes to seize us should actually drive us to become better servants of Allah; obedient to Allah and become ummah of Rasulullah s.a.w. who perform more good deeds. In order to help us overcome the trials of the grave, we should increase our religious knowledge, and ensure our children do the same, and that our family will uphold the religion to the best of our abilities and knowledge. We should also be more diligent in trying to understand the Noble Quran and strive hard to practice the lessons from the Quran. A person who constantly thinks of death will not let go of any opportunity to help those in need and will not transgress the boundaries set by Allah. If one has accidentally sinned, one will quickly make taubat and try not to repeat the mistakes made. If we have hurt someone, we should quickly seek forgiveness. If we have broken ties with others, then we should try to amend the relationship so that we will not trip just as we reach the door to paradise. Blessed jemaah, fill our hearts with the light from the Noble Quran for Nabi s.a.w. once said: “Surah al-Mulk (which is the 67th surah if we are to read and reflect upon its meaning) can be our intercession from the punishment of the grave”. Just imagine if one Surah can bring ease and lighten our pain and burden while in the hereafter, what more if we try to understand, appreciate and practise what is in the Quran. We should not let the Quran to be a book that is foreign to our families and us. We should not limit the appreciation of the Quran simply to the beautiful recitation and knowing the rules of tajwid while reading the Quran. If we have sent our children to Quran reading classes, we should ensure that they understand what they read and learn lessons from the verses read. May Allah grant us the best of ending to our lives on this earth. May Allah accept all our good deeds and grant us husnul khotimah (a good ending) and call upon us with His angels who are gentle and make our graves among the gardens of paradise. Amin ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Khutbah Kedua / Doa