Love

First Khutbah

Dear Brothers,

What is love? Love is an emotion that expresses sincere interest and loyalty to someone or something. Its power can destroy the enmity, can evolve anyone to be a “decent man” and can exalt him or her. Life without love is one that is faded, mechanical and tedious. Wise people (ahl-uirfân) have asserted that love is superior to justice. I assert that there would not be any need to exert justice if love among people were expressed. Justice means insâf (fairness). Insâf is derived from the root of “nisf”, which means “half”. Quite literally, justice means to take half of something and to hand over the other half to another person. However, the person who feels the affection may abandon his or her half for the person whom he or she loves.

The “being” came into existence and maintains its existence through the power of love. If the love and compassion of Allah
(s.w.t.) had not existed, how would the being realms have been able to emerge? First, the man should know Allah (s.w.t.), the real origin of love, to improve his or her emotion of love. So that s/he comprehends that s/he has been liked and loved truly by Allah (s.w.t.).

Dear friday jamaah,

Indeed love has a hierarchy. At the very top is the most exalted one, of course that being Allah (s.w.t.).

Al-Mâidah, 54.

O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion – Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah ; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.

Is there any happiness greater than this? In return for His love, we have a requirement and that is to worship, obey and comply with His orders. We also must avoid the divine prohibitions. Those who mention about the love of Allah, but do
not hold any signs of obeying Him, only deceive themselves. I challenge you, does the lover disobey the Loved One?

The love that a person feels toward his or her own master and other scholars (‘ulama) is also an exalted love. Surely, the tutor teaches and reinforces in man ‘ilm (knowledge), good ethics, and the duties of being a good slave (‘abd). But among these masters, the one who deserves to be loved the most, is Rasulullah (s.a.w.) for He is the master of all masters.

Let me impart to you the wisdom of the hadith,

“By Him in Whose Hands my life is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father and his children and all mankind…” [Bukhârî, Eimân, 8]

There is another kind of love and affection, and that is the one between parents and children. Parents love their child to a very high degree. For example, even when they are told about the superiority of their child compared to them, they will not get upset. On the contrary, they feel happy about that situation. However, we know that a child’s love for his parents is secondary to the love parents feel for their child. Therefore, there is a divine order, according to the Qur’ân, which states
the child should love his parents and show mercy on them [Al-An‘âm, 151; Al-Isrâ, 23-24; Luqmân, 14].

There is yet another kind of love and that is the one between friends and relatives. It is very important to observe the laws as they pertain to your relatives and continue to visit them. The following reality is very meaningful. Those who meet and part with Allah in mind have been mentioned among the seven groups that will be shaded under the shade of Allah (s.w.t.) on the doomsday [Bukhârî, Azan, 36; Zakat, 16; Riqâq; 24; Muslim, Zakat, 30.].

Lastly, there is the love that fellow Mumins have for one another. Some scholars have stressed the importance of five daily prayers that are to be performed in the congregation in order to constitute love and affection among other Mumins.

To live a happier life, let us cherish love, and find nourishment from love. Let us not forget that what constitutes peace within a society are the members of that society who are bound to each other by love. Permit me to finish my khutba with the translations of some hadiths: “You will not enter heaven until you believe; and you will not believe until you love one another. Should I not guide you to a thing that if you do it will increase love amongst you? Spread “As salam’ (peace be with you)” [Bukhari, Eiman 7, Tirmidhî, Qiyâmah, 42; Muslim, Eiman, 93; Abû Dâvûd, Adab, 131; Ibn Mâjah, Adab, 11]. “Exchange gifts, as that will lead to increasing your love to one another.” [Muwatta, Husnu’l-Khulq, 16].

Khutbah Kedua / Doa / Second Khutbah

Reference:

[1] http://www.tokyocamii.org/category/library/khutbah
[2] http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/uploadedFiles/MuisGovSG/Khutbah/E14Oct10%20-%20Talhah%20Bin%20Ubaidillah.doc
[3] http://www.muis.gov.sg/cms/downloads/khutbahs.aspx
[4] http://jambocinta.blogspot.jp/2012/02/doa-setelah-shalat-beserta-artinya.html
[5] http://werdiningsihendang.blogspot.jp/2012_12_01_archive.html