:salam2:
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam this is something to read before Eid Fitr comes.
Insyallah, we pray and hope for Allah SWT to bless us always and accept our ibadah done iin Ramadhan and keep us away from Jahannam. Amin
Eidul Fitr Sermon for 24 October 2006 / 1 Syawal 1427
Knowledge, Faith and Ihsan (Compassion) in Our LivesDearest Brothers, May you all be blessed,
We have begun celebrating our Eid by glorifying and praising Allah the
Almighty, when we recite the takbir. InshaAllah, after this, we will visit
our family members, friends and neighbours, to strengthen bonds and to seek
forgiveness from each other for the wrong that we may have done to others.
We do all these, to express our gratitude and syukur to the Almighty Allah,
for the guidance He has bestowed upon us.
Allah says in the Holy Quran :
Meaning: . and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having
guided you and that you may give thanks. (Al-Baqarah verse 185)
RAMADHAN TEACHES US COMPASSION
Dearest Brothers, May you all be blessed,
When we look back at how we have led our lives in the month of Ramadhan,
Ramadhan seems like a very good friend who has just left us to return to its
own place.
When this friend of ours named Ramadhan was with us, it taught us to do
good, it trained our mind and enhanced our spirituality, and strengthened us
to face the challenges of a changing world, by equipping us with the moral
compass that guide us.
Ramadhan taught us the true meaning of ihsan (compassion). Ihsan in our
relationship with Allah, when we shed tears thinking of the enormous
blessings and bounties that Allah has given us all this while. Blessings
such as this life, time, health, wealth, work, a happy family and others.
Ramadhan has also taught us the meaning of ihsan towards our parents, by
serving them with respect whilst they are with us, or when they reach old
age, or even after they have left us.
Both our parents have struggled hard to bring us up, educate and nurture us.
The least we can do is to repay their sacrifices with our ihsan.
Ramadhan taught us the meaning of ihsan towards the community, by rising to
do good in all forms, and at all levels. All good deeds are part of worship
in Islam.
We should not think that one who does not practice Islam is far and
permanently removed from the grace of Allah. Instead, we should continue to
pray that Allah guide them, and on our part, continue to be with them and
guide them with ihsan.
When we interact and deal with our younger generation, we must reckon with
the challenges they face, act with compassion and be able to accept their
situation, whilst continuing to guide them with wisdom. It is important that
we remain optimistic there is good in everyone, and we must seek this good,
instead of focusing on their shortcomings. This is ihsan.
Similarly, we must continue to uphold ihsan in our interaction with other
ethnic and faith communities. Before we even begin communicating with
others, we should not look at people of other faiths as those who will not
receive God's guidance. We should leave matters on guidance only to Allah
the Almighty. However, our duty is to show a good example to others, to
encourage and facilitate cooperation and mutual understanding, and pray to
Allah that our efforts are being accepted and blessed. This is ihsan.
All good deeds and acts of ihsan will be rewarded only with ihsan. Allah
says in the Holy Quran.
Meaning: Is there any Reward for Good - other than Good? (Surah Al-Rahman
verse 60)
Ramadhan has instilled in us this passion to always uphold ihsan at every
single point in our lives.
THE ROLE OF FAITH IN OUR LIVES
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,
Dearest Brothers and Sisters, may you all be blessed,
In the midst of our joy celebrating this Eid, let us not forget the reality
of our lives. Our lives, and everything else that we experience in it, is
temporary. Nothing is permanent and nor remains forever.
It was not long ago that we enjoyed fasting in Ramadhan, but Ramadhan has
left us. Today, we celebrate Eid in joy and happiness, but this day too will
pass. Infact, nothing stays forever. All that we see in this world is
temporary.
Likewise, all of us will not remain alive. When our time comes, we will
leave this world. But we have to ask ourselves. What will we bring with us
to meet Allah? Nothing apart from all our good deeds, especially those we
have performed in the month of Ramadhan. Our fast, our prayers, Quranic
recitations, our donations, our paying of the alms (zakat) and our zikir or
remembrance of God. All these will remain with us until the day of
judgement. Not our new clothes, nor our new curtains or new furniture in our
homes.
Those who have let Ramadhan pass by without fully maximising the opportunity
have lost out indeed. They have lost out on this glorious opportunity to
intensify their devotion to Allah, and reap the rewards that will accompany
them when they meet Allah.
For those who have let the great opportunity of Ramadhan pass by without
having benefited from it, we would like to offer this advice: Do not despair
and give up.
Instead, you should strengthen your resolve from now on to be a better
Muslim. Use whatever opportunity you have. In this month of Syawal, you can
start by fasting six days, as encouraged by Prophet Muhammad peace be upon
him. Allah says in Surah Al-Zumar verse 53:
Meaning: "Say O My servants who have wronged themselves by committing evil
deeds and sins, Despair not of the Mercy of Allah; verily, Allah forgives
all sins. Truly, He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful."
KNOWLEDGE STRENGTHENS OUR FAITHAllahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Let us all be reminded, that all that we experience and see in this world
will perish. We too, will leave this world. Allah the Almighty mentions this
in the Holy Quran:
Meaning: And set forth to them parable of the life of this world: like water
which We send down from the cloud so the plants of the earth absorbs the
water, then it becomes dry broken into pieces which the winds scatter; and
Allah is the holder of power over all things. (Surah Al-Kahf, verse 45(
This is how Allah describes our life in this world. Allah the Almighty tells
us to think and ponder upon the things we see around us. Look at how plants
and the creations of Allah grow when nourished by water. Yet, with the same
water, different plants grow. Look at how water reaches the roots buried
deep beneath the earth, yet find its way up to the narrow veins in the
leaves high up in the tree. Who allows this to happen?
The Holy Quran calls upon us to think and reflect on such creations of
Allah. In the verse read earlier, the Holy Quran tells us about the reality
of our lives; that it is temporary. Yet, it also calls upon us to reflect
upon God's creation. In doing so, our knowledge increases, and our iman
(faith) gets strengthened.
Knowledge is the key to strengthening our iman (faith). We will not be able
to become an Islamic community of excellence, until we build our religious
lives on profound and strong iman. This iman acts as a strong bulwark
against all negative influences that come our way in our lives. At the same
time, we are able to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow,
confidently and comfortably.
A profound iman leads us to strongly believe in the guidance of Allah the
Almighty. Such an iman, coupled with, and supported by profound knowledge,
will teach us to continue seeking Allah's guidance in addressing our
challenges. Such a strong iman will also allow us, as a Muslim community, to
live confidently in a secular state, plural society, and a globalised and
more open world. Why is that? Because whilst we continue to interact and
participate actively in such circumstances, we know that our iman, as one of
the core fundamentals of Islam, will not be compromised.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, this is the impact that ihsan (compassion), faith
and knowledge, have on our lives. We find how they beautifully impact our
lives.
When a Muslim combines ihsan, faith and knowledge, he/she will be able to
bring blessings to everyone, because he/she wants to do good, and improve
man's well-being on earth.
A persistent challenge worldwide is poverty. It is not impossible for
Muslims to help eradicate poverty. Infact, our faith tells us to help those
who are poor. Ihsan encourages and inspires us to do so. Knowledge guides us
to address this challenge.
This has been exemplified by Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen
Bank of Bangladesh. He is a firm believer that we can fight against poverty.
By offering microcredit to villagers, he has managed to raise around two
million borrowers above the poverty line. Many social problems have also
been removed, together with poverty. His efforts have been recognised
recently, when he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Professor Muhammad
Yunus's
example tells us that as Muslims, we have a duty, and are also capable, of
addressing common problems in our society. We can bring blessings to others
in this modern and challenging world.
It is now our responsibility to think and ask ourselves, have we, Muslims,
fully appreciate and apply these values as our guiding principles,
especially in dealing with new and diverse challenges that we face?
A case for us to reflect upon is the reactions of Muslims worldwide to the
caricatures that deride the Holy Prophet peace be upon him and Pope
Benedicts speech, which contained quotes from a Byzantine emperor that
linked Islam to evil and violent.
We must ask ourselves, how best should Muslims respond to such issues,
guided by ihsan, iman and knowledge. Do we choose a path of aggression,
inspired by emotional responses to such challenges? Have we not considered
the Quranic and Prophetic path of wisdom and gracious preaching (al-hikmah
and al-mau'izah al-hasanah)?
Knowledge, faith and ihsan must be our guidance in dealing with such issues.
As Muslims, we are taught to act and react with ihsan, and remove ourselves
from emotions and sentiments in doing so. When our faith is supported by
knowledge, we will only choose the best path, full of wisdom, justice,
moderation; the path that becomes blessings for all. As Muslims, we
certainly reject such erroneous expressions of our religious belief by
others, but we should express our rejection in an honourable and respectful
manner.
May Allah guide us in our search for the truth, on this glorious and
beautiful morning. May Allah show us the best way in surmounting our
challenges. May Allah help us to strengthen our faith, increase our
knowledge, and nurture our ihsan and compassion in our lives.
Allahumma Amin.
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam this is something to read before Eid Fitr comes.
Insyallah, we pray and hope for Allah SWT to bless us always and accept our ibadah done iin Ramadhan and keep us away from Jahannam. Amin
Eidul Fitr Sermon for 24 October 2006 / 1 Syawal 1427
Knowledge, Faith and Ihsan (Compassion) in Our LivesDearest Brothers, May you all be blessed,
We have begun celebrating our Eid by glorifying and praising Allah the
Almighty, when we recite the takbir. InshaAllah, after this, we will visit
our family members, friends and neighbours, to strengthen bonds and to seek
forgiveness from each other for the wrong that we may have done to others.
We do all these, to express our gratitude and syukur to the Almighty Allah,
for the guidance He has bestowed upon us.
Allah says in the Holy Quran :
Meaning: . and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having
guided you and that you may give thanks. (Al-Baqarah verse 185)
RAMADHAN TEACHES US COMPASSION
Dearest Brothers, May you all be blessed,
When we look back at how we have led our lives in the month of Ramadhan,
Ramadhan seems like a very good friend who has just left us to return to its
own place.
When this friend of ours named Ramadhan was with us, it taught us to do
good, it trained our mind and enhanced our spirituality, and strengthened us
to face the challenges of a changing world, by equipping us with the moral
compass that guide us.
Ramadhan taught us the true meaning of ihsan (compassion). Ihsan in our
relationship with Allah, when we shed tears thinking of the enormous
blessings and bounties that Allah has given us all this while. Blessings
such as this life, time, health, wealth, work, a happy family and others.
Ramadhan has also taught us the meaning of ihsan towards our parents, by
serving them with respect whilst they are with us, or when they reach old
age, or even after they have left us.
Both our parents have struggled hard to bring us up, educate and nurture us.
The least we can do is to repay their sacrifices with our ihsan.
Ramadhan taught us the meaning of ihsan towards the community, by rising to
do good in all forms, and at all levels. All good deeds are part of worship
in Islam.
We should not think that one who does not practice Islam is far and
permanently removed from the grace of Allah. Instead, we should continue to
pray that Allah guide them, and on our part, continue to be with them and
guide them with ihsan.
When we interact and deal with our younger generation, we must reckon with
the challenges they face, act with compassion and be able to accept their
situation, whilst continuing to guide them with wisdom. It is important that
we remain optimistic there is good in everyone, and we must seek this good,
instead of focusing on their shortcomings. This is ihsan.
Similarly, we must continue to uphold ihsan in our interaction with other
ethnic and faith communities. Before we even begin communicating with
others, we should not look at people of other faiths as those who will not
receive God's guidance. We should leave matters on guidance only to Allah
the Almighty. However, our duty is to show a good example to others, to
encourage and facilitate cooperation and mutual understanding, and pray to
Allah that our efforts are being accepted and blessed. This is ihsan.
All good deeds and acts of ihsan will be rewarded only with ihsan. Allah
says in the Holy Quran.
Meaning: Is there any Reward for Good - other than Good? (Surah Al-Rahman
verse 60)
Ramadhan has instilled in us this passion to always uphold ihsan at every
single point in our lives.
THE ROLE OF FAITH IN OUR LIVES
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,
Dearest Brothers and Sisters, may you all be blessed,
In the midst of our joy celebrating this Eid, let us not forget the reality
of our lives. Our lives, and everything else that we experience in it, is
temporary. Nothing is permanent and nor remains forever.
It was not long ago that we enjoyed fasting in Ramadhan, but Ramadhan has
left us. Today, we celebrate Eid in joy and happiness, but this day too will
pass. Infact, nothing stays forever. All that we see in this world is
temporary.
Likewise, all of us will not remain alive. When our time comes, we will
leave this world. But we have to ask ourselves. What will we bring with us
to meet Allah? Nothing apart from all our good deeds, especially those we
have performed in the month of Ramadhan. Our fast, our prayers, Quranic
recitations, our donations, our paying of the alms (zakat) and our zikir or
remembrance of God. All these will remain with us until the day of
judgement. Not our new clothes, nor our new curtains or new furniture in our
homes.
Those who have let Ramadhan pass by without fully maximising the opportunity
have lost out indeed. They have lost out on this glorious opportunity to
intensify their devotion to Allah, and reap the rewards that will accompany
them when they meet Allah.
For those who have let the great opportunity of Ramadhan pass by without
having benefited from it, we would like to offer this advice: Do not despair
and give up.
Instead, you should strengthen your resolve from now on to be a better
Muslim. Use whatever opportunity you have. In this month of Syawal, you can
start by fasting six days, as encouraged by Prophet Muhammad peace be upon
him. Allah says in Surah Al-Zumar verse 53:
Meaning: "Say O My servants who have wronged themselves by committing evil
deeds and sins, Despair not of the Mercy of Allah; verily, Allah forgives
all sins. Truly, He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful."
KNOWLEDGE STRENGTHENS OUR FAITHAllahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Let us all be reminded, that all that we experience and see in this world
will perish. We too, will leave this world. Allah the Almighty mentions this
in the Holy Quran:
Meaning: And set forth to them parable of the life of this world: like water
which We send down from the cloud so the plants of the earth absorbs the
water, then it becomes dry broken into pieces which the winds scatter; and
Allah is the holder of power over all things. (Surah Al-Kahf, verse 45(
This is how Allah describes our life in this world. Allah the Almighty tells
us to think and ponder upon the things we see around us. Look at how plants
and the creations of Allah grow when nourished by water. Yet, with the same
water, different plants grow. Look at how water reaches the roots buried
deep beneath the earth, yet find its way up to the narrow veins in the
leaves high up in the tree. Who allows this to happen?
The Holy Quran calls upon us to think and reflect on such creations of
Allah. In the verse read earlier, the Holy Quran tells us about the reality
of our lives; that it is temporary. Yet, it also calls upon us to reflect
upon God's creation. In doing so, our knowledge increases, and our iman
(faith) gets strengthened.
Knowledge is the key to strengthening our iman (faith). We will not be able
to become an Islamic community of excellence, until we build our religious
lives on profound and strong iman. This iman acts as a strong bulwark
against all negative influences that come our way in our lives. At the same
time, we are able to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow,
confidently and comfortably.
A profound iman leads us to strongly believe in the guidance of Allah the
Almighty. Such an iman, coupled with, and supported by profound knowledge,
will teach us to continue seeking Allah's guidance in addressing our
challenges. Such a strong iman will also allow us, as a Muslim community, to
live confidently in a secular state, plural society, and a globalised and
more open world. Why is that? Because whilst we continue to interact and
participate actively in such circumstances, we know that our iman, as one of
the core fundamentals of Islam, will not be compromised.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, this is the impact that ihsan (compassion), faith
and knowledge, have on our lives. We find how they beautifully impact our
lives.
When a Muslim combines ihsan, faith and knowledge, he/she will be able to
bring blessings to everyone, because he/she wants to do good, and improve
man's well-being on earth.
A persistent challenge worldwide is poverty. It is not impossible for
Muslims to help eradicate poverty. Infact, our faith tells us to help those
who are poor. Ihsan encourages and inspires us to do so. Knowledge guides us
to address this challenge.
This has been exemplified by Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen
Bank of Bangladesh. He is a firm believer that we can fight against poverty.
By offering microcredit to villagers, he has managed to raise around two
million borrowers above the poverty line. Many social problems have also
been removed, together with poverty. His efforts have been recognised
recently, when he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. Professor Muhammad
Yunus's
example tells us that as Muslims, we have a duty, and are also capable, of
addressing common problems in our society. We can bring blessings to others
in this modern and challenging world.
It is now our responsibility to think and ask ourselves, have we, Muslims,
fully appreciate and apply these values as our guiding principles,
especially in dealing with new and diverse challenges that we face?
A case for us to reflect upon is the reactions of Muslims worldwide to the
caricatures that deride the Holy Prophet peace be upon him and Pope
Benedicts speech, which contained quotes from a Byzantine emperor that
linked Islam to evil and violent.
We must ask ourselves, how best should Muslims respond to such issues,
guided by ihsan, iman and knowledge. Do we choose a path of aggression,
inspired by emotional responses to such challenges? Have we not considered
the Quranic and Prophetic path of wisdom and gracious preaching (al-hikmah
and al-mau'izah al-hasanah)?
Knowledge, faith and ihsan must be our guidance in dealing with such issues.
As Muslims, we are taught to act and react with ihsan, and remove ourselves
from emotions and sentiments in doing so. When our faith is supported by
knowledge, we will only choose the best path, full of wisdom, justice,
moderation; the path that becomes blessings for all. As Muslims, we
certainly reject such erroneous expressions of our religious belief by
others, but we should express our rejection in an honourable and respectful
manner.
May Allah guide us in our search for the truth, on this glorious and
beautiful morning. May Allah show us the best way in surmounting our
challenges. May Allah help us to strengthen our faith, increase our
knowledge, and nurture our ihsan and compassion in our lives.
Allahumma Amin.