Appreciating Our Independence

Transcription

1 FRIDAY SERMON 23 Syawal 1434H / 30 August 2013 Appreciating Our Independence Prof Madya Dr Azhar bin Muhammad Director Islamic Centre of UTM

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3 Let us increase our taqwa to Allah SWT by performing His commandments and avoiding what He forbids.

4 Be taqwa to Allah, by being grateful to Him for every blessing, especially when we are able to practice Islam freely without any limitations nor difficulties.

5 This is the independence that we have achieved all this while. One of the way to show our gratitude towards this blessings is by celebrating it the way that pleases Allah SWT.

6 Dear Muslims, Tomorrow will mark the 56th anniversary of our country independence day.

7 This shows that Malaysia had gain its independence from the colonists like the Portuguese, Dutch, and Japanese and lastly, twice from the British for over half a century ago.

8 During that period, the freedom fighters including the Islamic scholars and nationalist did not stop fighting to gain independence.

9 They went through many obstacles, difficulties and hardship while defending the country from the colonists.

10 The generation today should be aware of the difficulties, hardships, obstacles and sufferings that the independence fighters had to go through in order to defend Islam and our beloved homeland from the colonist that clearly had an illintention towards Islam and the nation.

11 It was the Portuguese main agenda to divert the Malays from their Islamic religion to theirs.

12 Alhamdulillah, with Allah s protection, the evil agenda to divert the Malays from their religion did not succeed as a whole.

13 With Allah s help, He permitted the religion of Islam to spread here; with the strong faith and belief of the Malays; and with the struggle to defend Islam by the Muslim scholars at that time, the religion of Islam is protected till today.

14 This proves that with a strong spirit, physical strength and determination by our scholars who stand in the front row together with other fighters and races, they managed to tromp the colonist ill-intention propaganda and mission.

15 Even though history recorded that many of the Islamic scholars were captured, tortured, thrown in prisons, sent away from their homeland and sentenced to death, however, we could see the outcome in which Islam is still alive in our beloved homeland.

16 The Malays in Malaysia still practice the Islam way of life and still hold on to it. Therefore, we need to continue this tradition to spread Islam here, in our beloved Malaysia.

17 Do not let the way of Islam of faith, practices, behavior and others decline due to our own negligence or our own acts.

18 Dear Muslims, Therefore, as the generation and nation who appreciate, it is a must for us to respect and remember the sacrifices of the freedom fighters because surely, our role today is not the same as what they had sacrificed for us, especially for Islam and the nation.

19 Allah swt says in Surah Nisa : 95

20 Which means: Not equal are those believers remaining [at home] - other than the disabled - and the mujahideen, [who strive and fight] in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives.

21 Allah has preferred the mujahideen through their wealth and their lives over those who remain [behind], by degrees. And to both Allah has promised the best [reward]. But Allah has preferred the mujahideen over those who remain [behind] with a great reward.

22 Hence, let us appreciate the real value of independence that we gained 56 years ago.

23 What we can do is to retain the Islamic values that our ancestors practiced centuries ago. If before the Malays were proud of the Islamic lifestyle, then we should restore this lifestyle and laws.

24 If the Malays were once proud of being Muslims, so we should restore this pride again.

25 If the Malays were once proud of the identity of politeness, prudent while communicating and be at their best behavior, we should retain those identities too.

26 If once the Malay were proud of the Islamic manners, we should retain that too.

27 If once the Malays were honored of the Jawi writing, we should restore the writing to its rightful place because it was adapted from the Arabic handwriting and it could be a way to learn al-quran and hadith.

28 Do not let all this go to waste without any effort from us.

29 This is who we are, our identity, our way and our lifestyle as Malays with Islam as our teachings that save the Malays from animisms and dynamism; a belief that submit to ghosts, souls, superstitions and others.

30 It also bring us away from influence of Buddhism and Hinduism who once tried to take control the minds of the Malays.

31 Ma asyiral Mukminin, This year s national day theme is Malaysiaku Berdaulat Tanah Tumpah Darahku - this require us to reflect how do we celebrate our previous Independence Day.

32 To celebrate this Independence Day, we should continue the struggle of the previous Mujahideen even though we have gained independence.

33 Their Jihad should be continue. Maybe the type of jihad is different but with the same purpose.

34 Islam is sent upon to free mankind from jahiliyyah (ignorance). Independence according to Islam is a need to take protect mankind.

35 To make sure the struggle is align to Islam, we should look back at the history of Rasulullah s struggle.

36 In this context, Sayyidina Umar Ibn al-khattab r.a once said: We are the nation that is honored by Allah with Islam, if we seek other than Islam, then we will be ignoble by Allah.

37 Verily, Rasulullah s.a.w. himself was a great figure in the struggle of freedom and liberation.

38 He was responsible in liberating mankind in many ways from dictatorship and slavery including the dictatorship of mind, faith, physical and including the lifestyle, whether in terms of economic, politic or social.

39 History shows that when Muhammad s.a.w. was sent, mankind had strayed from the right path and guidance of the previous messengers.

40 They were the slave of desires, misguided from the truth, and ignorant in their spiritual needs that they even worship the idols and objects that they claimed to have power.

41 They were known to be in the Jahiliyyah (Ignorance) period.

42 As soon as the Messenger s.a.w. manage to liberate a country, his first agenda was to follow that independence with a new life according to Allah SWT.

43 We often hear the sacred word MERDEKA every time Independence Day come around.

44 The flags that fly around from the government to the private departments, including individual premises, home, school and every vehicles, but are we really appreciating the Independence Day as we should?

45 Let us appreciate the true meaning of Independence Day:

46 We should be ashamed when shouting MERDEKA if the teachings of Islam in our country is being sidelined, if the ummah s minds has yet to grow further, the Muslim youths still the highest in committing crimes like drugs, pills, alcohol, rape and such activities that has been a normality among youths.

47 The idealism created by the previous colonists who were driven away, is now adored by the young generation nowadays.

48 We should be sad when hollering MERDEKA if the Malays Muslims in this country is being tainted with behaviors that confuse their progenies.

49 Illegitimate child, which increases day by day and they have the Malay Muslim features, are being dumped everywhere.

50 We should regret shouting MERDEKA if the young generation Malay/Islam is still drown in concerts and clubs.

51 We should feel challenged when shouting MERDEKA if the wealth acquired in the name of rizq is through the haram ways in our society. Riba, bribery, gambling and such is a normality in our society.

52 Do we appreciate the Jihad that the previous Islamic scholars and national fighters if we do not continue where they left us?

53 Even when we shout the word MERDEKA, are we satisfied with the way we celebrate the Independence Day?

54 Where is the value from the 56 years of independence if we cannot free our faith, self and mind from being shackled by other cultures, mainly from the colonist who once colonized our country?

55 O Muslims, Let us celebrate this Independence Day by freeing our mind and self from being colonized by other idealism.

56 Let us defend our young generation from diversion which will end up being colonized either through their thoughts or behaviors.

57 Whether we realize or not, the behavior and thinking of the young generation nowadays has been colonized by different cultures from the modern colonists.

58 What is worrying that the immorality cultures prohibited by Allah and His Messenger s.a.w. are regarded as normality today.

59 Even the Islamic way of life disinterest them, including Islamic talks, knowledge and mosques are rarely visited.

60 Let us make it our responsibility to celebrate this Independence Day in a true way especially parents, as they are nearer to the younger generations.

61 We can be proud that we has develop in term of materials, but we too want to be proud of the spiritual aspect of the younger generation as they are the future leaders.

62 Nurture our generation so they would appreciate the blessing of the Independence Day. Let us restore their morality and minds to fear Allah SWT.

63 If this aspect is strong, then their morals and minds will not be easy to be colonized.

64 Let us be grateful to Allah for the blessings in being independent. Remember, being liberate is a great gift that should be protected so it would last for the future generation.

65 We should remember not to do anything that would ignite Allah s wrath in celebrating the Independence Day. Take some lessons from the word of Allah:

66 Which means: And your Lord is the Free of need, the possessor of mercy. If He wills, he can do away with you and give succession after you to whomever He wills, just as He produced you from the descendants of another people.

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