FRIDAY SERMON 11 Rabiul Akhir 1434H / 1 March 2013 LIFE LONG LEARNING Prof Madya Dr Azhar bin Muhammad Director Islamic Centre of UTM
امحلد هلل حنمده ونس تعينه ونس تغفره ونعوذ ابهلل من رشور أنفس نا ومن س يئات أعاملنا م ن هيده هللا فال م ض ل هل وم ن ي ضلل فال هادي ال هللا و ح د ه ال رش ي ك هل و أ ش ه د أ ن م ح م د ا هل وأ ش ه د أ ن ال ا هل ا ع ب د ه و ر س و هل ا لل ه م ص ل و س ل ع ىل ح ب ي ب ن ا م حم د و ع ىل ا هل و ص ب ه. أمجعني أما بعد فيا عباد هللا اتق وا هللا أوصي ك واايي بتقو ى هللا فقد فا ز املتق ون قال هللا تعاىل يف كتابه الع زيز: هللا حق تقاته وال متوتن اال وأنمت مسلمون اي أهيا اذلين أ منوا اتقوا 102( )أ ل معران
Let us increase our taqwa to Allah the Almighty. Do what is commanded and leave what is forbidden that bring the wrath of Allah.
Tomorrow UTM will hold its 51st Convocation Ceremony. Of course, once again this research university will increase quality graduates and increase human capital in various fields of intellectual studies.
Convocation is a formal recognition from the university to the solid effort, followed by a sincere passion to a graduate in seeking knowledge which is the demand of Islam.
Convocation is not merely an indication that one has completed and graduates from seeking knowledge, but as an official recognition by the university for all the knowledge gained, thus it pleased the teachers who impart the knowledge and then teach it to others.
This shows that the graduates have succeeded in getting knowledge during their stay at this university.
But you must know the real success of knowledge required depends on the purpose of knowledge studied and the extent to which knowledge is learned and practiced by all.
In seeing knowledge, undergraduates should determine the purpose of studying to achieve pleasure of Allah and realize that this task is an obligation in Islam that we must learn and must also pass the knowledge to others.
Thus, when one has acquired knowledge, an undergraduate should increase his obedience to Allah and His Messenger as a preparation for others to do good and at the same time preventing them from doing any form of evil and disobedience to Allah SWT.
But undergraduates should realize that this is a difficult duty, there is no reason for complacency while studying; even to commit sins while in this honored college full of knowledge.
So a person who has been recognized through the award of a degree of success should be aware of the fact that the claim of knowledge they have learned.
Because the degree of knowledge obtained is not merely as a platform to get a job or access to a position but even further away from it.
Farther from the foraging problem, the question to work, the question of wage earners and others, but it touches the question of the world or the hereafter, the question of the pleasure of Allah or the wrath of Allah.
Thus a student should learn and pra ctice his knowledge because of Allah, not because of the material interest, or such other earthly is reminded by the Prophet:
عن ك ع ب ب ن م ال ك ع ن أ ب يه ق ال س م ع ت ر سو ل ه للا ص لهى ه للا ع ل ي ه و س لهم ي ق ول م ن ط لب ال ع ل م ل ي ج ار ي ب ه ال ع ل م اء أ و ل ي م ار ي ب ه الس فه اء أ و ي ص ر ف ب ه و ج وه ال هناس إ ل ي ه أ د خ ل ه ه للا ال هنا ر
Which means: Those who seek knowledge for the purpose of offsetting pride with his knowledge, or with the purpose of fooling the ignorant and argue with that knowledge, or for the purpose of attracting public attention for he praise of his knowledge, He will admit to the Fire (HR Tirmizi & Ibn Majah)
Quran asserts that knowledge is the knowledge that is the right call to faith as the faith of Islam was founded on the basis of knowledge.
Allah says that knowledge and faith are two elements that are mutually adjacent to each other.
Which means: And so those who were given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord and [therefore] believe in it, and their hearts humbly submit to it. And indeed is Allah the Guide of those who have believed to a straight path. Al Hajj:54
That is why we find the Prophet had always welcomed those who seek knowledge. The Prophet Muhammad said:
ع ن ع ب د ه للا بن م س ع ود ر ض ي ه للا ت ع ا لى ع ن ه ق ال : ح هدث ص ف و ان بن ع هسال ال م ر اد ي ق ا ل: أ ت ي ت ر س ول ه للا ص لهى ه للا ع ل ي ه و س لهم ف ق ل ت ل ه: ي ا ر س ول ه للا إ ن ي ج ئ ت أ ط ل ب ال ع ل م ف ق ا ل: م ر ح ب ا بطالب ال ع ل م ط ال ب ال ع ل م ل ت ح ف ه ال م الئ كة و ت ظ ل ه ب أ ج ن ح ت ه ا ث هم ي ر ك ب ب ع ض ه ب ع ض ا ح هتى ي ب ل غ وا ال هسم اء الد ن ي ا م ن ح ب ه م ل م ا ي ط ل ب )المعجم الكبير للطبراني الجزء السابع ص 49(
Meaning: Safwan said to the Prophet, I have come to study. He says: Welcome to those who seek knowledge, a knowledgeable student will be surrounded by angels, took refuge in the shadow, they will go up with each other to get to heaven because of his love for the world to the knowledge that they claimed.
Although a graduate received his degree, but in terms of seeking knowledge, graduates are required to do so because the degree that is given indicates only a little knowledge gained from Allah s knowledge.
If we have a degree in engineering, do we know medical science? If we have a degree in medicine, do we know the knowledge of management? If we have a degree in management, do we know the knowledge of fiqh, tafsir, hadith, etc.?
Allah SWT says: ه ل ق ل ي ال و م ا أ وت يت م م ن ال ع ل م إ And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little. (Al Isra :85)
Maybe we just gain a little knowledge from certain fields, Alhamdulillah! We have been able to master the knowledge, but what about the other sciences? What about the knowledge related to religion, such as learning Quran and Hadith, tenets and beliefs?
Are we going to ignore this knowledge when knowledge is categorized as obligatory that must be learned for our worship towards Allah SWT to be of better quality.
Which means if we do not learn the knowledge of the religion, how do we worship with the proper and correct way, as required by the religion?
Thus, we should seek more knowledge. Undergraduates are always welcome. It does not mean that when we received the degrees at the convocation ceremony in certain fields, then our efforts in search of knowledge has ended.
It does not mean that when we have to work in a particular profession as a result of the degree we get, we have to stop the quest for knowledge.
Seek the knowledge of Allah SWT, let alone knowledge related to religion which becomes our live cord in the world and the hereafter.
Even if a person feels that he is still shallow in theology, do not wait, seek that knowledge before our lives end.
ع ن اب ن ش ه اب أ خ ب ر ن ي ح م ي د ق ال س م ع ت م ع او ي ة ب ن أ ب ي س ف ي ان ي خ ط ب ق ال س م ع ت ال هنب هي ص لهى ه للا ع ل ي ه و س لهم ي ق ول م ن ي ر د ه للا ب ه خي ر ا ي ف ق ه ه ف ي الد ين و إ هنم ا أ ن ا ق اس م و ي ع ط ي ه للا
From a sermon by Mu'awiah he said I heard the Messenger (pbuh) said: Those who are required by Allah to be in a good condition, then Allah make him faqih in religion, verily I just divide, but Allah is the one that grants. (HR Bukhari 6768)
Let us continue to seek knowledge that will benefit us in this world and the hereafter.
Remember! although we are called graduates, although we are called Doctor, or called Professor, which implies we are a scholar, knowledge must still be acquired especially religious knowledge because knowledge will be with us in the grave and will be brought with us in the hereafter.
Let us continue to learn; our mosque offer and organize many classes and religious programs for the benefit of all students, staff and campus community.
Let us seize this opportunity for which we still have the will power. If our will power is withdrawn, it is difficult for us to learn no matter how hard we scream.
Seek knowledge while we are still energetic, our bodies are still strong, during which the teachers are still here, when knowledge is still important, because we do not want the people that are ignorant to make propaganda.
There will emerge knowledge that is invented, so then we would go astray together.
Take heed and observe a saying by our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW which reminds us of an era that will happen when there will be lack of knowledge and religious scholars.
But then, people will hold on to those who are ignorant, misguided and misleading.
عن ع م ر و ب ن ال ع اص ق ال س م ع ت ر س ول ه للا ص لهى ه للا ع ل ي ه و س لهم ي ق ول إ هن ه للا ل ي ق ب ض ال ع ل م ان ت ز اع ا ي ن ت ز ع ه م ن ال ع ب اد و ل ك ن ي ق ب ض ال ع ل م ب ق ب ض ال ع ل م اء ح هتى إ ذ ا ل م ي ب ق ع ال م ا ا هتخ ذ ال هنا س م ف ض ل وا ر ء وس ا ج هها ل ف س ئ ل وا ف أ ف ت و ا ب غ ي ر ع ل و أ ض ل وا
Which means: Verily, Allah does not hold back any knowledge of his servants altogether, but Allah will retract the scholars, one by one until there is no living scholar, so when the people will take ignorant people as their leader.
But they will make fatwa without reference to knowledge, they are the misled and misleading to others. (Bukhari 98)
أع و ذ ب اهلل م ن الش ي ط ا ن الر ي ج ي
And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.(at Tawbah:122)
اب ر ك هللا ىل و ل ك اب ل ق ر ءان ا ل ع ظ ي و ن ف ع ن و ااي ك مب ا ف ي ه م ن ا ل اي ت و اذل ك ر ا ل ح ك ي و ت ق ب ل م ن و م ن ك ت الو ت ه ا ن ه ه و. ا لس م ي ع ا ل ع ل ي أ و ص ي ك ع ب اد هللا و ا اي ي ب ت ق وى هللا ف ق د ف از ا ل م ت ق و ن و أ ح ث ك و ن ف س ع ىل ط اع ة هللا و رس و هل ف ك و ق ت ل ع ل ك ت ف ل ح و ن أ س ت غ ف ر هللا ال ع ظ ي يل و ل ك و ل س ائ ر ا ل م س ل م ني و ال م س ل امت و ال م ؤ م ن ني و ال مؤ م نا ت ف اس ت غ ف ر و ه ف يا ف و ز ا ل م س ت غ ف ر ي ن و اي ن اة ا لت آ ئ ب ني