FRIDAY SERMON 22 Sha'ban 1434H / 20 Jun 2014 PREPARATIONS FOR RAMADAN Prof. Madya Dr. Azhar bin Muhammad Director, Islamic Centre Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
الحمد هلل نحمد ه ونستعين ه ونستغف ر ه ون ع وذ باهلل م ن شرور ا نفس نا ومن سيي ات ا عمالنا م ن يهده الله فلا م ض ل له وم ن ي ضلل فلا هادي له وا ش ه د ا ن لا ا له ا لا الله و ح د ه لا ش ر ي ك ل ه و ا ش ه د ا ن م ح م د ا ع ب د ه و ر س و ل ه ا لل ه م ص ل و س ل م ع لى ح ب ي ب ن ا م ح م د و ع لى ا ل ه و ص ح ب ه ا جمعين
ا ما بعد فيا عباد الله اتق وا الله ا وصيك م وا ياي بتقو ى الله فق د فاز المتق ون قال الله تعالى في كتابه الع زيز: يا ا يها الذين ا منوا اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن ا لا وا نتم مسلمون (ا ل عمران 102)
Let us together increase our taqwa to Allah SWT by doing what is commamded and leaving what is prohibited. Let us show our obedience to Allah SWT, especially in the last moments of Sya aban and in the coming of Ramadhan al Mubarak soon.
The month that we waited for as believers, the month that will provide dividends and bonuses to those who faithfully serve solely because of Allah SWT.
Let us be delighted with the arrival of Ramadhan that comes with blessings. Let us welcome the arrival of Ramadhan this year as stated by the Prophet (pbuh):
ا كم ر م ض ان س ی د الش ه و ر ف م ر ح ا ب ه و ا ه لا ج اء ش ه ر الص ی ا م اب ل بر كا ت "Oh people! A great month has come over you, the leader of the months. So welcome the blessed month;
We will be in the month of Ramadhan, the month of struggle, so it is duly that we should plan a working plan to empower the month and the Messenger.
If businesses have already conducted the work to promote their sales of goods for the celebration of Ramadhan and Eid through banners, radio, television, newspaper and so on, what about our own plans to strengthen our value added Ramadan better from last year.
If our age increase, then the quality of Ramadhan should also increase. We have been together through Ramadhan last year, al Hamdulillah; InsyaAllah we will meet this year's Ramadhan in a few days, but keep in mind that we do not know whether we can meet Ramadhan again next year.
Thus let us benefit from Ramadhan this year with the maximum possible. That is why we must be ready to meet Ramadhan, prepare ourselves and family to welcome Ramadhan.
Look back at our experiences in the Ramadhan last year. Are we satisfied with the previous Ramadhan? Was our fast a quality one or otherwise? Do we perhaps have offers provided by Allah during Ramadhan last year? We surely know the answers!
The Prophet had stressed in his sermon on the last day of Sha'ban as narrated by Salman, r.a: ا يه ا الن اس ق د ا ظ ل كم ش ه ر ع ظ يم م ار ك ش هر ف ه ل ی ير م ن ا لف ش ه ر ش هر ج ع ل الله ص ی ام ه ف ر یض ة وق ام ل ی ت طو ا م ن ت ق ر ب ف ه بخ ص م ن الخير كا ن كم ن ا د ى ف ر یض ة ف يم ا س و اه و م ن ا د ى ف ر یض ة ف ه كم ن ا د ى س ب ع ين ف ر یض ة ف يم ا س و اه
"Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night.
Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (supererogatory) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time.
In fact, if people know and believe in supremacy of Ramadhan, they would want to make Ramadhan as the month throughout the year. لو ی ع لم الع اد م ا في ش ه ر رمض ان ل ت م ني الع اد ا ن ك ون ش ه ر رمض ان س ة (روایة الطبراني والبيهقي)
If the servants of Allah know what is in Ramadhan, surely they will wish that the whole year is the month of Ramadhan. (HR Tabrani & Baihaqi)
Ramadhan is called the syahr al Siyam wal alibadah, so we must ensure the fast that we do is a quality fast, fast to achieve the perfect fast. Fasting can be classified as "truly fast" as required by Allah, not custom fast, tradition or trendy.
The perfect fast is fast that is not only abstaining from eating, drinking and the things that invalidate the fast, but more than that.
It is not only the mouth that is fasting but the whole body like the eyes, ears, tongue, the mind, the heart and so on must also fast. In other words, leave the matter that is forbidden by Islam, or matters that is useless and has no benefit.
Fasting that is full of flaws is regarded by the Messenger as a fast which Allah has no need to it. The Messenger said in a hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah: م ن ل م ی د ع قول الزور والع مل به فل س اجة فى ا ن ید ع طع ام ه وشر ابه
"Whoever did not desist from speaking falsehood and acting upon it, Allah has no need for him to leave his food and his drink. (HR Bukhari)
Ramadhan is also known as syahr al Najah or syahr al Sabr, which means the month of success and patience. Let us increase our obedience and good deeds in this month.
Our bodies must be geared towards good deeds. Make zikr to Allah, tasbeeh, tahmeed, takbeer, tahleel, salawat etc. Worship Allah as much as we can through supererogatory prayers especially the tarawih prayers at night till the end of Ramadhan.
Make an agenda to attend the mosque as our routine just as we hurriedly go to our offices in the morning and return home in the evening. Lighten our environment with deeds leading to taqwa. Make our homes cheerful with Ramadhan. Do not forget to attend programmes prepared by various organisation for Ramadhan.
For example, make our offices comply with Ramadhan. Read and listen to the Quran, speak only good things among our colleagues. Make an effort to get Lailatul Qadr through night prayers.
Increase our iktikaf in the mosque especially the last ten nights of Ramadhan. It is like a bonus from Allah to the ummah of Muhammad. It is most unfortunate if we do not appreciate the valuable gift.
Rasulullah s.a.w. said as narrated by Abu Hurairah r.a.: م ن قام ر م ض ان ا يما وا س ااب غ ف ر ما تق د م م ن ذ ن ب ه "Whoever prays at night in Ramadhan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven. (Narrated by Bukhari dan Muslim)
Ramadhan is also known as syahr al Tilawah and syahr al Quran which is the month of al Quran. It is only appropriate for us to fill the whole of Ramadhan with recitation of the Quran. Make sure our homes, offices, faculties, business premises, prayer rooms etc are filled with verses of the Quran. Encourage our families and others to read the Quran together.
For example, a man should encourage his wife, his children, grandchildren and the whole family to read the Quran together. Everyone must allocate some time to read and understand the Quran at their faculties. Start this good deed during Ramadhan to be continued the following months. Fasting and Quran are two great benefits for us Muslims.
This is being emphasized by the Messenger in a hadith from Abdullah ibn Umar: الص ام والق ر ء ان ش ف ع ان ل ل ع ب د ی و م الق ا م ة ی ق و ل الص ی ام : ا ي ر ب م ع ت ه : الط ع ام والش ه و ات اب نه ار ف ش ف ع ني ف ه. وی ق ول الق رء ا ن م ع ت ه ال و م اب للی ل فش ف ع ني ف ه ف ش ف ع ان
"The fast and the Qur'an are two intercessors for the servant of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. The fast will say: 'O Lord, I prevented him from his food and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him.' The Qur'an will say: 'I prevented him from sleeping at night. Let me intercede for him.' And their intercession will be accepted."
With this, the pious of the earlier time increased their readings and research of the Quran during Ramadhan compared to the other months. For example, Al Aswad finished the Quran twice each night while al Syafi iy finished the quran 60 times in a month, reciting it inside and outside solat.
Sufyan Al Thauri will focus on the Quran during Ramadhan and will decrease other forms of worship. Imam Malik will not sit with scholars because of his tight schedule with the Quran
Ma asyir al mu minin rahimakumul Allah, Let us prepare ourselves for the coming of Ramadhan in a few days time. Grab the opportunity given by Allah to us in a more meaningful way. The act of obedience and goodness during Ramadhan will nurture our soul and self to achieve the charateristics of muttaqin as what Allah said in commanding fasting:
ا ع و ذ اب م ن الش ی ط ان الر ج يم O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
و ا كم و ا ك ر ا ال ت م ن ف ه بم ا ا ل ع ظ يم اب ل ق ر ءا ن الله اب ر ك لى و ل كم و ن ف ع ني. ا ل ع ل يم و ت ق ل م ني و م كم ع ب ا د الله ا و ص ی كم ا لس م ی ع ه و ا ن ه ت لاو ت ه ا ل ح ك يم لى و ر س و ا ل م ت ق و ن ف ا ز ف ق د ب ت ق و ى الله و ا ح كم و ن ف سى الله ط ا ة و ا ي و ل كم ا ل م س ل م ين و ل س اي ر ال ع ظ يم لي الله ا س ت غ ف ر ت ف ل ح و ن و ق ت فى كل ل ع ل كم و و ال م س ل مات و ال م و م ين نج ا ة ا ل م س ت غ ف ر ن ف و ز ف ا ف اس ت غ ف ر و ه و ال م و م ا ت ا لت ا ي ب ين
O servant of Allah, remember that this world is a place for temporary lodging. Truly, hereafter is the everlasting and permanent abode. So let us devote to Allah for obtaining happiness and escape from the punishment of hellfire.
Allah says in Surah Al Ahzab verse 56:
Which means: Indeed Allah confers blessing upon the prophet and His angels (ask Him to do so). O! You who have believed, ask Allah to confer blessing upon him and ask Allah to grant him peace.
Let us pray that Allah SWT accept the khalifah of Rasulullah s.a.w Sayyidina Abu Bakr al Siddiq r.a., Sayyidina Umar al Khattab r.a., Sayyinda Uthman ibn Affan r.a., Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Thalib r.a.
And to his companions who struggle to uphold the religion of Allah, also to his uncles Sayyidina Hamzah and Sayyidina Abbas r.a. and to his granchildren Sayyidina Hassan and Sayyidina Hussain r.a., his daughters sayyidatina Fatimah al Zahraa, his wives Sayyidatina Khadijah and Sayyidatina Aisyah r.a. and the other wives. Followed by his family, companions, followers of the companions and those who come afterthemfromtimetotimeuntiltheendofthe world.
O Allah, forgive the Muslims and the believers, whether surviving or deceased. O Allah, grant us guidance, strength, prosperity and help the leaders of the Muslim countries especially your servant Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, the Sultan and ruler for the State of Johor Darul Takzim.
To Raja Zarith Sofea Binti Al Marhum Sultan Idris Shah, Tengku Ismail Ibnu Sultan Ibrahim, Tengku Mahkota Johor and, the Prince and Princess, the royal kinship, and all Muslims.