Friday Khutbah | Valuing the Gift of Harmony
Friday Khutbah
Subject : Valuing the Gift of Harmony
Dear Brothers in Islam,
Let us heighten our taqwa towards Allah. Let us obey Allah
as He should be followed, and leave all that He has
prohibited. We ask Allah s.w.t. to bestow His blessings unto
us and grant our souls tranquillity, our minds peace, and our
lives protection and harmony. Amin.
Blessed Friday Jama’ah,
The Prophet s.a.w. once said:
Meaning: “Whosoever begins the day secure among his
family and in good health, possessing provision for his day,
it is as though he possesses the whole world.” [At-Tirmizi]
Allah s.w.t. has bestowed upon us countless blessings, not
all of which we acknowledge and are grateful for. In the
hadith mentioned earlier, our beloved Prophet Muhammad
s.a.w. reminds us of two of blessings; namely the gift of
harmony and peace. These are two gifts whose importance
and value we seldom realise and recognise until they are
taken away from us. Would we be able to live our lives
normally if the peace we currently enjoy is threatened?
Could we enjoy the company of our families, raise our
children, or even worship Allah s.w.t. without worry?
Our religion places great emphasis on peace and harmony.
The Quran mentions the word ‘peace’ and derivatives 789
times. Among these instances is a supplication recited by
Prophet Abraham a.s. asking for the security of Makkah –
a supplication which we would do to emulate:
Meaning: “And (remember) when Abraham said: My Lord!
Make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits –
whoever of them believes in Allah and the Last Day…”
[Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 126].
Imam Ar-Razi in his book, Tafsir al-Kabir, states that some
scholars were asked: which is better; health, or peace and
security? They all said the latter because it is security and
peace that enables us to take better care of our physical
health and our mental and emotional wellbeing. What use
is a healthy body if we live in perpetual fear as a result of
war and chaos?
My Brothers,
Humanity has accomplished so much together. Our lives
have been significantly enriched through advancements in
the fields of technology. We are becoming more educated.
However, does this mean that, as society we have all truly
recognised the value of peace and security? On the
contrary, there are a handful of people out there who seek
to demolish unity. They yearn for the spilling of blood and
are intent on disrupting harmony among people of different
races and religions. These people - have no regard
whatsoever for the sanctity of life, nor respect for places of
worship or even religion. Allah s.w.t. says in Surah AlMaidah, verse 32 which means: “…whosoever kills a soul –
unless for a soul, or for corruption done in the land – it is as
if he had slain humankind entirely. Moreover, whosoever
saves one life; it is as if he had saved humankind entirely.”
For the past week, everyone who values harmony and the
sanctity of life and is in deep grief over the horrific act of
terrorism which occurred recently in Christchurch, New
Zealand. The incident happened in a setting just like ours,
in this very moment, where people were gathered
peacefully in a masjid to perform their Friday prayers. The
violent act of one man, whose heart was filled with hatred,
claimed the lives of fifty innocent people. We ask Allah
s.w.t. to shower those who were killed in the incident with
His Rahmah, and that He accepts them as martyrs.
May the wounded be healed, and may the Christchurch and
New Zealand community be granted strength and resilience
in this challenging time. May Allah s.w.t. also protect us, our
families and our nation from such an incident.
Let us also be thankful towards Allah s.w.t. for the majority
who incline towards peace and goodwill. They have shown
solidarity; standing with Muslims all across the globe. In
Singapore, representatives of various faiths, as well as New
Zealand expatriates in Singapore have visited our mosques
in an expression of unity. In other parts of the world, citizens
stood to watch outside mosques while Muslims performed
their Friday prayers. The tragedy in New Zealand has
proved that those of us who value peace and harmony
indeed possess the potential to overcome hatred and
disharmony, and the strength to extinguish the flames of
vengeance and anger.
A heart nourished by the Quran shall only know good. It
does not feel hatred towards people, however great their
transgressions towards us. Allah s.w.t. says in Surah AsSyura, verse 40:
Meaning: “And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one
like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his
reward is [due] from Allah. Indeed, He does not like
wrongdoers.”
The beauty of the Christchurch incident is that, the families
of many of the victims have expressed their forgiveness
towards the individual who murdered their loved ones.
Subhanallah! This, my dear brothers, is the epitome of unity
and harmony, and this further strengthens our conviction
that those who are guided by Allah s.w.t. are capable of
projecting only mercy and goodness onto the world.
Extending forgiveness to those who have hurt us is far more
powerful than any bullet, and mightier than any bomb. It is
a force which enables us to remain calm and peaceful, even
when our hearts are overcome with anguish and anger.
Brothers,
Let this tragedy not be in vain. Let it remind us of the horror
that will befall us should we allow intolerant and hateful
views to breed. It is our duty as a Muslim ummah to purify,
preserve and protect our hearts and minds. It is our
responsibility not to leave room for hatred and hostility
towards those who are different from us.
Let us continue our Singaporean tradition of peace and
harmony. Let us continue extending the Rahmah of
Muhammad s.a.w. to the whole of humanity. Let us become
faithful followers of Sayidina Muhammad s.a.w. who touch
the hearts of those around us.
O, Allah! We ask security, peace and harmony for this world
that You have created for us. Protect us, our country and
our brothers in humanity from all forms of evil. O, Allah! We
implore You to replace chaos with tranquillity, hostility with
peace, and fear with security. O, Allah! Lastly, we ask you
to assemble us all in the Abode of Tranquillity and Peace
(Darul Aman and Darussalam) in Your Paradise, the day
we return unto You. Amin Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
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