Friday Sermon: Angel Gabriel’s Advice for the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad

By: Widi Kusnadi, Preacher of Al-Fatah Islamic Boarding School, Bogor

1st Sermon:

اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارْ، اَلْعَزِيْزِ الْغَفَّارْ، مُكَوِّرِ اللَّيْلِ عَلَى النَّهَارْ، تَذْكِرَةً لِأُولِى الْقُلُوْبِ وَالْأَبْصَارْ، وَتَبْصِرَةً لِّذَوِي الْأَلْبَابِ وَالْاِعْتِبَارْ. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى أَلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ٠فَقَالَى اللهُ تَعاَلى فِيْ كِتَا بِهِ اْلكَرِيْمِ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ٠فَقَال ايضا٠

Friday congregation which is glorified by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala

All praise and gratitude, let us always pray to the presence of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, today we are still met with a noble day, namely Friday, a noble place, which is a place of prayer, and a noble time which is a very good time to pray.

Hopefully with the gratitude and piety that we continue to maintain and improve, we will all become people who are glorified by Allah, become muttaqin and syakirin, pious people and grateful people.

Friday congregation which is glorified by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala

On the occasion of this Friday sermon, let us reflect on the advice conveyed by the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam which in essence is to all of us, the people of the Prophet:

The first:

يَا مُحَمَّدُ عِشْ مَا شِئْتَ فَإِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ

“O Muhammad, live as you please, but know that you will die.”

That is, that death is a certainty that will be experienced by all living beings, whoever he is. Both the king and the commoners, surely all will die. Both the rich, living in palaces, and the poor, living in huts of misery, all will die. The exalted and the despised, both will surely end in death.

With the arrival of death, then humans will not be able to do anything else. Let alone do, just think that humans can no longer because the body has been abandoned by the spirit. This death, will come and approach every human being, it’s only a matter of time and what the circumstances when he died that distinguishes it.

By remembering the death, it is hoped that every believer can eliminate dependence and greed for the life of this world and its pleasures.

By remembering the death, humans should shorten their dreams to love this world and only hope for eternal life in the hereafter.

In the Qur’an Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala says:

وَمَا هٰذِهِ الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ ۚ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ لَهِيَ الْحَيَوَانُ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ

“And there is no life of this world but amusement and amusement. And indeed the Hereafter is the real life, if they only knew.” (Q.S. Al-‘Ankabut/29: 64)

Thus, every servant should prepare himself for the arrival of death, by preparing himself with worship and righteous deeds as eternal provisions.

Friday congregation which is glorified by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala

The second:

  وَأَحْبِبْ مَنْ شِئْتَ فَإِنَّكَ مَفَارِقُهُ

“Love whom you like, but know that you will part with him.”

Humans are gifted with the heart and feelings to love each other. Everyone is freed to love anything and anyone among all beings, but it must be realized that he will inevitably part with it.

So, do not let a believer busy his heart with the pleasures of the world that is mortal. Love for your wife, children, business, rank, position and so on should not neglect yourself from eternal life in the afterlife.

Everything you love, surely everything will leave you, or you will leave them. So, don’t be too much in loving anyone because of someone, or everything that is worldly.

Keep your heart busy with love for Allah, the One who will never be separated from you and you will never be separated from Him. Love for Allah and His Messenger must be the main love in our hearts, because that love will last forever until it is resurrected in the hereafter.

Friday congregation which is glorified by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala

Third, Jibril’s advice was:

  وَاعْمَلْ مَا شِئْتَ فَإِنَّكَ مَجْزِيٌّ بِهِ

“And do as you please, but be aware that you will be rewarded for what you have done.”

“Do as you please” means that humans are free to act according to their will. He wants to do good, or do evil and tyrannical, please, as he pleases. God gives freedom. However, it must be remembered, everything will end in death. Furthermore, after death there will be reckoning, accountability and retribution in the afterlife.

Everyone will be given a decision, a reward in the form of heaven’s favors for those who do good. On the other hand, everyone will be bought a verdict and a reward in the form of torture and punishment as a consequence of his bad deeds.

In Surah Al-Zalzalah, Allah says:

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ (٧) وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ (٨)

“Whoever does good as heavy as dzarrah, surely he will see (reply) it. And whoever does a crime as heavy as an dzarrah, surely he will see (reply) it too.”  (Q.S. Az-Zalzalah 99: 7-8).

Keep in mind that no action just disappears without calculation. Even if you just get rid of rocks on the road, you will definitely get a reward. Or just a puff of cigarette smoke that other people inhale. It will all have an answer. Everything will be calculated.

So, it would be nice if you are going to do something, first think about it and consider the impact. Positive impact or even negative impact.

Don’t let us become bankrupt in the hereafter, that is, come before Allah with many good deeds, but all of that cannot cover the demands of those we hurt, we are wronged, until our reward runs out, and we even bear our sins, from people we hurt, until finally going to hell, Na’udzubillah min dzalika.

Friday congregation which is glorified by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala

Know that the glory of a believer lies in his character. The glory of a Muslim is in how close he is to his creator. So, do not rely on our glory on property, rank and position, and all things that smell of worldly material.

Let us rely on our glory through taqarrub to the Most Noble Essence, get closer to worship and sincere charity only for Allah alone, because only Allah is the owner of true glory. Allah will glorify whomever He wills and Allah will humiliate whomever He wills.

Human honor does not lie in the accessories of the world. Human honor is not based on the least amount of wealth, but honorable humans are those who are able to escape from all the snares of the world, the honor of a servant is when he relies completely on Allah, the Almighty, who has everything.

May we become slaves who survive in this world and the hereafter. And Allah makes us His servants who submit to Him alone.

  بَارَكَ الله لِي وَلَكُمْ فِى اْلقُرْآنِ اْلعَظِيْمِ، وَنَفَعَنِي وَإِيَّاكُمْ بِمَافِيْهِ مِن الآيَةِ وَذِكْرِ الْحَكِيْمِ وَتَقَبَّلَ اللهُ مِنَّا وَمِنْكُمْ تِلاَوَتَهُ وَإِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيْعُ العَلِيْمُ، وَأَقُوْلُ قَوْلِي هَذَا فَأسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظِيْمَ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْم

Sermon II

اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ عَلىَ إِحْسَانِهِ وَالشُّكْرُ لَهُ عَلىَ تَوْفِيْقِهِ وَاِمْتِنَانِهِ. وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ اِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَاللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ الدَّاعِى إلىَ رِضْوَانِهِ.

فَياَ اَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِتَّقُوااللهَ فِيْمَا أَمَرَ وَانْتَهُوْا عَمَّا نَهَى . وَقَالَ تَعاَلَى إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلآئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّوْنَ عَلىَ النَّبِى يآ اَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيْمًا. اللهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمْ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِناَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى اَنْبِيآئِكَ وَرُسُلِكَ وَمَلآئِكَةِ اْلمُقَرَّبِيْنَ

اَللهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَاْلمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَاْلمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَاْلمُسْلِمَاتِ اَلاَحْيآء مِنْهُمْ وَاْلاَمْوَاتِ اللهُمَّ أَعِزَّ اْلإِسْلاَمَ وَاْلمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَأَذِلَّ الشِّرْكَ وَاْلمُشْرِكِيْنَ وَانْصُرْ عِبَادَكَ اْلمُوَحِّدِيَّةَ. اللهُمَّ ادْفَعْ عَنَّا اْلبَلاَءَ وَاْلوَبَاءَ وَالزَّلاَزِلَ وَاْلمِحَنَ وَسُوْءَ اْلفِتْنَةِ وَاْلمِحَنَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ عَنْ بَلَدِنَا اِنْدُونِيْسِيَّا خآصَّةً وَسَائِرِ اْلبُلْدَانِ اْلمُسْلِمِيْنَ عآمَّةً يَا رَبَّ اْلعَالَمِيْنَ. رَبَّنَا آتِناَ فِى الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِى اْلآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ. رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا اَنْفُسَنَا وَاإنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ اْلخَاسِرِيْنَ.

عِبَادَاللهِ ! إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُنَا بِاْلعَدْلِ وَاْلإِحْسَانِ وَإِيْتآءِ ذِي اْلقُرْبىَ وَيَنْهَى عَنِ اْلفَحْشآءِ وَاْلمُنْكَرِ وَاْلبَغْي يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُوْنَ وَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ اْلعَظِيْمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوْهُ عَلىَ نِعَمِهِ يَزِدْكُمْ وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرْ

(T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)