Friday Sermon: Interpreting Islamic New Year, Doing More Good
By: Ali Farkhan Tsani, Senior Editor of MINA (Mi’raj News Agency), Supervisor of Tahfidz DTI School (Daarut Tarbiyah Indonesia)
الْـحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْء فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيْرًا وَأَتْقَنَ مَا شَرَعَهُ وَصَنَعَهُرَا وَأَتْقَنَ كمَا شَرَعَهُ وَصَنَعَهُدرَا
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَّ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَاِيِّْ
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَى الْـخَلْقِ بَشِيْرًلًهُ أَرْسَلَهُ إِلَى الْـخَلْقِ بَشِيْرًا وَنَذِيًْْْ
صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْْا.
أمَّا بَعْدُ: عِبَادَ الله ، اِتَّقُوا اللهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ. فقال تعالى: يَا أَيُّهاَ الَّذِيْنَ ءَامَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوْتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَمُسْنْ
The Worshippers of Friday Prayer who is glorified by God
Time travel seems so fast going on. Days to weeks, weeks to months, moving to years. Like seconds. As if only yesterday we were children, school, teenagers, married. And now suddenly they have children and even grandchildren.
The acceleration from the old year to the next new year is so fast. So that we are now at the end of 1441 Hijriyah, and entering the new year of 1442 Hijriyah.
This shows the decreasing time we live in this world and reminds us that our age is getting closer to the afterlife. So, it is the best time to always self-reflect on all the deeds that we have done, so that it will always get better and better.
Allah reminds us in His verse:
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَلۡتَنظُرۡ نَفۡسٌ۬ مَّا قَدَّمَتۡ لِغَدٍ۬ۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱلن ََّ
It means: “O you who believe, fear Allah and let yourself pay attention to what he has done for tomorrow [hereafter], and fear Allah, Allah knows best what you are doing”. (Surah Al-Haysr [59]: 18)
We must always have the principle that the older we are, the better the good deeds. As the Prophet said in his hadith:
خَيْرُالنَّاسِ مَنْ طَالَ عُمْرُهُ وَحَسُنَ عَمَلُهُ وَشَرُّالنَّاسِ مَنْ طَالَ عُمْرُلهُ وَسَاءَعَمَلهُ وَسَاءَعَمَلهُ.
Meaning: “The best human being is a person who has a long life and good deeds and the worst human being is a person who lives a long life and has bad deeds.” (HR. Ahmad, Turmudzi and Hakim).
Happy audience
The gift of time is something that is very valuable for us Muslims. Even more, valuable than the world’s treasures that we have. Because if the world’s treasures are lost, we can still look for them. While the time has passed it is impossible to return.
So that nothing remains of the past except what the angels recorded. Good, bad, big and small, all listed as our charity.
So what a loss it is for people who do not take advantage of their time to always add to good deeds, especially if they are filled with immorality for the sake of immorality.
We are unfortunate if we do not make the best use of our time through worship, good deeds and various useful activities.
Allah reminds us of the time in Surah Al-Ashr.
وَالْعَصْرِ (1) إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ (2) إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ َلا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَََاصَاِّْ
Meaning: “By the time. In fact, humans are truly at a loss. Except for people who believe and do good deeds and advise each other to obey the truth and advise each other to fulfill patience. ” (Surah Al-‘Ashr: 1-3).
Ladies and Gentlemen
The moment of the Prophet’s hijrah from Makkah to Medina as the beginning of calculating the Islamic calendar or the Hijriyah New Year, has a very deep meaning.
Hijrah contains the meaning of the determination to keep going forward in goodness, the spirit of struggle to uphold the word of Allah, careful planning, and hard work towards a clear goal, please Allah.
The end goal is pleasing to Allah, must start with the original intention because of Allah too. That is, the hadith relating to hijrah is juxtaposed with intention.
From sincere intentions solely because of Allah, struggle, effort, sacrifice, persistence of principle, seriousness, patience, and hospitality will continue. The program that we project is always associated with Allah, with the hereafter.
Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam said in the hadith:
إِنَّمَا اْلأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى. فمن كانت هجرته إلى الله ورسوله فهجرته إلى الله ورسوله, ومن كانت هجرته لدنيا يصيبها أو امرأة ينكحها فهجرته إلى ما هاجر إليه
Meaning: “Indeed, every action depends on the intention. And actually everyone (will be rewarded) based on what he intended. Whoever migrates because (wants to get the pleasure of) Allah and His Messenger, then he moves to (the pleasure) of Allah and His Messenger. And whoever migrates because he wants a decent life in the world or because of the woman he wants to marry, the hijrah (will be of value as) which he intended. ”
Ladies and gentlemen that Allah glorifies
The Hijrah event is a milestone in the struggle of Muslims so that they are not only admired by friends but also respected by their opponents. With the totality of this hijrah, Muslims appear firm and solid, firm but at the same time affectionate, strong and gentle at the same time.
They are brought together because of Allah in one community of congregation, the struggle for jihad and da’wah, advice and tarbiyah.
They are strong and solid because they come together not because of wealth, business, business, let alone political interests. However, the gathering was solely because of the call for jihad, the call for tarbiyah as well as a call to worship together.
That is the example of “Assabiquunal awwalun” which Allah described in the verse:
والسابقون الأولون من المهاجرين والأنصار والذين اتبعوهم بإحسان رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه وأعد لهم جنات تجري تحتها الأنهار خالدين فيها أبدا ذلك الفوز العظيم
Meaning: “And those who were formerly (converted to Islam) were among the Muhajirin and Ansar and those who followed them well. Allah is pleased with them and they are also pleased with Allah and Allah has provided for them a paradise that flows rivers beneath them, they are eternal in it for ever. That’s a big win. ” (Surah At-Taubah [9]: 100).
For that, let us make this Hijriyah New Year 1442 a momentum for continuous improvement in our deeds of worship, both individually and socially. Especially if it involves the fight for the people, tarbiyah, preaching and jihad.
So let us correct ourselves, have we contributed more optimally, according to what Allah has given us. Because all will have questions and an accountability for whatever we have.
Wealth, knowledge, facilities, food, vehicles and everything that we acknowledge as ours, will have consequences before Allah. And Allah did not write anything that we thought about, wanting this to do so, but the concrete manifestation of his righteous deeds. That is the essence of our charity.
Migration from the Oriented World to the Oriented Hereafter, that is our Hijrah. Migration from haram and usury to the halalal thayyiban. Migrate from all bad things to goodness. Hijrah from disunity to unity of the people or congregation.
If we aim for the afterlife, for the pleasure of Allah, God willing, all the affairs of Allah’s world will take care of it. As outlined by the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam:
من كانت الآخرة همه جعل الله غناه فى قلبه وجمع له شمله وأتته الدنيا وهى راغمة ومن كانت الدنيا همه جعل الله فقره بين عينيه وفرق عليه شمله ولم يأته من الدنيا إلا ما قدر له
Meaning: “Whoever has the intention to reach the hereafter, then Allah will provide sufficiency in his heart, He will unite his desires which are scattered, the world will he obtain and submit to him. Anyone whose intention is only to reach the world, Allah will make him never feel enough, will scatter his desires, he will not get the world except what has been assigned to him. ” (H.R. At-Tirmidhi).
Hopefully, along with this Hijriyah new year, Allah will improve our deeds, our religion, the affairs of the world and our hereafter. Until getting His approval and forgiveness. Aamiin.
بارك الله لى ولكم فى القرآن العظيم, ونفعنى وإياكم بمافيه من آية وذكر الحكيم وتقبل الله منا ومنكم تلاوته وانه هوالسميع العليم, وأقول قولى هذا فاستغفر الله العظيم إنه هو الغفور الرحيم
(A/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
