Tag Archives: Koran

The farewell sermon…

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In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful

The Hajj season is upon us and I believe every Muslim should reflect upon this sermon at least once year. It signifies the completion of our faith and contains numerous lessons from which we can benefit.

“Today I perfected your religion for you and completed my favor to you and have chosen for you Al-Islam as your religion.”

The Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) delivered this sermon on the 9 Dhul-Hijjah in the valley of Mount `Arafat, during his final Hajj, known as the Farewell Hajj:

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O people, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether, after this year, I will ever be among you again. Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present today.

O people, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take interest; therefore, all interest obligations shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer inequity. Allah has judged that there shall be no interest and that all interest due to al-`Abbas ibn `Abdul-Muttalib shall henceforth be waived.

Every right arising out of homicide in pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived, and the first such right I waive is that arising from the murder of Rabi`ah ibn Al-Harith [a relative of the Prophet]. O mankind, the unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to forbid that which Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve; four of them are holy; three of these (holy months) are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumadah and Sha`ban.

O people, beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O people, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve, as well as never commit adultery.

O people, listen to me in earnest. Worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast during the month of Ramadan, and give the share of Zakah in your wealth. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim and that Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim that belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O people, no prophet or messenger will come after me, and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O people, and understand my words that I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur’an and my example, the Sunnah, and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed Your message to Your people.

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The Sermon reiterates the basic belief in one God, establishes the Islamic rule of Law and promotes basic human rights, Economic Domestic Justice including equality and better treatment of women.

Lessons from the Sermon:

  • Prohibition of shedding innocent blood, and taking of wealth without right, which stresses Islam’s protection of souls.
  • Nullification of validity of actions of Jahiliyyah or Pre-Islamic Era.
  • Prohibition of taking Riba (usury and interest), which is an increase on the principal, whether small or large.
  • Admonition to fulfill and give women their rights, and to deal with them in goodness.
  • Seek guidance the Book of Allah, in which lies the honor of Muslims and their victory.
  • Testimony of the Companions that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) conveyed the message and discharged his trust.
  • Order to take rituals of Hajj and other rituals from the Prophet’s sayings and actions.
  • Subtle indication that the Prophet’s farewell would soon come.
  • Warning against fighting and killing among Muslims, which is disbelief in action, which does not take one out of the fold of Islam, as in his: “Cursing a Muslim is fusooq, and fighting him is kufr.”

This sermon addresses some of the major religious issues faced by Muslims today and is a perfect summary of our religion. It should serve as a reminder to Muslims and a source of guidance for mankind. I pray that we benefit from these words and are able to implement even the smallest change in our lives to live in accordance with the basic fundamentals of Islam.

Thank your parents through prayer…

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In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.

“Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or more attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say, “my Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy, even as they cherished me in childhood.” (Quran 17: 23,24)

We often take for granted the people closest to us and neglect to acknowledge some of the greatest bounties Allah has bestowed upon us. We live in a world where love and respect for one’s parents is frowned upon and laughed at. Society has stripped us of  our basic instincts… to love and respect those dearest to us.

Islam promotes and encourages love and respect towards parents and the Quran itself makes reference to parents no less than 15 times. When asked about the signs of the last day, the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) mentioned two prophecies regarding the treatment of parents:

  1. When the offspring become a cause of grief and anger (for their parents).
  2. When a man obeys his wife and disobeys his mother; and treats his friend kindly while shunning his father (at-Tirmidhi)

We can all relate to these predictions and while we probably aren’t able to prevent them, the least we can do is change the way we treat our loved ones. The Quran and Sunnah have explained the status of parents in Islam and the importance of love and respect towards them. Some of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), about our responsibilities towards parents include:

  • “Paradise lies under the feet of the mother.”
  • “God’s pleasure is in the pleasure of the father, and God’s displeasure is in the displeasure of the father.”
  • “He who wishes to enter Paradise through its best door must please his parents.”
  • “It is a pity that some people may not attain Paradise, on account of not serving their old parents.”
  • “If a person looks with love at his parents, God writes in his favor the reward equal to the performance of one Hajj.”

Remember these teachings when dealing with your parents and reflect on the sacrifices they have made for you. Acknowledge them, respect them, show gratitude towards them and pray for them.

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِمَنْ دَخَلَ بَيْتِي مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَلاَ تَزِدْ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلاَّ تَبَارًا

Rabbighfir lii wali-waalidayya walilmum-iniina yauma yaquumul hisaab, Rabbirhamhumaa kamaa rabbayaani shag-hiiraa

O Lord, forgive me, my parents and Muslims in the Hereafter. O Lord, show mercy on them as they have nourished me when I was young.

Let us pray to Allah that He guide us to be respectful, kind, and obedient to our parents, and that we continue to show them humility regardless of the power, position, wealth, and influence we may possess. Let us also pray that we be patient, kind, thoughtful, and friendly with our children, as we guide them through their lives, and that we discharge our responsibilities towards them as required by our religion, so that Allah may be pleased with us, and may He Bless us and reward us, both in this world and in the Hereafter- Ameen.

If those who burnt or threatened to burn the Quran had read the Quran, what would they have found???

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Despite the cancellation of Pastor Terry Jones’s “Burn a Quran Day”, there were many copycat incidents reported throughout the world. Shameful as it is, I am convinced that the publicity the Quran and Muslims have received since the incident, though negative, will benefit the religion in many ways – Allah works in mysterious ways.

Anyone who was previously oblivious to Islam and the Quran was suddenly bombarded by the media with all things Muslim and despite the current “Islamophobic” environment; the beauty and truth of Islam will always reach those whom are destined to receive it.

The 9/11-Eid Coincidence also played its part in creating awareness about the month of Ramadhan and the celebration of Eid by Muslims around the world. This year, everyone knew when Ramadhan began and ended, people learnt about the role of the lunar calendar in Islam and everyone became aware of the requirements and rules of fasting. The fact that I received more Ramadhan and Eid messages from (non-Muslim) colleagues and clients this year could not have been a mere coincidence. This awareness alone is enough to bring people to Islam and I think we should capitalise on these situations.

I remember seeing a number of blogs and Facebook groups declaring “Read a Quran Day” instead of “Burn a Quran Day” and it got me thinking, what would they find if they actually read the Quran?

They would find that the 19th chapter of the Quran is named after Jesus’ mother, Mary. They would read that the Quran has high regard for the Virgin Mary:”And [we have propounded yet another parable of God-consciousness in the story of] Mary, the daughter of Imraan…” (66:12)

They would find 73 passages in the Quran detailing the story of Moses and they would read that the Quran says that God bestowed His grace upon Moses and Aaron (37:114), that he was “specially chosen” by God (19:51) and that God bestowed on Moses “wisdom and knowledge” (28:14) as a reward for doing good. In addition, the Book of Moses in the Jewish Bible is described by the Quran as a “Light and Guide” (6:91).

In the Quran they would find a passage that states “Verily, those who have attained to faith, as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians — all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds — shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have and neither shall they grieve. (2:62)

Our faiths have so much in common, we need to use these common beliefs to bring people together and put an end to the media’s misinformation of Islam and Muslims. Though it may seem like it at times, the broader community is not out there to put Islam down; they are simply acting and reacting to what they are being fed through the media. It’s up to us to exercise discretion, tolerance and patience to allow the beauty and truth of Islam to be exposed. Sometimes the only thing stopping people from coming to Islam… are Muslims.