collections khutbah A Safe and Meaningful Ramadhan
A Safe and Meaningful Ramadhan

Islamic Religious Council of Singapore

Friday Sermon

2 April 2021 / 19 Syaaban 1442H

A Safe and Meaningful Ramadhan

 

 My brothers,

Gratitude is one of the most significant forms of worship. The call towards taqwa every Friday is also a call for us to always be grateful, because gratitude is a sign of a person who has taqwa, a person who is mindful of Allah. Let us have taqwa of Allah by showing our gratitude towards Him. May Allah (s.w.t.) bless us in this life and in the hereafter.

My brothers,

The highly anticipated month of Ramadan is arriving in a few weeks’ time. Let us make this Ramadan a safe and meaningful one, as a sign of our gratitude towards Allah. When we are thankful, Allah will increase goodness for us.  

We have experienced a unique Ramadan last year, in which we were unable to gather in mosques, to pray in congregation, to perform Friday prayers, to pray tarawih, to perform qiyam at mosques, to break our fast together, and many others due to the pandemic. However, we were patient and we persevered. Whatever we did was for the benefit of the community. We did not allow the situation to affect our spirituality and worship.

Ramadan last year impacted us greatly. Even though we could not go to the mosque, our bond with our families were strengthened. As a community, we went through all the hardships together, with perseverance, with fortitude, and with patience.

Alhamdulillah, the situation has improved in Singapore, although the risks are still present. We reopened our mosques and restarted our activities of worship, preaching and religious education in stages. Now, more of these activities can be resumed.

Let us together express our gratitude for this. At the same time, let us also accept and understand that things are still not how they used to be before the pandemic. With this in mind, we need to continue to be cautious and protect ourselves. This is a sign of our gratitude.

My brothers,

I call upon the Muslim society in Singapore to continue to safeguard our current improved situation, by making this Ramadan a safe and meaningful Ramadan. How can we do this? 

Firstly, let us comply with the safe management measures, including getting ourselves vaccinated. If we need to take it during Ramadan, then we should do it as it does not invalidate our fast.

Alhamdulillah, we were also informed that this Ramadan we will be allowed to go to the mosque and perform our tarawih and qiyam, even though there will be restrictions in place. So, let us adhere to the safety measures that have been set when we perform our acts of worship in the mosque. This is because it is crucial in taking care of our safety as well as the safety of the community. We have endured together last year. Hence, I am sure that we can do the same this year, inshaAllah.

However, having said that, if we are not able to get the chance to go to the mosque, let us not feel that we are losing out. We should be grateful for those who do get the chance to go to the mosque. And if we are given that opportunity, we should also make prayers that others will also be given the same opportunity.

This is because we believe that no matter where we perform our worship, Allah is the Most Listening, and He readily accepts. Our spirituality is not limited to a certain place or a certain building, instead, it is when our hearts are connected to Him. We should therefore continue our good deeds together with our family at home.

Secondly, let us continue to seek knowledge as part of our preparation for this Ramadan and throughout the whole month. If we do not get the opportunity to gain knowledge physically in mosques and educational centres, continue to attend the many programmes which are available online. Alhamdulillah, there are many programmes that have been prepared and provided online.

Additionally, we need to take this opportunity before the month of Ramadan, to increase our knowledge or to revise on how to perform tarawih and qiyamullail prayers.

This is because, the limited number of prayer spaces in the mosque should not hinder us from performing acts of worship in this blessed month.

Let us enliven our homes with our family by performing acts of worship such as tarawih prayers, reading the Quran, and many others.

Thirdly, let us assist anyone who is in need of help and support. Offer to volunteer our time and energy. Let our contributions be small, but sincere and continuous. Allah does not look at how much or how little our good deeds are, rather He looks at our sincerity. Allah mentioned in Surah An-Nahl, verse 97:

Meaning: “Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely bless them with a good life, and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their deeds.”

My brothers,

All of these steps are part of doing good deeds. When we perform it sincerely and consistently, inshaAllah they will result in a good life and rewards that are bigger than the deeds themselves. This is how we can make this Ramadan a safe and meaningful Ramadan. Let us do this together as a community. May Allah (s.w.t.) accept all of our efforts, and grant us places in His paradise in the hereafter. Amin. Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

أَقُوْلُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ العَظِيْمَ لِي وَ لَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ

 

 

Second Sermon

الْحَمْدُ للهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا كَمَا أَمَرَ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَن لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَيَا عِبَادَ الله، اِتَّقُوا اللهَ تَعَالَى فِيمَا أَمَرَ، وَانتَهُوا عَمَّا نَهَاكُم عَنْهُ وَزَجَرَ.

أَلَا صَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ الْمُصْطَفَى، فَقَدْ أَمَرَنَا اللهُ بِذَلِكَ حَيْثُ قَال فِي كِتَابِهِ الْعَزِيزِ: إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَـا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَ بَارِكْ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ.

وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ المَهْدِيِّينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيِّ، وَعَن بَقِيَّةِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالقَرَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ، وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ، وَعَنَّا مَعَهُم وَفِيهِم بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالمُؤْمِنَاتِ، وَالمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ، الْأَحْيَاءِ مِنهُم وَالْأَمْوَاتِ. اللَّهُمَّ ادْفَعْ عَنَّا الْبَلَاءَ وَالوَبَاءَ وَالزَّلَازِلَ وَالْمِحَنَ، مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ، عَن بَلَدِنَا خَاصَّةً، وَسَائِرِ الْبُلْدَانِ عَامَّةً، يَارَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ. رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنيَا حَسَنَةً، وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً، وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ.

عِبَادَ اللهِ، إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ، وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ، فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ، وَاشْكُرُوهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ يَزِدْكُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ يُعْطِكُمْ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ، وَاللهُ  يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ.