A Good Moslem, Monday 8th December 2008
قَالَ رسول الله صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّ الْإِسْلَامِ خَيْرٌ قَالَ تُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلَامَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ (صحيح البخاري
Rasulullah S.A.W declared: “A man asked Rasul S.A.W about a good Islam (a good Moslem), and Rasulullah S.A.W declared: “You distribute food, and extend greetings towards those you are familiar with as well as towards those you don’t know.” (Shahih Bukhari).
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Praise be to Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Sun, Moon and the whole World, Spreading out the Kingdom on Earth and Sky as the symbol of Glory, The One Who makes each life belongs to Him (Allah S.W.T) and ended with death, Who makes human’s life ended with death and continued with the life after life, the eternal and forever life. Hence the guidance from all the Prophets are delivered, calling them towards the eternal happiness, until the Noble Prophet, the messenger of Allah’s Blessings, the messenger of the Righteous Light of God, the messenger of God’s guidance and Alqur’anul Karim, he is Sayyidina Muhammad S.A.W.
No other mankind on earth is more blessed than those who follow Muhammad Rasulullah. The more they follow The Prophet S.A.W, the more gracious and happier they will be, the higher their rank will be and they will be given more nobility in the world and the life after. Allah S.W.T, The Greatest and The Most Powerful to Change Destiny, His Judgment assured nobility and changes towards happiness for the followers of Muhammad Rasulullah S.A.W. “Walladziina amanuu wa’amilushshaalihaati wa amanuu bima nuzzila ’alaa muhammadin wahuwal haqqu min rabbihim, kaffar ‘anhum sayyi’aatihim wa ashlaha baalahum” (QS. Muhammad : 2) (those who are faithful and perform good deeds and follow whatever taught by Muhammad, “wahuwal haqqu min rabbihim”, he is the truth from their God, the truth from The Cherisher of each life, the truth being delivered by The Sustainer and Owner of the Earth and Sky, sending His Truth in forms of guidance from Sayyidina Muhammad S.A.W, “kaffara ‘anhum sayyi’aatihim wa ashlaha baalahum”, Allah forgives their sins and Allah mends their condition.
The more they mend their condition and their connection with Allah, the more they repair their days with the guidance from The Prophet S.A.W, Allah will wipe out their sins and Allah will mend their condition, the condition of their inner self, their heart, their feeling, their life, their job, their family, their life and death until they are raised in the yaumal qiyamah (The Judgment Day) will be repaired by Allah with the perfect revamp because they follow Sayyidina Muhammad SA.W.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a temporary life, the gate towards the eternal life. This is our breath which will be definitely ended with the breath of sakaratul maut (agony of death) and will be separated with all you can see and hear.
This is the day of Idul Adha, the magnificent day from all the days glorified by Allah S.W.T and be glorified to those who glorify this day with the guidance from The Prophet S.A.W by increasing takbir (glorification of Allah by reciting ‘Allahu Akbar’) and tahlil with the words “Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Allahu Akbar.. Wa Lillahil-hamd”. It is recommended (sunnah) to recite takbir until sunset on the day of Idul Adha then continue to recite takbir in each of shalat fardhu and recommended until Ashar of the third day of Tasyriq (13 dzulhijjah).
Ladies and gentlemen being glorified by Allah, Allah S.W.T declared the notification of the nobility towards the followers of the Prophet S.A.W. “yarfa’illahulladzina amanuu minkum walladzina uutuul i’lma darajaat” (QS. Mujadilah : 11) (Allah raises the rank of those of you who learn knowledge with the highest rank). We understand that the word “darajaat” means only rank or level, and we understand about rank, the heaven is like the sky and earth amongst one level with another level. If Allah said “darajaat” it means many of levels. Each time our knowledge is increased, the higher our level will be given by Allah in heaven. And also on earth, the closer we are to Allah, the closer we will be towards the oceans of The Greatest, The Owner of Happiness, The Powerful One Who Can Change any Situation. Some people would say, “if only reciting Al Qur’an, again and again, and attending majelis (religious gathering), when will we improve? Not enough by doing this and this life will end”. Ladies and gentlemen, remember The Most Powerful Who Can Change Situation from the beautiful one towards the worst situation, from disaster to pleasure or vice versa, from poverty to prosperity or vice versa, He is (Allah S.W.T) Who is Able To Change our Condition. When a servant walks on the path of Muhammad Rasulullah S.A.W, being promised by The Most Powerful that he will be given the most beautiful condition.
Ladies and gentlemen, the One Who promised this is The One Who Will Never Deny His Promises. Allah S.W.T declared “ask Me and I will answer your prayers”. Then we will ask “how about my day and night prayers which have yet to be granted by Allah?”. The answer is our being unaware that actually Allah answers our prayers more than what we ask for. We ask for ‘A’ (for instance), without we realizing it, Allah has wiped out 100 disasters that will come tomorrow. Our prayers are merely the trivial things but Allah The Most Gracious gives more than that.
Ladies and gentlemen, the answer from Allah is more than just a voice. Our prayers to Allah but we cannot hear the answers from The Great Answerer of any Prayers. The answers from Allah are not with voices and are not merely about granting the prayers, asking this and will be granted this, the Blessing from The Most Gracious is not that shallow. Asking for 1 thing, Allah will give 1000 things and it is possible for the Rabbul Alamin. Perhaps a servant asks for a trivial thing, Allah will give a more dignified thing or Allah will grant his prayer and Allah will add more that what he asks in his prayer and it is because He is (Allah SW.T) Who Named His Essence “Al Karim” (The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful).
Ladies and gentlemen, no one ask (pray for) Allah then lower his hands empty handed, unless they are filled with blessings. This is Allah and this is The Most Gracious from all His creatures and His Giving will always be prolific throughout the nights and days without we are realizing it. Perhaps we pray tonight on 1 wish, the day after Allah will grant it or if not, Allah will not grant it but Allah will wipe out so many disasters that will come the day after. This kind of thing is out of our hand, we don’t know, and if we know our destiny, we would never stop sujud (bowing down in shalat), we ask for God’s Love. If we could foresee the disaster that will come tomorrow, perhaps now we could stand up and tomorrow we face 1 disaster and paralyze for the rest of our life, perhaps today we could see but tomorrow we have 1 disaster and would not able to see, and many more tragedies that are possible to happen and these all will disappear in a flash with your prayers, ladies and gentlemen. “kaffara ‘anhum sayyiatihim wa ashlaha baalahum” (I wipe out their sins and I mend their condition), He is Allah The Most Powerful Who Can Change Situation and The Magnificent in all His Actions.
Ladies and gentlemen being glorified by Allah, If someone perform too much of religious duties, as Rasul S.A.W heard a woman performed religious duties until they were way too much, Rasul S.A.W declared, “what is this, too much worshipping?”, “innallahu la yamallu hatta tamallu’ ” (Allah will not get bored but all of you will get bored if performing too much religious duties). Nowadays, if people perform religious duties of Qabliyah, Ba’diyah and Tahajjud, it is already considered too much, while actually it is not too much at all. What is called by worshipping too much is leaving all activities for the sake of his religious duties, this is called too much. Prophet S.A.W said, “la yamallu hatta tamallu’ ” (Allah will never get bored until all of you get bored). Hence don’t force yourself beyond your capability.
Ladies and gentlemen being glorified by Allah, From this kind of nobility, Allah S.W.T guides us towards the most perfect guidance, the guidance that extended towards brotherhood amongst all mankind especially amongst Moslem people. Therefore Rasul S.A.W was asked as mentioned in the hadits we previously read, “anna rajulan sa’alannabiy s.a.w, someone asked Rasul S.A.W “ayyul islam khair”, meaning: which Moslem person has good deeds? Show me the good deeds in Islam. Indeed they are many, but The Prophet S.A.W gave 2 lessons which are magnificent if we study them. What are they? ”ith’amu tha’am (as written in Shahih Bukhari). “you distribute foods”. And now are the days of tasyrik, it is recommended to give free meat (after sacrificing cattle) as pious gift. Important to know that the distribution of meat from pious gift is for all Moslem people, and not only for the poor. Therefore, the rich people may also receive it. It is different than giving shadaqah (charitable gift) and zakat (obligatory alms), which are not allowed to be given to other than mustahiq (those eligible for receiving alms) among others: fuqara and masakin (poor people). If the free meat is allowed to be given to the rich and the poor as long as they are Moslems, because the meat from sacrificing cattle is the religious meals between Moslems towards those they know and those they don’t. “ith’amu tha’am” (distribute foods) said The Prophet S.A.W. Don’t differentiate the Moslems and the poor only, those who are not poor can also be treated meals by you, but certainly the more appropriate ones are the poor. Hence if the meat from sacrificing cattle is given to the poor or the rich, the poor is more eligible indeed. But if you want to give it to the wealthy, there is no prohibition because it is also sunnah (recommended) as well as they are Moslems, because the meat is the religious treat amongst Moslems, the one they recognize and those they don’t.
Ladies and gentlemen being glorified by Allah, Alhamdulillah, this year Majelis Rasulullah S.A.W has been entrusted 13 sheep by one of our brothers from Sidney, Australia for sacrificial ceremony here (at Majelis Rasulullah S.A.W) and also 1 from our majelis member in Jakarta, hence this year there are a total of 14 sheep. The 13 are from Sidney, Australia and 1 sheep from Jakarta, as well as 1 cow from the Governor of Jakarta H. Fauzi Bowo to Majelis Rasulullah S.A.W. Therefore, this year Majelis Rasulullah S.A.W sacrificed 14 sheep and 1 cow, Alhamdulillah May Allah glorify those who have entrusted their sacrificing cattle at Majelis Rasulullah S.A.W.
“ith’amu tha’am” (distribute food) towards people you know and those you don’t know, wa aqri’ussalam alaa man arafta ma alaa man lam ta'rif (and extend greetings towards those you know and those you don’t know). Extend the greeting is not only to those we know, without we realize it, those we don’t know if we extend our greeting for them because of Allah we will get rewards from Allah, by extending the Name of Allah “Assalam” (is the Name of Allah The Cherisher). Assalamu’alaikum means The Supreme Being Who bestows prosperity to all of you, that is the meaning of the word Assalamu’alaikum. Therefore when someone recites Assalamu’alaikum, it is dzikir (recitation) because the word Assalam is Allah’s Name.
Ladies and gentlemen, Sayyidina Ibn Umar radhiyallahu anhuma as written in Adabul Mufrad by Imam Bukhari, every morning Ibn Umar went out and people asked, “you are going to market, did you go for shopping?, passing by that alley and this alley, passing by that house and this house, then going home, what for? Going out without silaturahmi (ties of relationship) towards someone, going to market without shopping, then returning home, going out for awhile then again returning home”, he answered, “I go out only for extending the word Assalam”. If a Moslem passes by, say “Assalamu’alaikum”, even only for this greetings I would leave home. Thus, people leave home for many reasons, some leave home for business, some for school, while the Pious People would remember the Magnificent of Allah’s Name. Assalam, he left his house simply to extend greetings and then returned home.
Sayyidina Anas bin Malik radhiyallahu anhum as written in Adabul Mufrad by Imam Bukhari, whenever he went out from his house, he rub a perfume on his right hand. We often saw this, why? Sayyidina Anas said, “to glorify those who shake hand with me”. One way to glorify them is by applying perfume on my hand, so those who shake my hand would have nice fragrant on their hand. Where did you learn this? from Rasulullah S.A.W. The beauty of His character.
Ladies and gentlemen being glorified by Allah, In one occasion a few years a go, one of my friends is an old man, he is around 60 years old. He has 6 children. He was about to travel across from Lampung to Merak harbor. At the harbor in Lampung, he already bought the tickets, but unfortunately he was conned. His tickets were stolen while he already spent money and he was a poor man. But he got 1 acknowledgment, when passing by 1 man with a malevolent face (perhaps he was a bad guy in that area), the old man extended greeting. Because this old man wherever he goes, he always greets anyone whom he thought was a Moslem, although the person looks unfriendly or even a cruel guy at the harbor. “Assalamu’alaikum”, was not answered. Perhaps we already know that at the harbor, there are many unfriendly people, while only some are friendly and nice. Being greeted nicely, the guy didn’t answer, he was just quiet. Hence the old man passed by with his wife and children.
When the old man was conned, he was panic and screamed, “my tickets were stolen, I have paid”. The bad guy who was greeted with salam but didn’t answer was among the crowd, he asked “what happen?”, “my tickets were stolen”. “what’s the characteristic of that swindler?”, “like this….like this…”, “oh.. OK calm down”, not long after, the man with that cruel face came with the swindler who had stolen the tickets and he was then forced to return the money. “why did you deceive this old man, this old man is my brother...!”. although in reality he didn’t know the old man, he was just greeted by the old man while he didn’t answer it, but that greeting went through his heart. His lips were not answering, his face was frowned but that greeting went through his heart and he was touched. Perhaps in his whole life seldom people extended greeting for him. He felt like a bad guy, conducting a lot of crimes and made people sick of him. But there was an old man extended greeting towards him, and now the old man was conned, he defended him until declaring “this is my brother, why did you cheat on him?”, although he just know that old man at that time because he extended greeting. There, ladies and gentlemen, the beauty of sunnah from Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. Therefore, support the magnificent of sunnah from The Prophet S.A.W by extending greeting towards those we know and those we don’t know.
Rasul S.A.W declared, “la yukminu ahadukum hatta yuhibba li akhiihi maa yuhibbu linafsih” (not perfect someone’s faith until he wishes all the good things occur to him, will also happen to all his brothers), as written in Shahih Bukhari. If he has joy he wishes for heaven, he also wishes other people to go to heaven, if he wishes for pleasure, he wishes the same thing also for all Moslems. This is the perfection of faith. What is the meaning? The higher the level of someone’s faith, the more he will not become hostile to Moslems. The higher his rank is, the more he wishes for all Moslems to get nobility, if he performs the 5 time obligatory prayers, he wishes all Moslems will perform the 5 times shalat, if he wants to be in heaven, he wishes all Moslems to be in heaven as well. This kind of soul is the reflection of Sayyidina Muhammad S.A.W. When his enemies threw him with tones and chased him, he prayed “Allahummahdiy Qaumiy fa innahum laa ya’lamuun”. He defended those who threw stones towards him, defended by his prayer: “O’ Allah give them guidance because they don’t know.” The Prophet S.A.W defended those who threw stones towards him S.A.W.
This is the peak of moral’s perfection of Nabiyyuna wa Sayyiduna Muhammad S.A.W. And in terms of relationship amongst us, Allah S.W.T has ordered us to follow The Prophet S.A.W the best we could, in which Allah will expand His blessings with such noble soul like the one of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W, that proves the Greatest of Islam from West to East. He was not a rich person who could visit all lands from West to East to deliver the words of Tauhid. He was not an authority who could organize thousands of people to deliver his guidance from West to East. He was simply followed by few slaves and young people, which were grown in numbers, organizing the improvement of people’s faith in Mecca, until they were evicted from Mecca, they continued to make improvement of people’s faith in Medina, and slowly continued to expand throughout the world. Until today, 14 centuries after he (Prophet S.A.W) passed away, the improvement of people’s faith is continued by the souls that convey the nobility of spirit of Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. Ladies and gentlemen being glorified by Allah, On this night of Idul Adha, I would like to convey that this majelis (religious gathering) has no holidays. Insya Allah, this Monday-night-Majelis will never stop until yaumal qiyamah, Amin Allahumma Amin. As long as I live, Insya Allah I will always attend this Majelis every Monday night. My beloved audience, if any of you ever heard such news proclaiming that next Monday night will be a holiday, kindly ignore it, as it’s not true. This majelis will continue, even during the month of Ramadhan, or the night of Ied Fitri, we will recite takbir (Allahu akbar) together in this majelis. To those who are able to attend, please do, while those who are not able to attend, now you may also listen to RASfm Radio with the intention to attend to get the rewards from Allah S.W.T.
Ladies and gentlemen being glorified by Allah, We perform silent prayer for the management and improvement of people on the land of Jakarta and its surrounding, as well as for our Moslem brothers especially Ustadz Kadir Anggaluly whom in few days would return to his hometown in West Irian, may Allah S.W.T gives him strength and protection from the enemies of Islam. May there will be more Moslem members who will start to recognize shalat, Amin Allahumma Amin. And also for the boarding school students who stay here, especially KH. Ahmad Baihaqi, may Allah S.W.T pour him with abundance of help and easiness in maintaining dakwah (religious lessons) and may all these new, young students be given peace and comfort while staying in Jakarta to study.
Ya Rabbiy Ya Rahman we perform silent prayer towards Your Presence on this day of Idul Adha and in tasyrik days which still have the Dignity and Magnificence of Dzulhijjah, Rabbiy we perform silent prayer to Your Presence The Almighty to beg for all the secret of Your Generosity towards all of our problems. Rabbiy Rabbiy The Most Powerful, O’ The One Who Can Change Any Condition, kindly change our condition with the best dhahiran wa bathinan (body and soul) in the world and beyond, kindly change the condition of our upcoming days with the best ones in happiness in the world and beyond, in the easiness in the world and beyond, in the happiness in the world and beyond.
Ya Rahman Ya Rahim Ya Dzaljalali wal ikram Ya Dzaththauli wal in’am
Faquuluuu jamii’an (recite it together) Ya Allah..Ya Allah..Ya Allah..
Faquuluuu jamii’an (recite it together) Laillahailallah
Laillahailallah Laillahailallah Muhammadurrasulullah Washallallahu ala Sayyidina Muhammad Nabiyyil Ummiy wa Shohbihi wa Sallam
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
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