Awal Muharram 1431 Hijrah Mubarak to all Muslims!

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Dear Ikhwanul Muslimin na wal Muslimat.

May Almighty Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful Supreme Creator of us all, bless each of you my fellow Muslims with the best of Iman, steadfastness of Aqeedah, Firmness of purpose, Rationality in your decisions and imbue us with all that is good and protect us from evil.

Ameen.

Ameen Ya Rabbal Alameen.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, beloved Mukmins and Mukminats.

Today, we celebrate the 1431st anniversary of our Rasul Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam’s Hijrah from the holy sanctuary of Makkah al Mukarramah to his Madinah al Munawwarah.

The Blessed Messenger was commanded by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala to migrate from Makkah back then to establish his Islamic city at Yathrib which was changed to Madinah al Munawwarah.

Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam was ordered by God to safeguard himself from those who were out to harm him and to establish in Madinah the first truly Islamic establishment and administration which came to be accepted as the most ideal Islamic form of government, to be emulated by all nations and countries.

Yet today, the very Arabian peninsular where the Blessed Prophet cleansed its society from idol worship and kuffur towards Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala teems with warring nations, who despite being fellow Arabs and professing Al Islam continue to remain divided and full of enmity towards one another.

Back home, here in Malaysia, we who are Muslims cringe in disgust and despair as we witness fellow Muslims wage wars against one another’s political beliefs and remain steadfastly recalcitrant against the many calls for truce and unity amongst the ummah.

One party labels another as Kaffir and the other brands the holier than thou’s as treacherous sell out fanatics and airheads, incapable of rational thought and discourse.

Those amongst the Malay Sultans and Raja’s continue to remain oblivious towards their God given roles to bring about a better understanding and application of the Islamic faith amongst their citizens and waste away precious time indulging in the worldly pleasures and pursuits while their divided subjects bicker and create controversies after controversies in their bids to outdo one another.

I see continued mayhem amongst us here in Malaysia and despite the annual pretext of celebrating the Ma’al Hijrah without fail with pomp and pageantry, the authorities fail to connect with the Muslim grassroots and almost always end up putting up a show of religious awareness despite its many flaws and shortcomings of just pleasing their often bloated egos and extravagance.

Is that all that there is to the annual observations of Ma’al Hijrah?

It’s always back to square 1 after the day is over.

The usual cock and bull story takes place without fail in all the religious authority agencies and departments.

Hedonism reigns unchecked by this nation gone wild despite the many half hearted attempts to portray this country as a model moderate Muslim nation.

It’s all pure hyperbole as we know it.

Every Friday prayer, we see masses of people gathering to pray the congregational Jumaah prayers but not that many really put it to heart of all the sermons that are READ TO THEM nowadays.

There is no connection between the Khatib and the Jamaah.

The Khatib is rule bound to read prepared texts issued by the State Religious Authority.

Sometimes, the content of such prepared Jumaah Khutba are irrelevant to the community where such text is being read.

That makes the congregation disenchanted with whatever is being droned out by the monotonous voice of the Khatib.

That takes out the spirit of Jumaat and makes the audience go drowsy.

That is what the Religious Authority of Malaysia has achieved.

Sami`na Wa A Taq`na!

We hear and we obey.

Is that what Islam asks of us?

To suppress the ummah and turn them into unthinking drones?

Surely, we can do better.

On this blessed 1st day of Awal Muharram, the 1431st New Muslim Calendar year, I call upon all those in charge of the Muslims Affairs of the world, to free the Mimbar of the Jumaat @ Friday Prayer’s Pulpit from the bureaucracies of the political establishments of the day.

Let the Jamaah hear from the Khatib’s own hearts and minds for a change.

Unshackle the chains from the people’s mindset and stop broadcasting out government propaganda from every minaret, every Mimbar out there in this country.

It’s time for us to make a Hijrah from monotony to a vibrant well aware Ummah!

We can do that by freeing the Khatibs to preach only relevant subjects and matters to the attending congregation.

If we fail to do that, then it all comes to nothing but a pure waste of precious time and resources.

You will get the same sleepy heads, dreaming and snoring away whilst the monotonous droning of the Khatibs continue to suppress the ummah’s state of awareness about whatever is going on around them in their community and also as to events taking place across the whole wide world?

Migrate towards Efficiency! … or risk disappearing into oblivion from the human race.

Na’uzubillahiminzalik!

If we set our hearts and minds towards achieving a better state of Iman and Amal and strive to be a better Muslim ummah, we surely can do it!

“Through teamwork we strive, higher productivity and unity, we will surely survive and thrive!”

Insya Allah.

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