Yesterday was a Public Holiday as it was Good Friday. As I hurried myself to the mosque for the Friday prayers, I saw a sight that made me proud.
There were groups of people all dressed up in different colours from everywhere walking towards a common destination. You can see fathers walking with their sons and you know that they are family by the way they were dressed in similar colours and fashion.
The crowd from all over Tampines streamlined towards Darul Ghufran Mosque and in my heart I felt like the Eid reenacting before my very eyes. I remembered my ustaz telling us that Friday is a day of celebration for Muslims and yes I do feel the celebration at that moment.
The mosque was filled with eager worshippers and fortunately I managed to squeeze in between two pakciks (uncles). I had subconsciously told myself "Now if this pakcik can just move to the left and the other pakcik move a little bit to the right, I can get a place to pray on the 4th row (saf) between them."
Positive thinking does have positive effects because as soon as I stood between them, they gave me space, actually more space than I had anticipated and I performed the two raka'ats of Solaatul Tahiyyatul Masjid in comfort.
My eyes caught sight of a two-seater sofa placed in the vicinity of the mimbar. Surely the imam is not going to sit there during his sermon, would he? He surely did not.
The two-seater was for a forum that would take place after the Friday prayers at 2.15pm in conjuction with the celebration of Maulidur Rasul.
I stayed behind although this was unplanned, fighting the hunger pangs that attacked me. It was my fault for skipping breakfast and the last food intake was somewhere at Bras Basah Road on a Thursday evening with my special someone. It was her birthday week and she deserved all the attention I gave her.
Anyway, the forum was about the life of the last Messenger, Muhammad S.A.W. and the speaker was Ustaz Jamaluddin Abdul Wahab, the Chief Imam of Masjid Darul Ghufran.
12 Rabiul Awal
He started the speech about the significance of the date 12 Rabiul Awal in Islam.
He stressed that 12 Rabiul Awal should be remembered not only about the birth of the Prophet but about the death of the Prophet as well.
It is common for people to think of pleasant things and try to forget things that saddened them. A child cries alone while the world laughs when he is being born but that very child will laugh alone while the whole world cries when he leaves for the Hereafter.
There were many sources of how Muhammad S.A.W. was born and the event that lead to him being born in Mecca. Not all the sources can be taken as some sources are erroneous.
It was confirmed that Muhammad was born in the year the elephants attacked the Ka'aba. It was also confirmed that Muhammad was born in the month of Rabiul Awal of that year. These two facts are agreed by Muslim scholars.
They somehow differ in their opinions of on the date of birth. One group says 9 Rabiul Awal and another group says 12 Rabiul Awal.
Ustaz Jamaluddin pointed out that whatever it is, we are celebrating the Maulid in the month of Rabiul Awal and if it so happens on the 9th or the 12th, it should not affect anybody since no miracle will happen or take place.
On the contrary, 12 Rabiul Awal is the date Muhammad S.A.W. died and everybody agrees about this. Henceforth, that date should be more significantly remembered as the day our Prophet returned to Allah.
The Day Rasulullah Died.
Ustaz Jamaluddin narrated the reactions of the Sahabahs when Muhammad S.A.W. passed away.
At that time, Muhammad's S.A.W. father-in-law and best friend, Abu Bakar As-Siddiq r.a. was not near him. Abu Bakar r.a. was an emotional man and he loved the Prophet S.A.W. very much. He cannot bear to see his loved one on his last breath so Abu Bakar r.a. stayed away and waited from a distance.
Omar Al-Khattab r.a. upon hearing the death of the Prophet got emotional and could not believe his ears. He rushed to the commotion the gathering crowd had made and announced that whoever said that Muhammad S.A.W. has died will receive what he was holding. He had slightly unsheathed his sword threatening to kill anyone who said that the beloved Rasul S.A.W. had passed away.
Ustaz Jamaluddin while chronicling this event stressed that Omar Al-Khattab was the most feared by all. The Roman Empire would have shivered upon hearing his anger. Even Shaitaan is afraid of Omar Al-Khattab r.a.
Omar Al-Khattab r.a. need not unsheath his sword, he need not use a sword to threaten anybody. Even if he had used a spoon and pointed at the crowd, he would still pose a threat and strike fear to them. His angry voice sufficed to bring fear to those around.
Omar Al-Khattab r.a. was really grief-stricken. Who would be able to control him? Nobody else but Abu Bakar As-Siddiq r.a.
Abu Bakar As-Siddiq r.a. was called right after the Prophet passed away and he witnessed Omar Al-Khattab's anger.
He spoke to the crowd, " Whoso worshippeth Muhammad, let him know that Muhammad is dead; but whoso worshippeth Allah, let him know that Allah liveth and dieth not." So saying, he recited certain verses from the Quran, which no doubt had long dwelt upon his mind, as signifying that Muhammad was mortal and would die as other Prophets had died before him.
Recognising the sacred words to bear a meaning that had never struck him before, Omar Al-Khattab r.a. was speechless. "My limbs trembled," he would say when speaking of that memorable hour, "and I knew of a certainty that Muhammad was dead indeed." His iman had overpowered his anger!
Love for the Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.
Ustaz Jamaluddin talked about how we should show our love for the last Messenger of Allah.
1. SIDQ
As a muslim, we should believe in whatever the Prophet tells us. Muhammad S.A.W. as a young boy prior to his prophethood was a trustworthy person. He does not tell a lie. Everybody trusted him and believed in him. Allah had made the prophet such that he was of a respectable character from a respectable Quraish tribe in the Arab community.
When Muhammad S.A.W. told the muslim community that he had experienced "Israk Mi'raj" a journey that made him travel from Mecca to Baitul Maqdis and then from the Earth to the 7th level of Heaven during the night, the loyalty of the muslims were tested.
Some would think that Muhammad S.A.W. was insane knowing very well that he does not tell a lie. Abu Lahab took advantage of this situation to spread doubts amongst the Muslims.
When Abu Bakar r.a. who was away, heard about this through another sahabah, he confessed that "If Muhammad S.A.W. said so then it is true and I believed him!"
The irony was that Abu Bakar r.a. was not even there when Muhammad S.A.W. announced about his extra-ordinary journey but for the love of the Prophet, he believed without a second thought.
This act of acknowledging the truth about what Muhammad S.A.W. had said, earned Abu Bakar the title of As-Siddiq and as of that day he was known as Abu Bakar As-Siddiq.
2. Do Whatever The Prophet S.A.W. Tells You To Do.
When Muhammad S.A.W. announced that all the women had to cover their hair, this was done immediately. The women had no time to go shopping to buy scarves and most of them are poor.
For the love of the Prophet, they covered their heads with fragments of cloth sewn together to form a scarf. It was ugly but it served it's purpose. Even Aishah r.a. commented to the Prophet that the women looked as if they had crows sitting on their heads.
My eyes started tearing when this was told. Oh how strong the iman of those women that they did not care how ugly or ridiculous they look, just to please their love for the Prophet and Allah.
3. Refrain From What The Prophet S.A.W. Forbade Us.
When the Prophet announced the total prohibition of alcohol consumption, the muslim community who regarded drinking alcohol as drinking tea, did not reluctantly but willingly destroyed all containers and bottles of alcohol. That day, the Prophet had announced that the consumption of alcohol is Haram, that day, the pathways were wet with alcohol. This was done immediately for the love of the Messenger of Allah.
4. Do As How Muhammad S.A.W. Had Done It.
Ustaz Jamaluddin gave this last point and related to us the story of three sahabahs.
There were three sahabahs who told each other what they intended to do to increase their Iman. One of them said that he would fast the whole year non-stop. One of them said that he would not sleep at all and another said that he would not get married but devote his life to Allah.
Muhammad S.A.W. overheard this and considered this an urgent matter. In his feeble health, he ambled to the three sahabahs and confirmed to them what he had just overheard. After they had spoken that Muhammad S.A.W. had not heard wrongly, Muhammad said.
"I am the one person who loves Allah so dearly and I am his Rasul. There were days that I do not fast. I sleep at night and I got married. Do not do things that I do not do. Do as I do."
This statement has great implications. There were times when one would do ibadah thinking without checking that this was how Muhammad S.A.W. had done it. Unfortunately, I am one of them. It struck a blow on me and served as a wake-up call.
Celebrating Maulidur Rasul.
Ustaz Jamaluddin clarified about the celebration of the birth of our beloved Prophet S.A.W. This was not done during the lifetime of Muahmmad S.A.W. nor during the sahabah's time.
Some scholars considered this a Bid'ah. Here Ustaz Jamaluddin had to use Qiyas, the use of an event that somehow shows the celebration is allowed.
When Muhammad S.A.W. asked his Jew friends why they fast on the 10th of Muharram as he had been observing them to do so for the past years, he was told that it was because on that day Moses was freed from the evil Pharoah. The jews fasted to commemorate the joyful event.
Muhammad S.A.W. then said, "In that case, I have more rights to celebrate such an event since Moses was a phrophet of Islam, like me. I shall fast today and tomorrow. Next year, I shall fast the day before, the actual day and the day after!"
In another instance, Muhammad S.A.W. was asked why he fasted on Mondays and Thursdays. He replied that he was born on a Monday therefore he fasted on Mondays.
These two events showed that the Prophet celebrated to remind him of joyous occasions.
Henceforth, we celebrate Maulidur Rasul to commemorate the birth of Muhammad S.A.W. so as not to stray from the path of Islam.
George Bernard Shaw.
Ustaz Jamaluddin quoted what George Bernanrd Shaw said about Muhammad S.A.W. Please note that this guy is a non-muslim.
"If Muhammad were to be alive today,
the world will be at peace."
That was what I can remember about the forum.
It was a good day.
It was a Good Friday.
All the good things come from Allah and all the bad things you find here come from me.
