Ramadhan is different

First of all, let’s thank to Allah who has given us an opportunity to come and do our Jumat prayer in this place. without taufiq and hidayah from Him, we won’t be able to come here evenn though we are healthy enough to do so, because the Taufiq is the most important thing that allow servant to worshipping Allah SWT. Allah SWT also has granted us so many nikmat. among those nikmat, being a muslim and a mukmin is the most valuable nikmat that we have in this life. therefore, we have to always ask Allah to keep iman and islam in our heart and soul until we come back to Allah SWT.

Allah SWT says in Qur’an Surat Al ‘imran verses 102:

the meaning could be interpreted as:

“O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslim [in submission to Him]”

Secondly, let’s ask Allah SWT to send our shalawat and salam (peace and salutation) to the greatest creature in the world, the most noble person and the leader of the prophets, Rasulullah Muhammad SAW. He has brought us from the darkness to the brightness. He told us how to live this life successfully before we meet our Lord, Allah SWT. He also has taught us how to maximise our ibadah especially during the great month of Ramadhan in the next couple days. Therefore, let’s always ask Allah to give us a great opportunity to face this coming Ramadhan, and prepare our best including physical, mental and wealth, so we will not lose the great opportunity during the blessing month of Ramadhan.

My Dear Brothers in Islam,

In this glorious occasion, I would like to encourage my self and all jamaah to always increase our Taqwa to Allah SWT. literally, Taqwa mean fear of Allah. the ulama interpreted the meaning of taqwa as the one have taw protect themselves from what Allah has prohibited and act upon what He has commanded.

My dear brothers in Islam,

since we are about to enter the holy month of ramadhan, today I would like to deliver the khutbah entitled “Ramadhan is different”.

Fasting [shaum] as any other ibada [ritual] is done in hope to please Allah swt. However according to Al-Ghazali, there are two important things that make fasting different and those are; first, fasting is sir (secret) ibada which only known to the doer and Allah swt. Meanwhile other ibada such as shalah [praying], zakah, hajj and so on can be seen by other creatures. Fasting has higher sincere value because it cannot be measured/seen by anyone except Allah swt. That was pointed in hadith qudsi: kullu amali ibni Adama lahu illash shawma, fainnahu lii wa ana ajzi bihi (every deed of human is for himself except fasting. Fasting is for Me, and I will [be the one who] give the rewards).

The phrase “fasting is for Allah” does not mean that He needs human deeds. It means the glory and the value of fasting cannot be measured by human. While other ibada such as shalah was stated that who perform shalah fardz [obligatory praying] gets one reward, if praying collectively [in jamaah], he will get reward from 25 to 27 levels. Different with fasting, there are no limit [or measure] in fasting.

In this context, Rasulullah [saw] said: kullu hasanatin bi’asyari amtsaliha ila sab’imiati dhi’fin illash shiyama fa innahu lii wa ana  ajzii bihi [every good deeds will be rewarded ten to seven hundred times except fasting. Fasting is for Me and I will [be the one who] reward it. The messenger of Allah described that those who perform fasting perfectly will enter to Jannah [paradise] through rayyan door. “lil jannati babun yuqaalu lahu ar-rayyan laa yadkhulu illash shaimun..” (Jannah has one door called al-rayyan, no one will enter through it except those who fast).

As the highest appreciation, any accessory that accompany those who fast will be considered as ibada, even sleep [will be considered as ibada]. Nawmatus shaim shadaqah (sleep of people who fast is ibada). This is the minimum activity (rest) to obtain the reward. By mafhum muawafaqah (linear understanding), it is understood that even sleep was given reward, moreover reciting Al-Quran, tadarus, helping people and so on. Fasting in other word is as causa prima [prime cause] that elevate the level of human which in religious term is called barakah. Barakah is obtained as the minimum deeds that is done. For example the barakah of Ramadhan is [rewards of] obligatory ibada is multipled by 70 times compared to normal day, while [rewards of] sunnah ibada is upgraded to [the level of rewards of] obligatory ibada. Climax of Baraka is marked with laylatul qadar (the sacred/glorious night) where ibada in that night valued as [ibada for] a thousand months (84 years).

On the other hand people who does not sincere in fasting will be not be rewarded or fruitless fasting. Rasulullah stated that “man lam yada’ qawlaz Zuur wal amal bihi fa laysa lillaahi haajatun fi an yada’ tha’amuh wasyarabah (HR Jama’ah)” (whoever does not leave bad saying and bad deeds then Allah do not have any importance toward (that man) leaving eating and drinking).

Total Self control of daily activities is the basic principle of fasting.

Aspect of sincerity and totality in fasting are the prerequisite in getting the extraordinary reward. It is obligated because Ramadhan is positioned as syahrur tarbiyah (month of edification [education])

Second, fasting is ibadah li ‘aduwwallah (subjugator of enemy of Allah swt). According to Al-Ghazali, the means that are used by shaytan in tempting human is syahwat. Syahwat will strengthen by eating and drinking. That Satanism potential (?) in every human will lit faster with food and drink that are consumed by human, especially when [consumed] without [abiding to] religious norms. This latent threat is mentioned in a hadith: asy-syaitan yajri min ibni Adam majrad dam shaytan is flowing in human through blood flow.

In this context, fasting is [a] need, not just [an] obligation. Naturally, fasting is done by humankind through ages. Moreover, even animals are fasting as a natural need. Metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly is done in fasting so it creates a butterfly with beautiful colors, super-fine in its form, and so on.

The second secret of fasting greatly influences health of body and mind of human. Healthy body contributes to replacement of broken cells. Fasting is akin to service station for motorbike or car. After comprehensive services [in] Ramadhan, human ‘machine’ becomes fresh and the movement is more comfortable than before.

From the creature experience, fasting for human might also improve beauty. The beauty is not only physical, but also inner beauty which differentiates human and any other creatures. Furthermore, during fasting is mustajab time to pray [make du’a] to Allah for all human needs. Actually there are three times where any du’a will be granted by Allah swt which are during safar [traveling], when being oppressed, and during fasting. Du’a itself is an inner expression  to show dependency to The Highest Being that with it human feel calm and tranquil

Rasulullah saw stated: inna lish shaimi ‘inda fithrihi da’watun la yuradd (verily those who fast have a time when breaking fast where his du’a would not be rejected). Opportunity to make du’a and to munajat (?) to Allah are among the virtue that were given to those who do fasting. Logically, the more opportunity the du’a accepted then the bigger chance to achieve success in his life in dunya and akhirah.

This need that was being practiced by the messengers ‘alayhim-salam. Adam as had done fasting three days every month, while Daud as practiced fasting no less than six months in a year by fasting for a day and not fasting for a day [alternatively]. Routinity of fasting still being an important pillar in time of Rasulullah saw.

Therefore, let us prepare our body and soul for the upcoming ramadhan, so that we can maximize our effort to get the reward from Allah swt. 

#khutbah disampaikan pada 5 juni 2016 di Matraville, New South Wales, Australia.