His
Eminence Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar,
Egypt’s Venerable Guests,
Dignified Ulemas,
Brothers and Sisters,
On this day, 14 centuries ago,
Allah Almighty endowed the whole world with the blessings of the birth of Prophet
Muhammad, the ultimate Seal of God’s prophets and messengers.
He was sent by Allah Almighty
as an act of mercy in both worlds; a fully righteous witness for them, a harbinger of good
omens for those who do good and justice as well as bad ones for those who perform wrong,
injustice and aggression. He was also an advocate of Allah with His permission and a
source of guidance.
On this day every year, it has
been our custom to converge on the cherished memorable occasion of Prophet Muhammad’s
birthday to seek guidance from his immaculate life story and Heavenly inspired good
manners and renew our faith in the sublime eternal Message that comes as a seal of
Allah’s words to His creatures on earth.
This Message had crowned a
long march of piety, led by men whom with Divine Revelation Allah had, across centuries,
inspired, groomed and gave preferance to cover all his creatures. Allah made of their life
stories a premonition for pensive people and of their blessed pursiut a good example for
those who work for Allah and the world to come and look forward to eternal happiness. It
has been our custom that our celebration of the blessed anniversary of Prophet Muhammad
should closely be linked with our nation’s current conditions, worries and challenges
it faces at present or in the near future.
Moreover, we have been
accustomed on this great Islamic occasion to dwell on two topics; first, the immaculate
life story of Prophet Muhammad; (peace be upon him) and second, the sublime Message he
conveyed to humanity at large.
No believer can, by any means,
fully fathom the depth of the greatness of our prophet or praise his merits to the limit.
In this respect he says, I was educated and cultivated by Allah in the best manners. Allah
Almighty acknowledges this fact in the Holy Quran And Lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.
Brothers and Sisters,
In recalling our
Prophet’s fragrant biography, we need to dwell on two important facts:
First:
During his lifetime, Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) combined two essential traits; first, prophethood that
enabled him to receive the Revelation and Allah’s words day and night. The second was
his human status; a trait that was omnipresent in the many situations and events of his
lifetime, bringing him closer to his companions, to people of his time as well as to the
heart of every sensible and fair person who has access to his biography after his death.
While prophethood gave him a
sublime and commendable position in the hearts of all believers, making obedience to him a
prerequisite for obedience to Allah. His human status made it easy for us and the whole
world to follow his great manners and take his way of life as a paragon, regardlers of
time or changing conditions.
Second:
The biography of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), is a vivid embodiment of
Islam’s Message and principles. Foremost of the lessons to be learnt from his
immaculate life, is his attitude to life and people around him. Prophet Muhammad led a
life of active and dedicated determination and perseverent and undefatigable work. Thus he
taught us this, saying, Ask for God’s support and never slack off and also by
asserting that strong believer is much better and beloved by God than a weak one.
Moreover, he taught us that
Islam , as a religion, does not seclude Muslims from this world nor does it deprive them
of its happiness. Moreover, Allah Almighty encourages Muslims to seek the best in both
worlds, as He Almighty says, But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath
given thee and neglect not thy portion of the world.
Thus, as we seek to follow the
good example of Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him), we and our young generations in
particular, should straighten out our understanding of the Message of Islam. They should
realize that they are accountable to Allah for reconstructing this world and attaining a
leading and progressive status for the whole nation that upholds the Message of our
gracious Prophet. This can be attained only through persistent pursuit, hard work rather
through well-wishing and lip service. It is only through abundant production, creative
work by smart brains, free will, high spirits and strong, well-trained manpower that our
nation would deserve to be termed as ordained by Allah Almighty says, The best community
that hath been ever rised up.
On the other hand, should we
want to take as a paragon the second part of our great prophet’s manners, our way of
life should be consistent with our history and our deeds must be truely reflect our words
and slogans.
Where Allah Almighty tells all
believers work, we should take it seriously, exerting every effort. On Earth, we are
enjoined to identify the Kingdom of Allah, building and reconstructing and worshiping Him
by means of good acts as well as through fasting, prayer and other forms of worship.
Where He Almighty says,
Cooperate for good and piety, not for sin and aggression, we should strive to build our
public life on firm bases of solidarity, closing the nation’s ranks on the path of
good and justice and confronting as one man those who attempt to split or cut through our
ranks, and foment hatred and dissension among us.
When our prophet addressed the
nation saying, Faith is not attained through well-wishing but it is rather implanted in
the heart and endorsed with action, we should insist that reliance on God be coupled with
and based on exertion, seeking all ways and means, insisting on success and excellence and
combating the spirit of lethargy, reluctance and despair.
Reverend Ulema,
Brothers and Sisters,
To follow the example of the
great prophet (peace be upon him) whose birthday is celebrated by more than one billion
Muslims, we should not be content with paying lip service, merely echoing repetitive
slogans or staging celebrations. This should be achieved rather through reinvogorating
faith, activating determination and readjusting understanding. Thus all our life can be
reshaped in line of the Prophet’s way of life that was a vivid interpretation of the
Heavenly revealed words and teachings.
Among the rational signs in
our Islamic contemporary thought, there is a trend that is emerging with growing clarity
day by day, address real challenges facing our nation in this age where peoples and
cultures converge, barriers collapse and distances diminish.
Muslim scholars around the
world have realised that our nation’s future is contingent on its ability to renew
itself, develop its methods of action and movement. It is also important that the Islamic
discourse addressed to laymen, while adhering to the constants of creed and Sharia
(Islamic law) should be in the same time responsive to surrounding environment at home and
abroad.
To reconcile the necessities
of maintaining the nation’s identity and beliefs on the one hand and those of the
sound understanding of current conditions and the concommitant requirements to develop
work modalities and priorities on the other, is an extremely significant task that needs a
sound scientific methodology. It is this galaxy of Muslem Ulemas that can urge the nation
to follow this line that will open up venues of movement and progress to the nation and
free it from traces of cultural and intellectual hesitation and rigidity from which we
still suffer much.
So, I tell you frankly dear
brothers that I consider as highly auspicious in this rational orientation which I have
closely monitored and found to be worthy of recognition and appreciation. We all hope that
this new spirit will pervade the whole nation. We should urge each others, whenever we
meet, to exert our utmost until the spirit of renovation and progress has spread through
our nation everywhere. Thus, the world can see us as advocates of good and justice and
supporters of guidance, co-existence and peace.
Brothers and Sisters,
Before concluding my address
on this elevated occasion, I must pray Allah from the depth of my heart, and request you
to join me, to provide our nation with His help and success while embarking on this
sublime course. We also pray Allah Almighty to grant His support and victory to the loyal
citizens of our nation everywhere, defending their right and principle and seeking just
peace in the face of various forms of injustice and aggression.
In this regard, I would like
to mention, in particular, the struggle of the brotherly people of Palestine to regain
their rights and restore their freedom by the peaceful ways that Allah Almighty enjoined
to use.
We have repetitively asserted,
on all occasions, that it is by no means acceptable to deny or encroach upon these rights.
We have advised all parties that violence and the use of force will be futile and wi |
