Khutbah by Dr Yahia Abd Rahman

Friday khutbah is a must for Friday prayers. Its objective to touch the jamaah and create a transformation depend on several factors, namely its content, delivery by the khatib, and other external factors such as temperature of the prayer hall and (believe it or not) weather. Today, I prayed at Al-Falah mosque, and the khatib was Dr Yahia Abdul Rahman, our guest from Pasadena, Los Angeles.

His khutbah was different from the usual style delivered weekly in Singapore. After the supplications, he shared personal experiences to demonstrate the values and teachings of Islam. But what was most interesting for me, was the optimistic tone and message of his khutbah, and he quoted successful stories of development among Muslim societies and communities.

He also brought up an interesting point - that there are a significant amount of young Muslims who are well-educated, and are contributing as captains of industry, leaders of organisations as well as those currently doing well in their studies - future economists, engineers, doctors, bankers who will soon take office in both public and private sector. "They will eventually represent the crème-de-la crème of the best minds; most educated and qualified young Muslims in the world. It is this generation of Muslims that I strongly believe will not only make a difference in Asia but also in the world through its children, grandchildren and their grandchildren" he said. This cumulative process should bring about a new Muslim renaissance in the future.

If we are serious about our faith, he said, we need to first apply it to ourselves and our families. And he listed several "must-do" to repeat what history had shown us - that after every wave of attacking Islam, a wonderful era of Islamic renaissance emerged.

> We need to be the model that others would envy and emulate.

> We want our neighbours, our colleagues and our friends of all faiths to admire who we are. How husbands are good to their wives and wives to their husbands, How the Muslims families project the example of the better families in our communities.

> We want the professionals, the students and the Muslim citizens at large to be the examples of what excellence is all about.

> We want to see our children to be the best students at school not only in their scholastics but in their leadership in all aspects of school life, be it school organizations or sports activities.

> We want members of our communities of all faith to prefer the services of the Muslim doctors, the Muslim Bankers, the Muslim accountants, the Muslim merchants and the Muslim politicians.
The world will benefit from their values of decency, hard work, dedication, truthfulness, care for all people, and respect of all faiths and love all people.

Dr Yahia Abdul Rahman ended his khutbah with a beautiful do'a to Allah, to ask Allah to forgive us for our ignorance, and to shower His blessings and bounties to the world. Many in the prayer hall shed tears when he asked to Allah to grant us spouses and offsprings that will work in His cause. He also asked Allah to grant every single man, a believing woman to be his spouse so that he may complete his religion, and for every single woman, a believing man to be her spouse so that she may complete her religion.

This khutbah had achieved its objective (for me, at least).