BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

MUSLIMS were urged during yesterday’s Friday sermon to strengthen ties of goodwill and bonding towards each other, especially with one’s family and blood relations.

“Know that Allah SWT will bestow a huge reward upon those who work hard towards maintaining the ties of silaturrahim (warm relations) between family members,” religious leaders said.

Islam places great importance on family connections and relationships filled with harmony.

The Imams pointed out that there are a number of ways to tighten the bond of goodwill within the Muslim community.

These include gesture of paying visits to one another during festivities, exchanging of gifts, offering assistance when necessary, showing courtesy and love, respect and honour for others, among others.

Religious leaders urged congregants to reflect and ask themselves of their contributions to their families, highlighting the importance of one’s responsibility to the family institution.

The Friday sermon also highlighted the tendency of some children who give greater importance to others than their own parents.

“What is disheartening is the fact that there are cases of children who have neglected their duty and filial piety towards their own parents who have looked after and raised them since they were small,” the religious leaders said.

“This sorry state of affairs should not be occurring at all because Islam exhorts upon children to be kind and do good to their parents,” they added.

The Imams cited from Surah an-Nisa verse 36:

“So tighten the bonds of silaturahim among your family members, keep away from hostilities, acts of selfishness, mutual hatred and the like. It is hoped that the Muslim ummah, particularly our family, will be blessed by Allah subhanahu Wataala and protected from His wrath and curse”.

There are several lessons that we can learn from this verse, the sermon said.

“But those who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth- for them is the curse and they will have the worst home”.

The sermon added that although the availability of the present day social media are fraught with negative effects, Facebook, Whatsapp, Telegram, Instagram and others bring some positive impact in terms of the ability to cement the bonds of silaturrahim and goodwill among the users.

“We should therefore optimise this modern day convenience to further strengthen our family ties by way of bridging the distance and communication between lost and fragmented relationships,” the Imams highlighted.

The Brunei Times