Friday Khuthabah from Haroon Masjid, Bangkok

6 August, 2010
Friday Khuthabah
Haroon Masjid
Bangkok
Thailand

Brothers and Sisters,

Middle East is both historical and beneficial region for powerful nations. Jerusalem and Mekka shares historical and religious relation as appeared in the Holy book og Allah:

Surah Al-Isra 17:1
Glorifiled (and Exalted) is He (Allah) to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the journey by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at Mekka) to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him Muhammad (Sal) of Our Signs. Verily, He is the All-Seer.

Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah (ra) that he heard Prophet Muhammad (Sal) saying '' When the people of Quraish did not believe me (in the story of my night journey), I stood up in Al-Hijr and Allah displayes Jerusalem in front of me, and I began describing it to them whiule I was looking at it. '' (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem is a scared place to all Jews, Christians and Muslims. The people of the books including Muslims know that God is One. Prophet David and Solomon (As) were preaching the same Oneness of Allah as Prophet Moses and Jesus and the last Prophet Muhammad (Sal) preached. The same house of Allah that His Glorious Names have ever been cherishing since the time of old. All of these are in Jerusalem. But why people who believe or said to be believers have to kill and oppressed one another whenever they are in power. The answer can be explained into two folds. Firstly, Greed and secondly, arrogance or pride.

After world war I, England resumed the role of governor of the region soon after it was separated from Ottoman Empire. And after the world war II, England played evident role in protecting their investors who invested in oil exploration and production in the Middle East except Saudi Arabia where United States of America is a major investor. England and the USA tried to prevent the expension communisim from the USSR or Rassia by providing military assistance to the region.

Later on in 1946 with the help of England and USA, Isreal had been established. This brought three wars between the Arabs and Isreal. The Arabs including Egypt, Iraq and Seria in supporting the Palestinians to fight the Isrealis supported by the UK and USA. The Arabs could not win the war therefore they asked for military assistance from Russia. The Russia was facing tough situation when confronting USA and UK. Finally, the USSR was broken into pieces after the cold war since the USSR became the threat to Isreal by supporting the Arabs. This phenomenon creates more Muslim nations and most of them are in Central Asia with full of Natural Gas and Oil reserves. The USA already invested in these countries. There are three countries, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajakistan that have no access to the sea but all of these countries are connected to Afganistan. Therefore Afganistan is a key to transport goods and resourses to thesea from Central Asia through Pakistan.

Arrogant caused the fall of Iblis. Iblis thought that he is superior to Adam and he arrogantly refused to submit himself to Allah's Command i.e. to salute Adam. The punishment is the torment in the hell fire.

Surah Al-A'raf 7:12.
Allah said : What prevented you O Iblis that you did not prostrate yourself, when I commanded you/ Iblis said : I am better than hin (Adam), You created me from fire, and hin You created from clay.

Adam's fault was out of his greed. He broke Allah's Command because he wanted to eat the forbidden fruit.

Surah Al-A'raf 7:20.
Then Shaitan (Satan) whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before); he said : Your Lord did not forbid you this tree save you should become angels or become of one another.

And the punishment was to be enemy of one another.

Surah Al-A'raf 7:24. Allah said : Get down, one of you an enemy to the other. (Adam, Hawar, Iblis) ON EARTH WILL BE A DWELLING PLACE FOR YOU AND AN ENJOYMENT FOR A TIME.

Anyhow, later on Allah forgive Adam. If we disobey Allah because of greed then we should repent and ask for forgiveness. But if we disobey Allah because of greed as well as arrogance then Allah will punish them reverely.

With reference to the truth about the night journey of prophet Muhammad (Sal), shows that human soul can grow in the stages of life step by step. The steps include morally good conduct, kind to parents and kids, kind to fellow men, keep ourselves clean and pure from illegal acts and to protect the orphans and/or the week. Do not forget that we are not coming to this world for any other purposes but to worship Allah alone. And along with our sincere Ibadah to Allah, we have to be good to all human folks as well.