Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
Friday Sermon
29 May 2009 / 4 Jamadilakhir 1430
The Value of Hard Work in Islam
Dear Blessed Friday congregation,
I call upon myself and fellow brothers to remain conscious of Allah s.w.t. through our sincere taqwa to Him. Let us do all that He has commanded, and refrain from all that He has forbidden. Let us be devoted to Allah s.w.t. and seek
His blessings by contributing and doing all that is good.
Insyallah, by doing good, we will succeed in this world, to become worthy individuals able to build a progressive and examplary community. May we be rewarded in the
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hereafter for our efforts, with a place in paradise that Allah s.w.t has promised, Insyallah, amin.
My fellow brothers in Islam rahimakumullah,
Allah s.w.t says:
Which means:
“It is He who has made the earth manageable for you, so walk in the paths thereof and eat of His providence. And (remember) unto Him will be the return after death
.
” (Surah al-Mulk verse 15)
This verse clearly shows that amongst the uses for this earth that Allah has blessed upon man, is to obtain rizq.
Thus, it is our duty to work hard and seek the bounties that Allah has put on this earth for our taking.
Islam places great importance upon work. To work in the name of Allah and following Allah's commands is one and the same. Allah has commanded us to work to maintain ourselves, to sustain our lives and our families. In Islam,
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someone who works hard and is committed to his amanah/responsibility is respected and highly regarded.
It follows, then, that Islam does not condone laziness and backwardness. Someone who is hardworking is regarded by Allah better than someone who does not work, and becomes dependant on others.
That is why, in Islam, everything that we do that is good and beneficial is considered as an ibadah , a form of worship, as long as that deed does not go against the teachings of Islam. In Islam, worship is not limited to prayers, zikir and rituals. All the good deeds that we do, when done with sincerity and in accordance to the teachings of Islam, is also a form of worship.
We can also see from our beloved Prophet's example, the way to progress and development by working hard.
Rasulullah (peace be upon him) is an examplary worker, the best of managers, who is noted for his integrity, honesty, loyalty, dedication, and acumen. So much so, that while in Khadijah's employ, he managed to increase profits many times fold.
Dearest brothers,
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Let us learn from this wonderful story of the Prophet.
According to Imam Muhammad Hasan As-Syaibani, once,
Rasulullah (peace be upon him) had shaken hands with
Saad bin Muaz r.a
. Saad's hands were so rough to the touch that our Prophet asked him about it. Saad answered, “I have used my hands to swing the axe and work the land, to seek nafkah to maintain my family.”
Hearing this, Rasulullah (peace be upon him) kissed
Saad's workroughened hands and said, “These two hands are beloved by Allah.
”
This clearly shows how highly valued hard work is in
Islam; that a highly exalted person such as the Prophet would kiss the hand of someone who works hard for his family.
My dear brothers,
It is a fact of life that success is the product of hard work and dedication. Seeking nafkah to sustain our families is also a form of jihad, and is highly valued in Islam. Al-
Tabrani narrated a hadith:
“They who seek riches on this earth through permissible means and refrain from begging and work for nafkah for their families and show kindness and love to their neighbours; On the day of Judgement, they will meet Allah
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with happy faces, beaming like the full moon in the dark night.”
In general, someone who is sucessful is someone who is knowledgable, and uses his knowledge to carry out his duties. He also always improves himself and tries to exceed his previous benchmarks. He also shows his good qualities through his deeds, his manner, and the care he takes in fulfilling his responsiblities with integrity and honesty.
My brothers,
I call upon my brothers and beloved congregation now, to reflect on ourselves. What have we acheived in our continual efforts to seek rizq? Have we brought change to ourselves, our family, country, organization? Have we furthered our personal jihad?
In this economic downturn, there has been many cutbacks. As workers, we need to be thankful and continue working the best we can; to maintain our work ethic that is moral and good. Insyallah, this will help bring about change, and help turn things around.
Let us together continue living and working according to the principles set out by Islam. Let us channel our efforts to do good, and to continually improve our quality of work,
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to broaden our capabilities. We need to remind ourselves to show our positive qualities, to accept constructive criticism, to be respectful and cooperative. We have to be constantly aware of our customers' needs and the changing economic situation.
May with our efforts and determination, we are able to translate the values taught by Islam to real action, in our work and daily life. Let us show honesty, trustworthyness, itqan in our dealings with the world at large and contribute positively to the world. InsyaAllah, in doing so, may we live the teachings of Islam. Amin.
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