Ambonese Muslims' First Friday Prayer In Waringin Village

Shawwāl  19, 1432 A.H, Sunday, September 18, 2011

AMBON, Indonesia – The Village of Waringin, Ambon, is a Muslim village that is all burnt after being attacked by the Christian rioters, Sunday (11/09/2011). On Friday (16/09/2011), for the first time the Muslims in Ambon who are in the village of Waringin performed the Friday prayer at Masjid Al-Muhklisin, the masjid which, Alhamdulillah, is still standing there. Colored with the sobs and tears, and a lachrymose atmosphere, the Muslims in Ambon are strong in facing the trials that befall them. The following is the report.

Since the adzan filled the air, sounds of heavy breaths and sobbing from the worshipers in Masjid Al-Mukhlisin in Waringin village, were heard . Over two hundreds villagers from Waringin village and its vicinity were there. The worshipers were made up of the elders, adults, adolescents and children and a number of security apparatuses.

The atmosphere was very touching, because the ibaadah was held in the masjid in which some parts of it have become ruins, burnt by the Christian rioters.

Some people believe that there is a miracle and protection from Allah involved in this masjid. Because, since the first riots, although the buildings on the left, right, front and rear were devastated consumed by the fire, but the main hall of the masjid which is normally used for Solat and ta'lim is not damaged at all.

In his Khutbah, Ustadz Tawil, a Muslim figure of Waringin village, motivated the people to always remain optimistic, by emphasizing the importance of iman, taqwa, tawakkal and patience.

“Even in a very pitiful condition, the Muslims must still have iman and taqwa so that we can still devote ourselves to Allah SWT by carrying out the duties we are commanded to do,” he said.

Ustadz Tawil understands very much the sadness of the people, because his own house was also badly damaged after becoming target of the Christian rioters' savagery.

Quoting Al-Qur’an surah Al-Insan verse 1, Ustadz Tawil emphasized the importance of tawakkal in facing the test of life. “Everything belongs to Allah SWT and it is in our grasp only temporarily,” he explained.

Ustadz Tawil invited the Islamic ummah to face the disaster of the 9/11 incident with a positive thinking, by quoting Al-Qur’an surah Al-Ankabut verse 2: “Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried?”

“What's befalling us Muslims is a test of iman, which will raise our degrees if we remain faithful,” he said.

Due to that, Ustadz Tawil invited all worshipers to be hard-bitten in confronting every trial. “We must believe that what happens to us is a test which will be replaced by Allah with something better and more if we are patient.”

In the end of his khutbah, Ustadz Tawil underlined the importance of Ukhuwah Islamiyah. He called on Muslims to continue to strengthen the unity and avoid division.

“There is no victory without strength, there is no strength without unity, there is no unity without virtue, and there is no virtue without the purity of souls. And it is this purity of souls that the Islamic ummah must have,” he concluded.

(voa-islam/arrahmah.com)