Hakim Hayat
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam said that Muslims should take heed of the lessons learned from the Hijrah, which marked a turning point in the history of Islam.
Delivering a titah to mark the Islamic new year of 1443 Hijrah from Istana Nurul Iman yesterday, His Majesty said, “The opportunity to celebrate the new Hijrah year is a precious one, since it provides us with an occasion to mark a new year full of significance (hikmah).
“We are not only advancing into another new year, but also gaining several lessons from the event.
“The new Hijrah year refers to the history of the migration of our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This history is unparalleled and occurred with the command of Allah the Almighty, to save the faith of the Ummah.”
His Majesty then mentioned how Allah the Almighty granted an extraordinary miracle by sending weak creatures such as spiders, pigeons and trees to protect Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
“Inevitably, this is the greatest lesson, whereby Allah the Almighty was able to do anything with His power, including forestalling the efforts and plans of the enemy to capture and murder Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
“He did not send lions or elephants to destroy the enemy, but only spiders and pigeons, two very weak creatures to confuse the enemy and thwart their bad intentions.
“Among the lessons from this event is the reminder for us to not underestimate creatures that are seen as small and weak.
“Allah the Almighty has the power to deploy these creatures as powerful armies to teach stronger creatures a lesson. An example of a weak creature is bacteria and even smaller than that are viruses, which are capable of triggering communicable diseases.
“In relation to this, isn’t the human race now faced with the threat of a virus, where at the time of this message, the victims of the global viral pandemic have surpassed four million?
“So, where is the human might compared to the virus, a small and weak creature?
“We can also take heed of the lessons learned from Namrud, the leader who consigned Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) into a blazing fire.”
His Majesty added, “This mighty and cruel leader was fated to meet his end by a swarm of mosquitoes dispatched by Allah the Almighty.
“If Allah the Almighty so wills it, a weak creature is capable of destroying or bringing chaos upon strong and mighty creatures.
“This is among the lessons we can learn from the history of the Hijrah.
“If we truly appreciate these lessons, we will be mindful that there is no power that can overcome the supremacy of Allah the Almighty.
“In daily life, realising and attesting to the supremacy of Allah the Almighty is very much required.
“This way, our servile nature towards Him will grow, thereby providing the call to always be humble before Him, unlike the ancient tribes who were so arrogant and refused to attest to the supremacy of Allah the Almighty, leading to their eventual extinction, one by one.
“The positive outcome for one who is humble before Allah the Almighty is that he will be a pious person who is always obedient to the commands and dictates of Allah the Almighty.
“This is what we want for Brunei Darussalam, and if this happens, Insya Allah, both we and this country will be safe and prosperous.
“As promised by Allah the Almighty in Verse 96 of Surah Al-A’raf: ‘If the people of that country had believed and been mindful, We would have certainly opened up for them abundance from the Heaven and the Earth.’
“Lastly, my family and I send our sincere greetings for the new Islamic year of Hijrah 1443 to the citizens and residents of this country.”
