Lyna Mohamad
The titah of 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 in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri portrayed the monarch’s sovereignty and wisdom in reminding the people of Brunei to pray as Qada and Qadar are from Allah the Almighty and that the pandemic is a test that we must endure with unity and integrity.
This was noted by Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar during the Hari Raya for VIP hosted by the monarch and Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam and other members of the royal family at Istana Nurul Iman on Monday.
He said as mentioned in the titah, Brunei is a unique country that prioritises religion. With prayer as the weapon of Islam, the Sultanate may be the only Muslim nation that carries out a nationwide Selawat Tafrijiyyah event.
“Alhamdulillah, soon aftewards, the situation began to stabilise. The daily COVID numbers have gone down. Our prayers have been answered as we continue to go through COVID-19 with full Tawadhu and Istiqamah. May Allah the Almighty keep the virus away,” he said.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohd Daud also expressed gratitude to Allah the Almighty that the country has been granted the opportunity to celebrate Hari Raya in pandemic times.
The minister said the monarch stressed on being grateful to Allah the Almighty as well as practising Selawat and Zikir.
On the recent introduction of the Selawat Tafrijiyyah, the minister said, “It drew attention. It was well-received by the community as it provided an opportunity to ask Allah the Almighty to release us from the disaster we are facing.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin expressed his gratitude over the country’s ability to celebrate Hari Raya in the new norms, albeit on a small scale. “It is important for us not be complacent when it comes to the standard operating procedures and to always pray for the country to be under the protection of Allah the Almighty,” the minister said. “Being a Zikir nation, it reminds us to be grateful, recite Selawat Tafrijiyyah and to increase Zikir to keep the virus from spreading in the country.”
