Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim

1. Opening

My friend whose heart is blessed by Allah…

Have we ever reflected, amid the complexity of the world’s problems and the countless theories of life, is there one simple formula that can summarize the entire essence of this religion? The answer: Yes.If we perform a deep spiritual synthesis or simplification, this vast religion can actually be beautifully summarized into just two words: Relationship and Goodness.These two words are not human-made concepts, but a heavenly declaration once spoken by Prophet Isa AS while he was still an infant in the cradle, as recorded by Allah SWT in the Qur’an:

وَجَعَلَنِيْ مُبٰرَكًا اَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُۖ وَاَوْصٰنِيْ بِالصَّلٰوةِ وَالزَّكٰوةِ مَا دُمْتُ حَيًّاۖ

“And He has made me blessed wherever I am and has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live.” [QS. Maryam: 31]

Let us analyze this scientifically and spiritually. Why did Prophet Isa AS immediately mention Salat and Zakat? Because Salat is the symbol of our vertical Relationship with the Creator [Habluminallah], built through remembrance, submission, and surrender. Meanwhile, Zakat is the horizontal movement of real Goodness toward fellow creatures [Habluminannas], manifested through care, charity, and compassion.

Our noble Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ, also affirmed that the strength of our relationship with Allah is directly proportional to how we treat His creatures on earth. He said:

الرَّاحِمُونَ يَرْحَمُهُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ ارْحَمُوا مَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ يَرْحَمْكُمْ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاءِ

“The merciful will be shown mercy by Ar-Rahman [Allah, the Most Merciful]. Show mercy to those on earth, and the One in the heavens [the angels and Allah] will show mercy to you.” [HR. Abu Dawud and Tirmidzi]

2. Lessons and Message

Friends, let us bring our hearts to a heartbreaking portrait of life. Imagine a servant whose forehead is dark from long prostrations, whose nights are spent in tahajjud prayer until his eyes are swollen, and whose tongue is moist with dhikr. Vertically, his relationship appears so solid. Yet tragically, during the day, he is someone who dares to cut off the rights of his brother. He is someone whose tongue is sharp, hurting his neighbor’s heart, whose hands readily oppress the weak, and whose heart is closed to compassion when he sees the hungry around him. He feels secure with his prayer while transgressing against fellow humans.

Let us remember Allah SWT’s stern warning in His Book:

وَلَا تَعْتَدُوْا اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِيْنَ

“And do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors.” [QS. Al-Baqarah: 190]

Do you know what happens to that servant? In the Hereafter, all the reward of his beautiful night prayers will be burned away. Allah severs the spiritual connection with him. Allah rejects his prostration, because in the world he tore apart the fabric of humanity in others. What a sorrowful end: thinking he was heading to Paradise, yet thrown into Hell because of the injustice he deemed trivial.

So we can understand it more easily, let’s make a modern analogy. Imagine we are like a sophisticated Smartphone, and Allah SWT is the Provider or the signal tower. Our shalat and dhikr are like us searching for a Wi-Fi signal directly to the heavens. “Oh, the signal is full, full bars!” We feel we are already deeply connected to Allah. But remember, to surf the internet, having Wi-Fi signal alone isn’t enough. We need what’s called a Browser or an app to share and access data. Well, that app is called Goodness to others. Many of us feel our faith data plan is full, our spiritual signal is strong because we’re diligent in ritual worship, but when it’s time to help someone in need, the app just keeps loading—in other words, buffering! When a neighbor is sick, his heart hangs or freezes. When the charity box passes by, his hand suddenly goes low battery and pretends to sleep. Remember, my friend, it’s useless to feel you have a 5G Wi-Fi signal straight to the heavens if your spiritual account is blocked by Allah because you often spread the “virus” of injustice, backbiting, and stinginess to other devices on earth! That signal will be automatically cut off.

3. Conclusion and Closing

My noble friends… The final conclusion of our religious synthesis today is crystal clear: The extent to which we dare to do good to His creation on earth is the extent to which we will be connected to the pleasure of their Creator in the heavens. Never separate what Allah has joined together. Do not be a pious person inside the mosque, yet a criminal outside the mosque. Guard your vertical relationship through the humility of prayer, and spread your horizontal movement through the sincerity of zakat, charity, and noble character.Because in the end, this religion is so beautiful and simple: Love Allah above, and have compassion for His creatures below.

May Allah SWT always safeguard our relationship with Him, and soften our hearts to always spread goodness to others

. والله أعلم بالصواب

الحمد لله رب العالمين

Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Abu Sultan Al-Qadrie