Maal Hijrah ‘not the same’
PM: Yet, its spirit and lessons remain a source of strength
KUALA LUMPUR: The spirit of Maal Hijrah and the valuable lessons from the Hijrah event are providing strength to Malaysians facing the challenges from the Covid19 pandemic and the economic downturn, says Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pic).
He shared the words of encouragement in a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday night.
“This year, we celebrate Maal Hijrah during the recovery movement control order (MCO), which is expected to end on Aug 31.
“This year’s celebration may not be the same as previous years’, but the spirit and lessons still give us strength, especially in facing the challenges of Covid-19, and efforts to revive the country’s economy,” he said.
Hijrah refers to the migration of Prophet Muhammad and his friends from Makkah to Yathrib (Madinah) in 622 AD.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Prof Dr Ahmad Tayyib, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, thanked the Malaysian government for conferring him the International Maal Hijrah Personality award for 1442H/2020 yesterday.
Through the Al-Azhar University’s Facebook page, Sheikh Ahmad expressed his appreciation especially to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Muhyiddin for bestowing the award.
He said the award reflected Malaysia’s recognition and high regard for the Al-Azhar University.
He said he would be visiting Malaysia soon at the invitation of the Prime Minister.
“The 2020 Tokoh Maal Hijrah Award is a special recognition to me as it is an award from a model Islamic state, which is a pioneer in promoting development and fostering harmony,” he wrote in Arabic.
“In fact, the award is in recognition of the Al-Azhar institution, its scholars and students. I offer my sincere gratitude to His Majesty the King, the Prime Minister and the people of Malaysia.”
Sheikh Ahmad said the close relationship between Al-Azhar University and Malaysia, which has long been established, had seen collaborations in various fields including religious, cultural and scholarly affairs.
At the national-level Maal Hijrah celebration themed Ummah Rabbani Negara Harmoni, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was announced as this year’s national-level Maal Hijrah Personality.
The announcement was made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.
According to Zulkifli, the two public figures were selected based on their outstanding contributions in upholding Islam at national and international levels.