The Union: a Noble Goal
The Union: A noble goal
First sermon
Praise be to Allah who Has united the hearts of the faithful, and guided them to the right path and faith. We praise Him as is befittingto Him for His limitless blessings and for His guidance in bringing us together in accordand harmony. I bear witness that our Master Muhammad the servant of Allah and His Messenger who said, “hold on fast to the Jamaa (the group of thefaithful) and be not divided.” (At-Tirmidhi: 2165). May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our masterMuhammad, his family, his companions, and all those who will follow them in the righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
O Servants of Allah! I urge you and myself to be ever God-conscious and to construct your lives in the shadow of divine obedience. Allah-the Amighty-says, "And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher." (Al Muminun: 52).
Dear Muslims,
The union is one of the purposes that Islam has sought to achieve, for which He provided all the means that contribute to the cohesion of communities and prevent their dispersion. Allah-the Almighty-says, “And hold fast, all together,by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves.” (Al Imran:103).
Islam instructs us to renounce conflicts and avoid partisanship and all that might lead to dispersion. All this induces failure, disbandment and instability. Our Guide Muhammad (pbuh) advised us saying, "Donot break off ties with one another, do not turn away from one another, do not hate one another, do not envy one another. Be brothers, as Allah has commanded you.” (Sahih Muslim:2559)
Our Prophet (pbuh) stressed the importance of unity of hearts and attitude for its good benefits to individuals and the community at large. Allah-the Exalted-says, "And (moreover) He hath put affection between their hearts: not if thou hadst spent all that is in the earth, couldst thou have produced that affection, but Allah hath done it: for He is Exalted in might, Wise." (Al Anfal: 63).
Dear Muslims,
Our Master Muhammad (pbuh) strongly warned those who try to sow sedition. He also condemned any plot that leads to discord, describing it as one of the abhorrent practices of Al Jahilya (ignorance)which is forbidden and at logger heads with the teachings of Islam. When the Prophet (pbuh) learnt about a dispute between Al Muhajereen (the immigrants) and Ansars (the supporters), he stood between the two groups and yelled saying, "How dare you allow yourselves to invoke the call of Jahiliyah (the days of ignorance)... Drop it! For it is rotten!”. All this is a clear evidence of the importance to achieve a sense of unity as it brings in security and stability and builds civilisations.
Dear Believers,
UAE was fully aware of these illustrious values of unification and accord when its leaders drew on the Islamic teachings and morality. Allah indeed bestowed on this country such honest and trustworthy leaders, and united their hearts and willaround one man. They verily recognised the value of the unity and the importance of the union, and acted according to Allah-the Almighty-'s words : "Help ye one another in righteousness and piety)”. (Al Maaida:2). Their effort paid off. It has yielded the birth of a modern civilised nation that attracts people from all overthe world and receives testimonials that acknowledge its progress and development.
Today, we are commemorating the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the United Arab Emirates, which has become a model of how the Union and progress should be. Thanks to its leaders and the awareness of its people from all walksof life, the UAE has enjoyed the blessing of security, stability and great progress as witnessed by everyone.
Building and upgrading human resources as well as maintaining their integrity have been the focus of the wise leadership since the establishment of the UAE. For this purpose, the state has provided for its citizens advanced educational tools and systems. It built schools, institutes and universities, benefitting from technology to keep pace with therequirements of present time. It also attracted the best competencies and offered scholarships for students to study abroad to broaden their knowledge as well as to benefit from the experiences and cultures of advanced countries.
The UAE did not spare efforts to attain higher levels of advancement, which has madeit a cultural and scientific hub. It has also given great importance to building mosques. It did so elaborately as it seeks to disseminate wisdom and noble virtues. Our Guide Muhammad (pbuh) said,"He who builds a masjid (mosque) in the way of Allah, Allah will build a house for him in the paradise."
UAE now hosts a wide spectrum of peoples from different backgrounds and cultures, a proof of the prevailing spirit of tolerance and coexistence among its population irrespective of race, language, gender or doctrine. It has also built hospitals and medical centres and provided means of safety and security in order to reach the highest standards of public health.
Regardingthe economy, it has grown considerably. As such, the UAE has turned many swaths of its desert into breathtaking green oases that reflect the great achievement of both the government and people. All praise is due to Allah,the UAE has become a focus of attention of manyinternational investment companies because of its stability and solid economic infrastructure.
Dear Muslims,
As per our Prophet (pbuh)'s saying: “the best of you he who is most helpful to people,”UAE's development efforts are not bound only to its own people. They extend farther and wider to benefit people elsewhere. The UAE hasprovided help and assistance to friendly and fraternal countries and has had a leading role in many international venues.
We ask Allah-the most gracious- to perpetuate the blessings of the Union, security, stability and prosperity He has bestowed upon the UAE. May Allah bless our wise leadership and help us all to obey Him and those He ordained us to obey, as the Almighty says: "O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you." (An-Nisa:59).
Second sermon
Praise be to Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, the only God who has no partner, and I bear witness that our master Muhammad is His servant and messenger, who was true to his promise. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our master Muhammad, his family, his companions and all those who will follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.
Dear Muslims
The welfare that we enjoy today in our beloved country where stability and security reign is indeed the fruit of a great effort of our wise leadership. Now it is our turn to shoulder the responsibility through our assertive and sincere loyalty. We should therefore endeavour in order to ensure continuity of this wellbeing-as we have enjoyed it- for generations to come.
Recalling the great event of the Union, we learn the importance of the Nation and the value of belonging to it and the loyalty to its wise leadership. On this occasion we also reflect on how best to ensure the sustainability of our country's security and stability and preserve its wealth and gains.
Allah-the Almighty- says describing His generosity tothe people of the Quraish (Eminent tribe of Makkah), "Let them adore the Lord of this House, Who provides them with food against hunger, and with security against fear (of danger)."(Quraysh:3-4) Let us praise Allah for the blessing of stability in our country and the astute leadership He has awarded us with. While we renew our loyalty to our judicious leadership, let us also strive hard to achieve all that can ensure prosperity to our beloved country and people.
O servants of Allah,
Allah has commanded you an order to which He and His angels are both committed, when He says, "Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect." (Al-Ahzab:56). The Prophet (pbuh) said, "For everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah." (Sahih Muslim:384).
May Allah grant our leader HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his Deputy, HH Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Makhtoum, success and provide strength and support to his brothers, Their Highness the Rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. May Allah have mercy on Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Makhtoum and all their brothers, the late UAE Sheikhs.
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