The Dignified Believer

First Khutbah All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, the One who has planted dignity within the hearts and endowed them with honor. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. May Allah’s peace, blessings, and mercy be upon him, his family, his companions, and all who follow them in righteousness. To proceed: I advise you, servants of Allah and myself, to have taqwa of Allah, for the Almighty has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾ “O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow, and fear Allah; indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what you do.”  O believers: Indeed, Allah Almighty created man with an innate nature (Fitrah) to love honoring and dignifying himself, and He made that an objective for his preservation. Whoever recognizes the worth of his soul honours it; and whoever understands its true value preserves its dignity and protects it, without pride or arrogance. Upon this principle, the Prophet (ﷺ) nurtured his companions. Their souls thus soared high, rising above anything that would lessen their worth or tarnish their honour. They strove eagerly for all that would elevate their remembrance and adorn their legacy. Hakim bin Hizam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) [for money], and He gave me. Then I asked him again, and He gave me. Then I asked him again, and He gave me, and then He said: “O Hakim, this wealth is truly desirable and sweet. «يَا حَكِيمُ، إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَالَ خَضِرَةٌ حُلْوَةٌ Whoever takes it with a contented soul, it will be blessed for him. فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ ‌بِسَخَاوَةِ ‌نَفْسٍ؛ بُورِكَ لَهُ فِيهِ But whoever takes it with a greedy soul, it will not be blessed for him. He will be like someone who eats but is never satisfied. وَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِإِشْرَافِ نَفْسٍ؛ لَمْ يُبَارَكْ لَهُ فِيهِ، كَالَّذِي يَأْكُلُ وَلَا يَشْبَعُ  And the upper hand (that gives) is better than the lower hand  (that receives).” الْيَدُ الْعُلْيَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيَدِ السُّفْلَى  Hakim then said: “O Messenger of Allah, by the One Who sent you with the truth, I will never ask anyone for anything again after you, until I leave this world”. And that is one of the greatest traits of a person of honour. He seeks refuge in none but his Lord, certain that He, the Majestic, is “The All-Strong, the All-Mighty”. ﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ﴾ Therefore, he relies on his Lord for his provision and all affairs of his life, while being self-reliant in his work and eating from the earnings of his own hand. He remains independent of others, keeping before his eyes the saying of his Prophet (ﷺ): «لَأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ، فَيَأْتِيَ بِحُزْمَةِ الْحَطَبِ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهَا، فَيَكُفَّ اللَّهُ بِهَا وَجْهَهُ، خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ، ‌أَعْطَوْهُ ‌أَوْ ‌مَنَعُوهُ» For one of you to take his rope, bring a bundle of firewood on his back, and sell it, so that Allah may thereby preserve his honour, is better for him than to ask people, whether they give him or withhold from him. And how could a person of honour ask others? He feels richness in his heart, does not covet what is in the hands of others, and holds himself above the persistence of asking. It has been said: Seek your needs with honour, for verily, all matters proceed according to destiny. اطْلُبُوا الْحَوَائِجَ بِعِزَّةِ النَّفْسِ، فَإِنَّ الْأُمُورَ تَجْرِي بِالْمَقَادِيرِ Whoever seeks an honourable provision, let him strive for it with earnestness and diligence, not with laziness and dependency. For Allah Almighty says: ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ﴾ {It is He who made the earth manageable for you, so travel its regions and eat from His provision; and to Him is the resurrection.} A person of honour avoids everything that puts him in difficulty or hardship, and stays far from everything that brings him humiliation and disgrace. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: It is not befitting for a believer to humiliate himself.       «لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُؤْمِنِ ‌أَنْ ‌يُذِلَّ ‌نَفْسَهُ». They asked: And how does he humiliate himself?              كَيْفَ يُذِلُّ نَفْسَهُ؟ He replied: By exposing himself to trials he cannot bear.    «يَتَعَرَّضُ مِنَ الْبَلَاءِ لِمَا لَا يُطِيقُهُ» A person of honour aspires to the noblest of matters and adheres to the most virtuous ethics, you will find him humble yet generous, forgiving and forbearing, possessing honour and chivalry. He honours and cherishes his family, is protective of them, and defends them. O honorable servants of Allah, a person of honor adheres to contentment. It is one of his most beautiful qualities and most perfect characteristics. He is content, so he becomes self-sufficient; he rises above base desires, so he is elevated. He uplifts his soul and honors it, and he is pleased with his Lord's decree, so he is grateful for it. Thus, he lives with peace of mind, a pleasant state, and a good outcome. What an excellent honor is the honor of contentment, and the best “richness is self-sufficiency        «الْغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْسِ» ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾ {O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.} I say these words of mine and I ask Allah for forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness.   The Second Sermon: All praise is for Allah, besides whom there is no god, and may blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, after whom there is no prophet. To proceed: O believers, indeed, a person of honour is proud of his identity, takes pride in belonging to his homeland, and strives for its advancement and the consolidation of its honour. For whoever honours his homeland, his homeland honours him. And part of honouring the homeland and taking pride in it is raising its flag high and keeping its banner fluttering in the skies of glory. For it is the symbol of its unity, the emblem of its sovereignty, and the proof of its honour and dignity. Indeed, this coming November 3rd, we celebrate Flag Day, renewing the covenant and our allegiance to our homeland, our leadership, and the President of our state. We instil this in the hearts of our children and the generations that come after us, so that they may complete the journey their forefathers began, a journey filled with sacrifices, abundant in contributions and achievements, with all determination, strength, and steadfastness. And so, they may raise the states's flag with pride, saluting it in every field and arena, saying: Live, my country; long live the union of our Emirates.  عِيشِي بِلَادِي، عَاشَ اتِّحَادُ إِمَارَاتِنَا Praying to their Lord in the words: ﴿رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا﴾  {My Lord, make this land secure.}  } إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا{ (الأحزاب: 56) Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace. (Al-Ahzab: 56) O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Messengers, and upon his family, his Companions, and the followers. And be pleased, O Allah, with Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, and with all of the most honoured Companions. O Allah, just as You have blessed us with a homeland that is safe, stable, advanced, and prosperous; make Your blessings upon us continuous, and increase us from Your bounty, by Your generosity and grace. O Allah, protect our homeland from tribulations (fitan), both apparent and hidden. And unite our hearts in loving it, caring for it, working for its advancement, being dedicated in its service, and defending its land. And make it always a land of security, faith, prosperity, and peace. And grant us success in being grateful for Your blessings and appreciating Your favours.  O Allah, make us, believers in You, worshippers of You, loyal to our homeland, diligent in its advancement, and raisers of its flag. And make us dutiful to our parents and have mercy on them as they raised us when we were young, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, perpetuate upon our homeland security and safety, goodness and peace, and increase it in bounty and blessings, and extend to it Your provision and honour. O Allah, protect the state of the Emirates with Your protection, take it under Your care, and surround it with Your providence, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, protect Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the President of the state, and clothe him perpetually in the garments of correctness and wisdom. And grant him, his deputies, his brothers the Rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince, success in all that You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and all the Sheikhs of the Emirates who have passed into Your mercy. And admit them, by Your grace, into Your spacious gardens. O Allah have mercy on those martyred for Your sake and grant them intercession for their people. O Allah, have mercy on the Muslim men and Muslim women, the living among them and the dead. O Allah, O Most Vast in Mercy, O Greatest Bestower of bounties, grant us rain and do not make us among those who despair. O Allah, send us rain! O Allah, send us rain! O Allah, send us rain! O Allah, we seek Your forgiveness, indeed You are ever Forgiving, so send down upon us abundant rain from the sky. O Allah, grant us a saving rain, beneficial and wholesome, with which You revive the land, and have mercy on the servants, and make it a source of strength and provision for a time. ﴿سُبْحَانَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ * وَسَلَامٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ * وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ {Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they describe. * And peace be upon the messengers. * And praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds. } Servants of Allah: Remember Allah, the Great, the Glorious, and He will remember you. And thank Him for His blessings, and He will increase you. And establish the prayer.