Our Youth in National Service

The First Khutbah All praise is due to Allah, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, who has planted in the hearts love for the homeland, and made its defense a duty upon every human being. We bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and we bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. 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, as well as myself, to have taqwa of Allah the Almighty. Allah the Exalted says: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ﴾. “O you who have believed, persevere, endure, and remain stationed, fear Allah that you may be successful.” O Believers: In these days, and at this time every year, sincere young men and women of our beloved nation prepare to embark on a new stage of life. They enter into a unique experience, one filled with faith, morals, determination, and responsibility. This is the National Service, the field of heroes, the forge of men, and the university of discipline where values are instilled, virtues are embraced, and noble character is cultivated. It is among the best of pursuits and the most precious of gains. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was once asked:  “What is the best thing a person can be given?” He replied:  «خُلُقٌ ‌حَسَنٌ». “Good character.” In National Service, personalities are built, confidence is strengthened, willpower is fortified, leadership skills are refined, and one trains in disciplined thinking, commitment to time, and preservation of prayer. Thus, those who join it begin their day with prayer, which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ described as “The best subject.” «‌خَيْرِ ‌مَوْضُوعٍ» When the call of the mu’adhin resounds: «‌الصَّلَاةُ ‌خَيْرٌ ‌مِنَ ‌النَّوْمِ، الصَّلَاةُ ‌خَيْرٌ ‌مِنَ ‌النَّوْمِ» “Prayer is better than sleep,  prayer is better than sleep” They perform the fajr prayer in congregation, embodying the words of the Prophet ﷺ: «مَنْ صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ؛ فَهُوَ فِي ذِمَّةِ اللَّهِ». “Whoever prays the fajr prayer is under the protection of Allah.” That is, they are under Allah’s safeguarding, care, and divine protection. The truly successful one is he who seizes this blessed time in the remembrance of his Lord. Allah the Almighty says: ، ﴿إِنَّ قُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا﴾ “Indeed, the recitation of the Qur’an at dawn is ever witnessed.” Then, the recruits line up in the field, the field of honor and dignity, of courage and nobility. They carry out their national service drills with harmonious steps and unified breaths, ﴿كَأَنَّهُمْ بُنْيَانٌ مَرْصُوصٌ﴾  “As though they were a solidly constructed structure.”    Thus, they embody the meanings of unity, cohesion, and solidarity. O Believers: National Service brings with it many social benefits. It strengthens the spirit of teamwork, builds bridges of relationships, nurtures mutual respect, and removes barriers between the sons and daughters of the nation—until they become         «كَالْبُنْيَانِ، يَشُدُّ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضًا» “Like a structure, each part strengthening  the other.” Through it, a person fills his time with what is beneficial; the motives of deviation fade away, and his sense of responsibility grows towards every grain of sand of this precious homeland. Thus, every recruit proclaims: Allah, the Nation, the President of the State, embodying the poet’s words: لَبَّيْكَ يَا وَطَنَ السَّعَادَةِ وَالْوَفَا *** لَبَّيْكَ مَا كَدَرَ الزَّمَانُ وَمَا صَفَا At your service, O home of bliss and loyalty, At your service, through hardship and serenity.  Servants of Allah: National Service for our youth is a path through which they gain strength in their bodies, their skills, their minds, and their character. It is the very strength that Allah loves for His servants, as our Prophet ﷺ said: «الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ؛ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ» “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer.” Therefore, our youth must seize the time of their National Service, investing every moment in gaining knowledge and understanding—so that they may confront extremist ideologies with the strength of words, the firmness of evidence, and the clarity of sound argument. They should also be diligent in performing their acts of worship on time, steadfast in their noble character and authentic traditions, so that they may emerge from this stage better than when they entered it: with hearts more certain in faith, bodies stronger and more energetic, souls more confident and resolute, and morals elevated and refined  ﴿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 this, and I ask Allah to forgive me and you, so seek His forgiveness. The Second Khutbah All praise is due to Allah, abundant praise. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, after whom there is no prophet. To proceed: O honourable fathers: The enrolment of your sons in National Service is a mark of distinction, dignity, and honour. Blessed indeed are you as fathers and blessed are they as sons. ﴿رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ﴾ “Our Lord, grant us from among our spouses and offspring comfort to our eyes.” They are the comfort of your eyes, so rejoice in them, and strengthen their resolve and determination with kind words and sincere supplication. Teach them that National Service is a great school, one that deepens in them loyalty and belonging to the homeland and fortifies them with values and noble character. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, may God protect him, said: The values of loyalty, dedication, and sincerity are deeply rooted in the souls of the sons of Zayed. We extend a greeting of pride to your families, who raised the likes of you. You are the generation of the mission, the pride of your nation, and the pride of every Emirati home. O youth of the nation: Know that you are about to embark on a pivotal stage in your lives. It will train you in selflessness and sacrifice, and guide you away from isolation, individualism, luxury, and comfort. It will also prepare you to face difficult circumstances with endurance, patience, and strength, and to place the interests of the homeland above all else. This journey will shape you into strong men in body, and mature and wise in mind. Make your intention in this service purely for Allah, as He commands: ﴿وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ﴾ “And fulfill the covenant of Allah” ﴿وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ﴾. “And seek help through patience and prayer” How excellent it is to keep in mind the intention of self-accountability and careful self-monitoring. Being away from family and friends is a valuable opportunity to reflect on the ways in which one may have fallen short of fulfilling duties and rights, and to plan for making up what was missed. O youth, be the best ambassadors for your families by embodying the values of your society and by choosing your friends with care. Associate only with those of noble character, and with those who are disciplined and responsible. In doing so, you will be a source of pride for your families and community, and a treasure for your homeland and its leadership. ) إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ( “Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, ask blessings upon him and greet him with peace”  (Al-Ahzab: 56).   O Allah, send Your blessings, peace, and grace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, his companions, and those who follow them. Be pleased, O Allah, with all the noble companions. O Allah, make us believers devoted to You, worshippers devoted to You, loving our homeland, willing to sacrifice in its path, dutiful to our parents, and grant mercy to them as they raised us in our childhood, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, protect the State of the Emirates, oversee it with Your care, and preserve it under Your guidance, O Lord of the Worlds. Protect Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed, President of the State, and grant him steadfastness, wisdom, and success. Protect his deputies, brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince in accordance with what You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and all the other sheikhs of the Emirates who have passed away, and admit them by Your grace into Your vast gardens. Encompass the martyrs of our homeland with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on all Muslims, men and women, the living and the deceased. O servants of Allah, remember the Almighty, Glorious One, so that He may remember you. Be grateful for His blessings, so that He may increase them. And establish the prayer.