Whoever betrays our homeland is not one of us

First Sermon All praise is due to Allah, who has commanded fidelity and trustworthiness, and has forbidden treachery and betrayal. I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship but Allah alone, without partner—Glory be to Him—“He does not guide the plan of the treacherous” (Qurʾān 12:52). And I bear witness that our master and Prophet Muḥammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger, the truthful and trustworthy. O Allah, send blessings, peace, and grace upon him, his family, and all his companions, and upon those who follow his guidance with excellence until the Day of Judgment. To proceed: I enjoin upon you, servants of Allah, and upon myself, taqwā (God-consciousness). The Exalted says: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ “O you who believe, have taqwa of Allah and be with the truthful” (Qurʾān 9:119). O believers: there is a vile trait and a sinful act, rejected by noble souls and detested by sound natures. Its bearer is cursed by his Lord, rejected by his family and society. It is betrayal of the homeland—a grave crime and one of the major sins. It is among the ugliest things a person conceals within himself and hides from others. For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge in Allah from betrayal, saying: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخِيَانَةِ، فَإِنَّهَا بِئْسَتِ الْبِطَانَةُ “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from betrayal, for it is the worst of inner qualities.” (Abu Dawūd) Indeed, he ﷺ counted among the signs of a hypocrite: إِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ، وَإِذَا ‌عَاهَدَ ‌غَدَرَ “When he is entrusted, he betrays; and when he makes a covenant, he breaks it.” (Bukhārī and Muslim) How evil are the traits of the treacherous, and how far they are from the Lord of the worlds: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْخَائِنِينَ “Indeed, Allah does not love the treacherous” (Qurʾān 8:58). Our Lord—Mighty and Majestic—has exposed them and unveiled their reality so that people are not deceived by them. He said to His Prophet ﷺ: وَلَا تُجَادِلْ عَنِ الَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا * يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ إِذْ يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لَا يَرْضَى مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطًا “And do not argue on behalf of those who betray themselves. Indeed, Allah does not love one who is a habitual traitor and sinner. They conceal themselves from people but do not conceal themselves from Allah, while He is with them when they plan by night words that He does not approve. And Allah encompasses what they do” (Qurʾān 4:107–108). Thus, even if they claim affiliation with us, they are not truly of us. Reflect on the saying of Allah regarding their like: وَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَمِنْكُمْ وَمَا هُمْ مِنْكُمْ وَلَكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَفْرَقُونَ “They swear by Allah that they are from you, but they are not from you; rather they are a people who are afraid” (Qurʾān 9:56). They outwardly display belonging to our nation, while their hearts are subservient to extremist agendas. They lie in wait to harm society and seek to bring damage upon its people: لَوْ يَجِدُونَ مَلْجَأً أَوْ مَغَارَاتٍ أَوْ مُدَّخَلًا لَوَلَّوْا إِلَيْهِ وَهُمْ يَجْمَحُونَ “If they could find a refuge, caves, or a place to enter, they would turn to it while rushing headlong” (Qurʾān 9:57). Indeed, they have deceived themselves, so their society and homeland detest them. The Prophet ﷺ said: وَمَنْ غَشَّنَا فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا “Whoever deceives us is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim) How great is their crime, how severe their disgrace, how harsh their punishment, and how great their scandal! The Prophet ﷺ said: إِذَا جَمَعَ اللَّهُ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، يُرْفَعُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ، فَيُقَالُ: هَذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانٍ “When Allah gathers the first and the last on the Day of Resurrection, a banner will be raised for every traitor, and it will be said: ‘This is the treachery of so-and-so, son of so-and-so.’” (Bukhari and Muslim) There is no wonder in this: they are immersed in the swamp of betrayal and discord, indulging in dubious funds, bound by extremist partisan loyalties, devoted to terrorist organizations, pledging allegiance to their leaders, hiding behind deceptive religious slogans—whose outward appearance is righteousness and goodness, but whose inward reality is treachery and deceit: وَقَدْ مَكَرُوا مَكْرَهُمْ وَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَكْرُهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُهُمْ لِتَزُولَ مِنْهُ الْجِبَالُ “And they have plotted their plot, but with Allah is their plot—even if their plot were such as to move mountains” (Qurʾān 14:46). How vile it is for a person to become an agent or follower of evil, manipulated by foreign hands against his own homeland whenever they wish; or to be like the tail of a venomous serpent, moved to betray his homeland at will. How disgraceful are those who live off the goodness of their homeland while betraying it! Have they not realized that wise leadership has cared for them and encompassed them with goodness, and that their homeland has honoured them and raised their status among nations? Yet their response is nothing but ingratitude and betrayal, breaking covenants and trusts. Allah says: وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ بِالطَّيِّبِ. “And do not exchange the bad for the good” (Qurʾān 4:2). O youth of the homeland: fear Allah concerning your country. Beware of being deceived by the words of corrupt traitors who cloak themselves in the garments of the righteous, yet: هُمْ شَرُّ الْخَلْقِ وَالْخَلِيقَةِ “They are the worst of creation.” (Muslim) The best of Messengers ﷺ warned us severely about them, saying: يَخْرُجُ فِيكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَحْقِرُونَ صَلَاتَكُمْ مَعَ صَلَاتِهِمْ، وَصِيَامَكُمْ مَعَ صِيَامِهِمْ، وَعَمَلَكُمْ مَعَ عَمَلِهِمْ، وَيَقْرَؤُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لَا يُجَاوِزُ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ “There will emerge among you a people whose prayer you will consider insignificant compared to their prayer, your fasting compared to their fasting, and your deeds compared to their deeds. They recite the Qurʾān but it does not go beyond their throats. They will pass through the religion as an arrow passes through the target.” (Bukhari and Muslim)  The Sunnah of Allah has already passed that their plots are repelled, and that the sincere are empowered to thwart their treachery: وَإِنْ يُرِيدُوا خِيَانَتَكَ فَقَدْ خَانُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَأَمْكَنَ مِنْهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ “And if they intend to betray you, they have already betrayed Allah before, so He gave you power over them. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise” (Qurʾān 8:71). So be, O children of the homeland, be firm upon your religion, loyal and sincere to your homeland, working day and night for its sake, united behind its leadership. For true loyalty is among the traits of the people of fidelity. “O you who believe, obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you” (Qurʾān 4:59). I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you—so seek His forgiveness. Second Sermon All praise is due to Allah alone, and blessings and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. To proceed: O believers—indeed, among the greatest losses for a person in this world and the Hereafter is that harm should come to his homeland through him. So, beware of being the breach through which your enemy enters to harm your country. The Prophet ﷺ said: أَلَا كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible (for his flock).” (Bukhari and Muslim) So, remain faithful to your covenant—the one you have repeated since your childhood with your tongue and your heart: “We would sacrifice our souls for you, O homeland.” Allah says: فَمَنْ نَكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنْكُثُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَوْفَى بِمَا عَاهَدَ عَلَيْهُ اللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا “So, whoever breaks his pledge only breaks it against himself, and whoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allah—He will grant him a tremendous reward.” (Qurʾān 48:10) We praise Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for having provided our precious homeland with vigilant eyes and alert men from among the state’s security institutions—those who have been and continue to be a fortified fortress for your safety and a strong barrier for your comfort and happiness. They cut off calamities before they arise and expose betrayal before it appears. They deserve from us greetings of appreciation and reverence. How great is their reward with their Lord, and how noble is the saying of our Prophet ﷺ concerning them: ‌عَيْنَانِ ‌لَا تَمَسُّهُمَا النَّارُ؛ عَيْنٌ بَكَتْ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ، وَعَيْنٌ بَاتَتْ تَحْرُسُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ “Two eyes shall not be touched by the Fire: an eye that wept out of fear of Allah, and an eye that spent the night guarding in the way of Allah.” (Tirmidhī) It is our religious and national duty to cooperate with them in safeguarding and protecting the homeland. Whoever observes in another any sign of betrayal toward the homeland, or abuse toward its symbols, should report it through the official platform designated for receiving reports of extremism, espionage, and harm to the state and its symbols—even if that person is among those closest to him. For the homeland is more precious than everything, and love for it does not admit division between two loyalties. Whoever conceals a traitor is himself one of the traitors, and falls under the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: لَعَنَ اللَّهُ ‌مَنْ ‌آوَى ‌مُحْدِثًا “Allah has cursed the one who shelters an innovator (or wrongdoer).” (Muslim) We also extend our deepest gratitude and fullest appreciation to the protectors of the land—our armed forces—who continue to offer the greatest sacrifices in devotion and loyalty to the homeland and its wise leadership. Indeed, the sixth day of the coming month of May is a historic day in the journey of our blessed state, as we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the unification of the armed forces, which—under wise leadership—have become a fortified shield for the homeland against those who harbour hatred and enmity. O Allah, send blessings, peace, and barakah upon our master and Prophet Muḥammad, the Seal of the Messengers, and upon his family, his pure wives—the Mothers of the Believers—and his noble companions. O Allah, be pleased with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī, and with all the noble Companions. O Allah, protect our homeland. Grant success to our leadership through Your guidance. Support our forces with Your power. Grant firmness and rectitude to our security personnel. O Allah, whoever intends good for our homeland, grant him success in every good. And whoever intends evil against it, turn his plotting back upon himself; make his destruction lie in his own planning; nullify his efforts, frustrate his schemes, return his evil upon him, and let the circle of evil fall upon him. Indeed, You are the Strong, the Mighty. O Allah, protect the youth of our homeland from destructive ideas and extremist loyalties. Grant success to parents in safeguarding their children from the dangers of extremism and terrorism, and gladden their eyes with the sincerity of their children’s loyalty, their devotion to their homeland, and excellence in their learning and deeds. O Allah, make us believers in You, devoted in worship to You, truthful and loyal to our homeland, dutiful to our parents—have mercy on them as they raised us when we were young, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, we ask You for the completion of blessings, the abidingness of well-being, the perfection of goodness, and the most beautiful forms of Your clemency. O Allah, protect Shaykh Muḥammad bin Zāyid, President of the State, with Your protection; be for him a helper and support, a guide and one who grants success; bless his life and his deeds. O Allah, grant success to him, his deputies, his brothers—the rulers of the Emirates—and his trustworthy Crown Prince, in that which You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Shaykh Zāyid, Shaykh Rāshid, and the leaders of the Emirates who have passed to Your mercy. Admit them by Your grace into the expanses of Your gardens and envelop the martyrs of the homeland in Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy upon the believing men and women, the living and the dead. O Allah, make what You send down of rain a rain of mercy and blessing, by which You increase blessings and bring forth goodness. O servants of Allah: remember Allah, the Great and Majestic—He will remember you; be grateful to Him for His blessings—He will increase you. And establish the prayer.