My Lord, Make This Land Secure

First Sermon All praise belongs to Allah, the Strong and Firm. Allah says: “Indeed Allah does not love the transgressors.” (Qurʾān 2:190) And He says: “Allah does not rectify the work of the corrupters.” (Qurʾān 10:81) We bear witness that there is no god except Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. And we bear witness that our master and our Prophet Muḥammad is the Seal of the Messengers. O Allah, send Your prayers, peace and blessings upon him, upon his family and companions altogether, and upon those who follow his guidance with excellence until the Day of Judgment. To Continue:  I advise you, servants of Allah, and myself to have taqwā (God-consciousness) of Allah, the Exalted says: وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ “If you are patient and mindful of Allah, their schemes will not harm you in the least. Indeed, Allah encompasses all that they do.” (Qurʾān 3:120) O you who fast and stand in prayer: In this blessed month of yours we pause to reflect on the noble words of Allah in Sūrat Ibrāhīm: رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا “My Lord, make this land secure.” (Qurʾān 14:35) This is a blessed supplication made by the Friend of the Most Merciful, Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him), and Allah preserved it in two places in the Qurʾān (14:35 and 2:126). How could we not reflect on this supplication when we have all felt the blessing of security and safety within the United Arab Emirates, may Allah protect and guard it — and we have now been exposed to the violation of that by an unlawful and unjustified attack that violates the norms of covenants. We should take heed that Allah describes those who violate such agreements as transgressors by saying: لَا يَرْقُبُونَ فِي مُؤْمِنٍ إِلًّا وَلَا ذِمَّةً وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُعْتَدُونَ “They do not observe toward a believer any pact or covenant; and they are the transgressors.” (Qurʾān 9:10) And it is a transgression to target gatherings of peaceful people and those bowing and prostrating in prayer, violating agreements and legal norms. Allah says about anyone who violates such covenants: يَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ “They break the covenant of Allah after it has been established, sever what Allah has commanded to be joined, and spread corruption in the earth. Those are the losers.” (Qurʾān 2:27) Those committing such violations do not respect the rights of neighbours nor the sanctity of this blessed month. There is no religion that can permit aggression against innocent people. No true faith allows the violation of innocent lives. And if people claim justifications through their faith, then Allah says about such people: قُلْ بِئْسَمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِهِ إِيمَانُكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ “Say: Evil indeed is what your faith commands you, if you truly are believers.” (Qurʾān 2:93)  We repeat, no true moral character can ever justify attacking innocent peaceful people? The way of Islam is to prevent harm to others as our Prophet ﷺ said: الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ النَّاسُ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ “The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe.” (Tirmidhī) O people of the Emirates — citizens and residents: Your homeland is a land of strength, dignity and honour — crises only increases it in strength, challenges only increase it in resilience, and hardships only increase its unity and solidarity. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ كَالْبُنْيَانِ يَشُدُّ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضًا “The believer to another believer is like a building whose parts strengthen one another.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim) Thus, we remind the believers and the people of the Emirates in particular — through their faith in their Lord, their trust in their leadership, and their love for their Prophet ﷺ — that we should all strive to embody the words of Allah: الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ* فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَاتَّبَعُوا رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ “Those to whom people said: ‘Indeed the people have gathered against you, so fear them.’ But it only increased them in faith and they said: ‘Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.’ So, they returned with favour from Allah and bounty, no harm touching them, and they followed the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.” (Qurʾān 3:173–174) By the grace of Allah, our leadership has demonstrated insight and wisdom in accordance with the saying of Allah: وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا “Whoever is granted wisdom has indeed been given abundant good.” (Qurʾān 2:269) Our people and those residing on our land have shown responsibility, awareness, sincere love and solidarity. Those tasked with defending the nation have demonstrated great defensive capability, readiness, foresight, skill and professionalism. They have set remarkable examples of courage and recorded a heroic chapter in the history of the nation — embodying loyalty and sacrifice. For them, we hope for glad tidings in the words of the Prophet ﷺ: مَوْقِفُ سَاعَةٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قِيَامِ لَيْلَةِ ‌الْقَدْرِ عِنْدَ ‌الْحَجَرِ ‌الْأَسْوَدِ “Standing guard for one hour in the path of Allah is better than praying on Laylat al-Qadr at the Black Stone.” (Ibn Hiban) O worshippers: Busy yourselves with remembering Allah with much remembrance, and glorify Him morning and evening, and recite the Qur’an with measured recitation; so that your hearts may become tranquil thereby, and your souls may be filled with serenity.  And remember the favours of your Lord and give thanks for the blessings of your Creator. Praise Him for your security and for your provisions and contribute to their continuity through your awareness. Seek information from its proper sources and verify its correctness and beware of false rumours and misinformation, lest you be believers in them and spreaders of their contents. Adhere to the instructions of the official authorities in all matters and create with your families quiet and peaceful moments that instil in your homes optimism and positivity. Go about your daily lives with confidence and ease and trust in Allah. This nation is proud of all who live within it and contribute to its prosperity, for it strives to be a nation of goodness and generosity. So, recognize its virtue and pray that Allah continues to enable within it goodness and security, saying: “I hand you over to protection in the name of Allah, O homeland.” Allah says: “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 seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you. So, seek His forgiveness. The Second Sermon All praise belongs to Allah alone, and prayers and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. To proceed: O you who are fasting, indeed there is for you on this day an hour in which no believing servant coincides while asking Allah for good except that He gives it to him. And for the fasting person there is a supplication that is not rejected. And at the end of the prayers the gates of heaven are opened. Likewise in the pre-dawn time our Lord calls out, saying: فَيَقُولُ: ‌هَلْ ‌مِنْ ‌سَائِلٍ ‌فَأُعْطِيَهُ؟ “Is there one who asks so that I may give to him?” (Ahmad) So, seize these blessed times, and persist in supplication to the Lord of the earth and the heavens, for He is the One who said: وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ “And your Lord said: Call upon Me, I will respond to you.” (Qurʾān 40:60) O Allah, our God and the God of everything, O our great Creator, we call upon You while fasting and desiring Your mercy. O Answerer of supplications, protect the Emirates, protect its leadership and its people and those residing on its land. Protect its land and its sea, its earth and its sky, maintain its stability, guard it with Your eye that does not sleep, protect it with Your power that cannot be overcome, and preserve it with Your impregnable authority, O Answerer, O All-Hearing. O Allah, we ask You by the light of Your Face by which the heavens and the earth are illuminated that You place our country, the Emirates, in Your protection and preservation. O Allah, protect it from the aggression of the aggressors and from the evil of enemies and the spiteful. O Allah, we place You against them and seek refuge in You from their evils. You are our Lord and their Lord. Suffice us against their evil however You will and whenever You will. Indeed, You are capable of whatever You will. You are sufficient for us and the best disposer of affairs O Allah, O One who, when something is entrusted to Him, preserves it, we entrust to You our homeland, so place it in Your safety and Your guarantee. O Allah, protect the brave defenders of our homeland, strengthen their support, fortify their resolve, make their aims accurate, grant them victory and protect them from before them and from behind them, from their right and from their left, from above them and from beneath them. O Allah, send prayers and peace upon our master and our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions. O Allah, be pleased with Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān and ʿAlī, and with the rest of the noble companions. O Allah, accept from us the fasting, the standing in prayer, and the recitation of the Qurʾān, and help us in obedience to You, O Most Merciful. O Allah, make us believers in You, worshippers devoted to You, among the successful in Ramadan, dutiful to our parents, and have mercy upon them as they raised us when we were small, O Most Merciful of the merciful O Allah, protect Sheikh Muḥammad bin Zayed, the President of the State, with Your protection, encompass him with Your care, make his work in Your obedience, and grant success to him and his deputies and 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 upon Sheikh Zayed, for he was a banner of goodness and a beacon of generosity. Have mercy upon Sheikh Rashid and the sheikhs of the Emirates who have passed to Your mercy, admit them by Your grace into Your vast gardens, and encompass the martyrs of the homeland with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy upon the Muslim men and Muslim women, the living among them and the dead. O Allah, send upon us your blessings and do not make us among those who despair. O Allah, send us Your blessings. O Allah, send us Your mercy. O Allah, send us Your mercy. Servants of Allah: remember Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and He will remember you, and give thanks to Him for His blessings and He will increase you. And establish the prayer.