Observe Its Fruit

First Khutba All praise is due to Allah who provides His servants with good things and brings forth all kinds of fruits for them. I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that our master and prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, you’re your peace and blessings upon him, his family, and his companions, and those who follow his guidance in the best of ways till the Last Day. To Continue: I advise you, O servants of Allah, and myself to have taqwa of  Allah. For He, the Exalted, says: وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ O Believers: Allah says: أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ ‌مُخْتَلِفًا ‌أَلْوَانُهَا Glory be to Him, our great Creator, the wise manager of all affairs, who has spread out and extended the earth, adorned it with flora, trees, and all forms of green vegetation,  beautified it with flowers, and laden it with fruits. He has called us in about seventy places in His Book to contemplate upon such signs so that we may value them as they deserve. For He, the Exalted, says: يُنْبِتُ لَكُمْ بِهِ الزَّرْعَ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالْأَعْنَابَ وَمِنْ كُلِّ ‌الثَّمَرَاتِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ Yes, these are signs from Allah, indicating His perfect power, complete knowledge, wisdom, vast grace, and mercy, for those who contemplate them with the eyes of their hearts and insight. Consider the plants of the earth and look at the effects of what the King has made. O servants of Allah, contemplate the many forms of vegetation and their flowers and fruits, ponder their pleasant scent, the alignment of their parts, and the harmony of their leaves. Glory be to Him who created and fashioned them for: ذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ ‌فَتَبَارَكَ ‌اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ No leaf falls without His knowledge, nor does anything remain without His permission. وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ O Allah, make us contemplate Your marvellous creation and guide us all to Your obedience and the obedience of those whom You have commanded us to obey in Your saying: O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. I say this and ask Allah for forgiveness. Second Khutba All praise is due to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no other Prophet. O Servants of Allah: Among the greatest and finest forms of vegetations and trees is the palm tree, which Allah used as a metaphor for the good word, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) compared the believer to it. The palm tree is beautiful in shape and appearance, and its fruit is good and beneficial. It is a fruit served in gatherings; we feed it to our families and children, present it as a gift to our neighbours, and offer it as hospitality to our guests. This is an Arab and Islamic custom and a prophetic tradition. A guest from Medina came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he offered him a plate of dates of various kinds. So we are in the season of harvesting dates, benefiting from their advantages and fulfilling Allah's due right in them, acting upon his (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) words: كُلُوا مِنْ ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ So, if a person harvests the produce from his house or farm, and it reaches approximately five hundred and forty kilograms, he should give five percent of it, considering it has been irrigated at financial cost. Zakat should be given from the average dates and paid to its legitimate recipients and it is permissible to pay it in cash to the Zakat Fund administration. So for those in this position, they should give the zakat of their dates and fulfil the right of their Lord. May Allah accept from us and from you. And may Allah bless and grant peace to our master and prophet Sayyiduna Muhammad, his family, and all his companions. And may Allah be pleased with the rightly guided caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and all the noble companions. O Allah, increase us from Your grace, bestow upon us Your blessings, and guide us to pay zakat in obedience to Your command and in gratitude to You. O Allah, maintain safety, stability, progress, and prosperity in the UAE, and bestow upon our country, neighbours, and all lands, more success, guidance, and tranquillity. O Allah, guide the President of the Nation, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, his deputies, and his brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and his faithful crown prince to what You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and the founding leaders who established the union of nation, built its edifice, and solidified its pillars. Encompass with Your mercy Sheikh Maktoum and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, and admit them, by Your grace, into Your spacious gardens. Bestow Your mercy and forgiveness upon the martyrs. O Allah, have mercy on the Muslims, both men and women, the believers, both living and deceased. Servants of Allah, remember Allah, the Great and Glorious, and He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you. And establish the prayer.