The Prophet ﷺ with His Daughters

First Sermon All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the earth and the heavens. He has filled the hearts of parents with mercy toward their sons and daughters. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, 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 those who follow him. As for what follows: I advise you, servants of Allah, and myself, to fear Allah. The Exalted says: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً﴾. “O mankind! Fear your Lord, Who created you from a single soul, and created from it its mate, and dispersed from both of them many men and women.”  O Believers: Today, we live with you in the blessed atmosphere of the Prophetic household, to reflect upon a relationship that carried the finest meanings of fatherhood and embodied the most beautiful images of affection and mercy. It is the relationship of the Prophet ﷺ with his four daughters, the affectionate and precious ones, the pure and devout, whom Allah Almighty granted him through Khadījah (may Allah be pleased with her). He rejoiced at their births, thanked Allah the Giver, for them, and chose for them the best and most beautiful of names. Zaynab: meaning the goodly tree, pleasant in appearance and fragrance. Ruqayyah: derived from ruqiyy (elevation), signifying high rank and noble status. Umm Kulthūm: meaning one of beautiful face and cheeks, a hopeful sign of her health and wellbeing. Fāṭimah: from faṭm (weaning, detachment), symbolizing separation from all unbecoming habits, a hopeful sign of her righteousness and the forming of a blessed family. And the Prophet ﷺ was the best of compassionate fathers to his daughters. He rejoiced at their coming and welcomed them with kindness. When He saw his daughter Fāṭimah approaching, He would rise to greet her and warmly say: «‌مَرْحَبًا ‌بِابْنَتِي»  “Welcome, O my daughter”. This deep love bore fruit in her character, as she followed the example of her tender-hearted father and modelled herself upon his blessed guidance.  It is narrated from the Mother of the Believers, ʿĀ’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), that she said: ‌مَا ‌رَأَيْتُ ‌أَحَدًا ‌كَانَ ‌أَشْبَهَ حَدِيثًا وَكَلَامًا بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ فَاطِمَةَ. وَكَانَتْ إِذَا دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ قَامَ إِلَيْهَا، فَرَحَّبَ بِهَا وَقَبَّلَهَا، وَأَجْلَسَهَا فِي مَجْلِسِهِ، وَكَانَ إِذَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا قَامَتْ إِلَيْهِ، فَأَخَذَتْ بِيَدِهِ فَرَحَّبَتْ بِهِ وَقَبَّلَتْهُ، وَأَجْلَسَتْهُ فِي مَجْلِسِهَا» “I never saw anyone whose manner of speech and conversation more closely resembled the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than Fāṭimah. Whenever she entered upon him, He would rise to greet her, welcome her, kiss her, and seat her in his place. And whenever He entered upon her, she would rise to greet Him, take his hand, welcome Him, kiss Him, and seat Him in her place.” Her actions mirrored his actions, her words echoed his words, and her demeanor reflected his demeanor. How could it be otherwise, when she was a noble part of him ﷺ? He rejoiced at her joy, and grieved at her grief, and he would say: «‌فَاطِمَةُ ‌بَضْعَةٌ ‌مِنِّي، فَمَنْ أَغْضَبَهَا أَغْضَبَنِي». “Fāṭimah is a part of me; whoever angers her has angered me.” He entrusted her with his secrets and poured his compassion upon her. Such is the ideal bond between a daughter and her parents: she finds in them a safe refuge, where she can confide her worries and share what troubles her, especially with her mother, the one closest to her and the most compassionate toward her. O servants of Allah: Among the manifestations of our Prophet’s ﷺ love for his daughters is that, after his mission, he chose for them husbands who were equal in worth, men of sound religion and noble character. He ﷺ said: : «إِذَا خَطَبَ إِلَيْكُمْ مَنْ تَرْضَوْنَ ‌دِينَهُ ‌وَخُلُقَهُ فَزَوِّجُوهُ، إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوا تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ عَرِيضٌ» “If someone whose religion and character you are pleased with comes to you seeking marriage, then marry him [to your daughter]. If you do not, there will be tribulation on earth and widespread corruption.” Through this, he taught us that facilitating the marriage of daughters is one of the noble deeds, and that preventing them from marrying is among the gravest sins. And from his noble example ﷺ with his daughters was his continuous care for them. Marriage did not sever that bond; rather, he would visit them, show kindness to their children, honour their husbands, and reconcile between them, so that they might live in happiness, harmony, and affection. It is narrated that one day he ﷺ came to the house of Fāṭimah and did not find ʿAlī there. He asked her: “Where is your cousin?” She replied: “Something occurred between me and him. He became upset with me and left.” So, the Prophet ﷺ went to him, comforted him with words that eased his heart, removed his anger, and then brought him back home, reconciling him with his wife.   And among the gentle touches of his fatherhood and the noble stances he ﷺ displayed is that when one of his daughters fell ill, he showed deep concern for her and ensured she received care. When his daughter Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased with her) became sick, he ﷺ kept her husband, ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him), by her side so that he could tend to her and look after her with kindness. So, fear Allah with regard to your daughters, and follow the guidance of your beloved Prophetﷺ.    Allah Almighty says: . ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾. “O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you.” sI say these words of mine, and I ask Allah for forgiveness for me and for you; so seek His forgiveness, for He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.    Second Sermon: All praise is due to Allah, the Most Generous, the Most Appreciative, who says: ﴿يَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ إِنَاثًا وَيَهَبُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ الذُّكُورَ﴾، “He grants to whom He wills female [children], and He grants to whom He wills male” And may peace and blessings be upon His trustworthy Prophet, and upon his family, his companions, and those who follow them. As for what follows: O you who follow the example of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, indeed daughters bring joy and comfort to life, and they fill homes with mercy and affection. Your Prophet ﷺ urged you to show kindness to them and to take care of their needs. He said ﷺ: : «مَنْ عَالَ ‌بِنْتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَ بَنَاتٍ ... حَتَّى يَبِنَّ -أَيْ: يَتَزَوَّجْنَ- أَوْ يَمُوتَ عَنْهُنَّ؛ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَهُوَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ هَكَذَا». وَأَشَارَ بِأُصْبُعَيْهِ الْوُسْطَى وَالسَّبَّابَةِ. “Whoever supports two or three daughters until they marry or until he passes away leaving them behind, I and he will be in Paradise like this.” And he pointed with his middle finger and index finger.  O servants of Allah, bring up your daughters with modesty and decency, and raise them surrounded by beauty, elegance, and grace. Take care of them with gifts and presents, just as your Prophet ﷺ used to do. He would dress his daughters in silk garments  and adorn them with gold jewelry. When a gold ring was gifted to the Prophet ﷺ (by the King of Abyssinia), He gave it to his granddaughter Umamah bint Zainab, saying: «تَحَلَّيْ بِهَذَا يَا بُنَيَّةُ» “Adorn yourself with this, my little daughter”  honouring and caring for his daughters and granddaughters in a way that suits their nature, pleases their taste, and complements their femininity. So, fear Allah, O fathers, regarding your daughters, for they are a trust upon your shoulders, an adornment for your homes, and a source of joy and delight for you in this world and the Hereafter. Be keen to honor them and provide for them; do not withhold your wealth or affection from them. Give extra attention and care to the daughter who is the only child among her siblings, for she is most in need of your compassion and guardianship. By doing so, you fulfill your trust towards the gift of Allah and your duty in building human beings and elevating the nation. Daughters are half of society, mothers of the future, makers of heroes, and contributors to the advancement of their homeland. Allah speaks the truth when He says: ﴿وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ﴾. ﴾ And for them is an equal share of what is owed to them in kindness ﴿ 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 believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace. (Al-Ahzab: 56) O Allah, send Your blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and bestow Your peace, blessings, and grace upon him, his pure and righteous family, his wives, the Mothers of the Believers, and his daughters, the virtuous and distinguished.  O Allah, be pleased with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and with all the noble companions. O Allah, make us believers devoted to You, worshippers of You, kind and righteous toward our daughters, dutiful toward our parents, and have mercy upon them as they raised us when we were small, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, protect the State of the Emirates, oversee it with Your care and attention, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, preserve Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, President of the State, keep him steadfast and wise, and grant success to him, his deputies, his brothers the rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince in all that 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 into Your mercy, and admit them, by Your grace, into the vastness of Your Paradise. Include the martyrs of the nation in Your mercy and forgiveness.  O Allah, have mercy on all Muslims, men and women, both the living and the deceased. Servants of Allah: Remember Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you in them. And establish the prayer.