Your Youth, O Young Man

First Khutbah All praise is due to Allah, who created mankind in stages, and made youth a source of strength and pride for nations. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Messenger and the Seal of His Prophets. May Allah’s peace, blessings, and mercy be upon him, his family, his companions, and all who follow his guidance. To proceed: I advise you, servants of Allah and myself to have taqwa of Allah, as Allah the Most High says: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ﴾. “O you who believe! Fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has sent forth for tomorrow.” O believers: Today’s Friday sermon is addressed to the youth. They are the present that we witness and the future we hope for. Upon their shoulders rest the aspirations of the nation, through them the edifices of glory are built, and by them the heights of honour and dignity are reached.   So, O young man, You whom Allah has blessed with the strength of will, firmness of determination, sharpness of intellect, clarity of thought, and the vitality of the body, strengthen your faith in your Lord. Indeed, Allah praised young men in your stage of life, saying: ﴿إِنَّهُمْ فِتْيَةٌ آمَنُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ وَزِدْنَاهُمْ هُدًى﴾ “They were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.” Yes, they believed in Allah, their Lord, and He, the Most High, increased them in guidance: guidance that straightened their thoughts, brought tranquility to their souls, and peace to their hearts. Turn with devotion to worshiping your Lord, for your prayer and acts of obedience will regulate your affairs and bring happiness to your life. ﴿مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً﴾ “Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer, We will surely cause him to live a good life.” O servants of Allah, The conscious, responsible youth realizes that his youth is a blessing that must be seized and an amanah (trust) for which he will be questioned by Allah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ» -وَمِنْهَا-: «شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هَرَمِكَ» Take advantage of five before five... And among them: Your youth before your old age. He ﷺ also said: «لَا تَزُولُ قَدَمَا ابْنِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّهِ حَتَّى يُسْأَلَ عَنْ خَمْسٍ»: «وَعَنْ شَبَابِهِ فِيمَ أَبْلَاهُ». The feet of the son of Adam will not move on the Day of Judgment from before his Lord until he is asked about five things... And among them: About his youth, how he spent it.  So, O youth, invest your youth wisely, and make good use of your time. Would any of you be pleased to waste his youth on social media? Or to let his days slip away in idle entertainment? Or to let his feet stumble into destruction? Ibn Masʿūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: إِنِّي لَأَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَرَى ‌الرَّجُلَ ‌فَارِغًا، لَا فِي عَمَلِ ‌الدُّنْيَا، وَلَا فِي عَمَلِ ‌الْآخِرَةِ  I dislike seeing a man idle, doing nothing for this world, nor for the Hereafter. O young man, Assess your abilities, examine your skills, discover your passion, and define your path and goals clearly. So that your efforts may be fruitful, and your success distinguished. Enter the workforce with strength and determination. Cast away laziness and dependency, for the Prophet ﷺ encouraged ʿAbdullāh ibn Jaʿfar to engage in trade, and when He passed by him selling something, He said: «اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَهُ فِي بَيْعِهِ» “O Allah, bless his trade.”  So, roll up your sleeves in serious effort, Benefit from the experience of your fathers and the wisdom of your forefathers. Invest in your youth and beware of wasting it in heedlessness and recklessness. Think about those who wasted their youth, did regret restore what was lost? Did their youth return after it had passed? ﴿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 these words of mine, and I ask Allah's forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness, indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. Second Khutbah All praise is due to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, after whom there is no prophet. To proceed: O believers! The stage of youth is a prime opportunity to pursue knowledge and learning, and to engage in beneficial reading. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE, may Allah preserve him, said: “The true wealth and real gain for the nation lie in the youth who are equipped with knowledge and understanding.” So, O youth of the nation, seek knowledge that grants you maturity, sharp insight, awareness, and wisdom. And strive to maintain chastity, O youth, for as the Prophet ﷺ said: «مَنْ ‌يَسْتَعْفِفْ يُعِفَّهُ اللَّهُ» “Whoever seeks to remain chaste, Allah will help him be chaste.” O young people! Hasten to marriage, for it is among the greatest means to attain chastity. Our Prophet ﷺ said: «يَا مَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ! مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمُ ‌الْبَاءَةَ ‌فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ؛ فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ، وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ». “O young men, whoever among you is able to marry, let him do so, for it helps lower the gaze and guard one’s chastity.” And beware of sins committed in private, for they provoke the anger of the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Such sins block divine success, strip away divine support, and weaken your health, and your health, O young man, is your greatest capital in life and your provision for old age. How beautiful are the words of one of the righteous, who had lived beyond a hundred years and was still in good health. He said: These limbs, we guarded them in our youth, so Allah preserved them for us in our old age.   هَذِهِ جَوَارِحُ ‌حَفِظْنَاهَا ‌فِي ‌الصِّغَرِ، فَحَفِظَهَا اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْكِبَرِ And I advise you, young man, to prepare yourself to shoulder your responsibilities in building your life, establishing your family, and contributing to shaping your nation’s future. Take pride in your identity, uphold the values of your society, remain attached to your language, stay connected to your family and loved ones, and be keen to attend the gatherings of elders, people of wisdom, and knowledge. Adorn yourself with good manners, speak truthfully, and in every situation, control your emotions. Think carefully about the consequences of your actions. Guard your tongue and limbs. Avoid temptations, doubts, and the paths of addiction and desires. These are the qualities of wise and noble individuals. The Prophet ﷺ said: «احْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ، وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ، وَلَا تَعْجِزْ». “Be keen on what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not give up.” 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, send blessings upon him and peace in abundance. O Allah, send Your peace, blessings, and mercy upon our Prophet Muhammad. O Allah, send abundant peace and blessings upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness. O Allah, make us firm in faith in You, devoted in worship to You, invested in the best use of our youth, and dutiful to our parents. Have mercy on them as they raised us when we were small, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, protect the United Arab Emirates, guard it with Your care, and envelop it with Your divine protection, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, preserve Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the President of the UAE. Grant him wisdom and righteousness, and bless him, his deputies, his brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince to do what pleases You. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and all the rulers of the Emirates who have passed away. Admit them by Your grace into the vastness of Your Paradise. Encompass our nation's martyrs with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on all Muslim men and women, those who are alive and those who have passed away. O servants of Allah: Remember Allah, the Most Great and Majestic He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings and He will increase you in favor. And establish the prayer.