The Blessing of Artificial Intelligence

First Sermon: All praise be to Allah, the Most Mighty, the Most Generous, who “Taught man what he did not know”. ، ﴿عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ﴾. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. May Allah’s peace, blessings, and salutations be upon him, his family, his companions, and all who follow him. To proceed: I advise you, servants of Allah, and myself, to have taqwa of Allah,  “Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will teach you; and Allah is Knowing of all things” ﴿وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾. O believers: Among the greatest blessings that Allah has bestowed upon His servants, and among the most magnificent favors with which He has graced His creation, is that He has granted them minds that think and create, and intellects that innovate and invent, so that they may use them in what benefits them in this world and the Hereafter.  Allah the Exalted says: “And Allah brought you out of your mothers’ wombs knowing nothing, and He made for you hearing, sight, and hearts, so that you might be thankful”. ﴿وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ﴾.  No invention ever illuminated the world, nor any discovery ever benefited humanity, except that behind it stood a keen mind and a brilliant intellect. And from this enlightened human mind, and its penetrating thought, artificial intelligence emerged; it is a fruit of human thinking and a manifestation of the capacities of the human intellect that Allah has placed within us, so that we may use it to benefit from what He has subjected for us on earth of divine gifts and heavenly favors, and employ them in paths of goodness. Allah the Exalted says: ﴿وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِّنْهُ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾. “And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, all from Him. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought.” Servants of Allah: Artificial intelligence is a useful tool that has made people’s lives easier. It has reduced effort and saved time, facilitated learning and education, expanded the horizons of research and knowledge, accelerated progress, provided solutions to complex problems, improved the quality of services, supported creativity and innovation, and opened doors to advancement and prosperity. It has enabled us to be more capable of cultivating the earth in the best manner, and of fulfilling what Allah has entrusted us with in the most excellent way, in accordance with His saying: ﴿وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ الْأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ﴾. “And He it is who has made you successors upon the earth and raised some of you above others in degrees, that He may test you in what He has given you.” Meaning: that He may test you regarding the bounty He has granted you and see how you show gratitude for His gifts and how you invest and make use of His blessings. So how can we benefit from the blessing of artificial intelligence? If you desire the best and most complete use of AI, then be keen to learn about it, teach it to your children, keep pace with its development, and follow its rapid progress. This is part of the beneficial knowledge that we have been commanded to seek more of, as Allah the Exalted says:       ﴿وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا﴾ “And say: My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” Be aware of its benefits so you may attain them and be aware of its harms so you may avoid them, for our Prophet ﷺ said: «احْرِصْ ‌عَلَى ‌مَا ‌يَنْفَعُكَ». “Strive for what benefits you.” And surround your use of it with a framework of human principles, and religious and national values. For through good utilization a blessing grows, and through gratitude a favor increases. Allah the Most High says:           ﴿وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ﴾ “And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed: If you are grateful, I will surely increase you.” Let artificial intelligence be a motivator for you to achieve and to work, not a reason for neglect or laziness. Make it a helper in performing your tasks, not a replacement for you. Do not give up your role in reviewing its outputs, verifying them, and confirming their sources, for “verification is half of knowledge”  ”التَّثَبُّتُ نِصْفُ الْعِلْمِ Indeed, artificial intelligence is a trust, and Allah, as He said, commands: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا﴾ “Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due.” Use artificial intelligence as a tool for building and development, not a means of corruption or harm; as a path to awareness and advancement, not an avenue for negligence or wasted time. Allah the Exalted says: ﴿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, and I ask Allah for forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Second Sermon: Praise be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet, and upon his family, his companions, and those who follow his guidance. To continue: O believers, Allah has truly blessed us in the United Arab Emirates with a wise leadership, endowed with a forward-looking vision and an insightful outlook, that has turned artificial intelligence into a blessing that strengthens values and benefits humankind. In education, it provides more complete knowledge and broader learning; in health, more accurate diagnosis and advanced care; in the economy, higher opportunities and smarter systems; in agriculture, easier effort and greater output; in government institutions, wider services and faster achievements; in the environment, more effective conservation and sustainable resources. All this has contributed to the flourishing of humanity, the improvement of the quality of life, the preservation of our society’s values and security, and the enhancement of our nation’s stature and prestige. As a result, our precious country has risen among the advanced nations, attaining high ranks in global competitiveness indices in the field of artificial intelligence. And these blessings could not have been achieved except by the guidance of Allah first, and then through the insightful vision and diligent efforts of our wise leadership. It is our duty, therefore, to thank them, acknowledge their deeds, appreciate their efforts, and pray for their well-being, following the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ, who said: «مَنْ صَنَعَ إِلَيْكُمْ ‌مَعْرُوفًا ‌فَكَافِئُوهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا مَا تُكَافِئُونَهُ فَادْعُوا لَهُ، حَتَّى تَرَوْا أَنَّكُمْ قَدْ كَافَأْتُمُوهُ» “If someone does you a kindness, repay him. And if you cannot find anything with which to repay him, then pray for him until you feel you have repaid his kindness..” So, we ask Allah the Exalted to reward our wise leadership for our nation and for us with the best and most complete reward, and to elevate their status. We also ask Him, Glory be to Him, to teach us what benefits us, benefit us with what He has taught us, and increase us in beneficial knowledge that we may act upon in a manner that pleases Him. O Allah, You have blessed us with knowledge, understanding, and technology. Make them, O our Lord, a strength for good, a means for development, and a cause for the elevation of humanity. Grant us success in employing them for the benefit of our religion, our worldly affairs, our nation, and our society. Make them, O Lord, a gateway to goodness and mercy, not a door to harm or tribulation, and inspire our sons and daughters to learn them in ways that benefit them and elevate their nation. O Allah, send Your blessings, peace, and grace upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, his companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness. O Allah, be pleased with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and with all the noble Companions. O Allah, O Most Loving, Lord of the Glorious Throne, O You who do whatever You will, we ask You by Your might which none can resist, by Your dominion which none can diminish, and by Your light that fills the pillars of Your Throne, to grant each of us his request, fulfill his needs, expand his chest, and ease his affairs. O Allah, protect our homeland, strengthen our prosperity, bless the world with peace, and spread love and harmony throughout its corners. O Allah, guard the United Arab Emirates with Your protection, protect it with Your care, and surround it with Your kindness, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, safeguard, with Your divine protection, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, President of the State. Grant him continued wisdom and right guidance. 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 late leaders of the Emirates who have passed into Your mercy. Admit them by Your grace into Your vast gardens and envelop the martyrs of the nation with Your mercy and forgiveness.  O Allah, have mercy on the Muslim men and women, the living among them and the deceased. O Allah, Most Merciful and Most Generous, send us rain, and do not make us among those who despair. O Allah, send us rain. O Allah, send us rain. O Allah, send us rain. O Allah, we seek Your forgiveness, You are ever Forgiving,  so send down upon us abundant rain from the sky. O Allah, bless us with beneficial, nourishing, abundant rain by which You revive the land, show mercy to the servants, and make it a source of strength and sufficiency for a time. O servants of Allah, remember Allah the Almighty and Glorious, and He will remember you. Be grateful for His blessings, and He will increase you. Establish the prayer.