The Status of the Elder Brother

First Khutbah All praise is due to Allah, who made the brother a blessing to be appreciated, a gift to be remembered, a source of strength to be cherished, and a pillar of support to be proud of. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner. And I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is His servant and messenger. May Allah’s peace, blessings, and mercy be upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who follow their guidance. To proceed: I advise you, O servants of Allah, and myself, to have taqwa of Allah. Allah the Exalted said: ﴿ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ﴾. “And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and [respect] the ties of kinship.” O believers: The elder brother, do you truly realize who the elder brother is? He is a part of your soul, a pulse of your heart. He is your companion in meals, your partner in memories, your playmate in childhood, your friend in youth and adolescence. Then he becomes a father after your father, and a support that protects you. When he is mentioned, strength is recalled. When he is present, wisdom attends. When he is called, help arrives. He is the loving and compassionate one, the best of companions, the refuge in times of hardship. He strengthens your back and fortifies your arm. In the Qur’an, Moses called upon his Lord and asked Him to support him with his brother, He said: “Strengthen me through him, and let him share in my task.”. ﴿اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِي. وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِي أَمْرِي﴾ Allah answered his supplication: You have been granted your request, O Moses, “We will strengthen your arm through your brother.” (Al-Qasas: 35) (سَنَشُدُّ عَضُدَكَ بِأَخِيكَ) So, O servants of Allah, how can we fulfil the rights of the elder brother? To fulfill the rights of the elder brother, we must first recognize his worth and acknowledge his status. His place in kindness and honour comes at the forefront of close family ties, after the father, the mother, and the sister. The Prophet ﷺ said: «بَرَّ أُمَّكَ وَأَبَاكَ، وَأُخْتَكَ وَأَخَاكَ، ثُمَّ أَدْنَاكَ أَدْنَاكَ» Be dutiful to your mother and your father, your sister and your brother, then those who are next closest to you. Honouring the elder brother is shown through maintaining ties with him, expressing love and affection, checking in on him and visiting him regularly, asking about him and his children, and giving him preference in gifts and generosity. One day, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) a fine garment, robe made of silk, and ʿUmar gave it to his brother to wear. (Sahih Muslim: 2068) Honouring the elder brother also includes respecting and appreciating him, showing him reverence, and treating him with dignity, in response to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: «‌لَيْسَ ‌مِنَّا ‌مَنْ ‌لَمْ ‌يُوَقِّرْ ‌كَبِيرَنَا». He is not one of us who does not show respect to our elders. It also means listening to his opinions, benefiting from his experience, and seeking his counsel and advice. ʿAbdullah ibn al-Mubarak (may Allah have mercy on him) was once asked, “what is the best thing a person can be given? And among the things he mentioned in response was: A sincere brother he can consult.”. Such a brother does not deceive him, nor abandon him. Rather, he guides him toward goodness, directs him to what is right, and loves for him what he loves for himself. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once asked one of his companions: Do you love Paradise? He replied, Yes. The Prophet ﷺ then said: «فَأَحِبَّ لِأَخِيكَ مَا تُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِكَ». Then love for your brother what you love for yourself. O servants of Allah, Among our duties toward the elder brother is that we appreciate his good deeds, forgive his mistakes, and never take cutting ties with him lightly. As the poet beautifully said: “Do not forsake your brother for a sin,  For indeed, the Generous One forgives the sin.” So what is the matter with some people who have cut ties with their brothers and sisters? Neglecting their rights, failing to ask about them or speak to them, all because of material disagreements, a passing word, suspicion, gossip, or an unintentional mistake? Let them fear Allah, their Lord, and beware the warning of their Prophet ﷺ, who said:    «لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ قَاطِعُ ‌رَحِمٍ». The one who severs the ties of kinship shall not enter Paradise O Allah, make us among those who uphold the ties of kinship, and those who honor the status of the elder brother in their families. Grant us success in obeying You, and in obeying those whom You have commanded us to obey, as You said: ﴿يا 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. I say this, and I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and you. So seek His forgiveness, indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.   Second Khutbah All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet, and upon his family, his companions, and all who follow his guidance. To proceed: O elder brother, The greatness of your position is the weight of your responsibility. There is no honour without duty, and no virtue without sacrifice. Among your siblings, you are like a just balance, correcting every crookedness. With the voice of reason, you advise them; with the tongue of wisdom, you guide them; with mercy, you shelter them; with love, you bring their hearts together. Your assist them in life’s matters, extend to them sincere counsel, and when conflict arises between them, you are the peacemaker in obedience to your Lord’s command: ﴿فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ﴾. So make peace between your brothers. You are their shade and their shelter, so beware of neglecting their rights or falling short in your duty toward them. Do not let your eyes long for what they possess, nor your hands reach toward their wealth, for the consequences of such behaviour are severe, and its harmful outcomes are grave. So be fair with them, and eager for their wellbeing. Do not sever your ties of kinship with them. Be a good example for them, for through you and in this way your family will be cohesive, kinship ties will be strengthened, and brotherhood will be preserved.  All of this is goodness for you in the sight of your Lord, a form of kindness to your parents, a lesson to your children, a preservation of your family’s honour, a service to your community, and a loyalty to your homeland. ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾. ﴾ Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet so, you who believe, bless him too and give him greetings of peace.﴿ O Allah, send Your peace, blessings, and grace upon our master and Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, his companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness. O Allah, be pleased with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī, and with all the noble Companions. O Allah, make us believers in You, devoted in worship to You, turning always in repentance toward You. Make us among those who maintain bonds with our brothers and sisters, who appreciate their worth, and who are righteous to our parents have mercy on them, as they raised us when we were small, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, bless the United Arab Emirates with continued stability, growth, and prosperity. Grant us ongoing well-being, bless our provisions, our spouses, and our children. O Allah, guide the President of the Nation, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, his deputies, his brothers the rulers of the Emirates, and his loyal Crown Prince, to all that You love and are pleased with.  O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and all the founding leaders. Admit them, by Your grace, into the vast gardens of Paradise. Shower Your mercy and forgiveness upon the martyrs of the homeland. O Allah, have mercy on the Muslim men and women, the believing men and women—those living and those who have passed away. O Allah, send down upon us Your rain, and do not make us among the despairing.  O Allah, grant us rain. O Allah, grant us rain. O Allah, grant us rain. ﴿‌رَبَّنَا ‌آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴾ . ﴾ Our Lord, grant us goodness in this life and goodness in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire ﴿. O servants of Allah, remember Allah and He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you. Establish the prayer.