If you ask, then ask Allah

First Khutbah All praise belongs to Allah, the All-Powerful, the All-Encompassing, the One who gives and withholds. By His grace, those who hope attach themselves to Him, and upon Him those who trust place their reliance. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and we bear witness that our master and Prophet Muḥammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. O Allah, send Your prayers, peace, and blessings upon him, upon his family, his companions, and all those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. To continue: I enjoin you, O servants of Allah—and myself—to have taqwā of Allah. The Exalted says: إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مُحْسِنُونَ “Indeed, Allah is with those who have taqwā of Him and those who excel in goodness” (Qurʾān 16:128). O believers: On one occasion, ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both) was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet turned to him with the gaze of a compassionate nurturer and a wise teacher, then addressed his heart with words that made the young boy feel his worth and his place in the care of the Messenger ﷺ. He said: يَا غُلَامُ “O young boy…” Then he drew his attention further by saying: إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ “I am going to teach you some words” So that his mind would be prepared and he would realize that what was coming was precious and deserving of attention. Then he conveyed knowledge in brief expressions containing vast meanings—words that establish certainty in the hearts, connect souls to the Lord of the worlds, and teach the human being sincerity in turning to his Lord and complete trust in the management of his Creator. He ﷺ said: احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ “Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you” (al-Tirmidhī). Reflect, O servants of Allah, on the words of the Prophet ﷺ: “Be mindful of Allah, and He will protect you”—that is, act upon what Allah has commanded you, and guard your limbs from what He has forbidden. Allah says: إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًا “Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—each of these will be questioned” (Qurʾān 17:36). Whoever restrains these from the unlawful and protects them from wrongdoing, Allah will forgive his slips. So be mindful of Allah in your private and public states, in all your times and conditions—He will preserve you in yourself, your family, and your wealth. For He is: خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ “The best of protectors, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy” (Qurʾān 12:64). Likewise: “Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him before you”—entails He will support you with His guidance, encompass you with His gentleness, and aid you with His divine enabling. For He says: وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ “And indeed, Allah is with the believers” (Qurʾān 8:19). Servants of Allah: In a profound prophetic directive, in words that are comprehensive, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلِ اللَّهَ “If you ask, then ask Allah” (al-Tirmidhī). That is, direct your asking to Him alone, and do not call upon other than Him. For supplication is worship, and Allah has commanded that none be worshipped but Him. He says: أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ “For your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him” (Qurʾān 17:23). So set your face toward the religion, upright for your Lord, sincere in supplication and hope in your Creator, as He says: وَأَنْ أَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ * وَلَا تَدْعُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُكَ وَلَا يَضُرُّكَ فَإِنْ فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذًا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ “Set your face toward the religion, upright, and do not be among the polytheists. And do not call upon besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you—if you do so, then you would indeed be among the wrongdoers” (Qurʾān 10:105–106). Yes—he has wronged himself who places worship in other than its rightful place. How can one seek other than Allah? How can one ask from other than Him, while His treasures are full and His generosity cannot be exhausted? One of the righteous said: “O my Lord, I am amazed at one who knows You—how can he hope in other than You? And I am amazed at one who knows You—how can he seek help from other than You?” So, turn, O servant of Allah, to Him. Humble yourself before Him. Do not hasten the fruits of your supplication, for there is wisdom in delay. The Prophet ﷺ said: مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنٍ يَنْصُبُ وَجْهَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ يَسْأَلُهُ مَسْأَلَةً؛ إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ إِيَّاهَا، إِمَّا عَجَّلَهَا لَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، وَإِمَّا ذَخَرَهَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مَا لَمْ يَعْجَلْ “There is no believer who turns his face to Allah asking Him for something except that He gives it to him—either granting it to him in this world or storing it for him in the Hereafter—so long as he does not become impatient” saying: دَعَوْتُ وَدَعَوْتُ وَلَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لِي “I supplicated and supplicated, but I do not see a response” (Adab al-Mufrad). Do not stand at the door of your Lord like one testing and experimenting, but like one certain and filled with great hope. Seek nearness to Him through what He has legislated and call upon Him through His most beautiful Names. Allah says: وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ “To Allah belong the most beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them” (Qurʾān 7:180). And seek help from Him alone, without partner. Have you not heard the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ “And if you seek help, then seek help from Allah” (al-Tirmidhī)? How could it be otherwise, when in every rakʿah of our prayer we say: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ “You alone we worship, and You alone we seek help from” (Qurʾān 1:5). O Lord, You are Allah—my sufficiency and my provision; upon You I rely, humbly and in trust. “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you” (Qurʾān 4:59). I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you—so seek His forgiveness. The Second Khutbah All praise is due to Allah alone, and prayers and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. To proceed: O believers, in this noble hadith the Prophet ﷺ taught us the meanings of gentleness and wisdom in dealing with our children, and the subtle grace of speaking with our young ones, so that we may nourish their hearts with certainty and build within their souls trust in the Lord of the worlds. The Prophet ﷺ made clear to the young boy the reality of a person’s relationship with his Lord, directing him to rely upon Him alone, then unveiling for him the secret of that reliance and its fruit. Thus he said ﷺ in his counsel to Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with them both: وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَكَ، وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ “Know that if the whole ummah were to gather to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you except with something that Allah has already written for you; and if they were to gather to harm you with something, they would not harm you except with something that Allah has already written against you.” This is certainty in Allah. None possesses benefit or harm except Him, and none possesses giving or withholding besides Him. If all creation together desired to benefit you with something Allah had not decreed, they would never be able to do so; and if they desired to harm you with something Allah had not written against you, they would never be able to do so. Reflect on the saying of Allah Most High: وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ “If Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He; and if He touches you with good, then He has power over all things.” (Qurʾān 6:17). And ponder His saying, Mighty and Majestic: أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِالَّذِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِ “Is Allah not sufficient for His servant? Yet they frighten you with those besides Him.” (Qurʾān 39:36). The decree of Allah unfolds as He wills. There is none who can alter His will, none who can repel His command, and none who can overturn His judgment. At the conclusion of his counsel to Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with them both, the Prophet ﷺ said: رُفِعَتِ الْأَقْلامُ وَجَفَّتِ الصُّحُفُ “The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” So, glory be to the One in whose hand is the whole affair: وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ الْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ “And to Him the whole affair is returned, so worship Him and rely upon Him.” (Qurʾān 11:123). Creation is His creation, and governance is His governance. Whoever finds coolness of the eye in Allah, and whose certainty in his Master becomes firmly rooted, his heart is calmed, his breast is expanded, fears become light upon him, obstacles soften before him, and challenges shrink in his sight. This, and may Allah send prayers, peace, and blessings upon our master and Prophet Muḥammad, upon his family, his companions, and the followers; and may Allah be pleased with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī, and all the noble Companions. O Allah, make us believers through You, worshippers devoted to You, trusting in Your generosity, certain of Your support, dutiful to our parents, and have mercy upon them as they raised us when we were young, O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, grant us wellbeing and pardon us; forgive us and have mercy on us; let us enjoy our hearing and our sight for as long as You keep us alive; and preserve us, our homeland, and our families with Your protection, and encompass us with Your care. O Allah, O Hearer of all voices, O Answerer of supplications, O You whom nothing in the earth or the heavens can frustrate: preserve the Emirates from every direction; preserve its leadership, its people, and those residing upon its land; preserve its land, its sea, and its sky; protect it from the aggression of aggressors, from the evil of enemies and the spiteful, and turn their schemes back upon them, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, preserve the brave soldiers of our homeland on land, at sea, and in the air. Make their aim true, make their feet firm, and strengthen their hearts. O Allah, they have exerted their utmost effort and stretched themselves to the limits of their capacity, so grant them abundant reward and recompense, raise their ranks, and grant them victory over Your enemies and theirs. O Allah, be for them a protecting friend and a helper, an aid and a supporter, and shield them from the evil of every possessor of evil whose forelock is in Your grasp. Truly, You are Preserver over all things. O Allah, preserve Shaykh Muḥammad bin Zāyid, the President of the State, with Your protection; support him with Your victory; prepare right guidance for him in his affairs; be for him a helper and a support, a guide and one who grants success. Illuminate his insight, grant success to his path, make his word and deed upright, bless his life and his work, and make him a key to goodness, a lock against evil, and successful in every matter. O Allah, 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 upon Shaykh Zāyid, Shaykh Rāshid, and the rulers of the Emirates who have passed on to Your mercy. Admit them by Your grace into the vastness of Your gardens, and envelop the martyrs of the homeland in Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy upon the Muslim men and Muslim women, the living among them and the dead. O Allah, make what You have sent down of Your rain a rainfall of mercy and blessing, by which You increase blessings and bring forth abundant good. Servants of Allah, remember Allah, the Magnificent, the Majestic, and He will remember you. Thank Him for His blessings and He will increase you. And establish the prayer.