That is Our Prophet

The First Sermon: All praise be to Allah, Who sent to us His Messenger Muhammad, the best of His creation and the Seal of His Messengers. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone, having no partner; and I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. May Allah send His peace, and blessings upon him, upon his Family, his Companions, and all those who follow him. To proceed: I advise you, O servants of Allah, as well as myself, to observe Taqwa of Allah.  Allah the Glorified says: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَآمِنُوا بِرَسُولِهِ ‌يُؤْتِكُمْ ‌كِفْلَيْنِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ نُورًا تَمْشُونَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾. {O you who have believed, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will [then] give you a double portion of His mercy and make for you a light by which you will walk and forgive you; and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. }  O Believers: Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, says: ﴿لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ ‌رَسُولٌ ‌مِنْ ‌أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ {There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful. } He is our beloved and our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Beloved of Allah, the Seal of His Messengers, and His Chosen One. The Almighty extolled his virtues with a praise He bestowed upon no other in His creation. He praised the soundness of his intellect and the rectitude of his guidance, for He, the Glorified, said: ﴿مَا ‌ضَلَّ ‌صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَى﴾ {Your companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred.} And He praised the truthfulness of his speech and pronouncements: ﴿وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى﴾  {Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination.} And He commended his kindness and mercy, saying: ﴿‌بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ ‌رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ {...and to the believers is kind and merciful.} He expanded his chest [with assurance], forgave his faults, raised his worth, and elevated his rank and standing. The Glorified said: ﴿أَلَمْ ‌نَشْرَحْ ‌لَكَ صَدْرَكَ.  وَوَضَعْنَا عَنْكَ وِزْرَكَ. الَّذِي أَنْقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ. وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ﴾. {Did We not expand for you, [O Muhammad], your chest? * And We removed from you your burden * Which had weighed upon your back? * And We raised high for you your repute. } That is our Prophet ﷺ, the Messenger of Allah, the most honoured of all creation in the sight of Allah. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ وَمَا ذَرَأَ وَمَا بَرَأَ ‌نَفْسًا ‌أَكْرَمَ ‌عَلَى ‌اللَّهِ ‌مِنْ ‌مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، وَمَا سَمِعْتُ اللَّهَ “أَقْسَمَ بِحَيَاةِ أَحَدٍ غَيْرِهِ Allah has never created, nor originated, nor fashioned a soul more honoured to Him than Muhammad ﷺ. And I have never heard that Allah swore by the life of anyone other than him. Allah said: ﴿لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِي سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ﴾ {By your life, [O Muhammad], indeed they were, in their intoxication, wandering blindly. } Indeed, he is the best of Allah’s creation. [Poetry]: He whose noble virtues Quranic verses bring to light, Whose praise the sacred Surahs lift in glory bright. مَنْ صَرَّحَتْ بِمَزَايَا فَضْلِ سُؤْدُدِهِ … آيُ الْكِتَابِ وَشَادَتْ مَدْحَهُ السُّوَرُ. Allah sent him to the people as a caller [to faith], as a guide to the Truth, and as a bearer of glad tidings regarding Allah’s reward: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا ‌النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا. وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُنِيرًا. وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَضْلًا كَبِيرًا﴾ {O Prophet, indeed, We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And one who invites to Allah, by His permission, and an illuminating lamp. And give good tidings to the believers that they will have from Allah great bounty.} Truly, he is a favour bestowed by Allah upon all creation. ﴿‌وَمَا ‌أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ﴾ {And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. } The Prophet ﷺ dedicated his time, his life, his knowledge, and his sincere counsel to the people. He expended his wealth and his effort for the sake of their guidance. So, oh what happiness awaits the one who follows his example and is guided by his footsteps! ﴿وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا﴾ {And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided.} And you will live in contentment and happiness. O you who love the Messenger of Allah: Indeed, your Prophet ﷺ followed the example of the Prophets (peace be upon them) before him. Each of them was renowned for a specific virtue in which he reached the ultimate limit and attained the pinnacle, and for which Allah praised him. Thus, the Prophet ﷺ combined their sublime morals and their noble values, acting upon the saying of his Lord: ﴿أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ‌فَبِهُدَاهُمُ ‌اقْتَدِهْ﴾ {Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so from their guidance take an example.} Yes, all noble character traits were brought together in him in their most splendid forms and absolute perfection. And his Lord praised him, saying: ﴿وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى ‌خُلُقٍ ‌عَظِيمٍ﴾  {And indeed, you are of a great moral character.} Thus, within his community and among all people, he was the most generous in giving, the most truthful in speech, and the kindest in companionship. Whoever saw him unexpectedly was awestruck by him, and whoever associated with him familiarly loved him. One who described him said: I have never seen the likes of him, neither before him nor after him.  So, follow his example in his character, his values, his nobility, and his generosity. ﴿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 this, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness.  The Second Sermon: All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon him after whom there is no Prophet. To proceed:     O you who love the Prophet ﷺ: One day, the Prophet ﷺ went out from the presence of the mother of the Believers, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), in a state of joy and good spirits. Then, he returned to her saddened, and said: «إِنِّي دَخَلْتُ الْكَعْبَةَ، وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ فَعَلْتُ، إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ أَكُونَ قَدْ أَتْعَبْتُ ‌أُمَّتِي ‌مِنْ ‌بَعْدِي» I entered the Kaaba, but I wish I had not done so. I fear that I may have caused hardship for my Ummah after me.  (Note: He feared that his entering the Kaaba would become a mandatory ritual for his followers, thereby burdening them). How great was the compassion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for us! Do you realize how much he loved us? He longed to see us, and he awaits us at his Hawd  (Pond). For he is the one who said: «وَأَنَا فَرَطُهُمْ عَلَى الْحَوْضِ». I will arrive at the Haud ahead of them”. “Pond. (Al-Farat: The one who precedes the group to the water to prepare it for them; meaning he ﷺ will be waiting there to welcome us). Therefore, it is our duty towards our Prophet and Beloved ﷺ to instill his love and reverence deep within our hearts and the hearts of our future generations. We must make his character in dealing with his family, his household, and his children a model for us within our own families. For Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا كَانَ أَرْحَمَ بِالْعِيَالِ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. I have never seen anyone more merciful to children [and family] than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. We must also adhere to his morals regarding his forgiveness, tolerance, forbearance, and preference for ease. As Aisha, the mother of the Believers, said about him: «مَا خُيِّرَ ﷺ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ ‌إِلَّا ‌اخْتَارَ ‌أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا» Whenever he ﷺ was given a choice between two matters, he would always choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful. We should strive to obey him, follow his guidance, study his biography (Seerah), and honour and revere him, in accordance with the saying of the Almighty: ﴿لِتُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُعَزِّرُوهُ ‌وَتُوَقِّرُوهُ﴾ {That you [people] may believe in Allah and His Messenger and honour him and respect him...} And we must frequently send blessings upon him, as Allah said: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ‌آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾، {Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.} So, let us increase our sending of blessings upon him. As Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah, I frequently send blessings upon you. How much of my prayer should I devote to you? إِنِّي أُكْثِرُ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَيْكَ، فَكَمْ أَجْعَلُ لَكَ مِنْ صَلَاتِي The Prophet ﷺ replied: As much as you wish. I said: A quarter?  He said: As much as you wish, but if you add more, it is better for you. «مَا شِئْتَ، فَإِنْ زِدْتَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ». [The conversation continued] until Ubayy said: I will devote all of my prayer [supplication time] to you. أَجْعَلُ لَكَ صَلَاتِي كُلَّهَا The Prophet ﷺ replied: Then your worries will be sufficed, and your sins will be forgiven. «إِذًا تُكْفَى هَمَّكَ، وَيُغْفَرُ لَكَ ذَنْبُكَ». O Allah, send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, the possessor of the Praiseworthy Station (Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud) and the Visited Pond (Al-Hawd). And [send blessings] upon his Family, his Companions, and the Successors (Tabi'in); a lasting and continuous blessing until the Day of Judgment. A blessing that pleases You, pleases him, and by which You are pleased with us, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, be pleased with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, and with all the noble Companions. O Allah, make us believers in You, worshippers of You, and lovers of Your Prophet. Make us upholders of his rights, winners of his intercession, and drinkers from his Pond. And make us dutiful to 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 United Arab Emirates with Your protection, encompass it with Your care, and surround it with Your providence, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, preserve Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the President of the State, and perpetuate upon him the robes of guidance and wisdom. And grant success to him, his deputies, his brothers, the Rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince, to all that You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and all the Sheikhs of the Emirates who have passed on to Your mercy. Admit them, by Your grace, into Your spacious Paradise. And encompass the martyrs of the nation with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy on the Muslim men and Muslim women, those who are living and those who have passed away. O Allah, You are Allah, there is no deity but You. You are the Self-Sufficient (Al-Ghani), and we are the ones in need of You. Send down rain upon us, and do not make us among the despairing. O Allah, relieve us [with rain]. O Allah, relieve us. O Allah, relieve us. O Allah, we seek Your forgiveness, for indeed You are the Perpetual Forgiver, so send down the rain from the sky upon us in abundance. O Allah, grant us a relieving rain, wholesome and beneficial, by which You give life to the land, and mercy to the servants, and make it a strength and provision for a time. Servants of Allah: Remember Allah, the Great and Majestic, and He will remember you. Be grateful to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you. And establish the prayer.