Friday 5th Sept 2014 Khutba - English Translation ==================================== Virtues of knowledge and scholars First sermon All praise be to Allah, Who taught by the pen -taught man that which he knew not ( Quran - Al Alaq: 4-5). I extol Him as is befitting to His great sovereignty and glorious status. I bear witness that there is no deity but Him, having no associates. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is within them. And He is over all things competent. I also testify that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who will follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment O Servants of Allah, I urge you and myself to be mindful of Allah the Almighty and obey Him, in light of what He says, and fear Allah. And Allah teaches you. And Allah is Knowing of all things. (Quran Al Baqara: 282) Dear Muslims, Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe, ( Quran Al Qalam: 1), so says the verse. Indeed by the pen the teacher teaches and does one of the most honourable jobs prophets and messengers also undertook. Allah says, just as We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that which you did not know. (Quran - Al Baqara:151). Thus the Prophet Muhammad pbuh set out to teach his folk that which they did not know before. Thanks to his teachings, they acquired the status of scholars as they deepened their knowledge, so they became more resourceful than anybody else, more virtuous, modest and truthful. Indeed the teacher is the lamp that enlightens people and lets them think and see the world through science and logic thinking. No wonder then that the scholar and knowledge should enjoy higher status and honour. The Exalted is He has associated the testimony of His angels and scholars with His Own as He says, Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (Al Imran: 18). This is a clear evidence that shows the special position of knowledge and scholars, making them the most virtuous amongst people. Or else, Allah would not have mentioned them on a par with His Name and His angels. For his part, our Prophet pbuh explained further their special standing, emphasising their role of disseminating knowledge. He says, the superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion. He pbuh said also, indeed Allah, His Angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths - even the ant in his hole, even the fish - say Salat upon the one who teaches the people to do good. Dear Teachers, Blessed are you and congratulations to you. Indeed, credit goes to you as our sons and daughters learn and grow. And thanks to your dedication and good guidance, the country develops further. That your students pray for you is an acknowledgment of your efforts in educating them and putting them on the sound track of a long-life learning journey. Dear Believers, Please know that teaching is an educational responsibility. It is the foundation for building generations and on which hopes pin. Therefore, teachers have to set the good example for others and be aware that students see in them -in many situations and circumstances- a role model. For their special position, teachers were quite often chosen to be mentors for the community elites children. It was narrated that Imam al Shafei advised his childrens educator saying, to correct the behaviour of pupils under your care, [please] start with yourself. Please mind also that they see through you what is good as well as what is bad. So for them, the good things are what you appreciate and the bad things are what you avoid. Teachers are therefore at the centre of the educational process. That is why our ancestors used to advise their children to study under the most competent scholar. In so doing they wanted their sons and daughters to learn as much as from his virtues as well as from his knowledge. Umm Imam Malik bin Anas told him as he was set to travel to seek knowledge, O my son, go to the Majlis of Rabiaa and learn from his virtues before his knowledge. Knowing this, teachers need to be up to the situation as dictated by Allah the most Exalted and instill in the youth the best of values, things that will stand by you at the Day of Judgment. Please be aware that building nations depends on building people. Therefore, do your best and excel in your duties as a teacher and educator so that the country will reap the fruits of what you have sown. Dear Servants of Allah, Since the teacher enjoys such a distinguished position, students have also a status of their own. Pursuing knowledge is seen as one of the pathways to Heaven. Our Prophet pbuh said, and whoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. Anyone seeking knowledge is constantly under the care of Allah and guarded by angels in every beneficial enterprise he is pursuing. Angels would also appreciate him and pray for him thanks to what he has acquired of knowledge. On this matter, our Master Muhammad pbuh said, the angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. Yet students have to be aware of ethics they need to respect when dealing with their teachers and educators, notably treating them well and being modest. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, acquire knowledge and teach it to people, learn to be sincere and how to be tranquil, and be modest to anyone you have learned from him and to anyone is learning from you. Also out of loyalty to teachers, students need to ask about them and visit them whenever they are absent or sick. The famous poet Ahmed Shawqi said in a poem: pay due respect for your teacher, for a teachers status is akin to that of a messenger. With this in mind, we pray to Allah to give success to our children and guide them through the path of knowledge. May Allah help us also to obey You, Your Messenger Muhammad pbuh and those You have decreed on us to obey in compliance with Your orders: O you who believe, Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those charged with authority among you. (Quran Annisaa: 59). May Allah direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Quran and the Sunna of His Messenger pbuh and benefit us all in whatever is in them. I say this and ask Allah the Great, the Most Honoured for forgiveness for me, you and all the Muslims for every sin, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. Second sermon Praise be to Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity but Him, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, may the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his pure family, his companions and all those who will follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment. O Servants of Allah, please obey Allah as it ought to be by observing Him in private and in public and know that education is the way to achieve your hopes and dreams. There is no future for those who neglect studies and choose a life of indolence. Success is what parents and the UAE wise leadership are looking forward to. Indeed, our leaders are keenly interested in students and the progress of their studies. In this regard, parents should know that achieving success is a responsibility shared between the school, parents and students. Parents role is not only spending on their children; it goes beyond that to include emotional care and motivation. Our virtuous ancestors grasped the value of education and learning for their children. They were keen to offer the means and the environment conducive to achieving that. It was narrated that when Umm Sufiyan al Thawri lost her husband her son decided to abandon learning so he could work and provide for his mother and brothers. Yet she opposed to the idea because she was wise and knew for sure the virtues of knowledge. Addressing her son she said, go seek knowledge. I am here to support you by what I will earn with my spindle. And so she did. She continued spinning wool as a means to earn living. She did her best until her son rose to fame and became one of the most renowned Muslim scholars and Imams. Certainly guiding children in their studies and watching over their behaviours by their parents have a profound impact on strengthening their stamina. This in turn will help them achieve success and excellence in their educational career. Dear Servants of Allah, Bear in mind that you are asked to offer prayer and greetings upon our most noble Prophet pbuh for Allah says, Indeed, Allah and His angels sends blessing upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace. (Quran Al Ahzab: 56). On the same matter, the Prophet pbuh said, for everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah. He also said, Nothing turns back the Decree except supplication. May the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon our Master Muhammad pbuh, his family and all his Companions. May Allah be pleased with the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and all those who will follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment. O Allah, we implore You at this instant not to let a sin unforgiven, a distress unrelieved, an illness unhealed or a handicapped without relief, a dead without mercy or a debt unsettled. Our Lord, give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire. O Allah, may we ask You to help us with what gets us closer to Paradise and furthers us from hell. O Allah we seek Your grace to admit us, our parents, whoever has done a favour to us and all Muslims to Your Paradise. May Allah grant success and continued good health to our leader HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. May Allah also ensure success to his Deputy, HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and provide strength and assistance to his brothers, Their Highness The Rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. O Allah, forgive all of the Muslims, men and women, living and dead, and make blessings follow us and them. May Allah have mercy on Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Maktoum and all their brothers, the Late UAE Sheikhs. O Lord, forgive and show mercy to our parents, relatives and whoever has done a favour to us. O Allah, we pray to You to grant Your forgiveness to who built this mosque and to his or her parents as well as to anyone who gave to this mosque. O Allah, we also supplicate to You to forgive whoever built a mosque where Your name is remembered. We pray to Allah, the Most Gracious, to preserve the UAE from all temptations, both apparent and hidden, and continue blessing the UAE and all Muslim countries with safety and security. O servants of Allah, remember Allah and He will remember you. Be grateful for His benevolence He will increase His blessings to you. Allah, the Most High, says, and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do. (Quran - Al Ankaboot: 45). Translation Mostapha El Mouloudi Note: The English translation of the Quran and Hadith is an interpretation of their meanings, and does not have the status of their original Arabic texts.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 16:24:55 +0000
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