All praise is due to Allah the Exalted in Might, the Most Forgiving. He orders us to race in the way of achieving elevated standing and the highest of degrees. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is the Servant of Allah and His Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his pure blessed family and companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.

As to what follows,

I urge you, O servants of Allah, and myself to be aware that you are asked to obey Him the Most Exalted, in line with His orders: "indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good." (An-Nahl: 128).

Dear Muslims,

Aiming high in all matters and striving to achieve our goals is an elite merit, honourable goal and noble quality that Allah the Almighty loves. The Messenger of Allah pbuh accentuated this as he said, "Allah, the Most Exalted, loves high vigour and honourable deeds, and hates trivial pursuits." Thus, whoever makes best use of his strength in attaining excellence, he will be loved by Allah the Almighty.

In this context and in many place in the holy Quran, Allah the Almighty urged Muslims to always take example of the people of vigour and strong determination. Allah the Most Exalted says, "those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so from their guidance take an example." (Al-Anaam: 90). The Almighty also says, "so be patient, [O Muhammad], as were those of determination among the messengers." (Al-Ahqaf: 35).

In this Aya, the people of determination means those who work hard while showing patience and high spirit.



More to the point, Allah the Almighty enjoined the believers to pursue excellence and high ranks as well as compete in doing all that may benefit mankind. The Almighty says, "so race to [all that is] good." (Al-Baqara: 148). Undoubtedly, competition is conducive to stimulate talents and raise spirits in the way of achieving the first places, being leaders and bring about benefits to individuals and societies.

In this sense, the Prophet pbuh taught us to be ambitious and set high goals for ourselves. He pbuh said, "So, when you ask Allah (for something), ask for Al-Firdaus which is the best and highest part of Paradise." In the same regard, it was narrated that Umar Ibn Al Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him said, "Never lose your high spirit, for carelessness drags you away from honourable deeds."

On the same matter, Imam Malik, may his soul rest in peace, said, "You are advised to pursue the most elite and honourable of matters."

This calls for a question on what are the honourable matters that one should seek to achieve the highest places in them. The answer to this question is that these are the noblest of things and their summits. Amongst these things are high ethics and good qualities as well as striving to achieve betterment through the power of intellect, excellence in performance, and giving priority to the more beneficial things. Truly, one should be in the mind set of reaching to the pinnacle of ethics, knowledge, social relationships, financial and scientific accomplishments. In short, this should apply to all the various fields of one's worldly life pursuits.

O Servants of Allah,

Aiming high and winning the leading positions is something that requires several elements to be attained. So, how do we reach the top? Breaking through towards advancement and prosperity is a decision that one may take if he possesses strong will and high spirit. The latter elements are conducive to unleash the person's talents, motivate their efforts, refine their experiences so that they become abreast of all that is new and have a sincere determination to do that.



This is why a word of wisdom said, "Resolve is the key to success, and the man is judged according to his determination and will power." There is no doubt those of high ambitions will always be aspiring to go higher and higher, just like a flame that when lowered down it will only rise up again.

An illustration of this can be seen in the saying of one of the past righteous people who said, "I have an aspiring soul. Whenever it is given something in this world, it aspires to that which is better."

Furthermore, to achieve success and good outcomes, not only one needs steadfastness and strong will, but also reliance on Allah, the Most Exalted. The Almighty says, "and when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]." (Al Imran: 159). Thus, with dedication and trust in Allah the Almighty, one can perfect his work, show commitment, hasten to develop his capabilities and acquire sciences and knowledge.

This way, a person can rise up to the responsibility, concerting his/her efforts with those of the other members of their community in order to drive their nation towards global competitiveness, preserve the number 1 place for it in all fields and specialisations. Indeed, aspiring for top positions and winning the first places is part and parcel of the rightly guidance of our Prophet pbuh. He pbuh strived to achieve the best and always aimed to be in the leading positions; something that can be seen in the following Hadith. The Messenger of Allah pbuh said, "Ask Allah to grant me Al-Wasilah, which is a position in paradise that only one of the servants of Allah will attain, and I hope that I will be the one. Whoever asks for Al-Wasilah for me, will be entitled to my intercession."

The Prophet pbuh encouraged his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, to always seek advancement so as to set a role model to be emulated by the future generations as well as the then current ones. He pbuh said, "Come forward and follow my example, and let those who come after you follow your lead."

Interpretations to this Hadith suggest that it urges for taking the lead and race for the highest positions and the best of manners.

O Believers,



The other factors that are fundamental for winning the first places include self-confidence, dedication, perfection of work, excellence in performance, planning, proactivity, utilising capabilities, respecting time, learning about the experiences of other people and drawing lessons from their achievements. They also include following in steps of those who are outstanding and successful. It is really such a beautiful thing to read about the genius people, for their experiences are conducive to strengthen vigour and inspire actions.

From this perspective, we are truly in dire need as individuals and communities to race to reach the top, thereby write the chapters of our history and civilisation with letters of light that will gleam with glory. Undoubtedly, competing to reach the summit is the approach of those of excellence and is the path that should lead to the advancement and prosperity of nations. In this regard, Allah, the Almighty, says "so for this let the competitors compete." (Al-Mutaffifeen: 26).

With this in mind, let us beseech Allah the Almighty to guide us on the path of all that which is good.

May Allah guide us all obey him to obey Him and obey His Messenger Muhammad pbuh and obey those He have commanded us to obey in line with His orders: "O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you." (An-Nisaa: 59).

May Allah direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Quran and the Sunna of His Messenger pbuh.

I say this and ask Allah for forgiveness for me and you, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Second Sermon

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master Muhammad is the servant of Allah and His Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon ou­­r Master Muhammad, his pure family, companions, and all those who follow them in righteousness till the Day of Judgment.



Dear Muslims,

The UAE has attained top ranks on the international indicators related to advancement and competitiveness. Thus, it is a duty incumbent on each of us to devote their powers and capabilities in the way of that which is beneficial to themselves, their community and nation too. This can be possible through continuous improvement of performance and consistent growth of achievements, for indeed, the nation's glory and prosperity is reliant on the ambitions of its men and their hard work. Those are the foundations for building its glory and writing its bright history.

This can be summarised in the following Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah pbuh said, "The stronger believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to seek that which will benefit you, rely on Allah and do not feel helpless."

In this context, the first and foremost fields in which one should strive in achieving excellence, competing and attaining the first positions are the family, school and university. In these institutions, parents and teachers are key players. They play great role in nurturing the young generations and spurring their resilience. This can be achieved by encouraging them, following up on their academic achievements, developing their talents and nurturing the principles of good conduct deep in their minds and souls.

As a result, our young generations will grow on the love of excellence. Truly, children are trusts in the custody of their parents who can guide them to all that which is good.

Having this in mind, you are urged, dear worshipers, to devote your energy to achieve excellence and attain advanced places in our worldly life. You should also promote the love of excellence amongst your daughters and sons.

That is said, please bear in mind that you are instructed to invoke peace and blessings on the Prophet pbuh. Allah, the Most Sublime, says, "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." (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."

O Allah, please confer Your blessings and grant peace upon our Prophet Muhammad pbuh, his family and all of the companions.

O Lord You have blessed us with a homeland of tolerance, so we seek Your favour to make pardoning amongst our qualities, tolerance our character, compassion our inherited behaviour and giving our culture.

O Allah, please continue blessing us with happiness, tranquillity and welfare. Our Lord, please continue blessing our nation, houses, families and relatives with contentment.

May Allah have mercy on the honourable martyrs of our country and those of the coalition and gather them with the righteous. May Allah make their dwelling with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favour of the prophets and the steadfast affirmers of truth. Indeed, You answer to the supplications.

O Allah, please grant the best reward for the families of the martyrs and offer them patience and solace. May Allah grant victory to the soldiers of the Arab Coalition who gathered to restore the rights to their owners. O Lord, please be by their side and guide the Yemeni people to everything that is good. O Allah, make them rally for the word of truth and legitimacy, and bless them with welfare and stability, O the Most Generous.

O Lord, we beseech You to bless all of the Muslim countries and the whole world with stability and peace.

May Allah be pleased with the Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and all of the noble Companions.

O Allah, we supplicate to You to make patience our way for achieving creativity, seeking knowledge, obtaining higher status and serving our beloved country as well as keeping its flag fluttering high in the sky.

O Allah, we seek Your grace to increase the UAE in delight and beauty and give the best of rewards and recompense to whoever sowed the seeds of goodness and welfare in it. Indeed, You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.



May Allah grant success and continued health and care to the UAE President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. May Allah also ensure success to his Vice-President, trustworthy Crown Prince and his brothers, Their Highnesses the Rulers of the Emirates.

O Allah, please forgive all of the Muslims, men and women, living and dead. May Allah have mercy on Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Maktoum and the Late UAE Sheikhs. O Lord, forgive and show mercy on them and bless them with Your kindness and satisfaction. O Lord, forgive and show mercy on our parents, relatives and whoever has done a favour to us.

We pray to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, to continue blessing the UAE with stability and welfare and bless its provisions. O Allah, please continue blessing the UAE with safety and security.

O Allah, please grant us wisdom in our speech and in our deeds. O Allah, please make us amongst those who fulfil their promises and are committed to their covenants. Indeed, You are the Possessor of Glory and Honour.

O Allah, we implore you to send upon us wealthy rain and make us not amongst those who are desperate. O Allah, relieve us! O Allah, relieve us! O Allah, relieve us! O Lord, provide us from the blessings of the sky a beneficial rain and make our crops grow.

Remember Allah and He will remember you. Be grateful of His benevolence and He will increase His blessings to you.

Please stand up for prayer.