Friday Sermon, 27 Mar 2026: 'O Allah, You are our trust'

First Sermon (Khutbah One)

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. By His bounty, we attach themselves to Him in hope and hold fast to trust by His rope. We bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship but Allah, and we bear witness that our master Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, send prayers, peace, and blessings upon him, upon his family, his companions, and all who follow his guidance.

To proceed: I counsel you, O servants of Allah, and myself, to have taqwā of Allah your Lord, and to act upon what He has commanded you:  “O you who believe, be steadfast, outdo others in steadfastness, remain firmly stationed, and be mindful of Allah, so that you may prosper” (Qurʾān 3:200).

O believers: Our theme today is a majestic value of faith: whenever it inhabits a heart, it fills it with serenity; whenever it enters a home, it casts over it tranquility; and whenever it spreads through a society, it awakens determination, opens the doors of optimism and hope, and stirs people to beautiful action. It is trust in Allah, exalted in His highness. He is the Magnificent Creator and the Wise Disposer of all affairs:  “So glory be to the One in whose hand is the dominion of all things” (Qurʾān 36:83).

Nothing can frustrate Him. We place our trust in Him in every matter, and we return to Him in every matter, keeping present His saying:  “Say: Nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has written for us” (Qurʾān 9:51).

Glorified be He, He also says:  “To Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and to Him all matters are returned; so worship Him and place your trust in Him” (Qurʾān 11:123).

That is, trust your Lord, for He is sufficient for you, your helper, your granter of victory, and your supporter. And be sure that  “What struck you was never going to miss you” (Abū Dawūd).

Has there not come to you the news of the Prophets and Messengers, and of the God-fearing and righteous, whose hearts were filled with trust in the Lord of the worlds? Consider Hājar, peace be upon her, on the day the Intimate Friend of the All-Merciful left her in a valley without cultivation. She said to him: “Was it Allah who commanded you to do this?”  He replied, “Yes.” She said, “Then Allah will not forsake us” (Bukhārī).

She did not look at the little provision she had, nor at the desolation of the valley. Rather, she trusted in the mercy of her Lord, and it became good for her, just as Allah says:  “It may be that you dislike something while it is good for you” (Qurʾān 2:216).

Thus, trust became the key to ease after hardship and relief after distress.

And there has come to you the story of Mūsā, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when he set out with his people and Pharaoh pursued them with his troops. Hearts shook, and all paths seemed constricted, and those seized by fear cried out:  “We are sure to be overtaken!” (Qurʾān 26:61).

But the one who trusts in his Lord has a heart made firm; his fear disperses, and he spreads reassurance to those around him. Mūsā, peace be upon him, said to his people: 

“No indeed! My Lord is with me; He will guide me” (Qurʾān 26:62).

Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, bestowed upon them His mercy and split the sea for them by His power, exalted is His majesty:  “And We saved Mūsā and all who were with him” (Qurʾān 26:65).

So know, O servants of Allah, that whoever trusts in his Master, He keeps him away from dangers and saves him, directs him aright, and strengthens him.

And remember when our Prophet (PBUH) entered the cave, and Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him: “If one of them were to look down at his feet, he would see us.” Then the Prophet (PBUH) said with an unshaken trust and a certainty that did not waver:  “What do you think, O Abū Bakr, of two when Allah is the third of them?” (Bukhārī and Muslim).

Then: “Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with forces you did not see” (Qurʾān 9:40).

That moment became a lesson for those who possess certainty and a sign for those who trust—those who turn trials into gifts and hardships into strength. They expend their effort, they take the means, yet their hearts remain attached in trust to their Lord. Upon this did the Prophet (PBUH) raise the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all. So, when enemies threatened their homeland, their trust in their Lord shone forth:  “It only increased them in faith and submission” (Qurʾān 33:22).

Allah then bound their hearts firmly, made their feet steadfast, and they displayed heroic courage. Allah turned the schemes of the enemies back upon them:  “And Allah was sufficient for the believers in battle, and Allah is ever Strong, Mighty” (Qurʾān 33:25).

“O you who believe, obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you” (Qurʾān 4:59). I say these words of mine, and I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness.

Second Sermon (Khutbah Two)

All praise is due to Allah alone, and prayers and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet.

To proceed: O you who place your trust in your Lord, your trust in your Lord is for you, in times of fear, security and safety; in times of hardship, ease and reassurance; in times of weakness, strength and protection; and in times of scarcity, abundance and spaciousness. One of the scholars was asked, “What is your wealth?” He replied, “Trust in Allah—it is abundant and pure.” For Allah never forsakes one who trusts in Him: 

“Indeed, Allah defends those who believe” (Qurʾān 22:38).

Beware of those who spread rumors, exaggerate challenges, and sow fear just as Satan does:  “That is only Satan frightening his allies” (Qurʾān 3:175).

So “think well of Allah” and trust His promise, for there has reached you from Him His saying in the sacred narration (ḥadīth qudsī):   “I am as My servant thinks of Me” (Saḥiḥ Ibn Hibbān).

And increase in supplication, acting upon His saying:  “Call upon Me; I will answer you” (Qurʾān 40:60).

For:  “Nothing repels the decree except supplication” (al-Tirmidhī).

And strengthen, O servants of Allah, your trust in your leadership, for it has shown the world its wisdom, its sound management, and its steady guidance of the homeland toward security and stability.

And praise your Lord for His rain, for it is among the effects of His mercy and an outpouring of His glad tidings:  “And He sends down upon you water from the sky to purify you with it, remove from you the defilement of Satan, bind firmly your hearts, and make firm thereby your feet” (Qurʾān 8:11).

And send, O Allah, prayers and peace upon our master and Prophet Muḥammad, and upon his family and companions altogether. O Allah, be pleased with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī, and with all the noble Companions. O Allah, make us believers through You, certain and trusting; worshippers devoted to You; 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, You are our trust and our hope. Upon You is our dependence and reliance. We hope for none but Your mercy, and we seek strength from none but Your power. So preserve the United Arab Emirates by Your might; preserve its leadership and its people, and those who reside 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; strengthen their backs, fortify their resolve, steady their aim, grant them victory over Your enemies and theirs, and grant them abundant reward and recompense. O Allah, preserve Sheikh Moḥammed bin Zāyid, the President of the State, with Your protection; encompass him in Your care; shelter him under Your providence; make his works to be in obedience to You; support him with Your help; prepare for him right judgment 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 speech and deeds upright; bless his life and his work; make him a key to goodness and a lock against evil, 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 that which You love and are pleased with.

O Allah, have mercy upon Sheikh Zāyid, Sheikh Rāshid, and the rulers of the Emirates who have passed on to Your mercy; admit them by Your grace into Your vast gardens; envelop the martyrs of the nation in Your mercy and forgiveness; grant them abundant reward; pour upon them from the overflow of Your bounty; and recompense their families with the best reward You grant to the patient.

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 rain a rainfall of mercy and blessing, through which You increase blessings and bring forth abundant good.

O servants of Allah, remember Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic, and He will remember you; and thank Him for His blessings, and He will increase you. And establish the prayer.