Friday sermon, September 25, 2026: Why justice should begin with us

First Sermon (Khutbah One)

All praise is due to Allah, the Judge, the Just, the Possessor of bounty and grace. We testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and that our master and Prophet Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. May Allah bless him, grant him peace, and bestow His blessings upon him, his family, his Companions, and all those who follow him.

To proceed: Servants of Allah, I counsel you and myself to remain mindful of Allah. He, Exalted in His Majesty, says: “Be just; that is nearer to God-consciousness. And remain mindful of Allah; surely Allah is All-Aware of what you do” (Qurʾān 5:8).

Believers: our sermon today concerns a truth which, when firmly established in the heart, fills it with reassurance; when rooted in the soul, grants it tranquillity; and when it touches the spirit, causes it to radiate trust in its Lord and confidence in its Creator. We speak today of Allah, the Just—Glory be to Him. He is just in His judgement: “Allah judges with truth” (Qurʾān 40:20).

And He is just in His recompense: “Indeed, Allah does not wrong anyone by so much as the weight of an atom” (Qurʾān 4:40).

Justice is Allah’s balance within His creation, established to preserve the rights of His servants. He, Exalted in Majesty, says: “He raised the heaven and established the balance” (Qurʾān 55:7).

With justice He sent His messengers and revealed His scriptures. He says: “Indeed, We sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance, so that people may uphold justice” (Qurʾān 57:25).

Allah has commanded His servants to be just in their words and deeds, at all times and in every circumstance. He says: “O you who believe, stand firmly for justice” (Qurʾān 4:135).

Make justice a governing principle of your lives, beginning with yourselves. Take yourselves honestly to account and judge fairly even against your own interests. ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Three qualities—whoever combines them has gathered faith,”

among which he mentioned: “Being just towards others, even against yourself” (al-Bukhārī).

Maintain justice within your families, towards your spouses and children. Let each husband appreciate his wife’s efforts, fulfil her rights, refrain from holding a passing mistake against her, and not forget the good she has done. Let her respond with loyalty and gracious companionship. Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, says: “Do not forget graciousness between yourselves” (Qurʾān 2:237).

Servants of Allah, be just among your wives. Give each one her rights and preserve her dignity: “Do not incline completely towards one, leaving the other suspended” (Qurʾān 4:129).

Beware the warning of your Prophet (PBUH): “Whoever has two wives and inclines towards one over the other will come on the Day of Resurrection with one side of his body leaning” (al-Nasāʾī).

Be equally committed to justice in your treatment of your children, both in what you give and in the attention you show them. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

“Be mindful of Allah and treat your children justly” (al-Bukhārī).

Carry justice with you into the workplace. An employee should give the work its full due, just as he or she wishes to receive every right arising from it. Let no one be negligent in making a proper effort or acting sincerely, so that they may receive the glad tidings of their Lord: “I shall never allow the work of any worker among you to be lost, whether male or female” (Qurʾān 3:195).

How fine are the words of the poet: Whoever does good shall never be deprived of its reward; kindness is never lost between Allah and humankind.

One principle gathers together the many forms of justice in our dealings: that we give others what we would wish them to give us. One of the Companions asked the Prophet (PBUH), “Tell me of a deed that will bring me nearer to Paradise and distance me from the Fire.” The Prophet (PBUH) replied: “Worship Allah without associating anything with Him … and treat people as you would wish them to treat you. Whatever you would dislike for yourself, do not inflict upon others” (al-Musnad).

Let us make justice present throughout our lives and always act upon the words of our Creator: “O you who believe, obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those entrusted

with 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 may blessings and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet.

To proceed: Believers, it is part of the perfection of Allah’s justice and mercy that He does not impose blame before reckoning or recompense before the balance has been set. He says:

“Surely to Us is their return, and then surely upon Us is their reckoning” (Qurʾān 88:25–26).

He judges His servants with justice. He wrongs no one, diminishes no deed, and allows no effort to be lost. Allah Most High says: “We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be wronged in the least. Even if a deed is the weight of a mustard seed, We shall bring it forth. Sufficient are We as Reckoners” (Qurʾān 21:47).

Glory be to Him—how perfectly just He is! He does not burden the wrongdoer with more than the wrong committed; indeed, He may forgive it through His mercy. Consider this noble Prophetic narration: “Allah will bring the believer near … and say, ‘Do you acknowledge such-and-such a sin? Do you acknowledge such-and-such a sin?’ The believer will reply, ‘Yes, my Lord.’ When Allah has made him acknowledge his sins and he believes that he is ruined, Allah will say, ‘I concealed them for you in the world, and today I forgive them for you.’ He will then be given the record of his good deeds” (al-Bukhārī and Muslim).

Glory be to You, our Lord—how forbearing You are! Glory be to You—how generous You are! Glory be to You—how merciful You are! You do not diminish the good deeds of anyone who acts with excellence: “Whoever performs righteous deeds while being a believer—his effort will not be denied” (Qurʾān 21:94).

Rather, You graciously acknowledge their striving, grant them their full reward, magnify their recompense, and multiply their reward: “As for those who believe and perform righteous deeds, He will grant them their rewards in full and give them even more from His bounty” (Qurʾān 4:173).

Servants of Allah, find reassurance in the justice of your Lord and the grace of your Creator. Uphold justice in your words and deeds and throughout all your affairs.

O Allah, bestow Your blessings, peace, and grace upon our master and Prophet Muḥammad, the Seal of the Messengers, and upon all his family and Companions.

O Allah, be pleased with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī, and with all the noble Companions.

O Allah, grant us justice in our words and deeds. Make our affairs easy, expand our hearts, increase our provision, forgive our fathers and mothers, and bless our descendants.

O Allah, perpetuate the honour, strength, stability, prosperity, goodness, and wellbeing of the United Arab Emirates. O Allah, preserve Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the State, through Your protection. Be his Helper and Support, and bless his life and work.

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 approve.

O Allah, have mercy upon Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and the Sheikhs of the Emirates who have passed into Your mercy, and admit them, through Your grace, into Your spacious gardens. Encompass the nation’s martyrs with Your mercy and forgiveness.

O Allah, have mercy upon the Muslim men and women, the living among them and the deceased. Servants of Allah, remember Allah, the Magnificent, the Majestic, and He will remember you.

Give thanks to Him for His blessings, and He will increase you. Establish the prayer.