UAE Friday sermon highlights teachers’ role in shaping society

All praise is due to Allah, who has elevated the standing of teachers and bestowed upon them abundant reward and recompense. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and I bear witness that our master and Prophet Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. O Allah, send Your blessings, peace and grace upon him, his family, his Companions and all who follow his guidance.

To proceed: servants of Allah, I counsel you and myself to be mindful of Allah Most High, who says: “Be mindful of Allah. Allah teaches you, and Allah has knowledge of all things.” (Qurʾān:  2:282)

O believers: On the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, we extend a greeting of profound respect and esteem to those whose work Allah has honoured and whose mission He has exalted. Their merit surpasses what people’s praise and gratitude can express. Teaching is among the noblest professions: it is the vocation of the Prophets and the righteous.

Reflect upon this beautiful Qurʾānic scene: Moses, to whom Allah spoke, peace be upon him, stood before al-Khiḍr as a student before his teacher. With the utmost courtesy and noble character, he said:  “May I follow you so that you may teach me some of the sound guidance you have been taught?” (Qurʾān:  18:66)

He sought his teacher’s permission to accompany him and acknowledged his need for his knowledge and understanding.

O teacher: Such is the standing of your mission. Let your first commitment in fulfilling it be to devote your efforts sincerely to Allah. An action gains greatness through its intention, and its impact endures through sincerity of heart. The Prophet (PBUH) said: 

“Actions are only according to intentions, and each person shall have only what they intended.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

Seek your reward from your Lord, and rejoice in the words of your beloved Prophet (PBUH): “Whoever teaches knowledge shall have the reward of those who act upon it.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah)

Strive to be a role model for your students. They take your conduct as an example, learning from your demeanour just as they learn from your lessons. If you remain upright, they will follow you in uprightness; if you stray, they will follow you astray. One father said to his children’s teacher: “Let the first thing you do in educating my children be to refine your own character, for their eyes are fixed upon you. What they regard as good is what you regard as good, and what they regard as bad is what you regard as bad.” (Al-Jāḥiẓ)

Beware, then, O teacher, of urging them towards a virtue that you yourself contradict, or forbidding them something that you yourself do. A lesson may be forgotten, but a good example remains and is not erased.

Remember, esteemed teacher, that the depth of your knowledge, your mastery of your subject and your careful preparation strengthen your standing, increase the benefit you bring and deepen your influence upon your students. Has Allah Most High not said: 

“Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (Qurʾān:  39:9)

No, by Allah, they are not equal.

 Strive, therefore, to benefit your students through your knowledge. Treat them as you would your own children, and show them mercy. Allah mentioned mercy before knowledge when He said:  “We had bestowed upon him mercy from Us and taught him knowledge from Our presence.” (Qurʾān:  18:65)

Follow the example of your Prophet (PBUH). One of the Companions described his teaching, saying: “May my father and mother be sacrificed for him! I have never seen a teacher, before him or after him, who taught better than he did. By Allah, he neither rebuked me, nor struck me, nor insulted me.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

Make wisdom the foundation of your guidance and gentleness the way you teach, for Allah Most High: “grants through gentleness what He does not grant through harshness.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

How many students have been set right by a kind word! How many aspirations have been revived by sincere encouragement! How many struggling students have been helped to their feet by a wise teacher, until they attained a level of success of which their teacher could be proud! How joyful a teacher feels when, years later, the seeds they planted bear fruit in a person of outstanding ability who contributes to building their community and serving their country. “O you who believe, obey Allah, obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” (Qurʾān, al-Nisāʾ 4:59). I say these words of mine and ask Allah to forgive me and you.

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

To proceed: O seeker of knowledge, Allah has honoured you, dignified you and made the means of learning accessible to you. Display noble manners in the presence of your teacher, and listen with your whole being. Avoid anything that distracts your classmates or disturbs your teacher. Be eager to learn, approaching your studies with determination and thoughtful questions, for asking questions is half of knowledge.

Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, was asked: “How did you acquire this knowledge?” He replied: “Through a tongue that asks questions and a heart that understands.” (Faḍāʾil al-ṣaḥābah)

Do not be ashamed to ask about what you find difficult to understand. Neither the person too shy to ask nor the person too proud to do so will attain knowledge. Know that the blessing of knowledge is attained only through fine character and noble deeds.

And you, esteemed parents: Your children need your continued attention and support. These efforts are only complete when the home and schoolwork together. Allah Most High says: “Cooperate in righteousness and mindfulness of Allah.” (Qurʾān: 5:2)

Stay in contact with your children’s schools and teachers, and keep informed about their progress and conduct. Instil in them respect for their teachers, explain their merit and standing, and show appreciation for their efforts. Preserving the teacher’s standing and appreciating their mission is a shared duty in which the student, family and community each have a part. Through this support, teachers can fulfil their mission with strength and effectiveness, and the nation can reap the fruits of their efforts.

O Allah, send Your blessings, peace and grace upon our master and Prophet Muḥammad and upon all his family and Companions. O Allah, be pleased with Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān and ʿAlī, and with all the other noble Companions.

O Allah, make us respectful towards our teachers, appreciative of their mission and grateful for their efforts. Reward them on our behalf with the finest reward, O Lord of all worlds. O Allah, we ask You for every form of goodness, the foundations of righteousness, the treasures of Your bounty and the abundance of Your pardon. O Allah, preserve for the United Arab Emirates its honour and success, its stability and prosperity, and its goodness and well-being.

O Allah, protect Sheikh Muḥammad bin Zayed, the President of the State, with Your protection. Be his helper and support, and bless his life and his work. O Allah, guide him, his deputies, his brothers, the rulers of the Emirates, and his faithful Crown Prince towards all that You love and are pleased with.

O Allah, have mercy upon Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid and the rulers of the Emirates who have passed into Your mercy. Admit them, by Your grace, into Your spacious Gardens. O Allah, encompass the nation’s martyrs in Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy upon all Muslim men and women, both the living and the deceased. O Allah, send us rain, and do not let us be among those who despair. O Allah, grant us rain. O Allah, grant us rain. O Allah, grant us rain.

Servants of Allah: Remember Allah, the Almighty, the Majestic, and He will remember you. Thank Him for His blessings, and He will grant you more. And establish the prayer.