All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, Who says in His Ever Glorious Book, “Those who came after them say, ‘Lord, forgive us our sins and the sins of our brothers who believed before us, and leave no malice in our hearts towards those who believe. Lord, You are truly compassionate and merciful.” I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger. May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him, his Household, Companions and upon those who follow their path to the Day of Judgment.

The Almighty Allah chooses from among his servants those who devote themselves to serve His Religion. The Prophet (PBUH) told us that the best of the Muslims community are the Companions, then their followers, then their successors. Companion Abdullah Ibn Mas‘oud said: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “My generation is the best people, then those next to them, then those next to them…” They gained this status as they carried knowledge, and protected it against the extremism and ignorance. Allah has praised those peopel and mentioned them in the same category of the Messenger’s Companions promising them paradise when he, The Almighty Allah said, “Allah will be well pleased with the first emigrants and helpers and those who followed them in good deeds, and they will be well pleased with Him: He has prepared Gardens graced with flowing streams for them, there to remain for ever. That is the supreme triumph.”

The Tabi‘oun (followers of the Companions) are the closest generation to the Prophet, as they are second generation next to the Companions, and the Followers of the Tabi‘oun are the next generation to the Tabi’oun (may Allah be pleased with them all). May Allah have Mercy with Imam al-Busairy who said:

And all of them obtained from (bounties of) The Messenger of Allah,

(Like) a handful (of water) from the ocean or a sip from continuous rains.

The Tabi’oun accompanied the Companions and learned from them, and the Companions attested to their virtues and knowledge. For example, Abdullah Ibn Umar witnessed in favor of Saeed Ibn Al-Musayyib saying, “By Allah, he is a Mufti.” He also said, “Ask Saeed Ibn al-Musayyib for he has learned from the Righteous people.”  Saeed Ibn al- Musayyib used to give Fatwas in the Presence of the Companions. Ataa’ Ibn Abi Rabah used to give Fatwas for the People of Mecca after the death of the great scholar for the Muslim Ummah, Abdullah Ibn Abbas.  When Ibn ‘Umar arrived in Mecca, and peole gathered to ask him he commented, “Do you collect your questions to ask me, while you have Ataa’ Ibn Rabah amongst you?”

The Tabi’oun were known for the sincerity of their love for the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). For example, Al-Hasan Al-Basri whenever he reported the Hadith of the “the trunk of date that moaned off in love for the Prophet”, he used to weep and say: O servants of Allah, a piece of wood moaned out of love for the Prophet (PBUH); you are more deserving to yearn for meeting him (PBUH).”

Also, Imam Malik once was asked:  When did you learn of Ayoub al-Sukhtiani? He said: He performed Hajj twice, and I used to see him without hearing him. Notably, when he would mention the name of the Prophet (PBUH) he used to weep. Their reverence of the Prophet (PBUH) was so great that they never talked about him except in the best way and at their best cnditions. Abu Salamah Al-Khuza’i said:  When Imam Malik Ibn Anas used to report the Ahadeeth pf the Prophet (PBUH) he would make Wudu’, put on his best clothes, and comb his beard. He was asked about that, and he replied: I pay reverence to the Ahadeeth of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).

There were some Tabi’oun whom the Prophet (PBUH) praised like Oways Al-Qarani, who was so kind to his mother, and the Prophet (PBUH) told his Companions that his supplications are answered by Allah. Umar Ibn Al-Khattab said: I heard the Messenger of Allah saying, “The best among Tabi‘oun is a man called Uways Ibn Amir…He had been suffering from leprosy. His treatment with his mother would have been very kind. Ask him to beg forgiveness for you (from Allah).” When Umar Ibn Al-Khattab met him, he asked him to ask forgiveness from Allah for him (Umar).

The Tabi‘oun learned from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) the geniune meaning of the religion. Once, Imam Hassan Al-Basri was asked: Are you a believer? He replied: “Belief is of two kinds. If you are asking me about belief in Allah, His Angels, Scriptures, Messengers, Paradise, and resurrection, then I’m a believer. But if you ask me about the words of the Almighty Allah, “True believers are those whose hearts tremble with awe when Allah is mentioned, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them,” then I do not know whether or not I’m one of them. Al-Bayhaqi commented: Al-Hassan did not doubt his basic belief. Rather, he doubted the perfection of his belief for which Allah has promised Paradise in his saying, “They have high standing with their Lord, forgiveness, and generous provision.”

They also realized the value of facilitation and applied in their life. Sufyan Al-Thawry said: “In our view, knowledge entails [issuing] legal concessions (rukhsah). As for being strict, anyone can do that.”Al-Azraq Ibn Qays also said:  Once, we were at Al-Ahwaz. Abu Barza al-Aslami was praying, but his horse run away. He stopped his prayer to catch the horse and then came to make up his prayer. A man said, “Look to that man who stopped his prayer for the sake of his horse!” When Abu Barza finished his prayer, he said, “My house is so far; and if I lost my horse shall never return home.” He learned that from the Prophet (PBUH) who used to choose the easier option whenever he was given an option between two things as long as the easier one was not sinful. Moreover, he (PBUH) said, “Make things easy and do not make them difficult, cheer the people up by conveying glad tidings to them and do not repulse (them).” He (PBUH) also said, “Whenever forbearance is added to something, it adorns it; and whenever it is withdrawn from something, it leaves it defective.”

They also practically applied the values of mercy, solidarity and feeling with others in their life. Ali Ibn Al-Hussein Ibn Ali (Allah be pleased with him) used to secretly give out charity to the poor, with nobody noticed that. When he died, they lost he who used to provide them with money. When performing death’s ritual ablution for him, they found the signs of carrying sacks to widows’ and orphans’ houses, thus they realized that he was the person who used to came to them at night with provision. It is said that he was in charge of 100 of the Medina’s houses, as he used to provide them with their provision.

Showing mercy to each other was not confined to Muslims only, but rather extended to non-Muslims also. ‘Umar Ibn Abd Al-Aziz (Allah be pleased with him) once wrote to his ruler over Basra, “Search for the people with whom we covenants who became aged, week or unable to get his own living and make for him a due share from the treasury house.” In doing so, he followed the example of our master ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) who, upon seeing a man from the People of the Book asking people for charity, said, “I swear to Allah, we have not treated this man fairly if we take Jiziya from him while young and leave him now.” So, he (Allah be pleased with him) imposed for him a due share from the treasury house. The same also was done by Khalid Ibn Al-Walid (Allah be pleased with him) who, upon concluding the treaty with the people of Hira, said: “I decreed that whenever one of their aged became unable to work or is afflicted with a disease or turns poor after richness that he should have a due share from the Muslim treasury house.” In truth, in doing so, they all followed the example of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and applied the correct form of religion. Allah, Most High, says: ” Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.”

Mercy, furthermore, is not confined to man only, but rather extended that to include animals, birds, etc. Umar Ibn Abd Al-Aziz once wrote to his ruler over Egypt recommending him to show mercy to camels, saying: “I was told that there are camels in Egypt that are forced to carry 1000 pounds. So, upon receiving my book, do not load them with more than 600 pounds.” He also recommended that they should be shown mercy, and not to be humiliated or beaten. He has actually learnt this from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) who once recommended his companions saying: “Don’t you fear Allah about this beast which Allah has given in your possession. It has complained to me that you keep it hungry and load it heavily which fatigues it.”

With that said, I ask Allah to forgive me and you

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds; I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; and I bear witness that our master Prophet Muhammad is His slave and Messenger; may Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him, his family, companions and whoever follows their guidance to the Day of Judgment.

Muslim brothers,

One of the most distinctive characters of the followers is “Tolerance with people and dealing with them kindly”. They were very lenient while dealing with people. Qatada is reported to have said: “We have got into the house of Al-Hassan al-Basari in a visit; he was asleep. Beside his head, there was a basket full of bread and fruit. So, we pulled it and started eating. He then got up, and was happy. He smiled and recited the Saying of Allah, Most High, “… or [from the house] of your friend. There is no blame upon you whether you eat together or separately.” In the same connection, Jarir Ibn Hazem (Allah be pleased with him) said: “We paid a visit to Al-Hassan. We stayed therein until it was the midday. His son then came and said, ‘let the old man take some rest, for you have caused him a lot of troubles,’ whereupon Al-Hassan said, “Leave them, for I swear by Allah there is nothing more beloved to me than seeing them.”

The list of their characters includes also self-denial, appreciation of and respect for scholars and showcasing how Islam is deeply entrenched in their souls. This may actually be a lesson to those who talk about the matters of religion, with no knowledge, thus he is astray and gets others astray. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: ” Allah does not take away the knowledge, by taking it away from (the hearts of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the religious learned men till when none of the (religious learned men) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge. So they will go astray and will lead the people astray.”

The followers were good examples for the Imams who came after them. Abu Ja’far Al-Mansour once told Imam Malik Ibn Anas (Allah be pleased with him) that he intended to approve his Al-Muwatta’ as the highest authority ever in the religious matters throughout the Islamic World, affirming: “I intended to command my rulers to copy your books and to send one copy to every Muslim province so that they would act upon it, not any source else; because I firmly believe that the origin of knowledge is what has been narrated in the Medina of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).” Imam Malik then replied: “Please, don’t do this, o Commander of the Believers, for people had previously been in contact with other narrations and sayings; every people have adopted and acted upon what has previously reached them. So, in case you would force them to adhere to one source, this would impose great difficulty upon them. So, let them act upon what each has previously chosen for himself.” Al-Mansour then said: “I take my oath! Had you obeyed me, I would have commanded them to do so.”

The followers were also very modest and of great ability to understand the matters of the Sharia. The incident of Imam Al-Shafi’ with his student Yunus ibn Abd Al-Ala is a case in point. It is narrated that one day Yunus was angry with his teacher Al-Shafi’. When the night fell, Yunus heard some nocks at the door. He asked, “Who is that?” Al-Shafi’ replied, “Muhammad Ibn Idris.” Yunus said that he thought of any person with the name of Muhammad Ibn Idris but not Al-Shafi’. He then opened the door and found Imam Al-Shafi’ before him, saying: “O Yunus! We agree on hundreds of topics and are separated because of one! O Yunus! Don’t try to be victorious in all controversies, for sometimes gaining hearts is more important than gaining in a particular situation. O Yunus! Don’t destroy all the bridges you built, for one day you might be in need of them to go back. O Yunus, always hate the wrong, but do not hate the wrongdoer; keep way from acts of disobedience, but be tolerant and show mercy to the disobedient. O Yunus, criticize the speech, but show respect to the speaker, because our task is to eradicate the disease, not the ill.” May Allah have mercy upon Imam Al-Shafi’ who once said:

I love the righteous yet not of them me

That I will have them intercession for me

I hate their trade in acts of disobedience

Though both our goods are the same

Our honorable scholars followed this way and were thus the best example for us in carrying the trust of the religion of Islam, correctly understanding it, acting upon its morals and kindly delivering it to people with wisdom and good instruction.

O Allah! Make us from those who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are people of understanding.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, Who says in His Ever Glorious Book, “Allah will be well pleased with the first emigrants and helpers and those who followed them in good deeds, and they will be well pleased with Him: He has prepared Gardens graced with flowing streams for them, there to remain forever. That is the supreme triumph.” I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger. May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him, his Household, Companions and upon those who follow their path to the Day of Judgment.

The Almighty Allah has chosen His Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them) from among His creation, as He (Glory be to Him) said: “Allah chooses Messengers from among the angels and from among men. Allah is all hearing, all seeing.” The Almighty Allah chose for His Messengers their Companions to aid and support them in conveying the message of their Lord. For our Prophet Muhammad, Allah has selected noble men with pure hearts who believed in his message, supported him, and followed the enlightening message he brought. Companion Abdullah Ibn Mas‘oud said, “Verily, Allah looked into the hearts of people and found the heart of Muhammad (PBUH) to be the best of all hearts, and so He chose him for Himself and sent him with His message. Then Allah looked into the hearts of people after Muhammad and found the hearts of his Companions to be the best hearts; so He made them the ministers and representatives of His Prophet, and fought for his religion. Thus, what the Muslims regard as good is good in the sight of Allah, and what they regard as evil is evil in the sight of Allah.”

They (may Allah be pleased with them) were the purest in their faith, the most knowledgeable, the best in their conduct. They conveyed the message of Islam to the farthest places with wisdom and good admonition. Therefore, they deserved this position. Commenting on Allah’s saying, “Say [Prophet], ‘Praise be to Allah and peace on the servants He has chosen.” Ibn Abbas said, the chosen ones are Companions of the Prophet (PBUH).” They are the ones who received the message of Islam from its original source, and never deviated from that path.

The life of the Companions included many bright stances that represented a practical application of genuine Islam including their Mercy. The Prophet (PBUH) taught his Companions how to be merciful. Once, ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattab kissed one of his sons. ‘Uyaynah Ibn Husayn saw that and commented, “Do you kiss your sons while you are the Commander? If I were the Commander I would not have kissed my sons.” Umar replied, “What should I do if Allah has removed mercy from your heart.” In this situation, Umar followed the example of the Prophet (PBUH) when he kissed his grandson “Al-Hasan” and one of his Companions commented, “I have ten children, and I never kissed any of them.” The Prophet said, “Can I put mercy in your heart after Allah has removed it?” Then he (PBUH) said, “He who is not merciful to people Allah will not be merciful to him.”

The Companions were an example in their forgiveness. One of the best examples here is the story of Abu Bakr with his relative “Mistah Ibn Athathah”. When some people including Mistah accused ‘Aisha- daughter of Abu Baker- of adultery, but Allah revealed Qur’anic Verses acquitting her. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq who used to provide for Mistah some financial aid because of his relation to him, said, “By Allah, I will never give anything (in charity) to Mistah, after what he has said about ‘Aisha.” Then Allah revealed, “Those who have been graced with bounty and plenty should not swear that they will [no longer] give to kinsmen, the poor, those who emigrated in God’s way: let them pardon and forgive. Do you not wish that God should forgive you? God is most forgiving and merciful. On that, Abu Bakr said, “Yes, by Allah, I like that Allah should forgive me.” And then resumed giving Mistah the aid he used to give him and said, “By Allah! I will never withhold it from him.”

Another value is the high spirit and the love of competition in doing good things. Companions learnt this from the Prophet (PBUH) as he said, “When you ask Allah (for something), ask for Al-firdaus which is the best and highest part of Paradise.” Umar Ibn Al-Khattab once said, “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) commanded us one day to give sadaqah. At that time I had some property. I said: Today I shall surpass Abu Bakr if I surpass him any day. I, therefore, brought half my property. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked: What did you leave for your family? I replied: The same amount. Abu Bakr brought all that he had with him. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked him: What did you leave for your family? He replied: I left Allah and His Messenger for them. I said: I shall never surpass you in anything.”

Another incident is that of Ka’b Al-Aslami who said, “I was with Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) one night, and I brought him water and other things he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like). I said: I ask your company in Paradise. He (PBUH) said: Or anything else besides it? I said, ‘That is all (what I require)’. He said: Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prayer.”

Another value of the companions is their preference of other’s interests to their own ones. Once a man came to the Prophet) PBUH) and said; “I am hard pressed by hunger.” He (PBUH) sent to his wives asking for food but they had nothing. Then he (PBUH) said, “Who will entertain this (man) as guest?” One of the Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, I will.” So he took him home and said to his wife, “Serve the guest of Messenger of Allah” (PBUH). She answered: “We have nothing, except a little food for the children.” He said, “Keep them busy with something, and when they ask for food put them to sleep. When the guest enters, extinguish the light and give him the impression that we are also eating.” So they sat down and the guest ate and they passed the night hungry. When he came to the Prophet (PBUH) in the morning, he said to him, “Allah admired what you and your wife did with your guest last night.” Upon this, the Almighty Allah revealed the Qur’anic verse “They give them preference over themselves, even if they too are poor.”

In an incident that shows the extent of Al-Ansar’s (Supporters) altruism and virtuousness, Sa’d Ibn Al-Rabie (may Allah be pleased with him) offered Abul-Rahman Ibn Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) half of his wealth. Abul-Rahman Ibn Awf decently turned down the offer and asked Ibn Al-Rabie to guide him to the market where he conducted trade and worked strenuously until he became affluent.

The Companions abided by rightness and were never too proud to revert to the right course of affairs. Thus, Abu Mas’ud Al-Ansari reported: “When I was beating my servant, I heard a voice behind me (saying): Abu Mas’ud, bear in mind Allah has more dominance over you than you have upon him. I turned and (found him) to be Allah’s Messenger (PBUH). I said: Allah’s Messenger, I set him free for the sake of Allah. Thereupon he said: Had you not done that, (the gates of) Hell would have opened for you, or the fire would have burnt you.”

The Prophet (PBUH) instilled in his Companions the quality of keeping promises and encouraged them to do so. It is reported that there was a covenant between Mu’awiyah and the Byzantines, and he was going towards their country, and when the covenant came to an end, he attacked them. A man came on a horse, saying, ‘Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great; let there be faithfulness and not treachery.’ And when they looked they found that he was Amr ibn Abasah. Mu’awiyah sent for him and questioned him (about that). He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: When one has covenant with people he must not strengthen or loosen it till its term comes to an end or he brings it to an end in agreement with them (to make both the parties equal). So Mu’awiyah returned.

With that said, I ask Allah to forgive our sins.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds; I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; and I bear witness that our master Prophet Muhammad is His votary and Messenger; may Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him, his family, companions and whoever follows their guidance to the Day of Judgment.

Muslim Brothers!

The Prophet’s Companions set a good example of how construction through religion could be attained. Each one of them, including merchants, leaders, tutors etc. had a task that they did perfectly. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “The most merciful of my nation to my nation is Abu Bakr, and the most severe of them concerning the order of Allah is ‘Umar, and the most truly modest of them is ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan. The most knowledgeable of them concerning the lawful and unlawful is Mu’adh Bin Jabal, the most knowledgeable of them concerning (the laws of) inheritance is Zaid bin Thabit, the best reciter (of the Qur’an) among them is Ubayy bin Ka’b, and every nation has a trustworthy one, and the trustworthy one of this nation is Abu ‘Ubaidah Bin Al-Jarrah.”

The Companions’ deeds were fruitful. The Prophet (PBUH) used to encourage and remind each one of them of what they could do best as a tribute to their efforts. Thus, it is reported that ‘Uthman went to the Prophet (PBUH) with one-thousand dinars and poured them into his lap. The Prophet (PBUH) there: ‘Whatever ‘Uthman does after today will not harm him.”

The Companions showed keenness to find out what was lawful and what was unlawful of all things. It is reported that Jarir Ibn Abdullah (may Allah be Pleased with him) ordered his servant to buy him a horse. So, he bought a horse for three-hundred dirhams and came along with the horse and its owner to Jarir so that he would pay him. Jarir noted that the horse was worthy more than three-hundred dirhams and kept increasing the price till it reached eight-hundred dirhams. When asked about the reason for what he did, he said, ” I pledged to the Messenger of Allah to be sincere toward ever Muslim.” Thus, each Companion knew what he/she had to do, and never transgressed.

In another incident, Abu Bakr appointed Umar as a judge. Umar remained a judge for a year and no cases was brought to him. So, he asked Abu Bakr to accept his resignation. Abu Bakr asked, “Is it because judiciary is burdensome?” Umar said, “No, Caliph, but this community of believers is not in need of a judge. Each one of them know their duties which they perform without negligence; each one of them loves for his brother what he loves for himself. If one of them is absent, they check for him; when sick, they visit him; when impoverished, they aid him; when in need, they help him; when afflicted, they console him. They provide sincere advice and enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil. How could such people be rivals?”

How great our need is for considering these good examples of the Prophet’s Companions and following their good manners in order to communicate Islam’s true image of mercy, tolerance, humane values and peace for all people.

O God, keep safe our country, fellow citizens, police and armed force, and bestow peace and prosperity on Egypt and all world countries.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, Who says in His Ever Glorious Book, “The Messenger of Allah is an excellent model for those of you who put your hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Him often.” I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger. May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him, his Household, Companions and upon those who follow their path to the Day of Judgment.

Allah has sent his Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to guide people and lead them to the truth and call them to the path of Allah. His message is the final Divine message that suits all times and places. Therefore, it was necessary that he (PBUH) be a practical example of true Islam in all of his sayings, actions and affairs. This should not be a wonder as he (PBUH) adhered always to the approach of the Qur’an in his relation with his Lord and with all people of different races, colors and beliefs. When Aishah was asked about the character of the Prophet (PBUH), she answered, “His character was the Qur’an.”

 Reviewing the life of the Prophet, one finds that he was the best example in all his sayings, actions, and affairs. This includes for example, his truthfulness and honesty. His life was all about truthfulness and honesty, that he was called “The truthful and honest one” before his mission. Therefore Ahmed Shawqi wrote:

You nicknamed him the ‘trustworthy’ one
of the tribe in his youth,

And the speech of the trustworthy man
should not be suspect.

When Heraclius, the King of The Romans, called Abu Sufian Ibn Harb, which was before the latter conversion to Islam, to ask him about the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), it was lengthy dialogue in which Hercules asked Abu Sufyan, “Did you accuse him of falsehood before he proclaimed his prophethood?” Abu Sufyan said: No. Hercules asked again, “Has he (ever) violated his covenant?” Abu Sufyan said, “No, but we have recently concluded a peace treaty with him for a period and we do not know what he is going to do about it.” (Abu Sufyan remarked, “I could not accuse the prophet of anything more than these words”).

The honesty of the Prophet came to be very clear on the night of his immigration, when he asked Ali Ibn Abi Talib stay at Mecca in order to return back all deposits to their owners who were, in fact, his enemies, though they tortured him and his companions severely. This was because a Muslim is not allowed to be treacherous even with his enemies, as the Almighty Allah says, “And if you learn of treachery on the part of any people, throw their treaty back at them, for Allah does not love the treacherous.” The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Pay the deposit to him who deposited it with you, and do not betray him who betrays you.”

His loyalty: The Prophet (PBUH) was the most loyal person; he has never dealt with ingratitude with any person, and was thankful to all those who did him a favors. Once, before his death, he remarked, “There is no favor due upon us from anyone, except that we have repaid him, with the exception of Abu Bakr. Verily upon us, there is a favor due to him, which Allah will repay him on the Day of Judgement.”

Among the manifestations of his gratefulness was his conduct with his wife, the mother of the believers, Khadija. He remained loyal and thankful to her during her life and after her death. Revealing her virtues, he said, “Allah did not give me a better wife that her. She believed in me when the whole world refuted me and she attested to my trueness when the whole world accused me of falsehood. She offered me compassion and loyalty with her wealth when everyone else had forsaken me. And Allah blessed me with children through her and not through any other wife.” Once, ‘Aisha said, “I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet (PBUH) as much as I did of Khadija though I did not see her, but the Prophet (PBUH) used to mention her very often, and whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut its parts and send them to the women friends of Khadija.”

Another aspect of his loyalty is with non-Muslims. In the Battle of Badr, He (PBUH) said, “If Al-Mut’im Ibn ‘Adeyy had been alive and spoken to me about these captives, I would have released them for his sale.” Al-Mut’im Ibn ‘Adeyy had done a favor to the Prophet when he offered him a protection after the Prophet return from al-Ta’if journey.

Another aspect of his loyalty is his loyalty with enemies in times of wars.  It has been reported on the authority of Hudhaifa Ibn Al-Yaman who said: Nothing prevented me from being present at the Battle of Badr except this incident. I came out with my father (to participate in the Battle), but we were caught by the disbelievers of Quraysh. They said: (Do) you intend to go to Muhammad? We said: We do not intend to go to him, but we wish to go (back) to Medina. So they took from us a covenant in the name of God that we would turn back to Medina and would not fight on the side of Muhammad (PBUH). So, we came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and related the incident to him. He said: Both, of you proceed (to Medina); we will fulfil the covenant made with them and seek God’s help against them.

Similarly, the Prophet (PBUH) was a unique example and a role model in dealing with his wives as he (PBUH) kindly treated them, and their life was overwhelmed by serenity, affection, mercy, modesty and leniency. He (PBUH) was never arrogant while dealing with them; rather he treated all of them kindly. In doing so, he (PBUH) drew on the Sayings of Allah, the Almighty, “… and kindly treat them” and ” And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.”

He (PBUH) was a kind husband who used to use gentle language with his wives. In a scene full of mercy, he (PBUH) wiped the tears of his wife, the Mother of the Believers, Safyyah (Allah be pleased with her); he (PBUH) wiped her face with his blessed hands and made her calm down. Narrating this incident, Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) said: “Safyyah accompanied the Prophet (PBUH) one day since it was her assigned day, yet she came late. The Messenger of Allah met her while she was weeping, saying: ‘You carried me on a camel that slowly moves”, which is why he (PBUH) used to wipe her face with his hands and make her clam down.”

In the same way, he (PBUH) was a role model in dealing with his children and grandchildren; what a great father he is! He used to shower all his children and grandsons all the meanings of love, affection and mercy. Mother of the Believers, ‘Aishah (Allah be pleased with her), narrated: ” I never saw anyone more like the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in respect of gravity, calm deportment, pleasant disposition – according to al-Hasan’s version: in respect of talk and speech. Al-Hasan did not mention gravity, calm deportment, pleasant disposition – than Fatimah, may Allah honor her face. When she came to visit him (the Prophet) he got up to (welcome) her, took her by the hand, kissed her and made her sit where he was sitting; and when he went to visit her, she got up to (welcome) him, took him by the hand, kissed him, and made him sit where she was sitting.”

In the same vein, Abu Huryrah (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) kissed Al-Hassan ibn ‘Ali in the presence of Al-Aqra’ ibn Habis, and the latter said: ” I have ten children, but I have never kissed any one of them, whereupon Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: He who does not show mercy (towards his children), no mercy would be shown to him.” It is also narrated that The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came out to us for one of the nighttime prayers, and he was carrying Hasan or Husain. He (PBUH) came forward and put him down, then he said the Takbir and started to pray. He prostrated during his prayer, and made the prostration lengthy.” My father said: “I raised my head and saw the child on the back of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) while he was prostrating so I went back to my prostration. When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) finished praying, the people said: “O Messenger of Allah (PBUH), you prostrated during the prayer for so long that we thought that something had happened or that you were receiving a revelation.’ He said: ‘No such thing happened. But my son was riding on my back and I did not like to disturb him until he had enough.'”

Yet, we stress that this mercy was not restricted to his children or grandchildren only; rather, it was a way of life he (PBUH) used to apply with everyone. Usamah ibn Zayd (Allah be pleased with them) narrated: ”  That the Prophet (PBUH) used to take him and Al-Hasan, and used to say, “O Allah! I love them, so please love them,” or said something similar.” Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) is furthermore reported to have said: “I served the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) for ten years, and he never said ‘Uff’ (an expression of disgust) to me. He never said ‘why did you do that?’ for something I had done, nor did he ever say ‘why did you not do such and such’ for something I had not done.”

In the due course, he (PBUH) was a role model to be followed in dealing with his companions; he used to share with them their happy times and hard ones, to ask about the absent, to visit the sick, to care about their affairs and to seriously consider their feelings in all the affairs of life. Simak ibn Harab (Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I said to Jabir b. Samura: Did you have the privilege of sitting in the company of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH)? He said: Yes, very frequently, and added: He did not stand up (and go) from the place where he offered the dawn prayer until the sun rose, and after the rising of the sun he stood up, and they (his Companions) entered into conversation with one another and they talked of the things (that they did during the Days of Ignorance), and they laughed (on their unreasonable and ridiculous acts). Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) smiled only.”

With that said, I ask Allah to forgive me and you

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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds; I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; and I bear witness that our master Prophet Muhammad is His slave and Messenger; may Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him, his family, companions and whoever follows their guidance to the Day of Judgment.

Muslim brothers,

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a practical model representing the correct Islam; a point which is clear in his humane views as well as his morals. He (PBUH) was also a role model in his moderation. He who carefully examines the rulings of the Sharia will for sure spot the way moderation in all its fields. In this regard, ‘Aishah (Allah be pleased with her) reported: ” Never did Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) make a choice between two things but adopting the easier one as compared to the difficult one, but his choice for the easier one was only in case it did not involve any sin, but if it involved sin he was the one who was the farthest from it amongst the people.” Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said: “Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection.”

For the sake of keeping this moderation, he (PBUH) warned against all the phenomenon of extremism, especially extremism min religion, so he (PBUH) did not accept the act of some of his companions who used to be extremists in their worship in a way that keeps them away from the limit of moderation; he (PBUH) said: ” ‘O people, beware of exaggeration in religious matters for those who came before you were doomed because of exaggeration in religious matters.’”

Indeed, we are in a dire need to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), his guidance and teachings to spread the message of light as pure as sent down by Allah to the entire creation, with leniency, kindness, mercy and bringing hearts together. That is because the message of Islam is all-just, all-merciful, all-tolerant, all-beneficial and all-humane.

O Allah! Grant us Your Love, the Love of Your Prophet (PBUH) and the love of every deed that draws us closer to Your Love. O Allah! Make Egypt and all the world’s countries safe and secure.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, Who says in His Ever Glorious Book, “Who could be better in religion than those who direct themselves wholly to God, do good, and follow the religion of Abraham, who was true in faith? God took Abraham as a friend.” I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger. May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him, his Household, Companions and upon those who follow their path to the Day of Judgment.

True Islam means submission, obedience, and surrender to the Almighty Allah, and to love and follow Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It means morality, modesty, humbleness, kindness when dealing with all people, mercy and love of the whole universe. Also, it means development and construction. It is a coprehensive way of life that its followers adhere to in all of their movements and actions.

Islam is a religion that calls for goodness, wellbeing, reform and the development of the world with religion, not to destruct it in the name of religion. It is a religion that calls for mercy, security, and peace for the whole world as the Almighty Allah says, “It was only as a mercy that We sent you [Prophet] to all people.”

The pillars of Islam are stated in the Hadith of Jibril when he asked the Prophet (PBUH) saying, “O Muhammad! Tell me about Islam”. He (PBUH) replied, “Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; that you observe prayers, pay Zakat, observe Sawm of Ramadan and perform Hajj, provided you have resources of making journey to it…” When contemplating these pillars, one realizes that they contribute to build a perfect personality.  When a Muslim believes that God is One Who has no partner, and that our Master Muhammad (PBUH) is his servant and Messenger, he seeks to fulfill the requirements of this testimony, by obeying the commands of Allah and avoiding his prohibitions. He will also do his best to follow the path of the Prophet (PBUH) who was an example of mercy, compassion, modesty and kindness.

Prayer, which is the greatest pillar of Islam, has its benefits for the worshipper as it prevents him from commiting indecenct actions or evil. It guides him to be upright and to have peace with himself and the whole society, as the Almighty Allah says, “[Prophet], recite what has been revealed to you of the Scripture; keep up the prayer: prayer restrains outrageous and unacceptable behaviour. Remembering Allah is greater: Allah knows everything you are doing.”

Zakah has great religious as well as human aspects, as it purifies one’s soul form being attached to materialistic interests and makes him realize that money is just a means and not a goal. Zakah is also a way of cooperation, compassion and sympathy with others. The Muslim community does not know selfishness or negativity. It is a religion of giving and sacrifice, and a true believer is benevolent. TheAlmighty Allah said in praising the Ansar, “Those who were already firmly established in their homes [in Medina], and firmly rooted in faith, show love for those who migrated to them for refuge and harbour no desire in their hearts for what has been given to them. They give them preference over themselves, even if they too are poor: those who are saved from their own souls’ greed are truly successful.”

As for fasting, it perfects the morals of a Muslim by making him always observing Allah. It teaches him patience, forebearnce, self-promotion, and transcendence over all the evils that Allah hates. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Fasting is a shield. If any one of you is fasting, let him no utter obscene talk or raise his voice in anger, and if anyone insults him or wants to fight, let him say: I am fasting.” He (PBUH) also said “Whoever does not give up lies and false conduct, Allah is not in need of his leaving food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his Fasting).”

Hajj represents a behavioral and moral commitment before and during and after the completion of its rites, as the Almighty Allah says, “The pilgrimage takes place during the prescribed months. There should be no indecent speech, misbehaviour, or quarrelling for anyone undertaking the pilgrimage- whatever good you do, Allah is well aware of it. Provide well for yourselves: the best provision is to be mindful of Allah- always be mindful of Me, you who have understanding.” Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said, “Whoever performs Hajj to this House (Ka`ba) and does not approach his wife for sexual relations nor commits sins (while performing Hajj), he will come out as sinless as a newlyborn child.” Thus, all pillars of Islam have their implications that bring goodness, peace and safety to the whole society.

Pondering over the provisions of our religion, one realizes that it is the religion of morality, and its message is to perfect these morals, as our Prophet (PBUH) says, “I have been sent to perfect good character.” Thus true Islam means: faithfulness, loyalty, honesty, righteousness, goodness with one’s relatives, generosity, peacefulness to others, reliving those in need, helping the desperate, and kindnss with animals, etc.

There is no doubt that understanding the essence of Islam, knowing the wisdom of its tolerant message, identifying its objectives, and applying all of this in light of the new developments of our time are urgent necessities to face contemporary challenges, confront the terrorist and extremist groups, fight deviant thought, and  overcome narrow mindedness. Such understanding is necessary to be more opneminded, insightful, and to work to achieve the interests of people, spread high human values that achieve security, safety, peace, stability and happiness for all humanity.

One of the most important duties in Islam is that every Muslim should showcase Islam’s various aspects of the greatness, so that the entire world would realize the fact that it is the religion of peace that should be called for. Peace is one of the Names of Allah, the Almighty. Allah says: “He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Peace, the Bestower of Faith …”; the greeting of Islam is peace; Allah says: “O you who have believed, when you go forth [to fight] in the cause of Allah, investigate; and do not say to one who gives you [a greeting of] peace “You are not a believer.” The greeting of the paradise dwellers is peace; Allah says: “And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], (23) “Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.” The Prophet (PBUH) also used to supplicate Allah, the Almighty, after every prayer saying: “O Allah, You are As-Salam, and from you is As-Salam. You are blessed, O One of Magnificence and Generosity.”

Islam is a religion that preserves man’s dignity; so it forbids backbiting, envying each other, hating each other, degrading one another, and causing harm to one another – be it in words, actions, signs or gestures. Allah, the Almighty, says: “O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.” Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) banned striking someone’s on his face. When he (PBUH) saw an animal that had been branded, he said, “May Allah curse he who branded it.”

Also, when he (PBUH) was asked about a woman who used to observe fasting and prayers, yet she harms her neighbors, he (PBUH) said: “She is in the Hell-Fire.” In this connection, he (PBUH) said, “He who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him be hospitable to his guest; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him maintain good the ties of blood relationship; and he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, must speak good or remain silent”.

With that said, I ask Allah to forgive me and you

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds; I bear witness that there is no god but Allah; I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger; may Allah’s Peace and Blessings be him, his family and companions.

Muslim brothers,

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) entrenched the tolerant teachings of Islam, its decent ethics and moral values in the hearts of its followers until they became a way of life. Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (Allah be pleased with him), when standing before the Negus, showed some of these noble values. Fully confident of himself, he said, “O King, we were a people in a state of ignorance and immorality, worshipping idols and eating the flesh of dead animals, committing all sorts of abomination and shameful deeds, breaking the ties of kinship, treating guests badly, and the strong among us exploited the weak. We remained in this state until God sent us a Prophet, one of our own people whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and integrity were well-known to us. He called us to worship God alone and to renounce the stones and the idols which we and our ancestors used to worship besides God. “He commanded us to speak the truth, to honor our promises, to be kind to our relations, to be helpful to our neighbors; to cease all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed, to avoid obscenities and false witness; to not appropriate an orphan’s property nor slander chaste women. He ordered us to worship God alone and not to associate anything with Him, to uphold prayer, to give charity …” So, a true believer does not tell lies, or betray or cheat; he is the one from tongue and hand people are safe; he is the one from his harm people’s bloods, honors, properties and souls are safe; he is the one who is an embodiment to the ethics of Islam, so he extends good and righteousness to all people. If we actually want to offer a comprehensive definition for the true believer, suffice it here to offer that one by the Prophet (PBUH): “Should not I tell you about the (true) believer? “The believer is the one from whom their (people’s) wealth and lives are safe, and the Muhajir is the one who forsakes mistakes and sins.”

The message of Islam is that of humanity, wisdom, tolerance, mercy and flexibility; it is a message of unity, not disunity; Islam is all-just; all-mercy, all-tolerant; all-ease; and all humane. All what realizes these sublime meanings mainly belong to Islam; and what is against them is actually against Islam and its objectives.

O Allah, guide me to the best of deeds and the best of manners, for none can guide to the best of them but You. And protect me from bad deeds and bad manners, for none can protect against them but You! O Allah! Protect Egypt, its Army and Police from all evil and harm.