Friday sermon: Prophets who sought forgiveness



ABU DHABI // The Friday sermon will reflect on the prophets described in the chapter in the Quran known as “Sad”.

In the Quran, Allah recalled the stories of the prophets to teach people about morals and wisdom. The Sad chapter describes prophets, including Noah, Lot, David, Solomon and Job.

“[This is] a Scripture that We have revealed unto thee, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect,” says a verse from the chapter.

Speaking about prophet David, it says he was granted a beautiful recitation voice and the ability to melt iron with his hands.

“O David! Lo! We have set thee as a viceroy in the earth; therefore judge aright between mankind, and follow not desire that it beguile thee from the way of Allah. Lo! those who wander from the way of Allah have an awful doom, forasmuch as they forgot the Day of Reckoning.”

In the same chapter, Allah tells the story of the prophet Solomon. “And We bestowed on David, Solomon. How excellent a slave! Lo! he was ever turning in repentance [toward Allah].”

The sermon concludes “And one of the main lessons to learn from Sad is Isteghfar” [asking for Allah’s forgiveness], adding that all the prophets mentioned in Sad sought such forgiveness.

hdajani@thenational.ae

Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm
Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.