UAE Friday sermon: family is a blessing

Worshippers will be told to support their family and never cut ties with them

Family is one of the greatest gifts from Allah, the sermon will tell worshippers on Friday.

A wife is said to be the pillar of the family and a gift from Allah. “Allah has made for you from yourselves, spouses,” the holy book reads (Quran 6:72).

Scholars have interpreted this to mean that a family is built through the wife and through her, family life is created. She is said to be predominantly possible for raising children and bringing joy to her family.

She is truly a treasure for whoever understands her worth, the sermon will say.

Prophet Mohammed said to Muadh bin Jabal, one of his companions, “A grateful heart, a tongue remembering Allah, and a righteous wife who aids you in the affairs of both your religion and the world: these are the goodness that people can treasure.”

To show gratitude to his wife, a husband must value her efforts and honour her according to the Quranic instruction: “And live with them in kindness” (Quran 4:19).

A husband should support his wife and help her facilitate the affairs of life, as the Prophet said “the best of you is the one who is best to his wife”.

Children are also blessings from God. The sermon will tell how members of the Sahaba – the Prophet’s companions – prayed to be blessed with more than one child so their children could have siblings.

Siblings should never cut ties with each other, but ask about each other frequently and care for one another. They should lift eachother's spirits and try to help them whenever possible.

Worshippers will be asked to pray and ask Allah to bless them with happy, pious and obedient children.

But children are also a great responsibility, as Hasan Al Basri, an early Muslim preacher and scholar, said “Allah never confers a blessing upon a worshipper except that is has with it a commensurate responsibility”.

Whomever Allah blesses with a family, should take care to preserve those bonds and strive to maintain their happiness. Such contentment itself is a great blessing from Allah, so they should thank Allah for that too.