UAE Friday sermon: how to achieve a good life

Mosque-goers will be told to pray often, say kind words to each other and to remember God achieve a good life

Achieving a good life is the greatest happiness a person can feel, the sermon will say on Friday.

Ways of achieving this are plenty; the first and greatest way is through belief in Allah, who said "and whoever believes in Allah — He will guide his heart." (At-Taghabun: 11). Whoever believes in God will be blessed with a good life in this world and rewarded in Paradise.

A good life should be spent with acts of obedience to God, mosque-goers will be told.

Observing prayer regularly brings comfort as does following in the footsteps of Propher Mohammed who once said to Bilal, the first muezzin, "O Bilal, call for prayer; gives us comfort with it." Remembrance of Allah (Dhikr) also brings tranquillity as it says in the Quran, "unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (Ar-Raad: 28).

Part of remembering Allah is to read the Quran. Quran recitation is one of the causes for achieving a good life, the sermon will say.

Living lawfully is one of the fundamental ways of achieving a good life. Working honestly and demonstrating trustworthiness when dealing with others means that one’s Zakat — or charitable donation — will be accepted.

About this, Prophet Mohammed said "If somebody gives in charity something equal to a date from his honestly earned money, for nothing ascends to Allah except good, then Allah will take it in His Right (Hand) and bring it up for its owner as anyone of you brings up a baby horse, till it becomes like a mountain."

A happy family that shows affection and tolerance towards one another is also a foundation of a good life as Allah said "and good women are for good men (or good words are for good people), and good men for good women (or good men are [an object] of good words)." (An-Noor: 26).

Another important thing that can help a believer achieve a good life is being kind to others and speaking kind words. Prophet Mohammed said a good word is Sadaqa (charity).

The sermon will tell worshippers to advise each other to obey Allah. Those who do righteous deeds will achieve a good life in this world and in the Hereafter as God said, "Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is that which is the great attainment." (At-Tawba: 72).