King Mohammed handed 1947 sermon by his grandfather
Morocco, Religion, 8/30/2003

After the inauguration of "Al Aadahm" mosque in Tangier, King Mohammed VI, Amir Al Mouminine (Commander of the Faithful), was handed a copy of a sermon read out in the same mosque by his grandfather, the late king Mohammed V in 1947 on the occasion of a historic visit to the city.

Here follows the integral text of the sermon of late king Mohammed V:

Praise be to God, who calls for obedience to Him, shows the way to His paradise, commands that we be brethren to one another and co-operate in good and virtuous deeds. Praise be to Him for His many bounties; I bear witness that He is the Most High, that Mohammad is His chosen and noble Messenger, whom He sent to disseminate His message and check falsehood. The Prophet relentlessly pursued his call to Islam, and to brotherhood and concord, until Truth prevailed and people adhered to the right path; may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, and upon his kin, who had the privilege of living next to him, and upon his companions, who laid down the foundations of his religion. He who obeys Allah and His Messenger is surely on the right path, and he who disobeys Allah and His Messenger will harm only himself and will not, in any way, harm Allah.

O people! Cling to the bond of faith, for it is the strongest of all bonds and the safest stronghold; it is the refuge to which our fathers and ancestors resorted and thus conquered far-off lands, built cities, reigned over various peoples, brought the light of knowledge, built schools, institutes and mosques and contained the spread of evil. They also freed the world from the grip of ignorance, depravation and oppression and were thus better off than other nations. They were also more prosperous, had a more dignified status, were more accurate in their judgments and were more powerful among other nations thanks to the bond of faith, which brought together separate hearts and diverging peoples, instituted personal freedoms and defined human rights. In his endless struggle for the dissemination of the divine message, our Prophet and supreme guide, peace and blessings be upon him, suffered countless insults, offences and oppositions, which only strengthened his resolve, purified his intentions even further, and helped him overcome difficulties and confrontations in all confidence, until truth prevailed and falsehood was defeated.

Allah has made the message of Islam an active religious bond through which Muslims relate to one another, wherever they may be, experiencing the same feelings and engaging in the same action. They can be at peace with themselves only when all Muslims taste happiness and their entire land enjoys tranquillity. Muslims could not disagree among themselves once they had been brought together by their religion and the language of the holy Quran, and once the truthful and honest Messenger had called upon them to strive for the establishment of brotherhood, unity and mutual assistance among themselves.

Imam Muslim reported from Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Beware of suspicion for suspicion is the most deceptive of all arguments, and pry not on one another; do not engage in fierce competition; do not be jealous of one another; do not hate one another; do not frame one another; and be brethren, O worshippers of Allah." Similarly, Al-Bukhari wrote, in Al Adab al-mufarrad, as Imam Ahmad reported from Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said: "The believer is a mirror for his fellow believer; the believer is the brother of his fellow believer, protecting his land and covering his back."

Muslims cannot work together while guided by personal interests, nor can they act together while experiencing aversion for one another; they cannot accept that their feelings or views be conflicting after hearing the divine injunction to them: "O ye who believe! When ye meet an army, hold firm and think of Allah much, that ye may be successful. And obey Allah and His messenger, and dispute not one with another lest ye falter and your strength depart from you; but be steadfast! Lo! Allah is with the steadfast."

Nor is it conceivable that Muslims, once they have been called upon to perform good deeds, engage in the public interest and set up co-operatives, trading companies and educational councils, that they would fail to comply, or refuse to help, after receiving the divine words: "Help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty. Help not one another unto sin and transgression."

The wishes of the Muslim Ummah cannot come true, nor can the Ummah itself be respected if it does not agree on the same position, close ranks, bring together the hearts of its sons, agree on its guiding principles and cling to brotherhood and to the teachings of the holy Quran, while seeking the right path to Allah, by performing its duties towards its religion, its people and its leaders.

"O, ye who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord, and do good, that happily ye may prosper."

"O ye who believe! If ye help Allah's cause, He will help you and will make your foothold firm."

"O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority."

I ask Allah's forgiveness for myself, for you, and all our fellow Muslims.

Second sermon

Praise be to God, who grants to whomever He wants whatever He wants in terms of virtues, blessings, protection and good manners. Praised be the Lord, to Whom I am most grateful and to Whom is my submission. I seek His forgiveness and attest that He is God, the One, the Eternal, and that Mohammad is His Servant, Who warned against evil deeds; that He is the Messenger Who made religion a practice of sound advice. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon Him, his noble Kin and His well-inspired companions.

O people! Imam Muslim reported from Tamim bin Aws Addari, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Religion is (the practice of) advice. We said: for whom; He said: for Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the imams of Muslims and the entire community."

Because of its special importance and unparalleled usefulness, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon Him, made advice the cornerstone of religion and the pillar of faith. Advice is for Allah, namely through attesting His uniqueness, showing Him complete obedience, avoiding any disobedience of His commands and being sincere in His worship. Advice is for His Book, through its careful reading and discernment, through compliance with its injunctions, avoidance of its prohibitions, observance of its admonitions and careful meditation of its teachings and verses. Advice is also for Allah's Messenger, by reviving and disseminating His traditions, supporting the followers and fighting heretic charlatans.

Likewise, advice is for the imams of Muslims, through showing sincere obedience to them and general affection for them, while praying for their success and sound judgment. Finally, advice is for the rest of the community, by showing them the right path, working for their well-being, serving their interests and defending their rights.

As Custodian of the trust placed with Us by Allah to conduct your affairs, We spare no effort to defend your territory, make up for your shortcomings and improve your situation. We do not know of any means which serves your interests that We have not already used; nor of any path that promotes your success which We have not already walked. We are indeed aware that knowledge and sound ethics are at the very heart of a happy life. Therefore, We paved the way for the generalisation of education, opened the doors for students and worked for the rehabilitation and promotion of educational institutions. Our wish is for this happy land to recover the glories of its prestigious past, and for its inhabitants to enjoy the blessings of happiness and reach the highest standards. Thus, We have resolutely sought to revive the glorious era of our ancestors; to free the land from the evil of depravation; and to lay the groundwork for a prosperous epoch, seeking Allah's guidance and help, at all times: "He who holdeth fast to Allah, he indeed is guided unto a right path."

Therefore, My subjects have a duty to endeavour to secure my endorsement and, hence, God's sanction. They must close ranks behind Me, in compliance with God's prescriptions. They should be sincere in their obedience to Me, in the advice they extend to Me, and in the affection they feel for Me. They have a duty to muster efforts to support the Creed and the Nation and to provide guidance and education. They should always be sincere in what they say and do. They must think about God in all circumstances, stick to the Law of God and seek guidance from virtue and righteousness. They should pray for all Muslim commanders to succeed in their steady endeavour to serve the Islamic Ummah and uphold Arab unity. They should implore the Almighty by saying: Honour us, O Lord, do not humiliate us; make us those You prefer, not those to whom You prefer others; settle the differences which keep us apart; bring us together in harmony; show us the path to peace; give us back, O Lord, the noblest of our old traditions; restore our past glory and grandeur; guide our steps, O Lord, towards pious deeds, beneficial actions and positive accomplishments, O Lord, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful, Supreme Ruler of the Universe!

"Glorified be thy Lord, the Lord of Majesty, from that which they attribute (unto Him);"

"And peace be unto those sent (to warn);"

"And praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds." May God grant His forgiveness to Me, to you and to all Muslims.

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