Friday Sermons

Our religion, Islam, is a religion of unity and mutual assistance. Neither before nor after Islam has any system focused on this matter as deeply or expanded the understanding and practice of helping others to such a broad extent.

Neighbourly relations are important not only for social solidarity but also for families to live in peace and security. Good neighbourly relations play a special role in sharing joy and happiness, as well as in bearing hardship and sorrow.

Today, we are experiencing two Eid at once, one is Eid al-Adha and the other is our weekly Eid, Jumah. This morning, we performed the Eid prayer together, listened to the Eid khutba afterward and made dua to Allah (swt).

Endless praise and thanks be to Allah (swt), who created us and all existence out of nothing, made us aware of His existence, honoured us with faith and allowed us to reach Eid al-Adha once again. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet (saw) and all the prophets.

The oldest and longest journeys in history have been those made for religious purposes. The pilgrimage of Hajj is an act of worship performed at a sacred place and has existed in every era of history.

When the journey of humankind on Earth began, Allah (swt) bestowed upon humans great blessings such as intellect and conscience, allowing us to find truth and righteousness. Alongside these, He conveyed revelation, the path to peace and happiness, through His prophets.

One of the important concepts that our religion, Islam, strongly emphasises is the concept of rights. Islam has clearly defined and described the rights of all living beings in detail.

Human beings naturally seek a spouse, a home, trust, commitment, support, love, care, peace and compassion; in short, the experience of being part of a family. A family is a complete and rich unit that goes beyond simply being large or small.

Allah (swt) has explained what is lawful (halal) and unlawful (haram) through the books He revealed and the messengers He sent. He has commanded those who believe in Him to live their lives within the framework of these commands and prohibitions.

We have experienced the blessed month of Ramadan, an important opportunity to become a pious and complete believer by adhering to the commands of our noble religion, Islam, avoiding forbidden acts and sins.

We are about to end a month in which our bodies have recovered through fasting, our wealth has been purified through zakat and charity and many blessings have been experienced in both our material and spiritual lives.

In this sacred month, through fasting, we purify ourselves from sins. Our spiritual world develops with the recitation of the Qur'an. By applying the verses to our lives, our words and actions find the right path.