“A close union strengthens an individual’s or group’s self confidence especially when supported by religious values. It enables them to withstand the hostile acts of other political powers or any other forces. Unity is a legitimate goal and political achievement besides providing a boost to economy and reinforcement to security,” Al-Talib said in his sermon in at the Grand Mosque on Friday.
The imam and khatib was referring to King Abdullah’s appeal to the leaders of the GCC to move from a phase of cooperation to a phase of union within a single entity at the opening of the annual GCC summit in Riyadh on Monday.
“It is a blessed invitation, a sincere call and a great initiative. Every official should contribute to achieve that goal and strive to remove any obstacle in its path of realization,” the imam said. He also thanked the king for taking the initiative and the Gulf leaders for welcoming the initiative.
In his Friday sermon, the imam at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah Sheikh Husain Al-Asheikh stressed the need for the faithful to be sincere and honest in their daily life, especially in their work and official duties.
“The worst kind of conduct is fraud and deception in one’s work whatever may be its form,” Al-Asheikh said, adding that embezzlement of public money without any prick of conscience or fear of Allah’s anger is a heinous crime. The imam particularly warned contractors saying, “The worst type of fraud is practiced by some public and private contractors but become evident only later, after the projects are commissioned. Their deed is haram (unlawful) and amounts to corruption and betrayal of the king and the society.”
At the conclusion of the sermon, Al-Asheikh urged responsible officials to be diligent and sincere in inspecting the projects within their jurisdiction as any negligence on their duties would constitute a grave act of betrayal of trust put on them by the ruler and the people.
