Muslims should refrain from excessive spending on wedding celebrations, according to today's sermon.
"As parents we have a responsibility towards our marriageable sons and daughters by refraining from engaging in excessive spending on wedding celebrations," says the sermon.
"This is to help the newlywed husband avoid the hassle of eventual indebtedness, and be more ready to set up his own family with less financial burdens.
"Please obey Allah and know that reducing marriage expenses is one of the factors that helps achieve family stability. It was reported by Aisha that the Prophet said, 'some of what women want is being helped in her matters [of life] and having a moderate dowry'."
A key message of the sermon is that the family is a pillar of society.
"Thus to achieve a strong stable family in the UAE, the Government established the Marriage Fund with the aim of easing the burden on Emiratis and linking them to the customs and values of their community. This initiative is a good example to follow as its activities have paid off after it held group weddings and helped hundreds of young Emirati couples to get married," says the sermon.
The sermon quotes from the Quran, saying: "As a sign of His mercy [God] to human beings, Allah has afforded to them mates from among themselves."
It continues: "Blessed with Allah's mercy as such, the spouses are most likely to enjoy tranquillity and a relation based on sound foundations. This, in turn, favours a coherent family and protects it from collapse. At the core of it is the feeling of harmony between the two spouses."
