In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Religious Authority, Grand Ayatullah H.E. Sayyed M. H. Fadlullah delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque on Rajab 13, 1420 AH / October 22, 1999, AD. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries, officials, and thousands of believers attended the Jumu’a prayer. (Edited version of the Sermons)
The First Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
True Followers of Imam Ali (a.s.): Uphold His Legacy
Allah says in His Glorious Book: "And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is kind to [His] servants." Surat al-Baqarah (2:207). Quranic interpreters say that this verse refers to Ali (a.s.), since it was revealed after he had slept in Muhammad's bed as a cover to enable the Prophet to migrate to Medina.
Furthermore, when we study this verse, we notice that it represents the best way to reveal the secret of his personality, for he dedicated all his life to the struggle for the cause of Allah, whether by his speeches and sayings, or by the fighting and taking stands.
Dedicating His Life for Allah
Whoever studies the life of Ali (a.s.) will notice that he did not have any time to rest as other people do when they become exhausted. He was always busy, living with the Messenger, learning from him, listening to the Quranic revelations and protecting the Prophet with his life wherever the Messenger went.
He did all this for the cause of Allah. He did not think about anything else. Even when he believed in Muhammad and was faithful to him, it was because Allah is the One Who had sent him. Therefore, if you want to discover Ali's secret, you would find it in this verse… We saw him talking to the people, after he had become their caliph, and saying: "My concerns are not the same as yours. Your sphere focuses on your personal affairs, while mine reaches Allah… I want you for the sake of Allah and you want me for yourselves… I cannot disobey Allah to appease you, but as my whole concern is to be with Allah, I would serve and guide you to His straight path…"
The Prophet's Care
There was no other companion or relative whom the Messenger raised and nurtured in the way he raised and educated Ali (a.s.). He raised and nurtured all aspects of Ali's personality, developing his mind and heart and perfecting his attitude and manners. He used to embrace him, chew the food and give it to him, and teach him of his sciences and manners day by day. Even when the revelation was revealed to the Messenger, Ali could hear what was revealed. He could, as the Messenger told him, "see what I see and hear what I hear," but he was not a prophet.
Let Us Adhere to His Line
Moreover, the Messenger did not praise any other companion in the way he praised Ali, including the assertion that "Ali is with the right and the right is with Ali." Thus, and according to the Messenger himself, "Everything Ali said or claimed is with the right and everything he rejected was falsehood. There is no separation between Ali and the Right, and nobody could find a place on Ali's side if he stands with falsehood."
Thus, we cannot claim that we are Ali's followers unless we dedicate our life for the cause he dedicated his life for, and unless we learn from him, being the guide to truth and the right, all that he had the opportunity to teach us, and adhere to all his teachings and guidelines.
"Ask Me, Before You Lose Me"
The problem of those who lived with Ali lies in the fact that they did not appreciate his status. The Imam used to complain of their ignorance and call upon them to learn from him, saying: "Ask me before you lose me. For I know about the ways of heaven more than those of the earth." Therefore, those who maintain that they are Ali's followers have to convey his knowledge and thought to the rest of the people.
Did not the Prophet describe him in a way that was unique and did not apply to any other companion when he said to him: "Your position in relationship to me is like that of Harun to Musa, except that there are no prophets after me." Harun's position is described in the Surah of Taha as follows: "And appoint for me a minister from my family - Aaron, my brother. Increase through him my strength and let him share my task." Surat Taha (20:29-32). He also declared on the Day of Ghadir: "Whoever I was his master should consider Ali as his master." Although the Prophet's companions and followers were numerous, he saw in Ali only the qualities that make him qualified to uphold the responsibility of the message after him.
Let us Stay with the Cause
But although the people did not appreciate Ali's wisdom, faith and dedication and hence his deservedness to run their affairs, and began to talk about his youth and wanted one of the elderly to be in charge, as if age has to do with responsibility, Ali did not feel hurt to the extent of making him retire. On the contrary, he continued to serve the message and give those who denied him his right all the help and advice he had. For he believed—and this we should learn and follow the example—that he was responsible for Islam whether he was a ruler or not.
We should learn from this lesson, that if we were not appointed in the position we feel that we have the right to, or that we are qualified to assume, we should continue to serve the cause we believe in. It is our duty before Allah to serve the cause of the right, whether we hold any position or not.
A Life of Love
Of the several characteristics of Ali that we should adopt, that of love is particularly important. Ali did not have a place in his heart for any kind of hatred or malice toward those who denied him his rights. He knew love only… the love of those with whom he agreed to collaborate together in obeying Allah and calling for Him, and the love of those he differed with to discuss with them and to guide them to the right.
Let us learn from Ali, who learned this trait from the Prophet (p.), how to love all Muslims and hate none of them. For love elevates us to the level of belief and that of Allah. Let us learn not to become the victims of outrageous reactions. A believer in a cause and a holder of a message should not be irritated by a curse. Let us learn from our Imam who refused to let his companions kill one of the Kharijites who cursed him, telling them that it was only a matter of cursing and that he had pardoned him.
The Manners of the Messenger
These are the manners of Ali (a.s.). They are the manners of his teacher Muhammad (p.). Ali (a.s.) has taught us by his great tolerance and his ability to forgive how to build a community on the basis of love and dialogue. If we review his stands, we would discover that he had debated all issues with Mu'awiyah before he went to war with him. He also held a dialogue with the Kharijites when they rebelled against him.
We should learn that when we do not see eye to eye over a certain political or even religious issue, we should not curse or call names; rather, we should try to lay down our view and present our proofs…
When we recall Ali and think about what he represents, we feel that we are being elevated to the level he had reached in his soul, heart and thought—a man who loved Allah and His Messenger and who was loved by Allah and His Messenger.
Let us take Ali as our role model and try to get nearer to him. For this is the straight path, the path of Islam.
"I Have Won, By the Lord of the Kaaba"
As we celebrate the birth of the Commander of the Faithful, who was born in the Kaaba and who lived a life of dedication to the Kaaba and its Lord, destroying its idols after the defeat of the human idols who had no right to take hold of it… a man whose martyrdom in the Kufa Mosque symbolized this dedication. Did he not say when he was stabbed and knew that he was going to meet his Allah: "I have won, by the Lord of the Kaaba"… We have to learn from our Imam how to be devoted to Allah, Islam and the Muslims.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Worshippers of Allah… Be pious, and uphold the responsibility that Allah entrusted you with… that of developing and educating minds, being the instrument of knowing your Lord, your faith and your path in this life.
Be pious and fear Allah in everything you say or do, so that you could stand firmly against tyrants, unbelief and arrogance… and be firm in our support of the honest, the believer, the oppressed and the wronged…
Let us, then, try to establish the components of the arrogant strategy that is being currently implemented against the weakened.
Unlimited Support to Israel
This unrestricted support on all political, economic and military levels to Israel aims at ensuring that Israel maintains its regional superiority, which enables it to dictate its conditions in the on-going settlement negotiations.
Destabilizing Internal Arab Relations
America involves itself in Arab-Arab relationships to ensure that Arab solidarity is still far from being the norm, and to enable Israel to take advantage of any Arab dispute, with the aim of opening a window for normalization, that would in turn broaden the Arab rift and prevent the holding of any Arab summit to discuss their vital causes.
Complicating Arab-Iranian Relations
This is done through the various American stands and visits, the last of which was the recent visit of the American Secretary of Defense to the Gulf, in which he stated that "Iran represents a threat to the stability of the region…" Despite the fact that Iran has repeatedly declared that its military build-up is not intended against any state in the region, especially the Gulf States. It has even proposed to establish a military alliance with those states to safeguard the security of the Gulf.
The Siege Against the Iraqi People
Exerting pressure against the Iraqi people that reached the level of killing them as a result of starvation. At the same time, America is playing a game of deceit that aims to lead the Iraqi opposition to believe that it is supporting them, while in fact it aims at weakening the Iraqi people as a whole, and not only the regime.
Sustaining the Arab Weakness
Exerting all kinds of pressure against any country that might consider selling arms, even if it were for defensive purposes, to Syria and Iran, to ensure that Israel remains strong and the Arabs remain weak, if not weaker. America, therefore, represents the state whose political, military and economic plans are pressurizing our Islamic and Arab peoples. We have to be aware of this fact and confront its policies with every possible means.
Israeli Deceit Politics
In addition to the direct Israeli pressures, the Israeli enemy is also relying on political deceit that makes the Palestinian fall into the trap or the charade of endless small details.
As for the Syrian-Lebanese circle, contradictory statements regarding the withdrawal from the Golan and south Lebanon aim at deceiving the international public opinion, by leading it to believe that Israel really wants to withdraw, while in fact it only wishes to cast a shadow of doubt and ambiguity over the Israeli position in the negotiations.
At the same time, the daily Israeli aggressions against the Lebanese south continue, which impels us to emphasize that the only language the enemy understands is the language of force and that the Resistance is the only means that could force it to withdraw.
Do Not Distort Your Unity
On another level, there are certain demands that could not be postponed, especially the ones related to the living conditions of the working classes, like that of the teachers. We believe that their rightful demands should be met in a way that does not ignore the state's financial status, if only to diffuse one of the several crises that continue to pop out as a result of the major economic crisis that Lebanon suffers from. As these crises have become a tool that the political parties use in their petty-politics game, we call upon all Lebanese to be aware of the importance of their internal unity… A unity that should be consolidated and not lost in the charade of petty calculations in the internal political front.