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 Zoul-Hijjah 23, 1419 AH/ April 09, 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
The Quranic Commandments:
"…Slay not life, save in the Course of Justice, Take Care of Orphans and Honor Your Commitments".
As we underscored last week, Allah's commandments that were revealed in His Holy Books include: "And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right." Surat al-An‘am (6:151), such as punishment or self-defense or in the course of struggle for the cause of Allah, when one has to confront the occupiers or the arrogant and tyrants.
Except in such causes, man is not supposed to kill a fellow human being, be he a man, a woman, a child, elderly, or even a fetus.
We Ought to Be Very Careful so as Not to Cause Death
This is the responsibility we bear: It is not simply that we should not kill, but also that we should not cause the death of others even if it were not premeditated or accidental. Those who carry arms ought to know that they are responsible for their acts, and that they will be held accountable for the way they behave on the Day of Judgment…Carrying a gun should be limited to the times it is needed. For, if it is carried all the time in a casual and ordinary manner, it would increase the chances of people getting killed in a moment of rage, or an outburst of anger especially.
To those who take pride in driving their cars as if they are riding a horse, and let them run at full speed, I say: this is not an act of pride, it is, if anything, an act of foolishness and irresponsibility: When you drive your car you should always take into account that you might encounter inexperienced, reckless, or bad drivers, or rash pedestrians. In this case, the issue is not that you have not broken any law, but the life of the victim concerned, the fact that he was wrong notwithstanding.
Similarly, firing guns as a means to express joy is also a sign of backwardness that could lead to accidental death. Guns are not meant to be used in this ignorant manner, but rather, as a means of self-defense against any aggression whether on the individual, his people, or his country.
Abortion Is Illegal
It is impermissible to resort to abortion once the fetus has begun to live except in two cases: If pregnancy causes severe harm that might endanger the mother's life, provided that the fetus has not begun to live yet. But if it has, then the only case whereby abortion could be performed is when the pregnancy constitutes a real and proven danger to the life of the mother. No other justification, whether social or economic, is valid.
Honor Your Commitments
"And fulfill the covenant. Indeed, the covenant is ever [that about which one will be] questioned." Surat al-Isra’ (17:34). Promises in this sense include all commitments and contracts one makes whether verbal or written. Marriage in Islam is a form of contracting, and therefore a commitment that both parties undertake. Thus, trying to pressurize your wife to change the terms of this contract, such as foregoing the dowry, is a sin that you will be held responsible for.
Give full measure when you measure and weigh with even scales and weights when you sell. "And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge." Surat al-Isra’ (17:36). If you want to adopt a line or a course, you ought to be sure that it is the right course. Therefore, you have to use your mind to reach a rational and scientific judgment that is not based on passions or fanaticism.
Do Not Walk Proudly
"And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height." Surat al-Isra’ (17:37).
"The evil of that is hateful in the sight of your Lord. That is from what your Lord has revealed to you, [O Muhammad], of wisdom. And, [O mankind], do not make [as equal] with Allah another deity, lest you be thrown into Hell, blamed and banished." Surat al-Isra’ (17:38-39).
Those who walk in a show-off manner have been made fun of in the Glorious Quran as evident from these Ayahs as well as other Quranic verses. They suffer from psychological complexes that they try to hide by such behavior that Allah expressed clear dislike for as well as for those who practice it.
These are the Ten Commandments that Allah has instructed us to follow as a means of providing balance and stability to our life and set us on the straight path of good and piety.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Worshippers of Allah…
Be pious in educating yourselves and assimilating the values of good, guidance, love of Allah and the peoples, and justice: Study all that goes around you. For Allah, the Most Exalted, wants us to be aware of everything that concerns our community and our nation so as to be able to uphold our responsibilities towards them. We also have to remember the devoted pious who devoted their lives for the good to learn from them and follow their example.
In this context, we remember today one of those whose lives were dedicated to Islam:
Imam Khumeini (ra).
Commemorating the Imam’s Passing
As we commemorate this occasion, we recall the Islamic revolution. He led a revolution that returned the meaning of universality of the massage to Islam, as a massage to all peoples in very time and place; it also revived the essence of any Islamic movement, as a movement to put an end to tyranny and restore or establish justice. The image that was created in the world about Islam as a marginal religion that has nothing to do with life and the (political, social…. etc) sufferings of man was torn, and Islam re-embraced his truth as a comprehensive and mobile religion that constitutes a basis for life, emotions and thought.
Imam Khumeini was also successful in establishing an Islamic republic in Iran that was able to withstand all conspiracies, sanctions and wars, and that is still defying all the arrogant attempts and pressures that aim at forcing it to succumb…
Muslims’ Sufferings from Dogmatism and Backwardness
As we solemnly commemorate the Imam’s passing, we recall his sufferings from persecution, a fate that all reformers had to face.
Describing what he faced from the backward and dogmatic group of internal critics, the Imam says:” In addition to the shells and bullets that came from the enemy, there were other shots fired from behind, those were the shots of dogmatism, deceit, hypocrisy… But the latter shots were one thousand times more painful than those that came from the front, for they aim straight at the heart and tear it into pieces”.
This is what the reformers who undertake to uphold the right and change misconceived or backward concepts have to endure. They will be faced with a variety of baseless and faulty fatwas (religious rulings or judgments) that lead to persecution while claiming to safeguard the religion… We still have a lot to do on the road the Imam has started especially in the fields of opening the call to all human beings all over the world, as well as purifying the Islamic concepts from all legends, myths and backwardness .In this respect, we believe that if the revolution does not initiate from the necessity of fighting ignorance and backwardness in its own background, it will not have the strength to consolidate and spread to reach man everywhere and to fight international arrogance and thwart its conspiracies.
Let us not freeze the movement concepts of the revolution; let us, rather, respond to new changes and developments. Let us not confine ourselves to old and fusel- like concepts, but instead we should rise to the level of the viability of Islam and be enriched by it.
Supporting the Oppressed
Kosovo is still in the midst of a political and military brutal tragedy, with all the martyrs and dislocations the Kosovars endure every day. All Muslims all over the world should provide every possible political and humane support to ensure the return of the Kosovars to their homeland.
We also have to follow the Israeli game with vigilance and cautiousness and keep in our mind that this game aims at subjecting us and imposing the Zionist conditions. Moreover, we should not take the American reassurances at their face value, for they too aim at driving us to make additional concessions. The stage we are currently living in is one of the most difficult and critical stages, whether to the Arabs as a whole, or to the Palestinians in particular, and we, the believers, should not be stung by the same snake twice.
Preoccupying and Distracting the Resistance Is not Allowed
Meanwhile, the withdrawal of the enemy and its collaborators from Jezzine is still the major event that all the political circles in Lebanon are still trying to analyze its significance, consequences and implications. As for us, we would like to underscore the fact that the Resistance is the force that compelled the enemy to withdraw, as a result of its military pressure.
This proves that the continuation of the resistance is the only means that could defeat the enemy. And consequently, no one should preoccupy or distract the resistance through inciting sectarian hatreds and similar emotions. Let it be clear: Every part of country that returns to the motherland makes all parties, the state the resistance and the people, responsible for its protection, stability and reconstruction, just like any other part.
The Country has got out of the tunnel of the civil war, and the only war that has a chance now is the war against occupation. Let us all unite to ensure that victory will be on our side.