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 17, 1422 AH / October 5, 2001 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
Celebrating Imam Ali (a.s.)'s Birth: An Occasion to Recall his Teachings
The Imam’s Teachings
Celebrating the birth anniversary of Imam Ali (a.s.) is an occasion to live with the Imam and recall his teachings and sayings that liberate the soul and prevent the believer from committing any deviation from the straight path of Allah, the Most Exalted. Thus, let us go back to some of his sermons in Nahj Al-Balagha to learn how to adhere to the line of Islam.
One of the Imam’s most prominent traits, as it is evident in all his sayings and supplications, lies in the fact that his only concern was to call for Allah. His love for Allah, the Most Exalted, was so compelling that he virtually lived with Allah, the Most Exalted. If he had any problem he would talk to Allah, complaining to Him and drawing strength from Him.
In this supplication, the Imam portrays an example of those who claim to be pious and faithful, while in actual fact they are not faithful at all. This pattern of behavior is called hypocrisy. In this supplication, Imam Ali talks about himself although he is infallible and does not commit such sins, but as all prophets and Imams, when they talk to Allah, the Most Exalted, they assume the position of an average believer who commits sins. He says what in today’s language would amount to the following: "O Allah, the Most Exalted, I ask You not to let me look good in the eyes of others, while my inside (the things I do not show) is bad. I ask You not to make me care about how I look in their eyes, while at the same time I would admit to You my bad deeds… all this to make them like me but through which I would not be seeking to please You."
Thus, the Imam is teaching us that it is Allah, the Most Exalted, whom you should seek His satisfaction and seek to be closer to, and not the people.
Unlawful Wealth Generates Remorse
The second hadith talks about those whose only concern is to make a fortune, even if it involves theft or bribery. When one of these men dies and he is inherited by a good son who spends the money in what pleases Allah, the Most Exalted, the first will go to hell while the second will go to Heaven. The Imam describes the feeling of the first man as "the greatest remorse on the Day of Judgment."
Obey Allah First
The third hadith is about those who might be subjected to emotional, economic, security or political pressures to do things that Allah, the Most Exalted, has deemed unlawful. This could happen between parents and children, an employee and an employer, or even a leader and his party or clan members, who might ask them to kill or even undermine the reputation of someone. Such acts could even involve spying or inciting social strife. Here, the Imam is very decisive in his ruling. He says: "You are not to obey a creation of Allah when it involves disobeying the Creator (Allah)."
If doing something is lawful, then you have the choice between doing it and not doing it, but if it is prohibited, as when you are asked to give a false testimony, you are not allowed to do it… In this case, as in any other case that involves disobeying Allah, the Most Exalted, you do not have a choice: you ought to obey Allah, the Most Exalted, and disobey anyone who asks you to disobey Him. Allah has taught His Prophet to say to everyone who calls on him to disobey Allah: "Say, 'Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day.'" Surat al-An‘am (6:15).
Use Your Knowledge to Benefit Mankind
In the fourth saying, the Imam says that there are four kinds of people on whom the world is built: a scientist who makes use of his knowledge, an ignorant who wishes to learn, a rich man who is generous in giving, and a poor man who does not sacrifice his second life for the pleasures of this life. "If the scientist does not make use of his science—by teaching others—the ignorant will not seek to learn." Then the Imam concludes: "If Allah, the Most Exalted, bestows on someone a lot of His graces—money, power, and knowledge—more and more people will need him. If he gives them to the needy, he will make them last. But if he does not, he is subjecting them to vanish and abate."
These are the words and sayings of our Imam (a.s.). The words of light, truth, and guidance. Let us learn these sayings and adopt them in everything we do or say. Let us be with Ali and stay with him, for he is with the right and the right is always with him.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Worshippers of Allah, the Most Exalted… Be pious… and learn to obey Allah in everything you do and every position you take, especially if it has to do with the well-being of the community.
The Second Year on the Road to Independence
In spite of the Zionist barbarian brutality that uses all the hi-tech American weapons to eradicate the Palestinians, the Intifada did not stop. The Mujahideen heroes did not succumb to such ploys as the Mitchell or Tenet plans. They have decided, based on their strategy of liberation, to continue to challenge the Israeli security so as to impose the Palestinian right on the world’s conscience, including Europe and the U.S. They have succeeded in breaking the political siege of the ceasefire and the US president's appeal to the Palestinian Authority to hinder any operation on the settlements or even any martyr operation.
The first year has passed and we are now in the second year, and the Mujahideen are still fighting, for any end to the Intifada would mean an end to the entire Liberation movement… The US president's call for a Palestinian state did not have a positive impact on the Mujahideen, being similar to the state advocated by Sharon on 42% of the territories of West Bank and Gaza, with no boundaries, no army and no return for the refugees, and Jerusalem. Such a state will merely constitute a big jail for the Palestinians, composed of many isolated islands that are besieged by Zionist settlements.
Moreover, America is not exerting any pressure on Israel. On the contrary, it wants the Palestinians to accept what Israel is offering, if they do not wish to be considered terrorists. It has gone as far as considering Israel to be in the position of self-defense. Thus, we call on the Arab and Muslim countries not to fall into this American trap that poses the suggested state as a real state that responds to the Palestinian legitimate rights.
Such a state will be colorless, odorless and tasteless. If Bush is serious about this project, he should give the Palestinians support that could make them counterbalance the Israelis at the negotiation table. But America would not do that because it is committed to support Israel on all levels to ensure that it is the strongest force in the region.
Thus, the Arabs and the Muslims are faced with a big challenge: They have to continue to demand to achieve the Palestinian legitimate rights without entering any international alliance whose basis is vague and undefined… On their part, the Palestinians have to continue the Intifada and to hold fast in their challenge of the Israeli security since, according to the Quran, they have two alternatives: either martyrdom or victory.
The American War
America is waging a war against the whole world to dominate it in a way that serves its political plans and economic interests, using both the carrot and the stick… threatening with economic sanctions on the one hand, and promising financial and economic aid on the other.
America is trying to pressurize the ministries of internal affairs in the whole world to hunt anyone who opposes American policies, or supports the Resistance against Israeli occupation, claiming that these acts fall in the domain of fighting terrorism. It also wants all these countries to change their laws in a way that serves American interests. In this respect, America wants to diminish personal freedoms, change the economic regulations in the best way that serves American interests and turn the judiciary in these countries into a tool at her service and make the judges pass their rulings in accordance with American evidence, even if they do not convince the judges themselves. America wants to be the prosecutor and the judge at the same time. All other nations should applaud the American "justice" even though it is a justice without a balance.
America is waging an all-out political, economic, informational and military war, that has the entire world as its front. It is a new world war but with multiple means and goals. It has started by intimidating the Afghani poor people who do not have any source of strength except their belief and free willpower to fight the occupier. But it has told the world that "the Afghanis are only the first and that the list includes 60 other countries, who should either get along with this new alliance or they have only themselves to blame."
America is doing all this because it is afraid of the future, which could witness the fall of its position as a strong superpower or as the only superpower left. Thus, America wants to preserve all the sources of strength it possesses, even if it were at the expense of the well-being, security and economy of the whole world… We say to America: you are not an inevitable fate. And that real justice is served by eliminating the causes of terror and violence of the weakened nations. Using force and flexing muscles will only lead to more violence and terror as a result of oppression and grievances.
Lebanon Is Also on the List
In Lebanon, we should cement our internal unity, especially against the Israeli threats. We should not be intimidated by Israeli ploys, like the recent call of Sharon to consider Hamas, Al-Jihad Al-Islami and the Lebanese Islamic Resistance as terrorist organizations. It looks as though America has already decided that these organizations are terrorists, but it is only a matter of priorities.
But we have always to remember that having planned our strategy, we have to rely on Allah, the Most Exalted, who has promised us that their victory will not last: "If a wound should touch you, be sure a similar wound has touched the [other] people. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allah does not like the wrongdoers." Surat Ali ‘Imran (3:140).