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 Rabi’ al-Thani 24, 1423 AH/ July 5, 2002, 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
Do Not Trust Others Unless You Know their Beliefs
The relationship between the believers and the unbelievers is one of the issues that were emphasized in the Holy Quran.
Those unbelievers could be holding a cultural position and trying to theorize for the ideology of unbelief, or they could be holding a political or an economic position, like the international hegemony that is trying to impose its policies on the rest of the world. Then there are the social and economic relations between individuals, which also follow the same rules.
Dealing with Unbelievers
As a Muslim, one could either deal with unbelievers or he could accept them as his protectors, leaders and the like. As for dealing with them, whether economically or politically, in things that do not harm Muslims and Islam and where there is a mutual interest, Allah does not prevent us from such dealings. He says:
"Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion - [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers." Surat al-Mumtahanah (60:8-9)
Therefore, we are supposed to deal kindly and justly with all people, including the unbelievers, if they are living in peace with us. Thus, I have issued a fatwa that it is unlawful to cheat the unbeliever or take his money. Only in war could one apply wartime relations with other fighters. What some Muslims do when they travel abroad and deal with the unbelievers by stealing their money in one way or another is unlawful.
Let Not the Believers Take Unbelievers as Allies
On the political level, there are those, whether states or individuals, who deal with America and Israel, and there are even those who might befriend unbelievers hoping to get a job or a certain position… those were promised in the Quran with a severe punishment. You are allowed to deal with such people who have no relation with Allah only as a matter of precaution.
"Let not believers take disbelievers as allies rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah, except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination." Surat Al 'Imran (3:28)
This is what Allah, the Most Exalted, says to all those who stand with the unbelievers against Muslims, those who carry out the arrogant political and economic plans and threaten the security and the integrity of the Muslim nation.
Then Allah explains the negative consequences of befriending and confiding in unbelievers:
"O you who have believed, do not take as intimates those other than yourselves, for they will not spare you [any] ruin. They wish you would have hardship. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater. We have certainly made clear to you the signs, if you will use reason."
"If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do." Surat Ali 'Imran (3:118-119)
Thus Allah, the Most Exalted, wants us to know what these people hide inside them... He wants us to understand everything about them before we can trust them.
Then Allah deals with the issue of integration with the society of unbelievers, as in the case of those who immigrate to non-Muslim countries. He warns us against obeying them:
"O you who have believed, if you obey those who disbelieve, they will turn you back on your heels, and you will [then] become losers." Surat Ali 'Imran (3:149)
We are not allowed to ally with the unbelievers even if they were our brothers or fathers:
"O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you - then it is those who are the wrongdoers." Surat at-Tawbah (9:23)
The hypocrites are the losers, for they are the party of Satan, while the party of those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, who do not love those who oppose Allah, the Most Exalted, are the party of Allah and they will achieve success:
"You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those - He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him - those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, the party of Allah - they are the successful." Surat al-Mujadilah (58:22)
Thus the party of Allah (Hizbullah) does not indicate a certain political organization. It means that you belong to the believers who do not hurt or harm any other believers. Those who are full of love for fellow believers and remain faithful to them even when differences in political views emerge. Those who belong to the party of Allah are those who are always just, those who would not do wrong to fellow Muslims as a result of partisan or any other sort of fanaticism. They are those who love Allah and His Messenger.
The world today is divided into two parts: The world of unbelief that is allied with arrogance, and the world of Islam and faith. We have to stand with the believers in this war and resist any temptations the other world might offer us, for we will stand before Allah on a day that nothing would benefit us but our deeds.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Although America’s celebration of its Independence Day was to celebrate, in its view, the rights of nations to self-determination, it does not extend this right to include the Palestinian people. On the contrary, it is creating all sorts of barriers to hinder it. Moreover, it is supporting the daily killings committed by the Zionists and providing political support for such crimes in the name of self-defense. It has also decided not to have any contacts with the current Palestinian leadership unless they agree to choose a new leadership that would stop the so-called terrorism and accept all the Israeli conditions.
America Wants an Authority of Agents
Practically speaking, what America wants is a leadership of Israeli puppets and Mossad agents who would crack down on the Intifada against the will of the vast majority of the Palestinian people who support the Mujahideen and the martyr operations.
Furthermore, the American Administration sends its officials to every part of the world to meet the European Union, Russia and the UN representatives to convince them to implement what their president called for in his speech. They also visited the Arab states that agree with their reform plans for the Palestinians. Nonetheless, America is not ready to meet with the Palestinian popular and official leadership to engage with them in a dialogue about its proposed Palestinian reforms.
On the other hand, America did not say a word about the Zionist terrorist operations in the occupied lands. For America has lost the independence of its Middle East policy as a result of the Jewish and Christian fundamentalist lobbies. It now cares for Israel’s interests more than it cares for its own. And this is what the Zionist officials meant when they praised Bush’s speech.
It is the first time America celebrates its Independence Day in a state of emergency. Yet the administration did not ask itself about what led to this situation. Is it a matter of terrorism that has fallen from the sky, or is the way the American foreign policy is conducted that produced this phenomenon of terrorism in the world, when the people felt that they have been imprisoned in the cells of its arrogant interests?
America stood—along with Israel—against the UN in its decision to establish an international court for war crimes. For it is afraid that this court will try its officials and soldiers, as well as the Israelis. It wants them to stay free to commit brutal and barbaric crimes against the nations of the world…
In sum, America wants to try all those who oppose its policies in the world, but it will not allow the world to try it or try Israel for its war crimes against humanity.
Terrorism is an American Product
Moreover, America accuses Iran and Iraq of trying to produce weapons of mass destruction that would threaten world peace, but it does not talk about what the American media revealed lately concerning Israel’s possession of 400 nuclear and biological bombs.
Israel has announced that it is planning a strike against Iran since it has succeeded in manufacturing longer-range missiles that could be armed with nuclear warheads if and when Iran possesses them… America does not allow the Arab and Muslim worlds to acquire any weapons, even if they are purely defensive. It wants them to stay weak to remain under its hegemony.
America and Israel are Destroying the Palestinians' Fate
America and Israel are destroying the Palestinians' fate… They are creating an international and Arab state of pressure on the Palestinians to stop the Intifada without winning any political gain that has to do with their national aspirations. They want to create a puppet Palestinian state that will exhibit the same feeling of incompetence and failure of the other Arab regimes, which were not produced by their people but by the CIA.
We call on the Palestinians to be aware of this old-new game. We ask them to honor the blood of thousands of martyrs and face all those that are tempted to earn new positions: this new proposed leadership that will sink in the swamps of treason. We also call on them to continue to support the Mujahideen who have given Palestine all their lives and stood against Zionism with unique courage and pride... They are the real leadership that could create the free future for Palestine.
We would like also to warn the Arab officials against taking part in this conspiracy. Do not give the Americans an Arab cover… If they do not have the ability to support the Palestinian cause in response to their people’s wishes, let them not take part in this conspiracy, lest they will be cursed by both history and the Arab nation.
Lebanon’s Strength Lies in Its National Unity
The importance of confronting the American and Israeli accusations against the Resistance cannot be over-emphasized… they are a part of the psychological war that aims to destabilize the Lebanese internal front. Moreover, the Israeli threats are not realistic, but tend to serve as a political intimidation campaign. We warn all Lebanese not to be deceived by them to the extent that some might feel that they could exploit them to promote their own interests. Uphold your national unity, and do not forget that when the temple falls, it falls on the heads of all the Lebanese.