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 Muharram 15, 1423 AH / March 29, 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
Piety Governs the Behavior of the Believers
Peace and blessings upon our Master, Muhammad, his purified progeny, his chosen companions and all of Allah’s messengers.
Reasons for Deficiency in Our Community
Why do we, the Muslim believers, act in any individual and social act, in addition to our political life, as if there were no religion that tells us what to do and what not to do… Why do we let our desires and moods motivate our actions, to the extent that we might incite strife or support the unjust tyrant if we benefit from it, and oppose the just if we do not profit from it?
Why is backbiting so common in our community? Why does a brother Muslim not feel safe if he differs in opinion with a fellow Muslim? Why would he be afraid that he would be either harmed or his image will be distorted? Why is all that? Maybe it is because Allah’s greatness is not felt enough in our hearts, and those with worldly power have a bigger impact in our minds. We are afraid of human beings and not of Allah, yet we ask Allah to reward us in Heaven!! The Glorious Quran has repeated in several Ayats that a Muslim is the one who fears Allah: "The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely." Surat al-Anfal (8:2)
To fear Allah towards yourself is to avoid all that He told you not to do… while fearing Him when you deal with your family means that you should not disobey Him in your actions and behavior towards them… Fearing Allah in your trade relations means that you should not cheat in price or in quality… Fearing Allah in your social and political life means that you should never support an oppressor or a tyrant… it means that all your actions and sayings should conform with what He has ordained, and that your heart should be full of love, while your mind should be full of good and righteousness.
And this is, my loved ones, what we should educate ourselves on: to feel the greatness of Allah, who is capable of everything and who bestows His grace on whom He wills and takes it away from whom He wills. He is the All-Mighty Sustainer who controls everything that runs in accordance to His wishes. He knows what you hide inside your hearts: "There is no private conversation among three but that He is the fourth of them, nor are there five but that He is the sixth of them - and no less than that and no more except that He is with them [in knowledge] wherever they are. Then He will inform them of what they did on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allah is, of all things, Knowing." Surat al-Mujadilah (58:7) And:
"We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein." Surat Qaf (50:16)
Thus, my loved ones, He is the One who gives life and takes it away, and He is the One before whom all men will stand to be judged on the Day of Judgment, the day nobody can do anything for others, the day you will come: "To Us just as We created you the first time. You claimed that We would never make for you an appointment." Surat al-Kahf (18:48) And:
"They have not appraised Allah with true appraisal, while the earth entirely will be [within] His grip on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand. Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him." Surat az-Zumar (39:67)
Forgetting About the Hereafter
Let us, dear beloved, go back to the Quran, the Messenger and the Imams to see ourselves in their clear mirror. Allah, the Most Exalted, tells us about some of the scenes of the Day of Judgment. The Day when you have to remember all that you have done, even if you try to forget all about it. On that day, when you stand before Allah, you will be told with Hell in front of you with all its flames: "And to the evildoer it will be said, 'You were certainly, in your heedlessness of this, in doubt. And We have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp.'" Surat Qaf (50:22)
"Leave Me with the one I created alone." Surat al-Muddaththir (74:11)
"I will cover him with arduous torment." Surat al-Muddaththir (74:17)
Those who transgress their limits in political, economic and social relations; those who do not fear their Lord but listen to the demands of their desire and to the appeals of Satan; those whose only concern is the pleasures of this world, whether in a lawful or unlawful manner… those will reside in Hell.
In contrast, those who feel the greatness and glory of Allah inside them… Those who feel that their own greatness, pride and honor is nothing if compared to Allah’s… Those who fear Allah and refrain from doing anything He deemed unlawful… Those who know that His promise to judge them is true, and those whose love for Allah fills their hearts… Those who are pious will go to Heaven.
Thus, Heaven was made for the pious. But who are the pious? "Those who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good." Surat Al 'Imran (3:134)
In explaining the meaning of this fear of Allah, Imam Jaafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) teaches us that they are those who know that Allah sees them and hears what they say and knows the good and evil they do. And this would make him refrain from doing evil.
Fear is a Muslim Trait
Allah, the Most Exalted, says: "Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, 'Are those who know equal to those who do not know?' Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding." Surat az-Zumar (39:9) Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) says: "My father used to say: All believers have two lights in their heart: a light of fear and a light of hope, which are virtually equal in weight." The Imam adds: "Fear Allah as if you see Him."
That is why the problems that might occur between Muslims are more complicated than those occurring with non-Muslims, because Satan would make man live with his hatred and forget his God and humanitarianism, although the line of Islam is one of humanity, justice, good and hope in Allah. Fear Allah as if you see Him. If you do not see Him, He sees you. If you believe that He does not see you, then you have turned into a non-believer; and if you believe that He sees you and yet you disobey Him, then you act as if His watching over you is not important.
Lastly, dear beloved, if you fear Allah in this life and have hope in Him, then: "Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve." Surat Yunus (10:62)
"Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then remained on a right course - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve." Surat al-Ahqaf (46:13)
Dear beloved, we live in a temporary world, not knowing when we are going to die. We should be wise, love our Allah, fear Him and have hope in Him, for today is a day of action with no account, but tomorrow is a day of account but no action: "O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed, the convulsion of the [final] Hour is a terrible thing." Surat al-Hajj (22:1)
"On the Day you see it every nursing mother will be distracted from that [child] she was nursing, and every pregnant woman will abort her pregnancy, and you will see the people [appearing] intoxicated while they are not intoxicated; but the punishment of Allah is severe." Surat al-Hajj (22:2)
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Arab Summit, in which the Arabs, or at least most of them, agreed to leave the Palestinians to their destiny, has ended, and it was followed right away by the second phase of Sharon’s terrorist war, with a new brutal invasion of the 1967 occupied lands in a mad and outrageous way in front of the eyes of the whole world.
The Arabs have decided to wash their hands of the blood of the Palestinians and decided to leave them alone to face the barbarism of Israel. But the Palestinian people proved, through their militant heroes and their martyrs who have performed highly exceptional operations (the last of which was in Netanya), that neither the security barriers nor the Zionist barbarianism could conquer their will and strive for freedom.
Thus, the summit ended, and many have talked about its success in agreeing on the initiative, as well as easing the Arab differences between Iraq and Kuwait… and the support for the Intifada… But the issue is not the success of the summit but rather the future and the well-being of the nation. In this respect, Israel declared its absolute rejection of the return of the refugees, as well as the withdrawal from the 1967 occupied territories, considering that the implementation of such UN resolutions could destroy the Zionist entity. On its part, America welcomed the part of the initiative that concerns peace with Israel and expressed reservation on all its major points, considering that all the details will be worked out through negotiations, which means that the Americans are not ready to exert any pressure on Israel.
Throughout its history in the Arab-Israeli struggle, America has proven that it always takes the side of Israel. This also applies to the Madrid Conference that talks about the "land for peace" formula, because America does not recognize that the territories are occupied lands, but rather disputed lands, which makes this principle and all UN resolutions irrelevant.
Thus, America tries to change the established principles and not to implement them. This is what we have noticed in America’s role through General Zinni, who is trying to pressurize the Palestinians to force them to accept the Israeli changes to the Tenet project. Up till now, all that America wants is a limited settlement that would allow Israel to regain its strength. It does not want any peace for the region unless this peace serves Israeli interests. America has taken the security of the Arabian region out of its consideration and forced its officials to help Sharon succeed in his project, having accepted to give him a chance… to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure… in that barbaric manner… The Arab officials did not say a word because they do not want to anger America, especially after intimidating, blackmailing and even extorting the Arab and Islamic worlds with its accusations of terrorism and making mass destruction weapons… The question now is: what should the position be after Israel’s rejection of the political content of the initiative? Furthermore, I would like to explain to those officials who say that America and Europe have supported the initiative that their appreciation was for the so-called "peace" and not for the content of this initiative, because they view it as a prelude for negotiation and not for implementation.
We had hoped that the Summit would have lived the spirit of the speeches of presidents Emile Lahoud and Bashar al-Assad, who expressed the wishes and aspirations of the Arab nation in strengthening the Intifada and providing Arab support for it, and not only saluting it… For this is what is really needed in this stage of Palestinian struggle for national independence.
The Arab peoples are quite aware that Israel will not accept any Arab initiative, even if it were limited to the 1967 occupied territories, and that the West will not exert any pressure. They are thus sure that the Intifada is the only pressure element, even though the price might be too heavy on the Palestinian people. The Arab people do not want to wait until the last Palestinian dies… they want to support this wounded people by all possible moral, military, political and physical means.
The Arab people feel that the Arab regimes are about to offer additional concessions to prove that they want "peace," at a time we all know that they want us to accept the Israeli peace.
Lastly, if the Arab Summit is sure that its concessions will succeed, let it be on its own, but it should not pressurize the Intifada both politically and on the ground to weaken it or enter it into the circle of the fight against "terrorism," which the US and the European Union have made it include Hamas, Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs.
We say to the Arab and Muslim peoples that they have to accept the challenge and organize a comprehensive donation campaign, while the political organizations should find openings to provide the Intifada with arms and enable it to stay in the "street" in a carefully studied way so as to avoid the internal persecution that many parties are planning for… We say to the Palestinians that no one will pave the way in front of you, because they are afraid that they will burn their hands… You have already removed a lot of these barriers that hinder your march, and you have to carry on until you achieve your final goal of independence.
We are not teaching you any lesson, for you are now in a position, with your resolve and sacrifices, to teach nations… and you certainly know that your unity is your strongest and most effective weapon…
To the Lebanese people and officials, we say: do not make an issue out of some of the incidents that happened during the Summit, so as not to create additional differences that might heighten the crisis the country already suffers from.
O people, fear Allah towards Lebanon and towards the fate of the nation as a whole.