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 15, 1424 AH / February 06, 2004, 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 Eid al-Ghadir: Unity and Protecting Islam
The Imamate as an Extension to Prophethood
Allah says in His Glorious Book, in the course of talking to His Messenger (p.): "O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people. Indeed, Allah does not guide the disbelieving people." Surat al-Ma'idah (5:67).
This Divine call to the Messenger (p.) came after the farewell pilgrimage to ensure that Imam Ali (a.s.) would be in charge after the Prophet’s death, for he had all the knowledge, piety, spirituality, courage, and commitment—a person that lived with the Prophet, acquired his mind, and became united with him in spirit and soul.
This was Imam Ali, who lived with the Messenger since he was a child, following him like a baby camel following its mother, and learning from him all fields of knowledge. Then he was with him when the Prophet called for Islam, when he waged his wars, and when he led the society.
The Imam’s home was that of the Prophet. He was the member of the only Muslim house at the time, a house in which only three people lived: Muhammad, Khadija, and Ali.
Then when he became Fatima’s husband, his house continued to be the Prophet’s house, for it was the first house Muhammad would visit when he came to Medina and the last one he left when he traveled.
Therefore, and with all due respect to all companions, Ali was the only one who accompanied the Prophet the most, and actually lived with him throughout his life, and consequently he was the only one qualified to lead the march of Islam after Muhammad and ensure its continuity.
Delivering the Message
That is why Allah, the Most Exalted, told His Messenger (p.) that if he did not tell the Muslims that Ali (a.s.) was the appointed leader, he would not have delivered Allah’s Message. He added that he had not to worry about any accusations of favoring his cousin, for he was delivering Allah’s Message and Allah, the Most Exalted, would protect him.
Thus, the Messenger (p.) stood at high noon, in the heat of the desert, and called on the Muslims to gather and listen to him before they went to their homes, having finished the rituals of pilgrimage. He then raised Ali’s hands and said: "Do I not have more right over the believers than what they have over themselves?" People cried and answered: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." Then the Prophet (p.) held up the hand of Ali and said: "Whoever I am his leader (Mawla), Ali is his leader (Mawla). O Allah, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him." Immediately after the Prophet (p.) finished his speech, the following verse of the Holy Quran was revealed: "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion." Surat al-Ma'idah (5:3). Upon hearing this, some of the serious companions said: "Well done Ibn Abi Talib! Today you became the leader (Mawla) of all believing men and women."
This story is agreed upon by both Shiites and Sunnis, and there is no doubt among them about its authenticity, although some of them have questioned the meaning of the word Mawla, saying that it means that Ali loves or supports whom Muhammad (p.) loves or supports. But such an interpretation is absurd and meaningless. It is irrational that Muhammad would gather the Muslims at high noon to tell them that Ali loves whom I love.
Many Sunni narrations, including Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal’s, have included this story in their tradition volumes. Furthermore, Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak even adds that Muhammad said:
"I am leaving for you two precious things, and if you adhere to both of them, you will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my progeny, that is my Ahlul-Bayt. The two shall never separate from each other until they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)." Which is a proof not only of the Imamate of Ali (a.s.), but also that of all the Imams.
Then as the events turned out, Ali (a.s.) was denied his right. What did he do? He did not act selfishly, subjectively, or personally, as a lot of us might do if they are denied their right or if they engage in a conflict with others. They would start to make plots to revenge, even if it creates civil strife.
The Imam of the Right
But Ali (a.s.) considered himself responsible for Islam and all Muslims, whether those who believed in his Imamate or those who did not.
That is why when he found the people were apostatizing in the aftermath of the Prophet’s death, he was afraid that if he did not support Islam, his feeling of sorrow as a result of the loss would be greater on him than that of losing the Imamate. Thus, he had to step in and fight.
He is also the one who said: "I would hold my peace, as long as the affairs of Muslims are secured, and the only injustice has befallen on me."
Thus, he advised Omar not to take part personally in fighting the Romans, since it was more important to safeguard the institute of the caliphate regardless of who the caliph was.
Dear loved ones: This is Ali, the man who never sought for a moment any personal goals…The man who slept in Muhammad’s bed with the people outside waiting to kill the Messenger (p.)… The man whose life was dedicated to earning Allah’s satisfaction, saying to his followers when he became a caliph in a state of turmoil: "My concern for you is not the same as yours; I want you for Allah’s sake and you want me for your own sake."
The Islamic Imamate
This is how we should live, trying to stand against those who incite fanaticism and hate in our Muslim nation, Sunnis and Shiites alike, and those who even try to accuse others of unbelief and spreading deviation. Imam Ali says: "I hate for you to be slanderers." Thus, when we call for Islamic unity, we call for unity to defend Islam against the non-believers and the arrogant that seek to incite strife, as they are doing in Iraq, for example.
We call on all of you to see in the Imam a role model of how to rise above personal ambitions and seek to serve Islam by enhancing the unity of Muslims in this era of critical challenges and the arrogant offensive to dominate our lands, resources, and nation.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
American Freedom: Terror and Occupation
In his last speech, President Bush said that he is determined to implement a strategy of freedom in the Middle East. He also asserted that the war the US is waging against terror and the ideologies of hatred in the Middle East is also a war between conflicting visions for the future.
But is occupation, like what he did in Iraq, the best way to obtain freedom?
Is America pressuring the region for the sake of freedom or for protecting its interests and those of its giant monopolizing companies?
Moreover, what kind of freedom is promoted by the Zionist occupation of Palestinian lands and people? Why did not Bush condemn all these acts of building settlements and the racial wall?
Does this so-called strategy of freedom turn those who defend freedom into terrorists, while turning the occupiers with all their atrocities into powerless victims?
He talks about those who produce hatred, but he does not include the Likud’s politicians and religious men, nor does he mention the Palestinians’ positive discourse of seeking peace if the occupation withdraws.
America is Dominated by Zionist Policy
Can the solution in Palestine be reached when America talks about security measures when it comes to the Palestinians and stands silent towards the Israeli practices that use American advanced weapons to deprive the Palestinians of any sense of security? The Intifada is but a reaction to occupation, and if America were sincere it should start by ending occupation and starting political negotiations, since the issue is a political one and not one of security.
How can we explain the American and British confusion in the issue of discovering weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?
Why was the United Nations forbidden from continuing its search before the war? Does blaming the intelligence deem the administration innocent of the big lie that justified the war? It is quite cynical that the American Defense Secretary says that it has not been proven that the weapons do not exist, while what should be proved is that they do.
We emphasize this because America continues to accuse Syria and Iraq of preparing to produce such weapons, although these two states have been calling for a Middle East free of such weapons, a proposition that America rejected for it includes Israel.
America, according to Bush, is trying to wage a media war against the propaganda of hatred that fills the Islamic world. Why does not he look at what could the results of policies that depend on such concepts like "those who are not with us are with terrorism" be? Why does not he accept any discussion about the definition of terrorism… We say to Bush: Change your policies, and respect the freedom and the interests of Muslim and Arab peoples; their view will change and their "propaganda" will cease.
Iran: The Lessons of the Revolution
In Iran, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, we are following up the internal political struggle, which might not be in the interest of the Islamic Republic. We hope that all parties review the lessons of this revolution to renew their unity on the basis of diversity, especially that the international arrogance is still planning to reenter from the window, using every possible devious means that could be available to it, including the use of some of what is happening inside to serve the plan plotted on the outside.
We hope that a solution, in which everybody meets on protecting the revolution and the state, could be reached. We also hope that the Iranians would choose the representatives who could build the Islamic future, uphold the law and order, in the line of the Islamic Revolution and in the spirit of the late great Sayyed Khomeini (s.).
Lebanon: Planning for the Future
Lebanon has to focus all efforts on building a strong state on the ruins of the existing corrupt farm. We have to open all files of waste, corruption, and playing with the country’s security…We ought to elect our representatives on the basis of our principles and general interests and cast away all those who have proven to enhance deviation. We have to implement the law of illegal wealth and prove wrong the dominant saying in Lebanon that holds that the shortest way to get rich is to become a politician.
We have to be futuristic people who plan in their present for their coming days and not leave them to be conquered by anarchy.