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 25, 1425 AH / September 10, 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
Rajab: The Revelation, the Ascension, and Imam al-Kazim
Three occasions occur in this last week of Rajab. The first, according to most Shiite scholars, is the anniversary of the revelation of the Message to Muhammad. It is also the day of Muhammad’s night journey to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, followed by his ascension to the heavens, to see the world of paradise and hell and the other signs Allah wanted him to see.
In these three occasions, we are inspired by several Islamic themes.
The Commencement of the Message
The first returns us to that stage in history in which Muhammad was alone, when he was commanded to commence his role.
He was alone, and he was ordered to carry the burden: "Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the most Generous. Who taught by the pen. Taught man that which he knew not." Surat al-‘Alaq (96:1-5).
"Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word." Surat al-Muzzammil (73:5), which was meant for all humans.
"And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know." Surat Saba’ (34:28), using humane and civilized means:
"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided." Surat an-Nahl (16:125).
Allah did not send His Messenger to force them to believe; rather, He called on them to open their hearts and minds to the truth of Islam.
That is why Allah says: "There is no compulsion in religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong." Surat al-Baqarah (2:256). Right and wrong were both clear, and people have to choose to determine their position in both worlds, either to Heaven or Hell. And this is why Allah kept reminding His Messenger that he only had to convey the Message and that he cannot compel them to accept it.
The Unity of Messages
Allah also wanted His Messenger to live in the places of previous messages so that he would confirm, through the unity of revelation—being of the same source—the unity of messages. People are thus asked by all heavenly messages to submit to the will of Allah in everything one encounters or wishes.
This is what Islam means (to submit), and this is what Ibrahim said: "When his Lord said to him, 'Submit,' he said, 'I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.'" Surat al-Baqarah (2:131). Therefore, Islam at the time of Ibrahim was to follow the message of Ibrahim.
It is also following the messages of Musa and Jesus in their times. Thus, the value of Islam is probably that it embodies the essence of all religions. Islam calls for believing in Allah as well as all His Books and Messengers without any distinction.
This is why Muhammad visited Al-Aqsa Mosque, where he met, according to some traditions, with all prophets to tell them that this is the Prophet who embodies all the living elements of your messages.
Then, in his ascension to Heaven, Allah wanted him to attain all the spiritual knowledge that transcends the environment of Mecca. Nevertheless, all scholars agree that the ascension was not only spiritual but was also physical.
The Birth of Islam
On this anniversary, that of the birth of the Message, we remember how Muhammad faced the entire world all alone, calling them to believe in Allah’s oneness.
In this respect, Islam did not tolerate polytheism. It tolerated only the People of the Book and called for a dialogue with them. As for the disbelievers, it did not tolerate them, considering polytheism a backward and mythical phenomenon.
Facing the entire world, Muhammad had a unique spiritual power that enabled him to endure all that the disbelievers did to him. He was then accompanied by Ahl al-Bayt and the companions, with Ali (a.s.) in their forefront. Thus, Islam reached us through the call of the callers and struggles of the Mujahideen, throughout the various generations.
Thus, it is a trust that we were entrusted with by Allah, the Most Exalted.
And we have to uphold our responsibility in teaching our children our religion, especially at a time of great challenges of disbelief.
We have to be patient and enduring in confronting all challenges. And we have to promote our unity and keep away from anything that incites strife and fragmentation. Allah, the Most Exalted, has sent His Messenger as a warner and as a bearer of good news. And we too have to carry Islam in our hearts, minds, and tongues and convey it to the entire world.
We say to all our Muslim immigrants who live in Africa, Europe, Asia, and America that they have to be representatives of the shining image of Islam and Muslims in their actions, and not only in their sayings. We have to strengthen the position of Islam in this world as others are trying to weaken Islam and defeat Muslims politically, economically, and psychologically. If we look at the entire world, we find that most victims of war and violence are falling in the Islamic region: in Iraq, Chechnya, Palestine, and Afghanistan. We have even reached the stage where Muslims kill one another.
Therefore, we have to uphold the responsibility of Islam by becoming, each and every one of us, a caller to this religion and by trying to gain the qualities of leadership.
Imam al-Kazim
The third occasion is commemorating the passing of Imam al-Kazim, who enjoyed the confidence of the people at his age as a result of his knowledge, ethics, and fighting injustice.
This made the Abbasid caliph, Harun al-Rashid, jail him, sending him from one prison to another and torturing him. But this did not hurt the Imam one bit, as his reaction was to thank Allah for making him dedicate his life to worship.
To demonstrate this fact, it is enough to recall the following story: Asked by the people around him why he used to treat Imam al-Rida with such respect, he said that he had learned this from his father who used to treat Imam Musa al-Kazim in a similar way. Al-Ma’mun goes on to say that when he asked his father about what made him show all this respect, he said: If people know who this man is and what his virtues were, they would not let us retain our position.
Then, "why don’t you give him your place?" Al-Ma’mun asked. Al-Rashid answered: "I would even kill you, my own flesh and blood, if you try to take my authority from me." Therefore, it is a question of power and nothing else.
Ahl al-Bayt were respected and held sacred in the eyes of the people. And that is why they were persecuted by most caliphs.
In commemorating the passing of Imam al-Kazim, we declare our commitment to their line, being the line of the Messenger Muhammad. May Allah bless him and bless the members of his household.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
On the anniversary of 9/11, the world is following the repercussions of the devastating war the American Administration has waged under the pretense of fighting terrorism. It aimed at restoring its pride by reverting to preemptive wars that started in Afghanistan and continued in Iraq, which led to the killing of tens of thousands, largely civilians, and destabilizing the Arab and Muslim world, based on the rationale that prohibits any kind of dialogue since it considers all those who are not with America to be with the terrorists.
It is a policy that is hostile to the interests of the nations of the region, especially the Palestinians, and aims at gaining full domination of the Middle East, under the pretense of preventing Weapons of Mass Destruction, which means preventing any country from acquiring nuclear energy even for peaceful purposes, and allowing Israel to keep its nuclear arsenal…
America is spreading anxiety in the world to create an atmosphere favorable to its plan to conquer it. This is why Iran was added to the axis of evil, and this is why it is being said in Washington that the preventive war could target new countries if Bush is re-elected. In this context, the axis of evil could include even Syria.
If we look at the devastation President Bush has inflicted in the region and the confusion and instability his alliance with Israel has created in international politics, we will conclude that the axis of evil is composed of America and Israel, who are threatening the security of the world…
The Israeli war against the Palestinians, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, as well as the American war on Iraq, are but examples… America and Israel are the threats the world faces nowadays, and not Syria or Iraq.
In Palestine, daily massacres continue to unfold, the last of which was in Gaza, where a scout camping site was bombed, killing and wounding scores of civilians in an atmosphere of American blessing. Arab silence and internal disputes within the ranks of the Palestinian Authority have further distanced them from the strategic goal of liberation.
In addition, the enemy is expanding the area around Jerusalem annexed by the racial wall and is planning to do so in other areas as well, without any condemnation that ought to be voiced by the International Quartet Committee.
The problem of Palestine and the Arab World lies in that strategic alliance between America and Israel and its hegemony over the UN Security Council, which was demonstrated of late by resolution 1559 concerning Syria and Lebanon.
This resolution gives Israel a favorable political and security climate to escalate its aggressions and pressures on Lebanon and Syria. It further discusses an internal problem and not an international one.
It seems that America could get away with what nobody else can.
Iraq: Do Not Take Part in Internal Conflicts
In Iraq, the prominent picture is that of the American massacres that are moving from one place to another and that are killing more civilians than the freedom fighters who are defending their country against an occupation that declares it is going to stay for more than ten years. Moreover, the association between what is happening in Iraq and the American presidential elections is making things worse.
Therefore, we would like to warn our dear Iraqis against taking part in any small internal conflicts here and there, which could only serve the occupation.
In this context, we have been hearing in the news about certain local problems in Najaf, and call upon all parties there to keep up the peace that the city enjoys and make every effort to maintain the solution that has been reached… We also wish that Iraq as a whole would face the challenges with a solid national unity that secures the future and that acts as a basis for joining hands against those who distort the image of Iraq by arbitrary abductions and by the assassinations of the country’s scientists and political leaders, especially those who were opposed to the tyrant regimes.
Lebanon: No Going Back
In Lebanon, we believe that it is the right of every Lebanese to express his opinion about any political, economic, or security issues.
Nevertheless, no one has the right to undermine national unity and plant hatred at a time the country is facing external Israeli threats and American or Israeli pressures, such as the Security Council resolution that tries to make Lebanon undermine its relations with Syria or the Palestinians.
In this atmosphere, certain parties may try to turn the political instability into a security one.
There is no realistic chance to undo the extension of the President’s term, whether it was a right or wrong decision. Therefore, we ought to engage in an objective national dialogue to study the situation, and we ought to remind all parties that absolute negativity has been tried in the past and did not produce any results. Such an attitude might relieve certain parties, but Lebanon would suffer tremendously. We are afraid that it might result in the fall of the temple on the heads of all who are in it, and then it will be useless to try to find out who was responsible, for it would be, to say the least, too late.