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-Awwal 24, 1425 AH / May 14, 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
Truthfulness is a Spiritual and Moral Virtue
Allah, the Most Exalted, says in His Glorious Book: "O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with those who are true." Surat at-Tawbah (9:119)
He also says in reference to the Day of Judgment: "Allah will say, "This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness." For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment." Surat al-Ma'idah (5:119)
He also says, describing those who pledged to dedicate their lives to please Allah: "Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [by martyring himself], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration - That Allah may reward the truthful for their truth and punish the hypocrites if He wills or accept their repentance. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful." Surat al-Ahzab (33:23-24)
These Holy Ayats emphasize truthfulness as a moral and religious virtue and one of practical value, which Allah wants us to live in all the spheres of our life and in all the multiple levels of our own being. We ought to be truthful and honest in our sayings and actions, as well as our contracts and promises. Truthfulness gives life a measure of transparency, since it reveals how things are actually unfolding. One would know how people think and move when they talk about their views, feelings and actions.
When truthfulness is the overwhelming characteristic of the relations among the individuals and the groups in a community, it will make each and every one of them feel that they are living and moving in daylight that enables them to know where they are and where they are going, whereas lying and deceit will make them live in a state of confusion and even anarchy.
But the problem now, as well as in the past, lies in the fact that lying dominates most spheres of our life, even when it comes to culture and trade. The merchant would lie when asked about prices and the politician would lie in the promises he gives… Intelligence agencies, including local ones, would spread lies to incite various kinds of civil wars.
Matters have become so bad that certain people, who claim to be religious, have begun to justify lying as a means of political maneuvering, since it serves a broader and more general interest… to the extent that one could no longer differentiate between what is true and what is false, leading to a state of either disenchantment or at least confusion.
Truthfulness is the Core of the Divine Messages
Allah wants the life of people to be dominated by truthfulness and honesty; that is why He made it the pillar of the ethical code that all Messengers called for. Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) says: "Allah has not sent any prophet, without exception, without [the command for] honesty, truthfulness and returning trusts to all people…"
For it is truthfulness and honesty that make people trust one another and open up to the good. Nevertheless, Imam As-Sadiq wanted us to stop being naive and put our trust in people who do not deserve it and judge things by their face value. He says: "Do not be deceived by their praying and fasting… but test them and learn whether they are truthful."
Imam Al-Baqir says: "Learn how to be truthful before you learn our traditions, because there were many who used to ascribe false sayings to the Messenger (p.)." Imam As-Sadiq told one of his followers to stick to the traditions that Ali (a.s.) has narrated, for Ali only conveyed what the Messenger has said… in all truthfulness…* truthfulness being the major trait of Muhammad, who became to be known as the truthful, the honest and the trustworthy.
Imam As-Sadiq says: "Be callers for the good, but not through your tongues. People should see your perseverance, truthfulness and piety." If they see this in you, they will follow you.
Allah wants us to be truthful and honest in our stances, in our relations with people and in our belief, so that we can make our community a truthful one whose religion and all its political and economic conditions are based on charity and straightforwardness.
We have to adhere to Allah’s command to "be with those who are true," so that we would follow those whose agendas, promises and sayings are truthful. They are the ones who are worthy of our support, that should only be acquired if they prove that they are honest and pious through their actions.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Intifada Destroys Israeli Arrogance
Following their invasion of the Palestinian camps in Gaza, killing women, children and old people, the Zionists used their warplanes to destroy the houses of Palestinian civilians in sheer madness and barbarianism.
But the Palestinian Mujahideen confronted the invasion with heroic steadfastness, destroying their tanks and killing their soldiers, thus inflicting a military defeat the Zionist Army has to face its consequences. It also led to a political setback, as Sharon’s government has not been able to provide security for the Jews in the Zionist entity. All this has turned into a political shock, as America and Israel got the Palestinian message that says that the mighty Zionist military arsenal cannot weaken the Palestinian resistance, for each Palestinian generation produces its own generation of Mujahideen who continue the struggle for freedom and independence.
It is also a message to the Arab leaders who continue to argue about who will attend their summit and what they will say in their lip-service communiqué… It is a message from the Palestinian people to all of them, saying that if you are afraid of the arrogance and power of Bush and Sharon, the Palestinians will overcome all that by their unique steadfastness.
The Palestinian attack on the enemy’s soldiers and military vehicles has led, in addition to the political confusion within the enemy ranks, to the loss of the enemy’s psychological coherence and its self-confidence. More importantly, it has exposed the American-Israeli lie of fighting terrorism…
We salute our heroes in Palestine and call on all Arab and Muslim peoples to support them, since they are fighting the same battle against the same enemy.
America’s Fall in Iraq
In Iraq, the American occupation’s mad and brutal practices have led to its fall in the Iraqi quicksand… It has fallen into the trap of the Iraqi Resistance, which revealed its deception as it resorts to killing civilians in their homes and places of work, especially in the sacred cities, which the religious authorities considered any fighting there as a red line that should not be crossed.
They have attacked these cities with the most advanced weapons that were made to be used in grand-scale wars. Thus, the Iraqis came to learn the hard way that this mentality is a mentality of hatred and barbarianism… It is the same mentality that tortures the prisoners in that ugly and inhumane way and that launches its missiles on the densely populated civilian areas, claiming it is enforcing the rule of law and defending its troops. This mentality has led to the killing of more than five thousand Iraqis in one month… It is the mentality of brutal killing in cold blood that is modeled on the Zionist practices in Palestine.
America’s prestige has fallen in Iraq, along with all the values the American president talks about, be it democracy, freedom or human rights. People have begun to realize that this is but a cover that allows them to extend the hegemony of their imperial dictatorship...
In this atmosphere, and as we denounce all the American atrocities of torture, killing and violating the sanctity of the sacred places, we also condemn the way an American citizen was killed without having been guilty of committing any wrong. The American Administration could well benefit from such an act to ease off the crisis it finds itself in, both politically and morally. This means that such an act is counterproductive, especially towards confronting the brutal American torture practices.
Syrian Accountability Act
Bush’s enforcement of sanctions against Syria demonstrates that America is subdued by the Israelis when it comes to any decision that has to do with the Arab World.
Moreover, America is once again resorting to the lie of possessing weapons of mass destruction, although Syria has stated that it does not have any.
On the other hand, America ignores Israel’s nuclear arsenal that was developed with American support and assistance.
America talks about Syria’s support of terrorism, while in actual fact it aims at its support of liberation movements in Palestine and Lebanon. Here too, the American Administration turns a blind eye to Israel’s terror of occupation.
What America really wants is Syria’s support to the American occupation of Iraq, which does not conform with the Syrian policy regarding issues of independence and freedom. Instead, the question is: who would stop the American and Israeli terror, who believe that they are above the law?
Nigeria: Confessional Massacres
We condemn the massacres committed lately by the Muslims in Nigeria in retaliation of the massacres the Christians committed against them… We reject this chain of actions and reactions, and ask all Muslims and Christians to uphold the values of their religions that call for love, charity and solving differences through dialogue. We call on the Nigerian government and the wise among the Nigerians to solve this problem in a wise and responsible manner, for it runs counter to the interests of both Muslims and Christians.
Lebanon: Voice Your Resentment
In Lebanon, the on-going dialogue does not address, to say the least, the urgent needs of the Lebanese, especially with the rise in prices of various commodities.
The rise in the price of oil in particular has a devastating effect on the poor. The government’s claim that this is due to an international soar in the prices does not mean that it could not find a solution that will relieve some of the heavy economic burden.