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 28, 1426 AH/ September 02, 2005, 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
The Mission and the Night Journey
The occasions of commissioning the Messenger and the Night Journey, which occurred on the 24th of Rajab, are occasions that call for opening up on Islam and the Messenger. The first occasion is the occasion of the birth of Islam, which Allah sent to rescue people from the darkness they lived in.
People were living in the blind ignorance of myths and worshiping of idols. They did not base their belief on a rational quest that would allow them to know Allah and base their human relations on the need to respect one another and the universality of justice.
Allah spoke of this mission in several Ayahs: "It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although they were before in clear error." Surat al-Jumu'ah (62:02)
The Messenger (p.), to whom Allah, the Most Exalted, revealed the Quran, was commissioned with reciting its verses, to teach the people their meanings with all its implications, so that the Muslims would rely on inspiring the Quran in their thinking and actions just like the Messenger (p.) did. Muhammad (p.)’s morals were the embodiment of the morals of the Quran, in a way that people could read the Quran both in the Book and in the Prophet (p.)'s actions.
That is why Allah, the Most Exalted, wants man to emulate the Messenger (p.) as his role model, for he was a moving book and an embodied Islam.
The Messenger was the talking Quran, while the Quran was the silent messenger. Allah, the Most Exalted, has described the morality, humanitarian kindness, and compassion of His Messenger (p.). He said: "There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful." Surat at-Tawbah (09:128)
"Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner, and you will not be asked about the companions of Hellfire." Surat al-Baqarah (02:119)
Thus, he sent the Message to all mankind. He was not a Messenger to the people of Mecca or to the Arabs alone. He was the Messenger to all mankind who wished to guide them to the right and humanitarianism and all that establish the relations among them on this basis.
"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." Surat al-Hujurat (49:13)
Justice in Social Relations
Islam has emphasized that justice should be the norm that governs the relations among people, with each attaining his rights and no one wronging the other, including nonbelievers, who should not be wronged by Muslims. Moreover, blood relations should not be a factor that deviates justice, nor should enmity. "And whenever you speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned." Surat al-An'am (06:152)
"O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do." Surat al-Ma'idah (05:08)
The issue of justice finds its universality in being emphasized in all heavenly messages: "We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice." Surat al-Hadid (57:25)
Therefore, the meaning of being a Muslim is to be just with your friend and enemy; with your relatives as well as strangers. Your duty towards Allah is to be just towards yourself: You should not wrong yourself by committing what hurts it in both worlds. You should also be just with your father, mother, brothers, sisters, children, and all those you deal with. Thus, the slogan of the Day of Judgment is "No injustice will be there that day," where wronged people come to stand before Allah, the Most Exalted, and say: "O, Just and Wise: Judge between me and this man who has wronged me in such and such."
Thus, man should know where he stands so as to come to Allah wearing a pure gown. This is the value of Islam: it is the religion of justice.
It wants Muslims to stand with the wronged in all cases, and help them attain their rights. This is what Imam Ali (a.s.) advised his sons in his will: "Be a foe to the unjust and a supporter to the wronged."
The greatness of Islam lies in that it considered man's mind the reason that justifies Allah's judgment of His worshippers. It is the tool that produces truth for man and enables him to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and righteousness from deviations.
Moreover, Islam wants man to seek knowledge and to continue to do so endlessly: "and say, 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge.'" Surat Taha (20:114)
Facing Challenges
On the anniversary of the beginning of the Message of Islam, during which the Messenger (p.) had to endure all kinds of hardships, we have to adopt the Prophet's (p.) slogan when he said to Almighty Allah, the Most Exalted: "If You are not angry with me, then I do not mind." This is what all callers should say, no matter how much they are harmed or persecuted. For this is how the Prophet (p.) was able to attain victory: by patience, endurance, struggle, and confronting challenges.
Islam is what Allah, the Most Exalted, and His Messenger (p.) have entrusted us with. We have to hold fast to Islam and educate ourselves and our children on it. Our generation is responsible to transfer it to the coming generations until Allah inherits the earth…
We are also responsible for protecting it against all those who plot to distort the image of Islam or wish to see its fall. Each one of us should stand in the first rows to act as the first Muslim and the first caller to Islam: "And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong." Surat Al 'Imran (03:104)
The international unbelief and international arrogance want us to cave in. In these conditions in particular, no Muslim should incite strife among Muslims. We should all be like Imam Ali (a.s.) in the Battle of Al-Ahzab, which the Quran described: "[Remember] when they came at you from above you and from below you, and when eyes shifted [in fear], and hearts reached the throats and you assumed about Allah [various] assumptions. There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking." Surat al-Ahzab (33:10-11)
Ali (a.s.) was the only one who dared to confront 'Amr bin 'Abd Wudd, which made the Messenger (p.) say when he went to challenge him: "Belief in its entirety has risen to fight unbelief in its entirety." The whole nation should become Ali (a.s.): that is, all the courage, heroism, Jihad, and dedication of Ali (a.s.) should be embedded in the nation, so faith as a whole would confront unbelief and arrogance as a whole.
Night Journey: A Divine Miracle
When we turn to the Night Journey (the Prophet Muhammad's (p.) night journey to the seven heavens): "Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing." Surat al-Isra' (17:01)
We find that the Messenger travelled by a Divine miracle to Jerusalem in the same night. There he met all the Prophets and led them in prayers. In this trip, the link between the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Haram Mosque was established. The Messenger tied between the two mosques in such a way that the Muslims are responsible for the sanctity of both.
As for the Prophet's ascension to Heaven, where he became so close to Allah, it was intended to give Muhammad (p.) the knowledge of Heaven as he was given the knowledge of earth. Such knowledge was given in turn to Ali (a.s.), who said: "The Messenger (p.) of Allah, the Most Exalted, has taught me one thousand fields of knowledge of each one thousand gates will be opened for me." The Messenger (p.) said: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its door. Who wants to enter the city, let him enter from the door."
We have to live these Islamic memories, which guide our minds to the right and our hearts to love and mercy, so that we could bear the responsibility of holding to them.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
America: Yielding to the Israeli Strategy
The Palestinian cause is still in the midst of political and security instability. The struggle inside the Likud between Sharon and Netanyahu is based on competing on confiscating Palestinian lands and pressurizing the Palestinians to cancel the project of the Palestinian state. Thus, we see Sharon trying to dismantle the infrastructure of the Palestinian Intifada factions.
He wants the Palestinian Authority to accomplish such a task in the name of what they call "terrorism," although it could lead to a Palestinian civil war. This is also accomplished by the talk about the absence of a Palestinian partner in the final status negotiations. They are also trying to stall the withdrawal from Gaza, and they continue to build the racist wall that is sweeping the West Bank along with Jerusalem.
On its part, the US is still talking about Sharon’s bold move of withdrawal from the Gaza settlements, but it neglects the issue of those in the West Bank and Jerusalem, demolishing the Wall, and implementing "the Road Map," unless it takes the Israeli conditions into consideration: that is the "facts on the ground," the settlements which, according to Bush himself, hinder the establishment of a Palestinian state.
America and the Quartet Committee are yielding to the Israeli demands because they cannot pressure Israel, giving the impression that Israel rules the entire West. American representatives roam the Arab and Muslim Worlds to pressure the regimes and force them to recognize Israel as a condition to develop relations with the US. Pakistan has already recognized Israel and is planning to establish diplomatic relations with it, with the blessings of certain Arab and Muslim countries. Moreover, the Israeli War Minister has declared that all Arab countries secretly recognize Israel.
We see in all that an encouragement to Israel to continue to pressure and besiege the Palestinian people, as well as killing and detaining the civilians, the youth, and the Mujahideen.
Faced with all this, we call on the Palestinians to be aware of the dangerousness of what is going on. We ask them not to be deceived by certain illusions promoted by some Arabs who are moved by Israel or the US, since these illusions will not yield anything, and both the US and Israel despise the Arab and Muslim regimes that have fallen down with a single knockout punch.
We also call on the Arab and Muslim peoples to continue to struggle for the Palestinian cause, since if it falls, they will have no future or dignity.
Iraq: The Occupation is Responsible
In Iraq, the specter of death haunts the Iraqis everywhere, even in religious processions. This is what happened when the believers were visiting the Shrine of Imam Musa al-Kazim (a.s.), whether as a result of vicious rumors or aerial bombing, and led to a catastrophe reminiscent of the major massacres and tragedies in history.
As we face this bloody catastrophe with pain and condemnation, and as we ask Allah to bless these innocent souls and cure the wounded, we believe that the occupation is responsible for all that. It is the one that created this security atmosphere marked by total anarchy. In addition, it is trying to destabilize the entire region through the so-called "constructive chaos."
On another level, the West continues to threaten and accuse Iran. The latest statement in this respect was the one made by President Chirac, when he threatened to impose sanctions on Iran if it does not comply with the Paris agreement and stop its nuclear activities.
The West does not want Iran to possess the scientific know-how that allows it to build and develop its economy.
Furthermore, France and the US threaten to impose sanctions on Syria too, claiming that there is concrete evidence that it possesses biological weapons or that it has assassinated Premier Hariri (another accusation to be added to the usual intelligence agencies' lies). In the meantime, the West remains silent towards the Israeli WMDs and all its brutal crimes.
Faced with all these crimes and tragedies, we call on the Iraqis to unite over one goal: getting rid of occupation and building a united Iraq away from all kinds of partition, regardless of the names given to them. They should adopt a constitution that takes into consideration the rights of all groups, but it should not be preoccupied with sectarian and racial issues. They should adhere to the unifying spirit of Islam that embraces all religions and races. This is what saves Iraq and the nation, before they lose their balance under the impact of occupation on the one hand and the anarchy beast on the other.
Lebanon: Imam Musa Al-Sadr
As we remember the disappearance of Imam Musa Al-Sadr, a leading and pioneer personality that dedicated itself to the good, the right, and the nation, we call, in view of the absence of international concern to find out what happened in this crime, which ought to have demanded an international investigating committee and not this celebratory media coverage…
We call for putting this case in the limelight and making every effort to discover what happened and punish those who were responsible for this major crime.
Plots and Conspiracies
We want the Lebanese, who have been plunged into an atmosphere of intimidation and political confusion by the recent security steps and subsequent rumors, to be more aware, for as we want the truth of what happened to be revealed, we call on the Lebanese people not to rush to any conclusions regarding the investigation into the assassination of former Premier Rafik Hariri. We also urge caution and to be aware of the purpose of interpretations and analysis that might open the way for civil strife, since there are some international parties that are trying to exploit the current situation in the country to push it in a direction that promotes their interests in the region.
We want justice to be a part of all government plans. But the government should not neglect its other duties. Any investigation should extend to uncovering the truth behind the massive public debt, as well as the identities of those who robbed and squandered public capital and facilitated the way for foreign tutelage.
Those people have forced the Lebanese to choose between two options; a choice between submission to international parties or a conflict that would destroy the country.
I say to the officials in charge: You have to solve the problems in Lebanon with realistic and just solutions. Do not turn, like those before you, and become the problem of Lebanon instead of the solution.