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 Jumada al-Oula 3, 1426 AH / June 10, 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
Honoring Covenants: A Divine Command
Talking about those whom He loves, Allah says in His Glorious Book: "And fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have made a covenant, and do not break [your] oaths after their confirmation and you have made Allah your surety. Indeed, Allah knows what you do. And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong by taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more numerous [in property or in number] than another community. Allah only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ." Surat an-Nahl (16:91-92).
One of the commitments man makes in his relationship with Allah, the Most Exalted, as with other people, is the issue of the covenant, which might be represented in many forms, such as the covenants people make when there are matters that have to do with their business dealings or political stands.
People might ask when someone makes a pledge, whether in business or in politics, that he would be committed before Allah to keep what he had promised, or he might sign a contract as in transactions or marriages.
There are also some commitments which are defined as conditions, like when you buy or sell something provided that the other party would fulfill certain conditions. This is also considered a form of covenant.
Our Islamic traditions narrate a saying that stipulates that "the Muslims keep their promises," unless the conditions they promise to fulfill make lawful what is not, or permit what is unlawful. Therefore, from the juristic point of view, you have to abide by the conditions you agree on.
Thus, if you are going to accept a covenant, and pledge to honor certain commitments, whether for a political party or to any other group or individual, you have to study the matter thoroughly to assess if what you are going to promise is lawful or not, and if it is in the interest of the people or not, because you cannot make any commitment unless you are certain that it pleases Allah, and that it is not made under the influence of your emotions, or out of nepotism to relatives or friends.
The same thing is true with respect to contracts. Before signing any contract, one should be sure that it is lawful and that it pleases Allah. One could not support a wrong-doer on the ground that he had promised to do so.
Kinds of Covenants
An oath, too, is one of the forms of a covenant… even when you swear to do something, like quitting a bad habit (smoking, for example); because in this case you have made Allah as your witness.
The same is true with respect to vows. A vow is a commitment before Allah, the Most Exalted, and breaking it is breaking Allah's covenant.
Imam Ali says: "Covenants are like necklaces that tie the necks until the Day of Judgment. Whoever keeps them will be rewarded by Allah, and whoever breaks them will be forsaken by Allah, the Most Exalted." Imam al-Baqir says: "There are three things that Allah did not exempt anyone from doing: returning the trusts, keeping your pledges to the good and the evil-doers alike, and being good and merciful towards parents, regardless of their being good or not."
The Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) says to his representative in Egypt: "If, under the peace treaty, you have accepted any obligations, discharge those obligations scrupulously. It is a trust and must be faithfully upheld. And whenever you have promised anything, keep it with all the strength that you command, for whatever differences of opinion might exist on other matters, there is nothing so noble as the fulfillment of a promise. This is recognized even among non-Muslims, for they know the dire consequences which follow from the breaking of covenants. So never make excuses in discharging your responsibilities, and never break a promise, nor cheat your enemy. For, breach of promise is an act against Allah, and none except the positively wicked acts against Allah. Indeed, divine promises are a blessing spread over all mankind. The promise of Allah is a refuge sought after even by the most powerful on earth; for there is no risk of being cheated. So, do not make any promise from which you may afterwards offer excuses to retract; nor do you go back upon what you have confirmed to abide by; nor do you break it, however galling it may at first prove to be. For, it is far better to wait in patience for wholesome results to follow than to break it out of any apprehensions."
The Messenger says that "if the nation breaks a covenant, Allah will send their enemy to face them." This is because breaking covenants will destabilize the society, thus weakening the community's ability to confront its enemy. He also talks about "breaking a covenant with non-Muslims in any way, or dealing with them unjustly, or taking anything from them without their consent."
As for the covenant with man, Allah, the Most Exalted, has made one when He made man's innate nature lean towards worshipping Him alone. "Did I not enjoin upon you, O children of Adam, that you not worship Satan - [for] indeed, he is to you a clear enemy - And that you worship [only] Me? This is a straight path." Surat Yasin (36:60-61). It is thus our duty to keep our covenant with Allah by worshipping Him alone without ascribing any partners to Him.
Keeping one's pledges and commitments, especially those that could be considered covenants, is a duty that Allah wants us to be committed to. It is necessary to keep the society stable, as well as keeping man pious and trustworthy.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The anniversary of the Israelis’ occupation of the entire land of Palestine, June 5, 1967, has passed. It is an occupation that continues to exist, despite the supposedly watchful eyes of the UN. Due to American support, as well as many other European and non-European powers, the longstanding UN resolutions 242 and 338 have been shelved in the drawers, and the Secretary-General does not call for their implementation or send his envoys to Israel to speed up their implementation, as he did regarding resolution 1559, which has American and Israeli interests at heart.
Israel continues to confiscate Palestinian lands, bulldoze their fields, dislocate their families, and build the racial wall and additional settlements without any American or European objection. At the same time, Britain's foreign minister asserts that Hamas is a terrorist organization because it "practices violence," but he does not talk about the state terror practiced daily by Israel, with several Palestinian civilians wounded and killed every day.
America Is the Israeli Guardian
When we follow the American policies in the Arab and Islamic world, we find that the American Administration is fighting a proxy war for Israel. It is pressurizing all the countries of the region, especially Syria and Iran.
In this respect, we notice that it did not threaten North Korea with the Security Council, as it did to Iran. This is because North Korea does not impose a direct threat to Israel, as it tries to suggest that Iran does.
In fact, it is Israel that is threatening to bomb Iran's nuclear reactors, which Iran emphasizes are for peaceful purposes. Thus, we find that America is pressurizing all Islamic and Arab countries to establish peace with Israel.
Our problem with America is that it does not respect our freedom and independence. If it talks about freedom or democracy, it is only a kind of political hypocrisy, for it only cares about its interests.
It is pursuing a policy of terror and war that moves from one place to another, turning the world into an unsafe place. This is what made it fail in Iraq and Afghanistan, and this is what is making it stumble in Lebanon, as resolution 1559, which has to do with disarming the resistance and the Palestinian camps, is being used as a card to pressure Syria to agree to the American demands in Iraq and Palestine, and not for anything that has to do with the Lebanese interests.
Iraq: Political Chaos
Iraq still suffers from the pressures of American occupation and fanatical terrorism, with additional victims and martyrs falling every day, not to mention the heavy economic cost. Yet no light at the end of the tunnel is visible. The country is still under the influence of sectarian and racial incitement, as well as political anarchy, which the elections could not save the country from.
Which Lebanon Do We Want?
In Lebanon, where electoral alliances are held in dubious ways that only care about winning more votes instead of agreeing on the major issues and principles, with the voters following their superficial feeling for those who have failed them in the past or those who are void of experience… Where are the youth of the 14th of March, and where are their leaders? Are we going back to our dark past, or are we making our future? We do not want to burst into accusations, but we would like to ask: How do we create awareness? How do we build our future? Or the free man who refuses any foreign tutelage?
Then there is the question that no one will answer: Which Lebanon do we want… echoing the cry of the people who ask where the state's money went and how we came to accumulate all that debt.