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 Ramadan 17, 1426 AH/ October 21, 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
Lessons from the Battle of Badr: How to Achieve Victory
Today, the 17th of the month of Ramadan, we mark the anniversary of the Battle of Badr. This is the battle that the Muslims, under the leadership of the Prophet (p.), fought against the polytheists of Quraish, and they achieved a decisive victory over them. This made the Arabian Peninsula feel the presence of a new force, after Quraish had monopolized power alone.
Badr: The Events Leading to Battle
And the story of this battle is that the Prophet (p.) planned to challenge Quraish economically, because Quraish used to have two trade convoys: one to Syria and one to Yemen. The Qurayshites would participate in these journeys, each contributing the money he wished for his trade or for importing goods from Syria or Yemen. Thus, the trade convoy that moved from Mecca to this country or that was a collection of Quraish's wealth, so that every member of Quraish would be affected by it, either negatively or positively. The Prophet (p.) intended to intercept this trade convoy and seize it, not out of a desire for wealth, but to block this vital economic situation in order to weaken Quraish in retaliation for what they had practiced against the Muslims.
And so, the Prophet (p.) sent a group of Muslims to intercept the trade convoy led by Abu Sufyan. Abu Sufyan sensed the danger threatening the convoy and sent to Quraish, appealing to all its figures for protection. Quraish gathered with all its leaders, prepared equipment and troops to protect the convoy and to fight the Prophet (p.). Abu Sufyan managed to take the coastal route, while the Muslims had set up their blockade inland, so he escaped with the convoy. However, the Qurayshites had already mobilized all their equipment and forces, numbering around a thousand, and brought out with them horses, camels, drums, tambourines, and women exactly like the departure of a victor because they considered themselves to be in a position of strength and the Muslims in a position of weakness.
The Believers: Standing Firm
And here, the Prophet (p.) faced the matter in a new turn of events. He gathered his companions from the Muhajireen and the Ansar and consulted them on the course of action: Should we enter into war with Quraish, which has prepared to fight the Muslims? The Qurayshites advanced close to the Muslims' camp, and the Muslims were divided. Some of the Muhajireen, feeling the strength of Quraish within themselves, said: "O Messenger of Allah, this is Quraish, which has come with its pride and the core of its might, and it has never been humbled since it became mighty."
Then Al-Miqdad bin ‘Amr stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah, proceed with what Allah has commanded you. By Allah, we will not say to you as the Children of Israel said to Musa: 'Go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are remaining right here.' Rather, we say to you: 'Go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are with you fighting.' For by the One who sent you with the truth, if you were to march with us to Bark al-Ghimad (Abyssinia), we would fight alongside you against whoever stands in your way until you reach it." The Prophet (p.) invoked goodness for him.
Then he (p.) said: "Advise me, O people," — meaning the Ansar, who had pledged to protect him as they protected their own children and women within Medina, while the battle was going to take place outside it. Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh said to him: "It is as if you mean us, O Messenger of Allah?" He (p.) said: "Yes." Sa‘d said: "We have believed in you, affirmed you, and testified that what you have brought is the truth. We have given you our covenants and pledges upon that... So proceed, O Messenger of Allah, with what you have been commanded. For by the One who sent you with the truth, if you were to lead us through this sea, we would plunge into it with you... We do not dislike meeting the enemy with you tomorrow. We are steadfast in war, truthful in encounter, and perhaps Allah will show you from us what gladdens your eyes. So, march with us with the blessing of Allah."
The Quran Describes the Muslims' Psychological State:
Allah, the Most Exalted, pointed out the psychological state the Muslims felt before and after the Battle of Badr.
"Just as your Lord took you out of your home in truth, while indeed, a party among the believers were unwilling." Surat al-Anfal (8:5).
Here we note that the Noble Quran speaks about the points of weakness among the Muslims, just as it speaks in other places about their points of strength. This is what we must learn, because it is well known in all our religious, political, or military situations that we do not discuss our weaknesses. The Noble Quran wanted the Muslims and the believers to be realistic, to acknowledge their weakness in situations of weakness, and to proceed with their points of strength when they exist.
"They dispute with you concerning the truth after it has become clear, as if they were being driven toward death while they are looking on." Surat al-Anfal (8:6).
Their psychological state is like those being led to execution.
"And [remember] when Allah promised you one of the two groups - that it would be yours - and you wished that the unarmed one would be yours." Surat al-Anfal (8:7).
The matter is not about obtaining spoils; rather, Allah wants the Muslims to have strength,
"But Allah intended to establish the truth by His words and to eliminate the disbelievers." Surat al-Anfal (8:7).
Allah, the Most Exalted, then portrays the Muslims' feelings after the Prophet (p.) decided to go to war. They felt that Quraish was so strong, and they asked Allah for help. It is also said that when the Prophet saw how numerous the disbelievers were, he invoked Allah by saying: "O Allah, fulfill what You have promised me. If this band perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth anymore." He kept praying until Allah revealed this Ayah:
"[Remember] when you asked help of your Lord, and He answered you, 'Indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand from the angels, following one another.'" Surat al-Anfal (8:9), to let the Muslims be reassured. And He made them feel sleepy to bestow tranquility upon them:
"[Remember] when He covered you with drowsiness [giving] security from Him." Surat al-Anfal (8:11). He also sent rain:
"And He sent down upon you from the sky, rain by which to purify you and remove from you the evil [whisperings] of Satan and to make steadfast your hearts and plant firmly thereby your feet." Surat al-Anfal (8:11), to purify them, and let the soil under them become more solid, since the rain was not strong enough to turn to mud. Then Allah told the angels to make the believers feel safe and secure, and let the disbelievers feel terrified:
"[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, 'I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.'" Surat al-Anfal (8:12).
The Muslims Achieve Victory:
Thus, the Muslims fought and were victorious. Those who have written the chronicles of the Battle of Badr all agree on the fact that the champion and hero of Badr was Imam Ali (a.s.), who was only 25 and had never engaged in a fight before, but it is the strength of belief that made him capable of confronting all challenges. It is said that Ali (a.s.) alone killed half of the disbelievers who were killed in Badr, while keeping his eye on the Messenger (p.) to ensure his safety. It is said that whenever he went back to see the Prophet (p.), he used to find him prostrating and saying: "O Allah, the Most High, You are great."
Despite the fact that they were few in number, the Muslims were able to achieve victory with the help of Allah, the Most Exalted, who described the battle by saying:
"And already had Allah given you victory at Badr while you were few in number." Surat Al ‘Imran (3:123), and the Muslims at that time were able to prove that they were the second power in the Arabian Peninsula.
And Allah, the Exalted, revealed to His Messenger: "So you did not kill them, but it was Allah who killed them." Surat al-Anfal (8:17) — by casting terror into the hearts of the polytheists and pouring a state of morale upon the Muslims, through which they gained strength of position.
"And you threw not, when you threw, but it was Allah who threw that He might test the believers with a good test. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. That is because Allah is the one who causes the plot of the disbelievers to fail. If you [disbelievers] seek the victory - the decision has come to you. And if you desist [from hostilities], it is best for you; but if you return, We will return, and your forces will not avail you at all, even if they were many; and indeed, Allah is with the believers." Surat al-Anfal (8:17-19).
This is the Battle of Badr. The Muslims fought it under the leadership of the Prophet (p.) in the month of Ramadan. In it, they experienced spiritual and military strength. They set out to seize the means of power. This is the Battle of Badr from which we ought to learn its lessons. Whenever we are confronted by the arrogant, we must draw from it the lesson. The arrogant among Quraish once stood against the Muslims alongside the Prophet (p.). We should not feel weak. We must seize the means of strength. We should deploy all our points of strength. We must be armed with our faith in Allah. This is how we achieve victory over the forces of disbelief and arrogance.
"O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet." Surat Muhammad (47:7).
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Killing the Palestinians state
Detaining Palestinians is still being practiced daily in Palestine at a time the Israelis have frozen the contacts with the Palestinians Authority to discuss the security and political issues, or even to prepare the meeting with Sharon(5) who tries to humiliate the Palestinian leadership either by neglect of by stalling, The PA, in his view, is not a political partner that he would negotiate with. It is merely an Israeli tool to pressurize the Palestinian people. In the meantime, certain Arab parties are calling for declaring a Palestinian state in Gaza, and to annex the Western Bank to Jordan in a confederation, since the international political climate, in the words of a high-ranking Jordanian official, does not present favorable conditions to realize any Palestinian progress, and not even at the level of the “Road Map”. This plan might also be currently studied by the American Administration, which seeks to execute Sharon's strategy of trying to avoid the idea of establishing a Palestinian state in the occupied lands of 1967.
The current problem lies in the Arab – Israeli – American and even European planning to trap the Palestinian cause in political and security dilemmas that will leave no chance for freedom and independence. They want to put them in a situation where they have to accept what is being offered to them without any objection.
American Attempts to subordinate the region
Thus what is going on in Palestine intersects with the American plan for the region that is supposed to yield to the American demands in maintaining Israeli security including disarming the resistance in Lebanon, restraining the Palestinian arms, pressurizing Syria to restrain the Palestinians and protecting occupation in Iraq, as well as threatening all who do not yield to the American conditions by the sanctions made by the American dominated UN Security Council, especially Iran and its peaceful Nuclear program.
This the American colonial policy that wants to extort and dominate all nations of the world, and this what the world should be aware of, in order to protect itself against it
Iraq in the whirlpool of occupation
Even after the Iraqi people proved through the referendum that they have a free will that enables them to have their say in the future of the country, the occupation still dominates every step or development that occurs in Iraq. Not only did the people prove that they could express their opinion freely but also that they are able to protect their security on their own. They do not need the occupation which has created the security problem in the first place, and which did not give the Iraqi forces the means of strength that could maintain the security to the citizens, to make them dependable on that of the occupation.
We believe that the Iraqis have to be unified in one voice that demands the withdrawal of the occupation to enable them to determine their own destiny. In this respect, any leadership that legalizes the occupation's continued presence is illegitimate and unpatriotic. On the other hand, the Arabs' new interference in Iraq should avoid associating it with their schemes that aim to protect American occupation in one way or another.
Trying American Policy
As for trying the Iraqi dictator and his regime, we believe that it should turn to a trial to the American policies that installed Sadam in the first place to usurp Iraqi resources and to engage Iraq in many wars especially against Iran and Kuwait, then, it helped the regime to crush the popular Intifada to claim afterwards that its subsequent occupation aims at saving the Iraqis, while their actual make aim was to occupy the country and put its hands on its resources. As for the talk about democracy it is but a lie to protect the American strategy and its ability to interfere in the various regions of the world.
Lebanon: Addiction to foreign tutelage
The Lebanese political activity has moved to France which runs the Lebanese situation in all its details on behalf of the US whose Secretary of State strives to turn Lebanon into a card to pressurize Syria and force her to succumb to its conditions.
The UN Resolution 1559 will soon bring pressure to bear on the weapons of the resistance and that of the Palestinians to secure the interests of the Israeli security. This resolution, devised by the US, Israel and France, aims to divide Lebanon between two camps: one that favors the resolution and one that opposes it. In addition to a third party that resorts to hypocrisy that relies on making some rightful stands that actually serve goals of falsehood.
Nevertheless, there is no reason to fear from a sectarian tension or civil war in Lebanon. But we are afraid of a disruption in national unity created by political chaos.
We call on the Lebanese to uphold their internal unity, and to look further into what is happening in the region, because it is the reason behind all the divisions in Lebanon. Divisions that could make the Lebanese a fuel for a war that serves the interests of the others.
We want Lebanon to be a free and sovereign country, and not a card that some Lebanese have become addicted to.
We want our Lebanon and not that of the others.