The Religious Authority, Ayatullah Al Ozma Sayyed M. H. Fadlullah delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Sha'ban 26 1426 H,September 30 2005 A.D. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries and thousands of believers attended the Jumu’a prayer.
The First Sermon
Wednesday is the beginning of the Holy Month
Today is the last Friday in the month of Sha’ban , for next Wednesday is according to the astronomers is the first day of the month of Ramadan since no one in the world can see the moon on Monday night . We ask Allah, the most Exalted, to make us succeed in obeying Him in this blessed month.
The Month of Mercy and forgiveness
Imam Al-Rida (a.s.) quotes his fathers in that The Messenger (p.) delivered the following speech on the last Friday of the Month of Sha’ban "O’ People! The Month of Allah (Ramadan) has approached you with His mercy and blessings. It is the month of forgiveness, because Allah wanted the Muslims to dedicate themselves in this month for worshipping and obeying Him.
This is the month that is the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days; its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours. It is the month that gave time its spirituality, and thus made its days the best days and its hours the best hours.
This is a month in which you have been invited by Him. To sit down at the table of mercy and be blessed by Allah’s forgiveness and satisfaction. and You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honors of Allah, the Merciful.
In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the thawab (heavenly reward) of ‘Tasbeeh since your breath is that of belief reflecting that you feel within yourself . and your sleep has the thawab of worship. Because it enables you to rest in anticipation for a new day of worshipping
Your good deeds are accepted in this month. Even if something might happen that would effect some of its features. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord, in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils, that Allah may bless you, observe fast, in this month, and recite the Holy Quran. For this month is the month of forgiveness and mercy. It is the month in which believers compete to attain Allah’s blessings.
Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must be very unfortunate having an end as bad (in the Hereafter). Whoever is denied this forgiveness because he has turned this month to a month of material pleasure and sin, he would be a big loser.
A course of action
While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow on the Day of Judgment . People are of two kinds : those who obeyed Allah, the most Exalted, and worshipped Him , and they will not have to stand long on that day , while those who sinned will have to wait long and thus become thirsty and hungry. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respects to your elders. Have pity on those younger than you. When the young generation meets the elder one they have to show respect for those who are wiser than them and became Muslims before them, while the elder generation should be merciful towards the inexperience of the younger one and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen even if they have boycotted you . Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.
Be kind to orphans for they are Allah’s, the most Exalted’ trust to the community so that if your children become orphans they also may be treated with kindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins for this is the month of repent. Do raise your hands at the time of Prayers, as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him, when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything it is accepted by Him.
O’ People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires; make it free by invoking Him for forgiveness. Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.
Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such people who offer prayer in this month and perform ‘sajda’ (prostration), and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.
O’ People! If anybody amongst you arranges for the ‘Iftar’ (food for the ending of the fast) of any believer, then Allah will give him a reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor sins.
Then the companions of the Prophet (p.) submitted:
"But everybody amongst us does not have the means to do so."
The Prophet told them:
"Keep yourself away from the Fire of Hell, by inviting for Iftar, though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else. O’ People! Anybody who may cultivate good manners in this month by not making fasting an excuse for bad temper and wronging others will walk over the ‘Sirat’ (Bridge) on the Day of Judgment , though his feet may be shaking.
Anybody who makes his servants (employees ) take light work, in this month, Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.
Anybody who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody, who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen in this month, Allah will keep him away from His mercy, in Qiyamat.
Whoever offers Sunnat (Recommended) prayers in this month, Allah will give him freedom from Hell. Whosoever offers one ‘Wajib’ prayers in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers, that were offered by him in any other month.
Whosoever recites repeatedly ’Salaat-wa-salaam’ on me, Allah will keep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of others will be tending towards lightness. Whosoever recites in this month only one ‘ayat’ (verse of the Holy Quran), he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the full Quran in the other months.
O’ People! The Gates of Paradise remain opened in this month. Do invoke that the gates may not be closed on you, while the Gates of Hell be closed. Do invoke that these gates may never be opened."
The Commander of the Faithful [Ali (A.S.)] said that he got up and said, "O’ the Prophet of Allah, the most Exalted, What is the best deed in this month?" He (p.) replied, "O’ Abul Hasan! Abstaining from the matters forbidden by Allah, the Majestic, the Glorified, is the best deed in this month. To abstain from all what Allah, the most Exalted, has forbidden and be the worshipper who obeys God and His Messenger(p.) and who seeks to become closer to Allah and who spreads good on his family and his community.
This is how he will attain Allah, the most Exalted,’s blessings and this is how he becomes pious and earn Allah, the most Exalted,’s satisfaction on The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart.
The Second Sermon
American Support of Israeli practices
In Palestine, Israel has withdrawn from Gaza, but it deployed its planes and tanks to bomb the neighbourhoods that are crowded with civilians and school children. It also took to assassinating leaders of Palestinian Intifada organizations, and killing and detaining the Mujahideen. Furthermore, Sharon announced that he will not withdraw from any occupied lands and gave the Zionist army a free hand to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure. All this was supported by the US whose President stated that he "understands" what the enemy does in "self-defence" without any reservation on the Israeli atrocities!
Therefore, what the Americans and Israelis want is to eradicate the people of the Intifada which means that the dream of a Palestinian state will not turn into a reality, even on a small part of Palestine, despite all what the American president's attempts to deceive the world by talking about a Palestinian state, since he does not recognize the Palestinians’ legal or legitimate right in their land which he considers a disputed land.
Thus, he gives the enemy the right to invade it and build settlements or even the separating wall, thus violating international law that considered it occupied land. Nevertheless America does not mind Israel's occupation of Palestine and even Lebanese and Syrian lands, as long as the Israeli strategy has not been realized.
More loyalty to the US
The Arab regimes announced more loyalty to America as they agree on normalizing relations with Israel despite all its atrocities and violations of the Palestinian rights.
The Palestinians look around them whether to their left or to their right and do not see the so- called Arab world except when it comes to the American demands to some of its rulers that aim at implementing what is left of the Israeli scheme and further weaken the Palestinians. That is why we urge the Palestinians to confront this great challenge that takes them from one maze to another and from one massacre to another.
We remind the Palestinians, as they notice that the world does not have any human culture, that what was taken by force can not be retrieved except by force and that no right is lost as long as there are those who demand it.
"The ugly American"
In these circumstances it is quite ironic for the US to send the Assistant Secretary of State to the region to boost American image in the eyes of the region's peoples who do not trust anything this Administration represent, Since this Administration supports Israeli occupation of Palestine, and the atrocities it practices. It also continues to occupy Iraq that has been turned it to a county of anarchy in the name of democracy and human rights. It also supports all tyrant rulers who serve its interests in usurping the resources of the nations, paying no alteration whatsoever to their rights.
Thus, we say to this envoy to go back to her country and present to her boss a single report stating that improving America’s image can’t be done unless America changes all its arrogant policies of supporting occupation and Israel and oppressing the freedom and rights of nations. All people are saying with one voice. We do not trust America no matter how much make- up it uses.
The apostators and Occupation
The injured Iraq is still suffering from the American occupation, as well as the British one…
Massacres are committed daily by the apostators who continue to execute their dubious schemes of killing civilians, under the false pretence of resistance. On its part, the occupation forces do not try to protect the Iraqi people whose security is their duty, since this negative and abnormal situation gives the occupation a chance to stay longer in Iraq, and prevent the Iraqi government from trying occupation soldiers, who violate Iraqi security as in the case of the two British soldiers in Basra.
Occupation is the basic cause of the Iraqis' tragedy, while the apostators are a complementary element that aggravates the biggest problem of security, anarchy and economic deprivations on the other hand.
We would like to express our appreciation of the large demonstrations in the American and British cities that denounced the deceit the American and British officials practice towards their people.
We call on our Muslim and Arab peoples to follow their lead in rejecting the occupation of Iraq and force the regimes to stand with the Iraqi people against the occupation forces. We call the religious leaders, Muslims and Christians, to take a similar stand to that of the Anglican Church whose bishops asked their government to apologize to Muslims.
Supporting Iran's nuclear project
We also call on the Muslim world to support Iran in its legitimate pursuance of producing nuclear energy, for peaceful purposes, at a time the International Atomic Energy Agency has, under American and European pressure, referred the issue to the Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran. But the UN does not say anything to Israel that possesses enough nuclear bombs to destroy the entire regions, because they cannot pressurize this rogue state.
Meanwhile, they pressurize the Arabs, Muslims and the downtrodden nations to remain weak and yield to the nuclear force of the super powers and their allies.
Lebanon and foreign tutelage
In Lebanon, whose government had admitted its impotence to confront the mobile explosions, endangering the lives of Lebanon's citizens and journalists, the government suffers from administrative impotence, as it has failed in appointing security chiefs in the country.
Instead of making these appointments, the government asked the world's superpowers for assistance in conducting "accurate" investigations into the dangerous security situation in Lebanon. Hence, Lebanese security is borrowed, as the government has revealed that it does not possess adequate expertise to conduct its own probe, what previous governments has spent billions of dollars on if not establishing a competent security apparatus. How there can be a free and independent Lebanon if its government did not have the means to protect its own citizens, who are becoming impoverished every day, while politicians who were in office in the past and at present are getting richer.
The question is : Is Lebanon going to be subject to further foreign tutelage that is covered up among other excuses, by the need to support a reform plan.
The officials are denying that this tutelage is being imposed on the country, but the fact is that others are posing it on the country and the officials are unable to free the country from this tutelage .
The new security plan in the current situation is for the Lebanese to take the issue of preserving their security in their own hands since the government cannot provide such security. Faced by this the only thing the Lebanese could say: may God have mercy on the Lebanese and save them from the "ghosts" who move in the dark.
The Religious Authority, Ayatullah Al Ozma Sayyed M. H. Fadlullah delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Sha'ban 26 1426 H,September 30 2005 A.D. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries and thousands of believers attended the Jumu’a prayer.
The First Sermon
Wednesday is the beginning of the Holy Month
Today is the last Friday in the month of Sha’ban , for next Wednesday is according to the astronomers is the first day of the month of Ramadan since no one in the world can see the moon on Monday night . We ask Allah, the most Exalted, to make us succeed in obeying Him in this blessed month.
The Month of Mercy and forgiveness
Imam Al-Rida (a.s.) quotes his fathers in that The Messenger (p.) delivered the following speech on the last Friday of the Month of Sha’ban "O’ People! The Month of Allah (Ramadan) has approached you with His mercy and blessings. It is the month of forgiveness, because Allah wanted the Muslims to dedicate themselves in this month for worshipping and obeying Him.
This is the month that is the best of all months in the estimation of Allah. Its days are the best among the days; its nights are the best among the nights. Its hours are the best among the hours. It is the month that gave time its spirituality, and thus made its days the best days and its hours the best hours.
This is a month in which you have been invited by Him. To sit down at the table of mercy and be blessed by Allah’s forgiveness and satisfaction. and You have been, in this month, selected as the recipients of the honors of Allah, the Merciful.
In this holy month, when you breathe, it has the thawab (heavenly reward) of ‘Tasbeeh since your breath is that of belief reflecting that you feel within yourself . and your sleep has the thawab of worship. Because it enables you to rest in anticipation for a new day of worshipping
Your good deeds are accepted in this month. Even if something might happen that would effect some of its features. So are your invocations. Therefore, you must invoke your Lord, in right earnest, with hearts that are free from sins and evils, that Allah may bless you, observe fast, in this month, and recite the Holy Quran. For this month is the month of forgiveness and mercy. It is the month in which believers compete to attain Allah’s blessings.
Verily! The person who may not receive the mercy and benevolence of Allah in this month must be very unfortunate having an end as bad (in the Hereafter). Whoever is denied this forgiveness because he has turned this month to a month of material pleasure and sin, he would be a big loser.
A course of action
While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of tomorrow on the Day of Judgment . People are of two kinds : those who obeyed Allah, the most Exalted, and worshipped Him , and they will not have to stand long on that day , while those who sinned will have to wait long and thus become thirsty and hungry. Give alms to the poor and the needy. Pay respects to your elders. Have pity on those younger than you. When the young generation meets the elder one they have to show respect for those who are wiser than them and became Muslims before them, while the elder generation should be merciful towards the inexperience of the younger one and be kind towards your relatives and kinsmen even if they have boycotted you . Guard your tongues against unworthy words, and your eyes from such scenes that are not worth seeing (forbidden) and your ears from such sounds that should not be heard by you.
Be kind to orphans for they are Allah’s, the most Exalted’ trust to the community so that if your children become orphans they also may be treated with kindness. Do invoke that Allah may forgive your sins for this is the month of repent. Do raise your hands at the time of Prayers, as it is the best time for asking His mercy. When we invoke at such times, we are answered by Him, when we call Him, He responds, and when we ask for anything it is accepted by Him.
O’ People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires; make it free by invoking Him for forgiveness. Your back is breaking under the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate before Him for long intervals and make it lighter.
Do understand fully well that Allah has promised in the name of His Majesty and Honor that He will not take to task such people who offer prayer in this month and perform ‘sajda’ (prostration), and will guard their bodies against the Fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.
O’ People! If anybody amongst you arranges for the ‘Iftar’ (food for the ending of the fast) of any believer, then Allah will give him a reward as if he has set free a slave. He will forgive his minor sins.
Then the companions of the Prophet (p.) submitted:
"But everybody amongst us does not have the means to do so."
The Prophet told them:
"Keep yourself away from the Fire of Hell, by inviting for Iftar, though it may consist of only half a date or simply with water if you have nothing else. O’ People! Anybody who may cultivate good manners in this month by not making fasting an excuse for bad temper and wronging others will walk over the ‘Sirat’ (Bridge) on the Day of Judgment , though his feet may be shaking.
Anybody who makes his servants (employees ) take light work, in this month, Allah will make easy his accounting on the Day of Judgment.
Anybody who does not tease others in this month, Allah will keep him safe from His wrath in Qiyamat. Anybody, who respects and treats an orphan with kindness in this month, Allah shall look at him with dignity in Qiyamat. Anybody who treats well his kinsmen, in this month, Allah will bestow His mercy on him in Qiyamat, while anybody who maltreats his kinsmen in this month, Allah will keep him away from His mercy, in Qiyamat.
Whoever offers Sunnat (Recommended) prayers in this month, Allah will give him freedom from Hell. Whosoever offers one ‘Wajib’ prayers in this month, for him the Angels will write the rewards of 70 such prayers, that were offered by him in any other month.
Whosoever recites repeatedly ’Salaat-wa-salaam’ on me, Allah will keep the scales of his deeds heavy, when in Qiyamat the scales of others will be tending towards lightness. Whosoever recites in this month only one ‘ayat’ (verse of the Holy Quran), he will be rewarded in a manner as if he had recited the full Quran in the other months.
O’ People! The Gates of Paradise remain opened in this month. Do invoke that the gates may not be closed on you, while the Gates of Hell be closed. Do invoke that these gates may never be opened."
The Commander of the Faithful [Ali (A.S.)] said that he got up and said, "O’ the Prophet of Allah, the most Exalted, What is the best deed in this month?" He (p.) replied, "O’ Abul Hasan! Abstaining from the matters forbidden by Allah, the Majestic, the Glorified, is the best deed in this month. To abstain from all what Allah, the most Exalted, has forbidden and be the worshipper who obeys God and His Messenger(p.) and who seeks to become closer to Allah and who spreads good on his family and his community.
This is how he will attain Allah, the most Exalted,’s blessings and this is how he becomes pious and earn Allah, the most Exalted,’s satisfaction on The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, But only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart.
The Second Sermon
American Support of Israeli practices
In Palestine, Israel has withdrawn from Gaza, but it deployed its planes and tanks to bomb the neighbourhoods that are crowded with civilians and school children. It also took to assassinating leaders of Palestinian Intifada organizations, and killing and detaining the Mujahideen. Furthermore, Sharon announced that he will not withdraw from any occupied lands and gave the Zionist army a free hand to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure. All this was supported by the US whose President stated that he "understands" what the enemy does in "self-defence" without any reservation on the Israeli atrocities!
Therefore, what the Americans and Israelis want is to eradicate the people of the Intifada which means that the dream of a Palestinian state will not turn into a reality, even on a small part of Palestine, despite all what the American president's attempts to deceive the world by talking about a Palestinian state, since he does not recognize the Palestinians’ legal or legitimate right in their land which he considers a disputed land.
Thus, he gives the enemy the right to invade it and build settlements or even the separating wall, thus violating international law that considered it occupied land. Nevertheless America does not mind Israel's occupation of Palestine and even Lebanese and Syrian lands, as long as the Israeli strategy has not been realized.
More loyalty to the US
The Arab regimes announced more loyalty to America as they agree on normalizing relations with Israel despite all its atrocities and violations of the Palestinian rights.
The Palestinians look around them whether to their left or to their right and do not see the so- called Arab world except when it comes to the American demands to some of its rulers that aim at implementing what is left of the Israeli scheme and further weaken the Palestinians. That is why we urge the Palestinians to confront this great challenge that takes them from one maze to another and from one massacre to another.
We remind the Palestinians, as they notice that the world does not have any human culture, that what was taken by force can not be retrieved except by force and that no right is lost as long as there are those who demand it.
"The ugly American"
In these circumstances it is quite ironic for the US to send the Assistant Secretary of State to the region to boost American image in the eyes of the region's peoples who do not trust anything this Administration represent, Since this Administration supports Israeli occupation of Palestine, and the atrocities it practices. It also continues to occupy Iraq that has been turned it to a county of anarchy in the name of democracy and human rights. It also supports all tyrant rulers who serve its interests in usurping the resources of the nations, paying no alteration whatsoever to their rights.
Thus, we say to this envoy to go back to her country and present to her boss a single report stating that improving America’s image can’t be done unless America changes all its arrogant policies of supporting occupation and Israel and oppressing the freedom and rights of nations. All people are saying with one voice. We do not trust America no matter how much make- up it uses.
The apostators and Occupation
The injured Iraq is still suffering from the American occupation, as well as the British one…
Massacres are committed daily by the apostators who continue to execute their dubious schemes of killing civilians, under the false pretence of resistance. On its part, the occupation forces do not try to protect the Iraqi people whose security is their duty, since this negative and abnormal situation gives the occupation a chance to stay longer in Iraq, and prevent the Iraqi government from trying occupation soldiers, who violate Iraqi security as in the case of the two British soldiers in Basra.
Occupation is the basic cause of the Iraqis' tragedy, while the apostators are a complementary element that aggravates the biggest problem of security, anarchy and economic deprivations on the other hand.
We would like to express our appreciation of the large demonstrations in the American and British cities that denounced the deceit the American and British officials practice towards their people.
We call on our Muslim and Arab peoples to follow their lead in rejecting the occupation of Iraq and force the regimes to stand with the Iraqi people against the occupation forces. We call the religious leaders, Muslims and Christians, to take a similar stand to that of the Anglican Church whose bishops asked their government to apologize to Muslims.
Supporting Iran's nuclear project
We also call on the Muslim world to support Iran in its legitimate pursuance of producing nuclear energy, for peaceful purposes, at a time the International Atomic Energy Agency has, under American and European pressure, referred the issue to the Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran. But the UN does not say anything to Israel that possesses enough nuclear bombs to destroy the entire regions, because they cannot pressurize this rogue state.
Meanwhile, they pressurize the Arabs, Muslims and the downtrodden nations to remain weak and yield to the nuclear force of the super powers and their allies.
Lebanon and foreign tutelage
In Lebanon, whose government had admitted its impotence to confront the mobile explosions, endangering the lives of Lebanon's citizens and journalists, the government suffers from administrative impotence, as it has failed in appointing security chiefs in the country.
Instead of making these appointments, the government asked the world's superpowers for assistance in conducting "accurate" investigations into the dangerous security situation in Lebanon. Hence, Lebanese security is borrowed, as the government has revealed that it does not possess adequate expertise to conduct its own probe, what previous governments has spent billions of dollars on if not establishing a competent security apparatus. How there can be a free and independent Lebanon if its government did not have the means to protect its own citizens, who are becoming impoverished every day, while politicians who were in office in the past and at present are getting richer.
The question is : Is Lebanon going to be subject to further foreign tutelage that is covered up among other excuses, by the need to support a reform plan.
The officials are denying that this tutelage is being imposed on the country, but the fact is that others are posing it on the country and the officials are unable to free the country from this tutelage .
The new security plan in the current situation is for the Lebanese to take the issue of preserving their security in their own hands since the government cannot provide such security. Faced by this the only thing the Lebanese could say: may God have mercy on the Lebanese and save them from the "ghosts" who move in the dark.