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 Muharram 12, 1427 AH / February 10, 2006, 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
Imam al-Hussein (a.s.): Belief Embodied in Action
Islam: The Integration of Doctrine and Practice
In Ashura, we were with Imam al-Hussein. We remembered him and followed his mind, soul, heart, spirituality, and practice.
We were with the Imam when, at noon, on the Day of Ashura, he stood to pray with the deadly arrows falling on him and killing one of his companions who was martyred while defending him. This is the spirituality of Imam Hussein, who lived with Allah even in the most dangerous and painful moments. The Imam, like his brother, father, mother, and grandfather, has sold himself to Allah. Adherence is not merely an emotion, and belonging is not a psychological state. Islam is an integration of doctrine and practice. Those who said that they were Muslims and followed the line of Ahl al-Bayt did not live Islam when their hearts were with Imam Hussein and their swords were against him. The Muslim is the one whose sword is in the service of his principles and does not live any duality between the Message and practice.
Thus, dear beloved, when we meet the Imam, we meet this small community of his companions and his family that spent the night before Ashura praying and reciting the Quran. They were living with Allah and making Him their witness that they had taken this stand out of their faithfulness and loyalty to Him. They did not differentiate between their prayer and reciting the Quran, and their jihad against those who lived with the Devil and left the obedience of Allah.
The Movement of al-Hussein: A Movement of Justice
Thus, dear beloved, the Imam was emphasizing to the entire world that his Islamic movement is a movement of justice. He wanted to spread justice in the world so that the people would uphold justice. Imam Hussein wanted to tell them that Allah has called for justice in all religions: "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). If the Muslim wants to prove that he is a true believer, he has to be just… whether with his wife and children, with his brothers and sisters, with his parents, or with all whom he deals with. He should also be just towards his responsibility if he holds any post.
The difference between the community of al-Hussein and that of Yazid is that Yazid was not just in his practice, whether in his rule or towards his responsibility, while the community of Imam Hussein was just towards their Allah, towards themselves, and towards other people.
Among those who were with Yazid was a relative of Imam Hussein called ‘Umar ibn Sa‘d, who found that he had to choose between a ministerial post Yazid had offered and committing the grave sin of killing Imam Hussein. He decided to kill the Imam to win the post, since he could always ask Allah for forgiveness.
In contrast, we find among the followers of al-Hussein, al-Hurr ibn Yazid al-Riyahi, who was the first person in the army of Ibn Ziyad to obstruct the army of Hussein.
But the man reviewed his position in the light of thinking about Allah and the Hereafter. In the beginning, he hoped things would lead to a truce and thus he would avoid fighting the Imam. But when he found that the fight was inevitable, he began to shiver—not out of fear of death, but because he was choosing between Hell and Heaven. He made up his mind and said, "I would not prefer anything to Heaven even if I were going to be burnt and cut to pieces."
Thus, he went to the Imam and repented to Allah. The Imam gave him the biggest medal: "You are 'free' as your mother had called you, free in this world and happy in the Hereafter." From the words of Hussein (a.s.), we deduce that one should uphold the freedom of will and choice and not be enslaved to desires.
Are We Following the Line of the Imam?
Dear beloved, we have spent with the Imam several days, and we might spend more days, as many of the followers of Ahl al-Bayt do. But the issue is: what are we going to say to the Imam now that the season has finished?
Let everyone go back to himself and review how he is living his Islam:
Is he trying to preserve his dignity and honor in accordance with Allah’s saying: "But honor belongs to Allah and His Messenger and to the believers." Surat al-Munafiqun (63:8).
Dear beloved: After Ashura, we have to start thinking: Are we of the followers of Imam Hussein? Whom do we support and whom do we oppose?
Are we with the line of Islam or the line of falsehood? You should hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable: "O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow - and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient. Not equal are the companions of the Fire and the companions of Paradise. The companions of Paradise - they are the attainers [of success]." Surat al-Hashr (59:18-20).
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Israel and the Impasse of Resistance
Israeli planes kill Palestinian activists every day, with many civilian passers-by killed or injured. The Zionist Army storms houses in the West Bank to kill or arrest the youth. Meanwhile, the enemy's war minister threatens to resume the liquidation of Palestinians based on mere suspicions, which made the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, protest, since it is an assassination without trial. Nevertheless, the American and European officials who call Hamas to renounce terror and violence practically encourage Israel to continue its brutal and barbaric terrorism.
Moreover, the Israeli acting prime minister arrogantly announces that he will keep Jerusalem and the three major settlements in the West Bank, in addition to Jordan's Rift Valley and building the separating wall, which means keeping more than 60% of the West Bank. All this at a time the so-called free World is demanding that Hamas should recognize Israel and denounce resistance, but they don't demand that Israel should recognize the Palestinian rights in the ‘67 occupied territories in the least. This suggests that this world is not honest when it talks about the rights of peoples in self-determination, or even human rights.
Therefore, we would like to emphasize the need for Palestinian firmness in defending these rights, since no right is lost as long as it is being demanded. Furthermore, if the Palestinians are suffering from occupation, Israel and America are suffering from the impasse of the resistance.
The Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation should be in harmony with their Arab and Muslim masses and stand with the Palestinians who have chosen to support the militant Mujahideen of Hamas.
Insulting the Prophet
All over the Islamic world, protests against the cartoons that insult the Prophet are rising… Muslims have unified their ranks to protest against this in various means, especially the boycott. The arrogant world has experienced a political shock that made it divided between those who support the insulting papers and those who call for calming down to contain the Muslims' rage.
America has accused Tehran and Damascus of aggravating the issue in the Islamic world. It wants to turn it into a political lobbying card to play against these two countries, although the popular Islamic rage preceded the stance of the two countries.
As we emphasize the need to oppose in a peaceful and civilized way, we call on Muslims to continue their movement with all the pressure they could deploy to make the world understand that nobody is allowed to offend the Prophet or Islam in the name of freedom of expression, for freedom has to be checked by public responsibility.
It is regrettable that the hatred of some apostates has hit the Ashura commemorations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Those people are, whether directly or indirectly, serving the arrogant powers who wish to incite strife between the Shiites and the Sunnis, at a time the nation needs to strengthen its unity against those who are insulting Islam and Muslims.
Corruption in Iraq
Criminal acts against civilians are continuing in Iraq, and the American occupation continues to rob the Iraqi wealth through its companies, including that of the American vice-president… At the same time, the American defense minister expresses his concern over the corruption in Iraq, the same corruption which the occupation and its monopolizing companies created.
We call on the Iraqi people to strengthen their unity and plan to end the occupation, build its security forces and its army, and choose the faithful and experienced elements in its government.
As for Iran’s peaceful nuclear project, which the arrogant are trying to submit to the Security Council to intensify the political and economic pressures against Iran, we believe that they will not be successful because Iran possesses both the political maturity and the power that enable it to be in control despite the American–European alliance.
Internal Strife in Lebanon
Lebanon is still under a state of political destabilization in which the political language has fallen into the mud of differences that create a lot of tensions and make the Lebanese more concerned and anxious when they see how incompetent the government is when it comes to protecting the lives of citizens and solving its economic problems, and politicizing the security and political situation in the name of the majority and minority.
We call for facing all parties that incite strife and punishing those who destabilize the national situation. We also appreciate the role of the wise men in curbing the sectarian and political strife from developing any further.