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 1, 1428 AH/ January 19, 2007, 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
Islamic Morality: Faith in Action
Islam is a commitment to being ethical. Being a Muslim means that you have to abide by the rules of Islamic morals that Allah wants you to follow, whether in relation to yourself, your family, or all people. Islam is not restricted to ideology or worship. It also means that a Muslim has to be ethical. That is why it is said in the Quran: "Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing." Surat al-‘Ankabut (29:45). The goal of prayers in life is to abide by being good and enjoining it, and by staying away from evil and forbidding it.
We have also seen how Allah linked in the issue of fasting between fasting and piety: "O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous." Surat al-Baqarah (2:183). Piety, as explained by the Quran, is to control your temper, to forgive people and be charitable to them. It is to counter evil acts with good ones… to say what is best and to do what is best. As for the pilgrimage, it has been said in the traditions: "Allah does not care about he who comes to this House if he does not possess three characteristics: manners to practice with those who he deals with, prudence to control one's anger, and piety that prevents him from committing sins."
The Morals of Disbelief
To counter the morals of Islam, there are the morals of disbelief. A man might not be an unbeliever, yet might adopt the behavior of the morals of unbelief, as is stated in the Glorious Quran: "Have you seen the one who denies the Recompense?" "For that is the one who drives away the orphan." "And does not encourage the feeding of the poor." Surat al-Ma‘un (107:1-3). These are the morals of unbelief that a Muslim might adopt although he practices the worshipping duties of Islam.
In this respect, there are several sayings that explain the morals of unbelief, for example, Imam As-Sadiq relates that a man came to the Prophet and asked him: "What are the most detested acts in Allah's view?" The Messenger said: "Ascribing partners to Allah." "Then what?" the man said, and the Prophet answered: "Boycotting relatives." "Then what?" the man went on, and the Messenger said: "Enjoining evil (like those who command their daughters or wives not to put on the head scarf or those who encourage their children to commit sins) and forbidding good."
Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) relates that the Messenger said in one of his speeches: "Shall I tell who is the most evil among you… He is the one who does not give in charity and hits his slaves (who no longer exist today, but we can substitute them by those who work for him) and those who eat alone." They thought there could be nothing more evil than this, but the Prophet said: "Shall I tell of who is more evil?" They said yes, please do, and the Messenger said: "He whom people do not expect him to do good and suspect that he will commit evil." Again, they thought that there could not be anything more evil than that. And again, the Prophet told them that there is who is even more evil than that. It is he who uses an abusive language and curses others. "He who when he mentions the believers he curses them and when they mention him, they would curse him." Since he does not respect people and hurts them.
Imam As-Sadiq says: The Messenger says: "Three traits, who possesses them would be a hypocrite, even if he fasts and prays and claims that he is a Muslim: he who betrays when trusted, who lies when he talks and does not keep his promises."
Allah says in the Glorious Book: "Indeed, Allah does not love the treacherous." Surat al-Anfal (8:58). He also says: "And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allah be upon him if he should be of the liars." Surat an-Nur (24:7). And: "And mention, [O Muhammad], in the Book, Ishmael. Indeed, he was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet." Surat Maryam (19:54).
If you are a Muslim, you should adhere to Islam's morals. You should be the man that when he lives with others, his life will be a life full of good that gives to others and seeks good itself. If you deviate from that path, you will be adopting the morals of unbelief. But a Muslim should be a Muslim in both the worshipping duties and rituals as well as adhering to the morals of Islam. Islam cannot be divided into separable parts. It includes all that the Prophets and the Messenger (peace be upon him) came with. It is natural in this case that the Muslim should be just with all human beings, for any injustice is a deviation from Islam, whether it is towards Allah, himself, or all human beings.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
America claims that it protects the Arabs
The American President, Bush, is still launching one failing experiment after the other, threatening the eight regional countries that they will face additional security threats if they do not take part in sustaining the American strategy in Iraq, as well as in Iran, Syria, and ultimately the Resistance in Lebanon and Palestine. He has warned of the grave consequences of the failure of the American plan that is been propagated and led by the neo- cons and Cheney who had incited in some of his secret visits the Sunnis against the Shiites in an attempt to redistribute the positions of political power in Iraq, accusing Iran of being responsible for the complicated state of affairs in the country. President Bush has sent his Secretary of State to the region to make several Arab countries declare their support to the American strategy and created a military and political atmosphere of muscle flexing that deployed aircraft carriers and patriot Missiles, to serve its won interests. Then it will dictate its decisions to the Arab states concerned claiming that they aim at protecting the security and stability of these countries.
It is as if it is suggesting that it aims at protecting the Arabs and Islam, benefiting from the political naivety of those who still believe that America is the protector of Arab and Muslim security, at a time everyone knows that it is the United States that is threatening the region's security, by its direct and indirect occupation, and by creating constructive chaos that incites sectarian strife and preventing realistic solutions of difficult crisis as in Lebanon that it wants to use a tool to pressurize Syria and Iran, and planning for protecting and strengthening Israeli security as well as besieging the Resistance i
Lebanon and Palestine
It creates dangers, as in its occupation of Iraq, and then it threatens the neighboring countries inciting forgotten sensitivities by enticing them to acquire a bigger share of power.
This is probably what it seeks by inflating the Iranian threat. It is as if Iran is the one that has a dangerous project and not the American Administration, to the extent that some of these regimes consider America the saver of Arab nationalism.
We have even noticed in the media mobilization in the region that incites Sunni sensitivities, vis-à-vis the Shiite question that the American interference, through its occupation and devastating policies, is trying to show that it is not the problem but rather the Iranian interference.
Rice prepares for A Palestinian Civil War
There were those in Palestine and the Arab world who thought that the American Secretary of State could make a breakthrough in the Arab Israeli conflict and in solving the Palestinian problem or at least relief them of some of their sufferings at the Israeli checkpoints or release the frozen Palestinian funds and cease to build new settlements and the racist wall. But she came here with some nice talk and colorful dreams and a promise to hold a making between the Palestinian President and the Enemy's prime minister. But what she really did was to create an atmosphere that will further complicate the internal Palestinian relations in preparation for a civil war that will destroy what is left of the dream of liberation. The Arabs whom the Secretary gathered in Kuwait or these she met in Egypt and Jordan will not gain any realistic step to a possible solution, even on the level of the Road Map since, she is used to give empty promises.
America is selling the Arabs words, and they are applauding, while it gives Israel the most advanced weapons including the nuclear weapons, to facilitate its hegemony over the region, since Israel acts as an ally for the American Arrogance.
Iraq and occupation
We are saying all this to our Arab and Muslim peoples, especially the Palestinians, so that they will be aware of the plots against them and prepare to face them with a responsible national plan and a realistic Palestinian unity.
We have also to stop at the barbaric atrocities the takfiris are committing in Iraq especially in the Muslims Mustansiriyya University where about one hundred mostly students were martyred. They are also targeting the brilliant scientists in the Iraqi universities. We do not know how these people think and what their goal is, since their crimes are not unprecedented in the history of Iraq or any other country. Even the beasts do not go on killing people in this way for no reason whatsoever.
We still consider the American occupation responsible for what is going on in Iraq, because it is the cause of all this horrible situation the Iraqis are suffering from as a result of the American polices against the Iraqis and Iraq.
The Mentality of the ruling party
In Lebanon, the crisis is marking time, as a result of the closed mentality of the government's party, and that of the group of politicians that are addicted to political chaos that serves the American project of creating chaos in the region, especially in Lebanon. That is why we do not see any chance for realistic solutions the Lebanese can meet on. We also notice that there are several Arab parties talking about the Arab initiative, but they do not pressurize the local parties that are either under their control or in alliance with to facilitate the solution. Thus, we believe that those who have created the mazes for the Lebanese and the nation will continue prescribing unrealistic solutions. They are talking about a reform plan in Paris III, but they are not thinking of a plan to confront the economic and social devastation of the people.
The Lebanese have grown accustomed to eat the uncooked food of freedom sovereignty and independence, and face poverty despair and deprivation in the name of the democratic regime that did not, and will not, solve anything, as long as there is no political coexistence. The question is: where are the Lebanese heading to in this political desert in a land that only produces thrones and only plants mines and cluster bombs? This is not a pessimistic view; it is unfortunately the reality.