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 Rabi' al-Awwal 13, 1429 AH/ March 21, 2008, 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
The Prophet of Mercy (p.): Our Supreme Role Model
The Living Quran and a Mercy to All
Allah, the Most Exalted, says in His Glorious Book: "O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good tidings, a warner, One who invites to Allah by His permission, and an illuminating lamp. And give good tidings to the believers that they will have great bounty from Allah. And do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and disregard their hurtful talk, and rely upon Allah. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs." Surat al-Ahzab (33:45-48).
When we celebrate the anniversary of the Prophet's birth, we celebrate the birth of Islam itself, for the Prophet was Islam in motion. He would recite the Quran to people, and they would see the Quran embodied in his actions and speech. When one of his wives was asked to briefly describe his character, she said: "His character was the Quran."
The Messenger (p.) dealt with the people of Quraysh with great forbearance. When he heard the disbelievers cursing him, he would say: "O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know." Do not punish them; give them time to open their hearts to the truth.
Thus, Allah revealed to His Messenger: "But Allah would not punish them while you, [O Muhammad], are among them." Surat al-Anfal (8:33), because you represent mercy: "And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds." Surat al-Anbiya (21:107). You are a mercy in your message, in your dealings with your society, companions, family, and all mankind. Thus, "And by the mercy of Allah, you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you." Surat Al ‘Imran (3:159).
It is as if Allah is telling the believers: The Messenger (p.) must be your role model. Each of you should have a heart full of love and goodness, whether in his home, community, or with all people. Each of you should adopt a discourse like that of the Messenger, who spoke only words that unite and do not divide… The Messenger (p.) must be your model in his sublime character, of which Allah said: "And indeed, you are of a great moral character." Surat al-Qalam (68:4).
When Allah tells us that a servant possesses a sublime character, it means these morals permeate all aspects of his life and conduct. It is as if Allah, the Most Exalted, is telling each of us to strive for sublime character.
The Messenger (p.) was a witness over his nation, observing all its views, actions, projects, and programs. He held the nation in his heart and mind… in all his projects and programs, to guide it to the Straight Path.
"We have sent you as a witness" to testify for or against them on the Day of Judgment; "a bringer of good tidings," promising the righteous Paradise; "a warner" of Hell for those who choose disbelief and disobedience; "One who invites to Allah by His permission," to elevate people so they may draw nearer to Allah, making Him the sole occupant of their hearts and minds—a call for mercy, love, and goodness for all people; and "an illuminating lamp." You are the light that illuminates people's minds and lives, for the Prophet's (p.) role is to lead people from darkness into light—the light of truth and closeness to Allah.
"And give good tidings to the believers" that those who follow him and his Straight Path, believing in Allah as the one and only God… "that they will have great bounty from Allah," both in this world and the Hereafter. And "do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites" who conceal their disbelief and pretend to faith… Both will seek to harm you and wage war against you and your message. But you must not falter or retreat…
The Human Characteristics of the Messengers
Allah presents the human nature of the Messenger in His saying: "There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves." Surat al-Tawbah (9:128). He is not an angel or a jinn… he is a human being like all others. But he is one whom Allah chose for His Message — "Grievous to him is what you suffer"—for when he assumed the role of political, military, and spiritual leadership, he was concerned for the entire nation. When he saw them fatigued and overwhelmed, he was pained on their behalf and would ask Allah to help them and ease their suffering. "He is ardently anxious over you"—he feared you would weaken or stumble, and he was concerned that you follow the Straight Path, which ensures your goodness in both lives. "To the believers he is compassionate"—he was merciful and kind in dealing with them, to the extent that he lived among the Muslims as one of them, claiming no special privileges, not even in what he wore or where he sat.
When people came asking about him, they would ask, "Which one of you is Muhammad (p.)?" So they brought a stone for him to sit on so that newcomers would recognize him.
Once, a woman saw him and trembled at his solemn bearing. He told her: "I am the son of a woman like you, who ate dried meat." And he would never be the first to withdraw his hand when shaking hands with others.
Thus, Muhammad (p.) lived among his people, enduring their persecution to the extent that he said: "No prophet was harmed as I was harmed." His sole concern was to elevate the Muslims to become the civilized nation that follows the Straight Path in all aspects of life.
Now, as we celebrate the birth of Allah's Messenger, we, as a Muslim society, must plan our affairs—economic, political, social, or cultural—for Allah spoke of nothing in the Quran as much as He spoke of the intellect and reason. He has made the intellect the decisive proof against His servants. He also wants us to be rational and not driven by emotion in any of our affairs. Even when we adhere to a leader, we must not be driven by emotion and excitement. We must study what this leader thinks, what his plans and actions are… We must be a rational nation, not an emotional one that merely cheers and applauds when others do. We must know what we are applauding for. We must always let our minds be our guide, showing us the way forward.
Allah, the Most Exalted, wanted this nation to be the nation of logic, reason, and knowledge: "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Surat al-Zumar (39:9). "My Lord, increase me in knowledge." Surat Taha (20:114). He wanted it to be the nation that leads the world through science. It is true that Allah wants us to be empowered with arms, but it is the power of knowledge that enables a nation to lead the world. Allah, the Most Exalted, also wants us to adopt spiritual and moral values. He wanted us to be an honorable nation: "But honor belongs to Allah and His Messenger and to the believers." Surat al-Munafiqun (63:8).
Dear loved ones, the anniversary of the Prophet's birth is a responsibility we must shoulder. Islam is a responsibility we must uphold. This occasion is not merely for singing and celebration; it is to bring the Messenger to life in our minds, hearts, and lives. For though Muhammad (p.) has departed, his message remains among us. "Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful." Surat Al ‘Imran (3:144).
On the anniversary of the birth of the Messenger of Allah, we must live the joy of civilization, the joy of the intellect, and the joy of righteousness, to become as Allah desired: "The best nation produced [as an example] for mankind." Surat Al ‘Imran (3:110)
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Five Years of Occupation and the Betrayal of Principles
The Fifth Anniversary of the American Occupation
The region and the world mark these days the anniversary of the occupation of Iraq—an occupation based on a colossal lie about Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction. A lie that America succeeded in propagating throughout the world, even intimidating American public opinion with talk of the threat these weapons posed. America also allied with Britain, a political satellite of the US, whose then-Prime Minister, Tony Blair, joined the American president in lying to his people and the entire world.
This American occupation has become a monumental catastrophe for the Iraqi people and a major problem for neighboring countries and the entire region, all under the influence of the American President's strategy of seeking victory and establishing a political base in the region to advance his political projects under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
The American president became a military tool in the hands of neoconservatives and the Jewish lobby within the administration, who led him to create a state of "constructive chaos" in the region to execute their plan of turning it into a political and security base for American and Israeli interests. This was achieved by fostering chaos and terrorism throughout the region, fueled by a hateful sentiment toward Muslims and Islam held by Zionist Christians and the American President, who became their prisoner due to his simplistic mentality and fanatical demonization.
Amnesty International declared in London that after five years of occupation, Iraq is the most dangerous place in the world, where hundreds are killed, poverty and lack of services are rampant, and sectarian violence is rising. Moreover, the number of displaced persons has reached over four million, with unemployment soaring. This proves that the occupation was the direct cause of the destruction of Iraq's civil, economic, and military infrastructure. Despite all this, the American Administration still plans to establish major military bases in Iraq to perpetuate its occupation, as the American Vice President declared during his last visit.
Thus, America seeks to hold security talks with the Iraqi government to ensure the continuation of its occupation and to protect its interests and projects by using Iraq as a bridge to pressure neighboring countries.
The Iraqi people, whose freedom has been a historical trait, along with their Islamic and national identity, must exert all efforts to defeat the occupation through wise and honest confrontation against the American–British occupation, to establish a free and independent nation that governs itself and solves its own problems.
The Israeli "Holocaust" and Western Hypocrisy
The Jewish state is preparing to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of its founding and usurpation of Palestine in a rally that will include most nations of the world—states that still support the Jewish entity and consider the resistance movement a form of terrorism. This is what prompted German Chancellor Angela Merkel to visit this usurping entity, which continues to extort Germany over its Nazi history and the Holocaust.
Israel has tried to exaggerate the number of Jewish victims while ignoring the other peoples included in the Nazi Holocaust. American Zionist pressure has reached the point of prosecuting anyone who dares to debate the numbers of the Holocaust, as in the case of the French thinker Roger Garaudy.
Merkel stood solemnly before the Holocaust memorial, speaking of Germany's responsibility for the Shoah and affirming her determination to build Israel's future. But she said nothing of the Zionist holocaust against the Palestinian people for over 60 years, not to mention the Lebanese and other Arabs and Muslims. This West has no humanitarian feeling for what befalls Arabs and Muslims, due to its historical hatred and commitment to Israeli security, granting legitimacy to the occupation's efforts to thwart any attempt to establish a viable Palestinian state.
The problem with these Western administrations is that they have abandoned all values that stand in the way of their political ambitions, then worked to dominate people through the logic of force instead of the logic of right—especially as they found Arab regimes that care only for their own interests, not for what happens to the Palestinians, Lebanese, or others.
The meetings between the enemy and the Palestinian Authority reveal the extent to which the enemy looks down on those who have laid down the weapon of resistance and no longer possess any power base in the negotiation process.
The Arab Summit: A Theater of Division
It has been a historical practice in Arab summits to incite bilateral or trilateral disputes, which overshadow vital issues and lead to empty rhetoric in their fruitless resolutions. Debates have already begun over who will attend the summit, who will boycott it, who will be represented by junior officials, and who will impose conditions for attendance. These include explicit American demands to boycott the summit to punish opposition forces. This debate has reached Lebanon, where one party calls for boycotting the summit even though it is an Arab summit, not a Syrian one, and even though it may discuss major issues like the Palestinian and Lebanese crises…
We observe, first, that this summit, like others, will be unable to solve any Arab problem due to the collapse of the Arab League. Second, discussing the Palestinian crisis may involve countries that took no negative stance against the killings in Gaza while denouncing the resistance operation in Jerusalem. Moreover, they did not condemn the blockade on Gaza and offer the Palestinians no meaningful aid…
All this results from Arab divisions that have become personal and no longer have any relation to Arabism or the Arab initiative. Thus, Arab or Lebanese attendance is inconsequential. Absence in such a situation might be better, as attendance could create new complications.
The Lebanese Genius Lost in Sectarian Quagmires
The Lebanese are in a state of perplexity, as internal political circles, influenced by external relations, continue to preoccupy them with personal and sectarian disputes, acclimating them to a rhetoric of immorality in all the talk of treason and negativity. This makes Lebanon—a country whose culture embraces sublime values—a place where some of its leaders act on the basis of an ignorant mentality and a Bedouin logic that has lost all Bedouin values.
We want Lebanon to be a free, sovereign country that makes its own decisions and chooses its own path. We do not want it to be a slave awaiting orders from external powers that think only of their own interests.
In this regard, there is a silly and absurd joke represented by talk of the "international community" as if it were something sacred, when we all know it is under American hegemony and does not condemn the massacres in Qana, Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa unless it serves arrogant interests.
The question is: Where is the Lebanese genius that has given the world so many inventive solutions? Will we continue to sink in the black sectarian quagmire?