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 1, 1430 AH/ August 21, 2009, 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
Ramadan: A Month of Spiritual and Cultural Education
The Month of Mercy and Spiritual Renewal
Allah, the Most Exalted, says in His Glorious Book: "The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion." Surat al-Baqarah (2:185).
We maintain our position that today is the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan. The difference between our view and that of other Shi'a and Sunni scholars is based on methodology: they rely on physical sighting of the moon, while we rely on precise astronomical calculations, which are consistently accurate. Each party has its evidence and consequently its own religious obligations.
The Month of Blessings and Forgiveness
When we receive the month of Ramadan, we understand, from the Holy Quran and the Prophet's (p.) Sunnah, that this month is meant to establish a spiritual, cultural, and educational program that extends throughout the entire year. This is inspired by the words of Imam Ali (a.s.) on Eid day: "Every day in which Allah is not disobeyed is a festival."
Imam Ali (a.s.) narrated that the Messenger (p.) once gave a sermon and said: "O people! The month of Allah (Ramadan) has come to you." All months belong to Allah, for He is the Creator of time. But He has designated this particular month—the month in which people return to Allah, filling their minds and hearts with His love, dedicating their lives entirely to Him—"with His mercy, blessings, and forgiveness. Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, blesses His servants in this month with an incomparable joy. He bestows His mercy as in no other month, encompassing all of man's needs. He facilitates his affairs and forgives, each night, those who seek forgiveness—especially those who have wronged or sinned."
We must benefit from this month, which carries all these blessings, mercy, and forgiveness, to draw nearer to Allah and increase our love for Him. "This is the best of months in Allah's sight. Its days are the best of days, its nights the best of nights, and its hours the best of hours."
Allah is the Host
"This is a month in which He has invited you to a feast—not one that fills your stomachs, but one that fills your minds with truth, your hearts with goodness, and your lives with piety." You have been honored in this month as guests of Allah, the Most Merciful. Allah honors us by elevating our humanity. As the Quran states: "And We have certainly honored the children of Adam." Surat al-Isra (17:70). The greatest honor Allah bestows is that which He grants in this month.
The Rewards of Fasting
In this sacred month, "your breath has the reward of glorifying Allah (tasbih); your sleep has the reward of worship"—sleep that helps the fasting believer perform his duties the next day is considered an act of worship. "Your good deeds are accepted, and so are your supplications." Allah accepts all our good deeds and answers our prayers that express our needs, pains, and concerns. Thus, as this month begins, we must open our hearts to Allah. "Therefore, supplicate your Lord sincerely, with hearts free from sins and evils—hatred, disbelief, or enmity—that Allah may enable you to fast in it"—for the fasting of those who are able will shield them from Hellfire—"and to recite His Book." Allah intends the Quran to be the guide and nourishment for man's spiritual, moral, and practical life. We must read it accordingly, striving to understand and act upon its teachings. "For wretched is he who is deprived of Allah's forgiveness in this month." Ramadan is the season; if you lose in the season, you cannot make it up afterward.
The Moral Duties of the Fasting Believer
The Prophet (p.) wants us, through our experience of hunger and thirst in fasting, to remember that we will stand before Allah on the Day of Judgment. "So remember through your hunger in this world the hunger of that Day, which will be eased by your devotion in this holy month."
The Prophet (p.) said: "While fasting, remember the hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgment. Give charity to the poor and needy." When you feel hungry, recall those who are always hungry. "Respect your elders," for they have lived Islam longer and gained experience you have not; this means respect, not blind obedience. "Have mercy on those younger than you," for their inexperience and narrow mindedness if they err. "Be kind to your relatives." This prolongs life and draws you nearer to Allah. "Guard your tongues from unworthy words," from gossip, slander, and foul speech. "And guard your eyes from forbidden sights and your ears from sounds you should not hear," such as songs that incite base desires and promote falsehood. "Be kind to orphans." There are many orphans in society; we must take responsibility for them, acting as fathers to them. Imam Ali (a.s.) said in his final will: "Fear Allah concerning orphans. Attend to their sustenance and do not forget their interests amidst your own."
"So that if your children become orphans, they too may be treated kindly. Supplicate Allah to forgive your sins." Each should reflect on his sins and seek forgiveness, for Allah accepts repentance and forgives. "Raise your hands in supplication during prayer, for it is the best time to seek His mercy." During prayer, the soul ascends to Allah, and being close to Him, one may ask for his needs. "When we supplicate at such times, the best of times, we are answered. When we call upon Him in pure devotion, He responds, when we ask, it is granted."
"O people! Your souls are pledged for your deeds," as stated in the Quran: "Every soul, for what it has earned, is retained." Surat al-Muddaththir (74:38). "Free them by seeking forgiveness." As one pays a debt to release a mortgage, we are indebted to Allah through our deeds; to free ourselves, we must seek His forgiveness. "Your backs are heavy with burdens, so lighten them with prolonged prostration (sujood). Know that Allah has sworn by His Majesty not to punish those who pray and prostrate, nor to frighten them with the Fire on the Day humanity stands before the Lord of the worlds."
"O people! Whoever feeds a fasting believer in this month," by inviting him to a meal, especially if he is poor, "it is as if he has freed a slave, and his past sins are forgiven..."
"O people! Whoever cultivates good manners in this month," some people cannot tolerate conversation, claiming they are fasting, but fasting is not merely abstaining from food and drink; one must also fast from anger and oppression, "will cross the Sirat bridge on the Day of Judgment, even if his feet tremble. Whoever lightens the work of his male or female servants in this month," if we have employees or workers who are fasting, "Allah will make his accounting easy on the Day of Judgment. Whoever does not wrong others in this month, Allah will shield him from His wrath on the Day of Judgment. Whoever treats an orphan kindly, Allah will look upon him with kindness. Whoever is good to his kin, Allah will bestow His mercy upon him. Whoever performs recommended (sunnah) prayers, Allah will free him from Hell. Whoever performs one obligatory prayer, the angels will record for him the reward of seventy such prayers in other months. Whoever frequently sends blessings upon me (salawat), Allah will keep his scale of good deeds heavy on the Day when others' scales tilt toward lightness. Whoever recites a single verse of the Quran in this month will be rewarded as if he recited the entire Quran in other months."
"O people! The gates of Paradise are open this month. Pray that they are not closed against you," by your misdeeds and sins, "and the gates of Hell are closed. Pray that they never open."
The Best Deeds in This Month
The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.), said: "I stood and asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, what are the best deeds in this month?' He replied, 'O Aba al-Hasan, the best deed in this month is to abstain from what Allah has forbidden.'" to control oneself and avoid the unlawful.
This sacred month is a time for spiritual and moral education, through which we strive to draw nearer to Allah and act upon goodness that extends to all people. We must strive to attain all that Allah bestows in this month, bringing us closer to Him, so we may benefit on the Day of Judgment—the day we stand before Allah for judgment: "The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children, but only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart." Surat al-Shu’ara’ (26:88-89).
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Ramadan Amidst Occupation and Conflict
The blessed month of Ramadan returns this year with the Muslim world resembling a battlefield—the only region where occupation still persists across more than one of its parts.
This is the state of the Muslim world, from occupied Palestine, where settlement expansion consumes what remains of its land, and where the enemy's Prime Minister vows to continue his settlement policy. Yet some Arab officials promise to fulfill their normalization commitments. One even advised Israel not to attack Iran at this stage, as it "would unite the Iranians behind their leadership."
America's Full Support for Israel
The American Administration, which convinced some Arab parties it would adopt a more positive stance toward Arab and Palestinian rights, continues to pursue and imprison those who donate zakat and charity to support the Palestinian cause. Simultaneously, it offers tax exemptions to American associations that support Israel and encourage building more settlements in East Jerusalem under the guise of social and educational activities.
Thus, we are witnessing a new stage where the rationale of Jewish colonization supersedes the rationale of the Palestinian right of return, and the rationale of negotiations—presented as the only option by the head of the Palestinian Authority—supersedes the logic of rejection and resistance.
The nation is afflicted by a spiteful enemy, conspiring international axes, and a leadership weary of the Palestinian cause—though it has made no significant effort for it. They wish to be rid of it and accept whatever the occupation offers, even as the people have proven they can defeat the enemy whenever given the chance to fight.
Iraq: The Continuation of Internal Strife
In Iraq, where criminal explosives haunt people in streets, workplaces, and crowds, the American President has promised more "hazardous violence," as he stated. Thus, the mill of killing and destruction will continue to serve the occupier's interests and those of certain axes that want Iraqis consumed by internal strife, preferring division over unity under the banner of a single nation, for they do not wish this country, its leaders, or its figures to find peace…
Therefore, Iraqis must work as a national and Islamic bloc to block the path of those calling for division and sowing discord. They must unify their ranks, drawing from the concepts and values of this month to establish a free and independent Iraq that rejects occupation, casts off sedition, and holds murderers and criminals to account.
Afghanistan: Security Chaos
In Afghanistan, elections are being held under the spears of an occupation that continues to bombard the homes of the poor, killing entire families whenever it suffers a field setback… The country has entered a labyrinth of security and political chaos from which the Afghan people see no exit—neither through elections nor any other means. Moreover, the occupiers do not wish to see Afghans free from this bloody quagmire, for their interests and greed drive them to tighten their hegemony and prolong their occupation.
Yemen Steps into the Maze of Division
In Yemen, which has entered the whirlpool of internal wars threatening to amplify calls for secession and pave the way for further fragmentation—where political labels merge with other complexities, pushing the country to the brink of a difficult and critical phase. During this phase, internal and external mediation fails as warplanes, tanks, and cannons continue to shell, imposing the logic of blood over the logic of dialogue. We urge the Yemeni authorities to pursue dialogue relentlessly and call on other parties to respond. We cannot comprehend how Yemen can propose an initiative for inter-Palestinian dialogue while failing all calls for genuine internal initiatives to end the conflict in Saada and restore unity, stability, and security to Yemen.
The Bloody Scene in the Muslim World
This bloody scene at the advent of the blessed month of Ramadan, where images of street fighting in Somalia overlap with those from Gaza days ago, along with calls for revenge against Muslims fasting in this holy month… all these developments demand an Islamic stance that reconsiders these alien paths—a natural result of foreign occupation, internal oppression, ignorance, and fanatical hatred.
Lebanon: The Crisis of Living
In Lebanon, recent studies indicate that addressing the electricity shortage requires $3 billion and three years, while the state needs several more billions to rehabilitate its institutions. Faced with this reality, we wonder why there is such desperate fighting over ministerial portfolios and why parties cling to their demands when the state is bankrupt—especially since most previous officials made no serious effort to alleviate the electricity burden or improve the economy, which would enhance Lebanese political life.
We say to the Lebanese politicians, hailed day and night by the people: If your enmity toward one another is so deep-rooted, if you do not prioritize building a capable state, and if you cannot confront the problems you created through your own leadership, then step aside, resign, or practice a real fast that purifies you from the political vices that have corrupted reality, distorted mindsets, and exhausted the nation.