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 22, 1431 AH/ January 8, 2010, 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
Zein Al-Abideen (a.s.):
The Imam of Knowledge, Piety, and Jihad
Imam Zain al-Abidin's Multidimensional Personality
On the twenty-fifth of Muharram, we commemorate the passing of Imam Ali Bin Al-Hussein, Zain Al-Abidin (a.s.), the fourth Imam of the Members of the Household. Many know little about this Imam's multidimensional personality, and some might even know nothing about him except what the stories narrate: "that he used to weep day and night over his father, Al-Hussein (a.s.)." Stories also narrate that "whenever he was offered food, he would soak it with his flowing tears," in addition to other similar practices that do not conform to the values the Members of the Household tried hard to cement in the believing men and women, or to the responsibility they shouldered towards Islam and the Call.
The Imam (a.s.) was the master of his age in all Islamic sciences, and perhaps the Imam's legacy in all the intellectual and cultural fields of knowledge outnumbers that of supplications. Sheikh Al-Mufid said in his book, Al-Irshad (Guidance): "The jurists of his age quoted him in numerous traditions concerning all fields of knowledge, and memorized his sayings and supplications and his elaborations on the virtues of the Quran, the Halal and the Haram, and the wars the Arab tribes fought." In addition, when we count his students, we will find out that they were of different majors and fields of knowledge, such as history, philosophy, jurisprudence, etc.
Culture Embodied in the Imam's Supplications
Besides that, the supplications of the Imam (a.s.) had a substantial cultural content, which laid emphasis on the Islamic creed, behavior, values, morals, spirituality, as well as the lines of responsibility, which further approaches man to Allah and renders him more aware of himself and all life's aspects.
Therefore, we call for studying and examining thoroughly the supplications of the Imam (a.s.), especially As-Sahifa As-Sajadiyya (Psalms of Islam), as a spiritual wealth that nourishes the Islamic cultural heritage. Some might even deem his supplications as a new method of calling to Allah and to social reform, since they were loaded with philosophical concepts, social views, moral methodologies, spiritual suggestions, and political trends. Thus, we conclude that the Imam (a.s.) integrated the spiritual, social, moral, and political aspects, so as to make us recognize that to meet with Allah and call upon Him does not mean that we ought to isolate ourselves from life.
Confronting Tyrants
At a time the Imam's character was marked with spirituality and asceticism, he showed, empowered by Allah, strong stands against the tyrants in his era. This is evident in the story when Abdul Malik Bin Marwan sent a message to the Imam asking for the sword of the Messenger of Allah (p.), however, the Imam (a.s.) refused his request, so Bin Marwan sent him another message threatening to deprive him of his share from the Muslim Treasury. The Imam replied that Allah provides for the pious the way out, as well as their sustenance, for Allah, the Most Exalted, says: "And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out." Surat at-Talaq (65:02), and: "Indeed, Allah does not like traitors and ingrates." Surat al-Hajj (22:38). He ended by saying: "See whom of us these two Ayahs describe."
The Treatise on Rights: An Integrated Human System
In his Treatise on Rights, the Imam (a.s.) aimed at educating the nation on the legal rights of one over the other, so as to create balance in the inter-human relations. Therefore, we ought to study this treatise thoroughly to realize what shouldering responsibility in life means.
It was mentioned in his biography that he used to buy the slaves and set them free after educating them in a way that elevated their level and made them independent of what people possess, so that they would integrate in the society as good believers and callers; thus, we can call him the slave liberator.
In conclusion, the life of Imam Zain Al-Abidin (a.s.) goes beyond a world that is open to Allah, man, and life, and beyond a horizon on which the thought, soul, emotions, Divine love, and spirituality are based, and beyond an arena that is full of moral issues, and human ambiences, and methodologies of social and political practices.
May Allah shower our Imam, Zain Al-Abidin (a.s.), with mercy, the day he was born, the day he passed away, and the day he will be brought back to life.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
The Palestinian Cause Under Israeli Terms
The Palestinian cause nowadays is undergoing one of the most dangerous phases, especially for the Palestinian people, where practical steps are underway for a humiliating settlement in which the Arab regimes would succumb to the Israeli terms that are to be altered in form, but not in content, especially when it comes to Jerusalem and the issue of the entity's Jewish identity and the refugees, in addition to the colonization activities that are being intensified in these days, knowing that the enemy declared recently that it has embarked on building twenty-four new settlement units in the region of Jabal Az-Zeitoun in occupied Jerusalem.
The colonization activities continue on the ground in a way that renders the dream of establishing a Palestinian State impossible, especially after separating Jerusalem from its surroundings, and dividing the West Bank into several areas, preventing any kind of communication between them. Therefore, the Israeli and international siege on Gaza, which is supported by the Arabs, continues, by erecting more blockades and walls, and blocking the arteries of life and crossings to the strip, as well as placing many obstacles in the face of the humanitarian aid convoys, rendering their mission to deliver food and medical supplies to the trapped civilians more difficult, which represents a breach of the simplest rules of the international law, let alone the human and moral values.
Arab Partnership with the Occupier
As we notice some new Arab efforts to drive the Palestinians to enter into negotiations with the Zionists, we warn from the new Arab partnership concluded with Washington and Tel Aviv, so as to surround the Palestinians and drive them into the dark tunnel of negotiations. Such a development will enable the enemy to mark time and fully execute its colonization schemes, and put an end to the project of the independent state, and lighten the impact of international criticisms, even though they are shy and of no real political significance.
Disguised Occupation
At another level, we notice how America tries to exaggerate the reality of certain situations so as to justify its further intervention in the Arab and Islamic affairs. Moreover, when the Secretary of State declared that the situation in Yemen is threatening the world, she was actually pointing at how much America is ambitious to interfere in the Yemeni affairs, and use Yemen as a base to launch attacks on new positions in the Arab and Islamic region. We believe that we have entered – with the new American Administration – into the phase of disguised occupation led by the CIA, in contrast with that of George Bush's era that was marked with direct occupation.
At a time we deem it impermissible to attack or threaten the safety of civilians and the international transportation routes and means, especially planes, we call for examining the stories the Americans released, for we do not rule out the possibility that the Americans are exaggerating such incidents so as to further justify the American violation of the Arab and Islamic security. Therefore, we call on the Arab and Islamic officials and peoples to be aware and cautious of this dangerous issue that has emerged lately.
Lebanon: The Quota System Rules
As for Lebanon, in which the quota system was one of the essential bases for the ministerial nominations, and even at the electoral level, the quota system will also be the determining factor of the civil service appointments, even if suggestions from here and there try to make us believe that we have surpassed the phase of direct quota and entered into a new phase where the Lebanese political club borrows new titles and different introductions but reaches the same results.
Names have changed and new groups have emerged, yet we remained swirling in the heart of the whirlpool, for we are still in Lebanon; the arena that the outside does not allow to turn into a real state and that the inside does not exert enough effort to protect it as a homeland and build a real state. Unfortunately, shares are still being distributed amongst the influential and the big issues and titles are lost in the mazes of smaller ones.