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-awal 12, 1423 AH/ May 24, 2002, 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
Celebrating the Birth of the Mercy Messenger:
Fear Allah towards Islam and Islamic Unity
The Birth of the Message:
On this day, the 12th of the month of Rabi’ Al-awal was the birth of the Messenger (p.), according to the account of most Muslim scholars including Sheikh Al Killini the author of Al-Kafi, although the majority of Muslim Shiite scholars hold that it was on the 17th.
But whether it was on the twelfth or the seventeenth, we would like to live with the Messenger (p) on this occasion.
We notice that the Holy Quran did not talk about the Prophet’s birth, because it does not talk about the birth of prophets, but about their messages, because the Prophet’s birth occurs when he commences his mission. The Quran only talks about the prophets whose births were miraculous, like that of Prophet Musa (a.s) who was saved from being killed by the Pharaoh, or Prophet Issa (a.s), whom Allah, the Most Exalted had him born without a father.
Allah had thoroughly prepared Prophet Muhammad (p), before He commanded him to commence his mission. We know that his father died when he was in his mother womb, and that his mother died when he was still an infant.
He was then sent to be nursed by Halima As-Sadie’a of the tribe of Bani Saad. Yet, for the 40 years before he became a messenger, he was under the spiritual care and education of Allah. He was infallible in all aspects of his personality; nobody ever accused him of any lie or any deviation. Although the Mecca community at that time was a community of the rich and arrogant, Muhammad (p) was greatly respected despite the fact that he was poor and an orphan, which was a source of disrespect at that time.
Ali (a.s) too, had the same education
Imam Ali (a.s.) who accompanied the Messenger (p) and was raised by him says: “Allah assigned one of his great angels to (teach) Muhammad, and he used to convey to him each day one of His moral traits”. Thus, Allah took care of him in a direct manner, in addition to the spiritual inspiration that built the Prophet’s personality.
Moreover, when the Messenger (p.) chose Ali (a.s) to raise, he was inspired by Allah to prepare someone, who carried the same thought and possessed the same manners to hold the responsibility after his death...
That is why we have always said that no other Muslim had a personality that assimilated all the traits of Muhammad except Ali (a.s). And thus, the choice of Ali (a.s) as an Imam had to do with the fact that he was the only one who represented the continuity of the Messenger (p), having had the traits and morals of the Messenger.
The Arrogant against the Weak
The Messenger (p) lived as a poor and weak man. Thus, we see that he respected and appreciated all the weakened. Even after he was sent to mankind, Quraish, his tribe, used to ask him not to let the poor draw near him, so that they would not have to sit with them when they meet him. Furthermore, Allah told him in the Quran "And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring the adornments of the worldly life. And do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect." Surah Al-Kahf (18:28)
Thus, we find that the Prophet (p) dealt with this human deviation and considered the problem of humanity, in all its history as one of arrogance and oppression; the oppression of the rich to the poor, of the strong to the weak and of those who are in power to the ordinary people.
The Glorious Quran dealt with this issue by telling the weakened that they should not accept the oppression of the arrogant, and even considered that the weakened acceptance of the arrogant oppression as a crime they should not commit "Indeed, those whom the angels take [in death] while wronging themselves - [the angels] will say, 'In what [condition] were you?' They will say, 'We were oppressed in the land.' They [the angels] will say, 'Was not the earth of Allah spacious [enough] for you to emigrate therein?' For those, their refuge is Hell - and evil it is as a destination." Surah An-Nisa' (4:97)
The message of the Oneness
Thus, the general principle of the Message that the Prophet (p) came with was the oneness of Allah, the Most Exalted, to believe that there is but one god who is the only authority one has to keep in mind in all their affairs. Allah has condensed the religion as a whole in one sentence when He said: "Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained steadfast..'" Surah Fussilat (41:30)
Our Lord is Allah is the principle that makes upright since you think of Allah before anything you say and do, or any relationship you make.
A universal and comprehensive law
Then Allah tells us that the Message the Prophet (p) came with, can be outlined by the following issues: first, His Mercy will be awarded to those who fear Allah and are pious… Those who give what is due to the poor and needy, those who believe in what Allah revealed to them… those who follow the Prophet (p), who can neither read nor write, whose teachings they will find in their books …The Prophet that will enjoin the good and forbid evil. He will come to relief the burdens that were ordained on them in the previous messages… “Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So, they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful. Say, [O Muhammad], 'O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, [from Him] to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death.' So, believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him that you may be guided.'" Surah Al-A'raf (07:157-158)
Thus, if we want to study the Islamic law (Sharia’) in all its aspects, we will find in its essence: the morals. And that was what the Prophet (p) said when he declared that he was sent to complete the best of morals. Every ruling in the Sharia’ whether to deem an act lawful or unlawful, represents an ethical principle. The Messenger (p) himself was told by Allah that he was of great morals.
Allah has told us about the Prophet’s community describing them as tough in the battlefield against the unbelievers and the aggressors, while kind and merciful among themselves.
"Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers - so that Allah may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward." "This is their description in the Torah and their description in the Gospel: like a seed which puts forth its shoot and strengthens it, so it becomes stout and stands firmly on its stem, pleasing to the sowers - that He may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allah has promised forgiveness and a great reward to those of them who believe and do righteous deeds." Surah Al-Fath (48:28-29)
This is the general atmosphere of the Message, and this is the role of the Messenger (p): to convey the Message as we are told in the Quran "Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error." Surah Al Imran (03:164). And to teach them meanings of the Quran, and to educate them on how be pious and learn to be guided by the Book in everything they meet in life.
Our Current Responsibility
With the Prophet (p) passing away, and with many generations following, it is not enough to celebrate the occasion. We have to know our responsibilities towards our religion: We have to consolidate the Islamic doctrine in the souls of our coming generations, by reciting the words of Allah and teaching them the Book and wisdom, for every Muslim is a messenger in his own household. Any negligence in playing this role is negligence in performing one’s duties.
Islam is not the responsibility of religious scholars only. It is the responsibilities of every Muslim, male or female. We also have to safeguard the Muslim state of affairs, especially the Muslim unity. The enemies seek to exploit our differences to reach the point where we accuse one another of disbelief.
And this is what is happening now as a result of ignorance and the manipulation of foreign intelligence agencies, we hear of Sunnis calling Shiite of being non-Muslims and vice-versa. This is even taking place inside the same sect, to the extent that Muslims believe that a non-Muslim is better than a Muslim of another sect. This is what weakened the Muslims and dispersed them.
Allah has guided us to the way we should resolve our differences when He ordered us to refer them to “God and His Messenger.” I have told you many times that Islamic unity does not mean that we ought to stop being Shiites or Sunnis. It means that we should meet on what we agree on, and discuss what we differ on as we might find similar differences in the same sect. And if the basis of the Shiite –Sunni differences is the Imamate, then let us go back to how Imam Ali (a.s), the champion of Muslim unity, dealt with this issue .Did not he say: “I will remain peaceful as long as the affairs of Muslims are safe, and the only wrong that has occurred was on me alone”. The Imam (a.s) used to consider himself responsible for protecting the unity of Muslims. Therefore, if we want to be among his followers, we have to safeguard this unity and protect Islam, especially in these critical times where the arrogant and disbelief is waging an all-out attack.
The Second Sermon
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Liberation is a Continuous Mission
On this occasion, the anniversary of our victory and liberation, the nation reaffirms its belief in the line of martyrdom that ultimately establishes victory. It reaffirms the importance of the will of resistance against occupation that emanates from the belief in the cause of liberation, including that of liberating ourselves from the mentality of defeat, the domination of weak points and the media that spreads fear… to enable man to became strong, steadfast, afraid of no one but Allah and dependent in all his moves on a carefully studied subjective plan that opens up on sacrifice, and the love of martyrdom without any improvisation or emotional reactions…
The anniversary this year coincides with the struggle of the Palestinian Intifada that was able to achieve the victory of putting the enemy in a tough security impasse that it was not able to get out of, despite the brutal crime it committed in its “defensive Shield” which proved that it could not deter the Mujahideen from entering the Zionist entity. Although some of these martyr operations failed, but they all proved the ability of the Mujahideen to penetrate and to hurt the enemy’s morale… This proves that the Intifada will continue despite all local regional and international pressures… For he who does not fear death could not be defeated by those who fear it … He is the holder of a universal message of man’s freedom in the face of those who want to oppress him and deprive him of his humanness.
As we feel worried from the effects of local political games, and regional and international pressures that aim of putting an end to the Intifada (the condition imposed by America and Israel to commence negotiations), we would like to assert our conviction that the experience on the ground has proved that the negotiations will not produce anything. It will only cause more confusion and it will lead the Palestinians to be lost in its mazes, for they have no other card to play once they lose the card of the Intifada.
On the other hand, the Arabs who are talking about their initiative know quite well that there is no realistic chance for its success. America considers it a motivation and not a plan, while Israel wants it as a tool to gain normalization without giving anything in return.
Thus, the strength of the Intifada, and the will to continue as strong as ever, coupled with a thorough reading of local, regional, and international developments will give it a chance to fight back the policy of confiscation, despite the wounds that it might be hurt with, for the Palestinian Mujahideen are used to such sacrifices.
America and Israel are the real terrorists
On another level, the annual American report on terrorism has accused Syria and Iran of supporting the so-called terrorist organizations of Hizbullah, Hammas and others.
It also accused Lebanon of not cooperating in freezing the Hizbullah funds, because it still considers the Resistance against Israel as legitimate… Then the American Secretary of State asserted that the Middle East has turned into a focal point for terrorism, and that the fight against terrorism should be universal multi- dimensional and enduring.
America’s problem lies in its belief that it has the right to destroy all the peoples who oppose the Zionist entity.
It adopted the arrogant policy of supporting Israel by all means. It even utilized the slogan of fighting terrorism to wage a war on the Intifada and its heroes, claiming that it is a terrorist movement. But it did not let anyone talk about the terror of occupation or the right of the Mujahideen to fight against it.
America feels that the Jews have the right to occupy and settle while the Palestinians do not have the right of returning to their land or to Jerusalem. It considers all the Israeli barbarian brutality against women, children, the elderly, and all Palestinian civilians a kind of self-defense. It prevents the Security Council from condemning these crimes, or even investigating them.
We believe that the Israeli terrorism, which is allied with the American terrorism, is the root of the problem in the Middle East and not Syria, Iran and Lebanon. We call on the entire world to liberate itself from the American dominance and Israeli stubbornness.
The aim to control the oil wealth
The American Arrogance wants to control the oil wealth in the entire world by any possible means. In this respect, the war against terrorism is the economic, political and security means that enables it to achieve its goal in the region and strengthens the siege against Europe and Japan to ensure its supremacy over them.
No danger of a new civil war in Lebanon
As for Lebanon, who had its share of the fatal international game, which Israel was commissioned to execute, we still believe that the enemy wants to destabilize the country by its espionage cells.
We are not afraid of any sectarian or confessional internal strife, that will return it to the state of war, but we would like all Lebanese to be cautious enough so as to protect their political and economic stability…
They should feel that the situation warrants a state of emergency that can confront any potential threat...
We also want the Lebanese to try to participate in solving the economic problem. We ask the politicians not to use the economic issues (such as the cellular phones) in their political feuds.
In the anniversary of victory and liberation, we have to achieve victory over our own selves to be free in our political stances, to consolidate the freedom of the country and its citizens in our present and our future.