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 Safar 26, 1420 AH/ June11, 1999 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 Messenger's Last Will :
Do Not Postpone Giving People Their Dues
On The 28th Of The month of Safar, The Master of all beings, Muhammad's (P.) soul rose to Heaven, having performed his duty in the greatest possible way and tolerated all kinds of sufferings with patience worthy only of his unique ability of tolerance, mercy and forgiveness .
The Holy Quran talked about the Prophet's death in several Ayahs, each shedding a light on a certain aspect or significance of the implications of the Messenger's life and death.
The Man Dies, But the Message Stays
The first Ayah was revealed during the battle of Uhud: When the Messenger (P.) was wounded and some of the people got weakened and said: "Let us go to Abu Sufian, to ask for protection".
But the faithful believers responded by saying: "If Muhammad has died his God is still alive. Let us fight and die for what Muhammad has fought and died for". Then the following Ayah was revealed: "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." Surah Al Imran (3:144)
This blessed Ayah wants to inform the Muslims that Muhammad(P.) is but a messenger, like several others before him. And being a messenger he is immortal… Yet, as a messenger too, he has a role to play: to convey the message. The people, on their part, should believe in this message, which is not linked with the Message when he passes away. Those who turn back will not do any harm to Allah, While those who hold fast will be rewarded.
This Ayah tells us that life does not end at the end of any phase. We should not consider that our stands should continue to be attached to his life. If he dies, whether a messenger, an Imam, a leader... etc, Islam will not die with him. They represent certain stages in the march of the nation; a march that should go on after they die, guided by the message they held in their life.
All people Will Die
The second Ayah was revealed when the unbelievers wished and contemplated the death of the Messenger(P.). It addressed the Messenger saying: "No man before you have We made immortal. If you yourself are doomed to die, will they live forever? Every soul shall taste death. We will prove you all with good and evil by way of trail. To Us you shall be recalled.(21:34 -35).
The Ayah reminds the prophet that all people are going to die and that there is no reason for the unbelievers to celebrate if the prophet dies, since they will all follow him. Moreover, death is but a beginning that ends a trial period of actions which will be accounted for, on the Day of Judgment.
Thus, we conclude, that we should settle the differences among us, and that we should not gloat over the grief of others, we are all going to die, and all our hatreds and feuds will die with us. What will remain is that we are going to be held accountable for these feuds on the Day of Judgment, when Allah, the Most Exalted, will judge our actions. Thus, if these feuds were based on fanaticism, we will end up in Hell, and if these differences aimed at promoting our interests at the expense of the Right, then the punishment for such a behavior is also the fire of Hell. Let us seek to uphold the Right and thwart persecution, for this is our means and passage to immortal life.
The Messenger's (P.) Last Will
Sheik Al-Mufied (May Allah bless his Soul) said: the Messenger laid in bed for three days, then he went to the mosque other leaning on the commander of the Faithful (A.S.) on his right and on AL-Fadel Bin Abass on his left.
He then delivered a small speech in which he said: "I am about to leave you. Whoever I have promised anything or owe something to, let him come to me. For there is nothing that draws nearer to Allah except good deeds. I swear by He who sent me as a prophet that if I were to sin or disobey, I would have fallen. Do not postpone, because you could not know if you are going to accomplish your obligations in time, or in case you die, if those you delegate are going to perform them. God, Have I conveyed…".
This Ayah outlines an essential principle, that each one should bear in mind: When death approaches us, or when we feel that we might die( and this could happen every day, because none of us knows when he is going to die), we have to settle our accounts and make sure that we have paid all what we owe to others on the one hand, and fulfilled our duties towards Allah on the other hand.
Allah, the Most Exalted, told us: "There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often." Surah Al-Ahzab (33:21) All who seek to Allah to please Allah and remember that they are going to stand before Him on the Last Day, should strive to follow this Ayat throughout their lives. The Messenger (P.) should continue to live in our conscience and soul. He is the role model, the good example and the teacher -guide to all Muslims and all generations.
The Second Speech
In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, the Merciful
The Message of the Balkan War: NATO Is Coming
America has once again proved that it does not mind destroying a whole country when it serves its interests. Now, that the Balkan War is over, it is evident that it was not waged to protect the Kosovars, but to promote America's interests. It also proves that the real danger it poses lies in what Secretary Allbright said about the international force, that it would be led by NATO, surpassing the role of the United Nations.
This enables the US to hold the stick in the face of whoever dares to oppose its policies by threatening to repeat the Balkan episode… But it will never hold this stick against Israel, the fact that it occupies the land and violates the Human rights notwithstanding.
The Great Zionist Escape
Israeli newspapers described the pull-out from Jezzine as "The Great Escape". Moreover, The Media in Israel has begun to describe the collaborators as traitors to their country whose integration in the Zionist entity would spread crime, drugs and corruption in general… All parties should know that it is the Resistance that caused this Israeli escape and that they enemy itself will sooner or later withdraw its forces.
Consequently, all parties should consolidate their unity in support of the Resistance and refuse all threats and blackmails, especially that the enemy is too weak to execute them.
What is behind the Saida Crime?
Lastly, we turn to the internal front to wonder about the real motive of the Saida crime. All the analyses in the media that portray this crime as a reaction to a certain court sentence are not substantiated by facts…
The timing, right after the liberation of Jezzine, any sectarian strife, as well as the successes and the internal achievements in retrieving the public funds and the founding of the basis for a new era that could revive the country's economy… All these developments indicate that Israel that has an evident interest in destabilizing the country is responsible for this savage crime. To thwart the Israeli plots, we should consolidate our internal unity and our support to the Resistance. A strong Lebanon that continues its support to the Resistance and its solidarity with Syria is an obstacle that hinders the execution of the Israeli policies and plans.
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 Safar 26, 1420 AH/ June11, 1999 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 Messenger's Last Will :
Do Not Postpone Giving People Their Dues
On The 28th Of The month of Safar, The Master of all beings, Muhammad's (P.) soul rose to Heaven, having performed his duty in the greatest possible way and tolerated all kinds of sufferings with patience worthy only of his unique ability of tolerance, mercy and forgiveness .
The Holy Quran talked about the Prophet's death in several Ayahs, each shedding a light on a certain aspect or significance of the implications of the Messenger's life and death.
The Man Dies, But the Message Stays
The first Ayah was revealed during the battle of Uhud: When the Messenger (P.) was wounded and some of the people got weakened and said: "Let us go to Abu Sufian, to ask for protection".
But the faithful believers responded by saying: "If Muhammad has died his God is still alive. Let us fight and die for what Muhammad has fought and died for". Then the following Ayah was revealed: "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." Surah Al Imran (3:144)
This blessed Ayah wants to inform the Muslims that Muhammad(P.) is but a messenger, like several others before him. And being a messenger he is immortal… Yet, as a messenger too, he has a role to play: to convey the message. The people, on their part, should believe in this message, which is not linked with the Message when he passes away. Those who turn back will not do any harm to Allah, While those who hold fast will be rewarded.
This Ayah tells us that life does not end at the end of any phase. We should not consider that our stands should continue to be attached to his life. If he dies, whether a messenger, an Imam, a leader... etc, Islam will not die with him. They represent certain stages in the march of the nation; a march that should go on after they die, guided by the message they held in their life.
All people Will Die
The second Ayah was revealed when the unbelievers wished and contemplated the death of the Messenger(P.). It addressed the Messenger saying: "No man before you have We made immortal. If you yourself are doomed to die, will they live forever? Every soul shall taste death. We will prove you all with good and evil by way of trail. To Us you shall be recalled.(21:34 -35).
The Ayah reminds the prophet that all people are going to die and that there is no reason for the unbelievers to celebrate if the prophet dies, since they will all follow him. Moreover, death is but a beginning that ends a trial period of actions which will be accounted for, on the Day of Judgment.
Thus, we conclude, that we should settle the differences among us, and that we should not gloat over the grief of others, we are all going to die, and all our hatreds and feuds will die with us. What will remain is that we are going to be held accountable for these feuds on the Day of Judgment, when Allah, the Most Exalted, will judge our actions. Thus, if these feuds were based on fanaticism, we will end up in Hell, and if these differences aimed at promoting our interests at the expense of the Right, then the punishment for such a behavior is also the fire of Hell. Let us seek to uphold the Right and thwart persecution, for this is our means and passage to immortal life.
The Messenger's (P.) Last Will
Sheik Al-Mufied (May Allah bless his Soul) said: the Messenger laid in bed for three days, then he went to the mosque other leaning on the commander of the Faithful (A.S.) on his right and on AL-Fadel Bin Abass on his left.
He then delivered a small speech in which he said: "I am about to leave you. Whoever I have promised anything or owe something to, let him come to me. For there is nothing that draws nearer to Allah except good deeds. I swear by He who sent me as a prophet that if I were to sin or disobey, I would have fallen. Do not postpone, because you could not know if you are going to accomplish your obligations in time, or in case you die, if those you delegate are going to perform them. God, Have I conveyed…".
This Ayah outlines an essential principle, that each one should bear in mind: When death approaches us, or when we feel that we might die( and this could happen every day, because none of us knows when he is going to die), we have to settle our accounts and make sure that we have paid all what we owe to others on the one hand, and fulfilled our duties towards Allah on the other hand.
Allah, the Most Exalted, told us: "There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often." Surah Al-Ahzab (33:21) All who seek to Allah to please Allah and remember that they are going to stand before Him on the Last Day, should strive to follow this Ayat throughout their lives. The Messenger (P.) should continue to live in our conscience and soul. He is the role model, the good example and the teacher -guide to all Muslims and all generations.
The Second Speech
In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, the Merciful
The Message of the Balkan War: NATO Is Coming
America has once again proved that it does not mind destroying a whole country when it serves its interests. Now, that the Balkan War is over, it is evident that it was not waged to protect the Kosovars, but to promote America's interests. It also proves that the real danger it poses lies in what Secretary Allbright said about the international force, that it would be led by NATO, surpassing the role of the United Nations.
This enables the US to hold the stick in the face of whoever dares to oppose its policies by threatening to repeat the Balkan episode… But it will never hold this stick against Israel, the fact that it occupies the land and violates the Human rights notwithstanding.
The Great Zionist Escape
Israeli newspapers described the pull-out from Jezzine as "The Great Escape". Moreover, The Media in Israel has begun to describe the collaborators as traitors to their country whose integration in the Zionist entity would spread crime, drugs and corruption in general… All parties should know that it is the Resistance that caused this Israeli escape and that they enemy itself will sooner or later withdraw its forces.
Consequently, all parties should consolidate their unity in support of the Resistance and refuse all threats and blackmails, especially that the enemy is too weak to execute them.
What is behind the Saida Crime?
Lastly, we turn to the internal front to wonder about the real motive of the Saida crime. All the analyses in the media that portray this crime as a reaction to a certain court sentence are not substantiated by facts…
The timing, right after the liberation of Jezzine, any sectarian strife, as well as the successes and the internal achievements in retrieving the public funds and the founding of the basis for a new era that could revive the country's economy… All these developments indicate that Israel that has an evident interest in destabilizing the country is responsible for this savage crime. To thwart the Israeli plots, we should consolidate our internal unity and our support to the Resistance. A strong Lebanon that continues its support to the Resistance and its solidarity with Syria is an obstacle that hinders the execution of the Israeli policies and plans.