In The Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful

His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlallah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Muharram 21, 1444 H., August 19, 2022. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries and believers attended the Jumua’ prayer. Following is the edited text of the sermons:

The first sermon

Allah, The Most Exalted, says in His Glorious Book:

And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good]. Allah, The Most Exalted , speaks the Truth.

Through this Ayats God wants to guide His servants to the way they should deal with others who offend them. In most cases, a bad word or behavior is met with a similar word or behavior. This is not shameful or prohibited by Allah, The Most Exalted. It is what justice demands and this what Allah, The Most Exalted, called for: And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it. But offences could be also met by pardoning, which is a behavior God has urged us to adopt: but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his reward is [due] and… And to forego it is nearer to righteousness. Nevertheless, it is evident from the Ayat we recited that Allah, The Most Exalted, did not want us to forgive only; He wanted us to respond to a bad deed with a good one. The Glorious Quran, explained that such a response is not an easy one, especially when the offence is insulting and painful, because in this case, one has to face his inner self who calls for revenge. That is why the Quran says that only the patient ones can do this… Those who resist the desire to revenge inside them and force themselves to do what pleases Allah, The Most Exalted, are the ones who will attain the love of the people in this world and a great status in the Hereafter.

Such were the morals of the Messenger whom God describes as being of sublime morals. These are also the morals of Imam Zein el-Abidien whose death anniversary is on the 25th of this month, and whom we are going to review some of his stances that demonstrate his greatness and his great morals as is evident in his ability to respond to the evil deed with a good one

Here are some of these stances: one of his relatives who used to envy the Imam (a.s.) and hate him came one day and started to insult the Imam in front of his companions. When he left, the Imam told his companions: “You have heard what the man had said and I would like you to come with me to hear what I have to say to him!” The companions thought that he was going to reciprocate. But on their way, they heard him say, “Who restrain their anger, and forgive others. Allah loves such good-doers.” When the Imam (a.s.) reached the man’s house, the man came out expecting trouble, and thought that the Imam came to hold him responsible for what he said. But the Imam calmed him down and told him: “We didn’t come for this, but to tell you ‘You approached me and said what you said, and if you had stated anything true about me, then I ask Allah for forgiveness, and if you had stated anything false about me, may Allah forgive you’”. The man then said, “What I stated was far from true, and I am mistaken and a sinner, and I hope you forgive me and ask God to forgive me”. Afterwards, the man became one of the Imam’s most loyal followers.

A maid-servant of the Imam began to pour water for him so that he might perform the ritual ablutions for prayer. The maid-servant became faint and the jug dropped from her hand and struck him. He raised his head towards her and the she said: “Allah, the Most High, says: Those who restrain from anger.”

“I have restrained my anger,” he said.

“And those who forgive the people,” she went on.

“May Allah forgive you,” he said.

“Allah loves those who do good,” she said.

“Go, you are a free woman before the face of Allah, the Almighty and High”.

The third stance: when al-Walid fired Hisham Bin Ismail, the new wali ordered that Hisham be brought in front of Marwan’s house and whoever has any complaint against him, should get his right. People came, in groups, and offered him curses, and harsh words. Hisham bin Ismail was afraid most of the Imam’s revenge for the cruel treatment he dealt him and his family and companions. But contrary to his expectations the Imam came to him and said: “If there is anything I could do for you, I am ready to do it”. Hearing this, Hisham said: God knows where to whom he entrusts His message.

Dear loved ones: we are in a dire need to adopt this virtue as the basis of building ourselves and dealing with others especially that some of these offences might be merely rumors published in the press or posted on the social media. Moreover, Responding to tense and fanatic stances by similar ones will only further complicate things. Resorting to the method of meeting an evil deed with a good one, which is the method of the prophets and the Imams and the callers to God, would root out the hatred from the hearts of others and lead them to the straight path.

Some people believe that this behavior could lead the wrong doers, who consider forgiveness an act of weakness, to take advantage of the weak. But these people are few, and even considered exceptions. Of course, one should treat these people by treating a bad offence with a similar one and we should not forgo our rights when they are concerned.

The second sermon

Worshippers of Allah, The Most Exalted, I advise you and myself with the advice of the Messenger to Abu Zar: Oh Abu Zar! Take advantage of five things before five things seize you; Your youth before Your old age, your health before your sickness, Your wealth before your poverty, your spare time before your being busy and your life before you death.

Oh Abu Zar! Beware of Procrastination for you are (in) today and not (in) tomorrow. If there is a tomorrow for you, be tomorrow as you are today. If there is not a tomorrow for you, you will grievously regret the opportunity you missed today.

Oh Abu Zar! How many a person there is who has met a day he did not complete! How many a waiter there is of tomorrow who does not find it!

Oh Abu Zar! Had you known the exact period of time you will live and realize your fate, you would hate hopes and their deception.

Oh Abu Zar! Be in the world as if you are a stranger or like one simply passing by as in a journey and count yourself as among the people of the graves.

Oh Abu Zar! When you wake up in the morning, do not talk to yourself about tonight and when night has come do not worry of the morning for surely you do not know what your state will be tomorrow.

Dear loved ones: we are in a dire need for this advice that increases our awareness of our responsibilities and our ability to face challenges.

We begin by the living conditions, which have become tragic as a result of the ongoing rise in the price of the dollar that is feared to reach unprecedented levels. This would obviously lead to a further increase in the prices of foods, services, transportation, medication and hospitalization, and even the civil services, all the way up to the judiciary. Despite his calls on the government to make every effort to reduce the burden, we find that the government takes additional measures to increase the people’s burdens and take the money out of their empty pockets. Following the rise of the price of diesel, it intends to stop subsiding benzene and flour and raise the customs dollar in a country that exports almost everything without providing the citizen with anything that will make him endure these burdens: the Government did not increase the wages, nor did they provide social services to the impoverished classes.

In the meantime, the world continues to turn its back on this country and refuses to help it until it yields to its conditions, or waits for so far unimplemented with the exception of some little aids that aim to keep the country alive.

We call on the government and the parliament not to deem it easy to empty the pockets of the Lebanese and to review any decrees that would increase their sufferings and might lead to a social explosion and blow up the civil peace.

All those in power should be wary of the anger of the people. They should not bet on the patience of the Lebanese thinking that they will soon adapt to their reality and they will remain under their control.

Thus, we renew our call to all the parties responsible for forming the government to form a government that can stop this collapse and resolve the crises. We support all efforts in this regard. For the country cannot be run by a caretaking government, that has no sufficient jurisdiction and does not represent the new parliament. We call for making every effort to reach an agreement on a new president who is able to unite the Lebanese and lead them to the shore of safety. We believe that the political parties could do that if they forgo their partial and individual calculations and think about the interests of the country, its citizens and even their own interests, for the Lebanese will no longer forgive those who abuse these interests.

As for those whose money is still held in the banks, we expected that their problem would be resolved, after what happened lately in one of these banks, yet no step was taken to evade such risks.

Therefore, we renew our call to hasten to resolve this issue in order to avoid similar incidents whose consequences may be more dangerous than this one.

At the same time, we call on the judiciary to issue their judgments in the cases before them and not to yield to the threats of the banks…

As for the maritime demarcation of the borders, as Lebanon still awaits the Zionist entity response to the Lebanese demands, we warn against the policy of stalling the Enemy who is adopting to gain time until it begins to produce gas, and then impose a fait accompli…

We would like to emphasize the need of a unified Lebanese stance to thwart any attempt by the Enemy to benefit from any division to strengthen its position.

In Syria, the country continues to suffer from the Enemy’s repeated aggressions that target its security, stability and the life of its citizens and soldiers. We declare that stand by the side of Syria and call on the Arab countries to support it…

In Afghanistan, we denounce the explosions, which have targeted many mosques leading to the death of many worshippers… We call on the Afghani government to shoulder its responsibility in protecting the mosques and confronting these terrorist acts.