His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Rabi I  26, 1445 /October 13, 2023. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries, and hundreds of believers attended the Jumu’a prayer. Following is a summary of the sermons.

 

                        The first sermon

Allah, The Most Exalted, says in His Glorious Book: And never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror]. Racing ahead, their heads raised, their glance does not come back to them, and their hearts are void. (Ibrahim: 42-43).

 

Through these verses, Allah reveals His decisive stance against the wrongdoers since Injustice undermines the fundamental values upon which life is built. When He said: “And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance  That you do not transgress within the balance. And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance,” He made justice the foundation on which life should be built, whether on an individual, social, political, or security level. No one should oppress another, no society should oppress another society, and no nation should oppress another nation.

 

Allah, The Most Exalted, has considered injustice to be the cause of the downfall of civilizations, the weakness of societies, and their suffering. He said: “So those are their houses, deserted because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know.” (An-Naml: 58). And He also said: “And never would your Lord have destroyed the cities until He had sent to their capital a messenger reciting to them Our verses. And We would never destroy the cities except while their people were wrongdoers.” (Al-Qasas: 59).

 

In a Hadith, it is stated: “There is nothing that calls for the change of Allah’s blessings and the hastening of His punishment more than an established wrongdoing…” In the Hereafter, the punishment will be severe for the wrongdoers. Allah, The Most Exalted has warned of this, saying: “As for one who wrongs, we will punish him. Then he will be returned to his Lord, and He will punish him with a terrible punishment.). And in the hadith: “On the Day of Judgment, the wronged will have the upper hand over the wrongdoers.”

 

If some believe that injustice can prevail and expand without anyone stopping it, we must be aware that first, Allah may delay, but He does not neglect. He said: “And We destroyed those cities when they wronged, and We made for their destruction an appointed time.” (Al-Kahf: 59). And it is narrated in a Hadith: “Allah may give the oppressor a respite, but when He seizes him, He will not release him.” Second, Allah’s promise to His servants to destroy the wrongdoers and support the oppressed will only be fulfilled when the oppressed exert the utmost effort to confront injustice and the wrongdoers. They must bear the responsibilities by not yielding to injustice, not remaining silent about it, and not compromising. They should plan, be truthful, persevere, give their all, and even sacrifice their lives to confront it.

 

The outcome is that when Allah, The Most Exalted,  sees their sincere intentions and dedication, He will fulfill His promise to support them, strengthen them, and help them seek justice and retribution from the wrongdoers. The righteous and the supporters of justice must continue to strive for justice and confront injustice with all their efforts. If they do, Allah will grant them success and bestow upon them His blessings. Success and support depend on sincere efforts to establish justice and confront injustice. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the struggle for justice and to stay steadfast in opposing wrongdoing, as this may lead to divine interventions, blessings, and the mercy of the Almighty. Allah says: “So when the first of the two promises came, We sent against you servants of Ours of great military might, and they probed [even] into the homes, and it was a promise fulfilled.” (Al-Isra: 5). From a divine perspective, combating injustice and oppression requires taking action and not being passive. We are called to stand against injustice, whether it is internal or external, and not to appease or remain silent in the face of wrongdoers… We must trust in Allah, The Most Exalted, and do our part with all our capabilities.

 

In light of this, we are obligated to confront injustice, whether it is internal or external. We should not differentiate between different forms of injustice. We must not appease wrongdoers or stay silent in the face of their tyranny. This is emphasized in the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (p.), where he said, “Whoever among you sees an oppressive ruler who permits forbidden things and abandons the obligations, and he does not oppose him or her or speak out against his or her evil deeds by his or her actions or his or her words, then Allah will punish him or her with the same punishment that He will inflict on the oppressive ruler.”

 

This reflects the guidance provided by Imam Ali (peace be upon him) in his advice to his sons, Imam Hasan and Imam Hussein (a.s.): “Be supporters of the oppressed and adversaries of the oppressors.”

 

The Holy Quran also emphasizes not aiding the wrongdoers even with one word. In Surat Hud, Allah, The Most Exalted, says: “And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest you be touched by the Fire, and you would not have other than Allah any protectors; then you would not be helped.” (Hud: 113).

 

In a Hadith, The Messenger (p.)  Mentioned: Whoever assists an oppressor in his oppression, comes on the Day of Judgment hopeless and despondent. This means that aiding oppressors in their wrongdoing will have dire consequences in the Hereafter.

 

On the contrary, we are encouraged to support the oppressed. In a Hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (p.): “Whoever helps the oppressed when he is in the wrong, he will accompany me in paradise.” Imam Zain al-Abidin (a.s.) expressed the need to support the oppressed and confront injustice in his supplication, stating: “O Allah, I apologize to You for a person who has been wronged in my presence, and I did not help him, for a favor that has been extended to me, and I did not acknowledge it…”

 

The historical events, both recent and distant, confirm that injustice persists only when it is tolerated, and silence prevails. Victory over injustice may not come swiftly, but it is a cumulative result of effort, struggle, and sacrifices. Victory is indeed a promise from Allah for those who stand against oppression. Allah says, “If you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet.” (Muhammad: 7).

 

The struggle against injustice is a path that requires continued efforts and consistency. It was the path of all the prophets, messengers, and the righteous. Victory might not come instantly, but it is a promise from Allah, and His promises are always fulfilled.

 

 

 

 

The second sermon

 

Worshippers of Allah, The Most Exalted: I advise you and myself to work so that we may achieve what the believers achieved during the days of the Messenger of Allah (p.), those whom Allah referred to when He said, ‘Those to whom people said, “Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.” But it [merely] increased them in faith…

 

They responded, ‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.’ We are content that Allah is with us, and He is the best support and the best ally. As a result, they received this: ‘So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty.’

 

Dear loved ones: we face challenges and difficult circumstances, and to avoid being defeated, it is crucial to recall these words, saying, ‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs,’ and to say what the Prophet Muhammad (p.) said to his companion when Quraysh was approaching the cave in which they were hiding: ‘Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.’ Then Allah, The Most Exalted,  sent down His tranquility upon him, supported him with armies you did not see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest while the word of Allah – that is the highest. Thus, we become more reassured, peaceful, stronger, and better prepared to face the challenges.

We begin with the heroic and bold operation carried out by the Resistance in Palestine, which made a big shock both inside the Zionist Entity and deep within enemy settlements. It has brought about a major turning point in the history of the conflict with this occupying entity, making it clear that fortifications, iron, and concrete walls that surround the Zionist entity will not protect it as long as the Palestinian people continue to endure. The struggle against this injustice is a matter of endurance, perseverance, and the unity of the Palestinian people.

 

 We believe that what happened is a part of the glorious Palestinian struggle which is the only option that leads to end the occupation and that freedom will not be achieved by settlements, promises, and wishes. For the weak will not remain so if they become aware of their points of strength and the Enemy’s points of weakness…

 

It is disheartening to witness the international silence regarding the atrocities committed by the enemy and the ongoing genocide against the people of Gaza. We see silence and complicity, which only embolden the enemy in its criminal actions. We are saddened that some countries provide political, diplomatic, and media support to the oppressor, while others block any statement of condemnation…

The ongoing war on Gaza is not just a stain on the oppressor but on all those who remain silent on its actions and support it. They are his partners and are condemned by all the free people in the world.

With all that is happening, we renew our admiration for the heroic resistance fighters who have revived the spirit of the nation and demonstrated its presence, strength, and determination. They have shown that the weak can become strong when they identify their strengths and the vulnerabilities of their enemy. Unfortunately, the world remains silent in the face of the crimes of the enemy…

At the same time, we salute all the voices that expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people, and their Resistance and those who supported their right to freedom in the face of the unjust informational campaign waged against them.

We had hoped that Arab League states that met two days ago would have taken a decisive stand against the Enemy’s practices and make all efforts to stop this depletion and end the siege of Gaza…They have to be aware that keeping silent against the Enemy’s crimes would make it go to extremes and not exempt any Arab country…

We are surprised also by the absence of a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to take a stance against this enemy, even though the main objective of the battle is to liberate Al-Aqsa and to achieve victory for Palestine. We also warn of the repercussions that may result from the continuation of this aggression, with the massacres that target both stones and humans and which may expand further than the current borders.

We want this day to be a Friday of solidarity with the Palestinian people so that they will feel that they are not alone in their steadfastness and resilience.

 Turning to Lebanon, which can only stand with the Palestinian people in their confrontation with this entity, as they view it as a common enemy. The Lebanese people have suffered from it, and we continue to witness this in these days through its attacks that targeted safe villages near the border strip, under the pretext of targeting some Palestinian resistance factions.

 

 

 

 

We call for unity, readiness, and preparedness to face this enemy. We must not fall into the psychological warfare the enemy is waging, trying to instill fear among the Lebanese people. Lebanon must demonstrate that it is a unified front in the face of any aggression. While we may have differences on internal and external matters, we must emphasize our national unity when it comes to confronting any aggression.

 

We urge everyone in Lebanon to work towards internal unity and to fill the presidential vacuum as soon as possible. This is essential for protecting Lebanon from internal and external challenges or from what is going on in Palestine. Let us work together through dialogue and collaboration between all forces.