His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Rabi II 19, 1445 / November 20, 2023. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries, and hundreds of believers attended the Jumu’a prayer. Following is a summary:

The first sermon
Allah, The Most Exalted, says in His Glorious Book “It is He who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah Knowing and Wise.

In this Holy verse, Allah, The Most Exalted, referred to one of the most prominent blessings He has bestowed upon His believing servants, which is the blessing of tranquility.

Throughout history, believers have been granted tranquility in times of intense pressure, crises, and challenges. Tranquility embodies calmness, stability, inner peace, and freedom from tension, fear, and anxiety. When they reach this state, they are capable of making sound decisions derived from their faith and confidence in their Lord, rather than from fear and worry.

Allah, The Most Exalted, points out that the condition for obtaining tranquility is faith – a faith that goes beyond words, residing deeply within the heart and manifesting in love, sacrifice, effort, and selflessness towards others.

Faith is what is deeply rooted in the heart and is confirmed by actions. It is this faith that Allah, the Most Exalted, referred to its characteristics when He said, The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord, they rely.

In the eyes of Allah, believers are those who truly know and feel the greatness of Allah. They see Him as a support and a refuge in the face of challenges, crises, and pressures. This feeling is reflected in their prayers, and their giving to others.

The Quran speaks of various instances where tranquility was bestowed upon the prophets, messengers, and believers. For instance, it was revealed to Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) when he left his wife and infant son in the barren desert at the location of the Sacred House before being commanded to build it. Despite the absence of water, food, or any other human beings, he did not feel anxiety for them. That day, he simply turned to Allah on his way back to Palestine, saying, Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them.

Allah also deposited tranquility in the heart of his wife, Hajar, who, upon hearing Ibrahim’s revelation that he would leave her, said, “Allah will not leave us.” And she had what she hoped for.

Tranquility was also evident in Prophet Musa (a.s.) as he did not fear Pharaoh and his army when they pursued them, Musa, with tranquility in his heart, assured his people, No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.

This tranquility was also the state of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (p.), amidst his trials, enduring hardships, siege, pressures, and accusations of being a madman or a magician. Yet, he remained composed, calm, and unwavering, declaring to his uncle with the tranquility that filled his being, “By Allah, O uncle, even if they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition that I abandon this mission, I will never desist until Allah makes it triumph or I perish attempting it.”
The Quran has pointed to the tranquility that descended upon the heart of the Prophet Muhammad on the day when Quraish pursued him after he emigrated from Mecca to Medina. This tranquility was mentioned when they sought to capture him and arrived at the mouth of the Thawr Cave where he hid with his companion. Allah pointed to this tranquility by saying: When the disbelievers drove him out as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, ‘Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.’ And Allah sent down His tranquility upon him and supported him with soldiers you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah – the highest…

Tranquility manifested in the Battles of Uhud and the Trench in which the polytheists came with an army of ten thousand and besieged Medina from all sides. Allah pointed to this by saying: “When they came at you from above you and from below you, and when the eyes shifted [in fear], and hearts reached the throats and you assumed thoughts about Allah. There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking. But the believers said: ” ‘This is what Allah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger spoke the truth.’ And it increased them only in faith and acceptance.

Tranquility was also evident in the Battle of Hunayn when Muslims faced a well-laid ambush by the polytheists that almost caused their ranks to disperse. On that day, Allah sent down tranquility upon His Messenger and the believers, turning what seemed like a near defeat into victory…
In times of anxiety, tensions, and challenges, we are in dire need of this tranquility, poise, and heart’s serenity. It allows us to deal with these harsh circumstances, surpass them, and succeed, keeping our minds away from agitation and tension.

We can attain this tranquility when we deeply live with faith in our hearts, a faith that makes us feel the presence of Allah, knowing He is near, hearing our call if we call upon Him, and aiding us if we seek His help. It is when He sees that we’ve sincerely devoted ourselves in our speech and actions and positioned ourselves where He wants us to stand.

Tranquility, dear loved ones, is an expression of our faith and a symbol of it, and by which we measure our faith. A true believer remains steadfast in times of adversity and difficulty, preserving his composure and dignity in the face of earthquakes and upheavals, unswayed by emotional reactions, and unwavering in the face of trials and pain. In all these situations, a believer remains patient, resolute, and wise.

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) was once asked, “How do believers recognize that they are indeed believers?” He replied, “By surrendering to God and being content with whatever reaches them, whether it brings joy or sorrow.”

When we attain this, our souls will reach the highest peak. They will become resilient against, immune to the earthquakes of life, and unaffected by the harsh realities of political, economic, or security circumstances…
The Second Sermon
Worshippers of Allah, The Most Exalted, I advise you and myself with what Imam As-Sadiq(a.s.) said: “Allah, the Most Exalted, revealed …