His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlallah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Safar 26, 1446/August 30, 2024. 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:

Indeed, We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner * And one who invites to Allah, by His permission, and an illuminating lamp.

 

On the 28th of the month of Safar, we commemorate the anniversary of the death of the Prophet of Mercy, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (p.), the day when the Messenger of Allah left this world, leaving behind grief, pain, and sorrow in the hearts of the believers.

 

With his departure, the Muslims lost their connection to divine revelation, who brought them out of the darkness of ignorance into the light of faith. He was their father, teacher, and nurturer, the warm embrace they sought when faced with worries, difficulties, and challenges. This is what Allah mentioned about him when He said: There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.

 

Despite his exalted status and great position before Allah, the Prophet (p.) lived among his people as one of them. He did not distinguish himself from them to the extent that when someone unfamiliar with him would come to a gathering where he was present, they would ask, “Which one of you is Muhammad?”

 

This is why his companions loved him with a love that could only be surpassed by the love of Allah, a love that came before the love of children, parents, spouses, and wealth. They could not bear his absence or separation.

 

Hence, the departure of the Messenger of Allah (p.) was a heavy blow for them. However, despite the magnitude of this calamity, Islam continued to grow and spread across the world.

 

This is because the Messenger of had prepared them for this day. From the beginning of his mission, he emphasized that he was a human being, and humans die, as Allah had pointed out when He said: {Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die}.Their relationship with him was based on the message he brought and called them to, so it should not end with his death or be undermined. They were to continue it and build upon what he had started, as indicated by the verse: {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? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all…}.

Today, on the anniversary of his death, we will pause to reflect on some of the Prophet’s  most important advices. One of his final admonitions, which he kept emphasizing until the last moments of his life, was: “The prayer, the prayer; adhere to it and let nothing distract you from it. Increase your prayers, for it is the pillar of your religion, and the religion cannot stand without it. And be mindful of those under your authority. Fulfill the obligations Allah has placed upon you, and treat those under your care with kindness and fairness. Let none of them be wronged in your presence.” He then added, “And let none of you die except in a state of good expectation of Allah, so that you may see all that is with Allah as good.”

 

The second piece of advice came when he learned that the people, men and women alike, were crying over him as his death approached, after they became aware of the severity of his illness. At that moment, he came out, leaning on Ali (a.s.) and his uncle Abbas, and stood before them, saying: “O people, what is this lamentation over the death of your Prophet? Hasn’t he informed you of his own death and yours? Or is there anyone among those who were sent before me who lived forever that I should live among you forever? Indeed, I am about to meet my Lord, but I have left among you something that if you hold onto, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah. You recite it morning and evening…. So do not compete, envy, or hate each other, but be brothers as Allah has commanded you. And I advise you to be good to my family. Do not ever part from them until the Hour is established.

The third advice occurred when Al-Fadl ibn Al-Abbas entered upon him while he was in the severity of his illness… and they walked until they entered the mosque. The Prophet praised Allah and then said:

 

“O people, it is near for me to depart from among you. I am only a human being, so if any man I have harmed in any way, here is my body, let him exact retribution. And if I have taken anyone’s wealth, here is my wealth, let him take it. And know that the closest among you to me is the one who has a claim against me, so let him take it or pardon me, so that I may meet my Lord while I am free of wrongdoing. And let no man say, ‘I fear enmity or resentment from the Messenger of Allah,’ for these are not part of my nature nor my character. And whoever has been overcome by his own self in this matter let him seek help from me so that I may pray for him.”

 

A man stood up and said:O Messenger of Allah, you were passing one day through one of the alleys of Medina, and you were riding your camel, and you gestured to it with a whip, but it struck my body. I want to exact retribution from you.” The Messenger of Allah) ordered that the same whip he used that day be brought, so that justice would be fair. The man was given the whip, and the Prophet uncovered the spot on his blessed body where the retribution was to be taken. He said to the man, “Exact your retribution.” But the man, instead of exacting retribution, began kissing the spot and said, “I seek refuge from the fire in the place of retribution on the body of the Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet then asked him, “Will you exact retribution or pardon?” The man said, “I will pardon.” At that, the Prophet said, “O Allah, pardon him as he has pardoned me.”

 

The Messenger of Allah (p.) wanted, through this, to establish a way for his companions, teaching them that their greatest concern should be not to leave this world with any obligations to people. They should accept criticism and see it as a gift, even calling others to it, and they should couple their words with actions, not calling people to something without doing it themselves…

 

His final advice to his relatives, his kin, and to all Muslims was to work for what Allah has commanded and to refrain from what He has forbidden, and not to rely on their lineage or connection for salvation. This is what he said to his uncle Al-Abbas: “O Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib! Work for what is with Allah, for I cannot avail you against Allah in any way.” And to his aunt Safiya, he said: “O Safiya bint Abdul-Muttalib, O aunt of the Messenger of Allah! Work for what is with Allah, for I cannot avail you against Allah in any way.” And to his daughter, Fatima, he said: “O Fatimah bint Muhammad! Work for what is with Allah, for I cannot avail you against Allah in any way.” Then he expressed this methodology by saying, “Let no one claim, and let no one wish, for by the One who sent me with the truth, nothing will save except action accompanied by the mercy of Allah. And if I disobeyed, I would surely be lost.”

 

On the anniversary of the Prophet’s passing, let us turn our hearts and souls to the presence of the Messenger of Allah, renewing our pledge of loyalty to him, that we will continue on the path illuminated by his words and inspired by his life, and that we will act upon what he brought, not altering it in any way. Let us be ready to sacrifice everything, even the most precious things, to keep what he brought pure within us, present in our minds, hearts, and souls, and to convey the message for which he made sacrifices, delivering it to every place we can reach…

 

 

 

 

The second sermon

Worshippers of Allah, I advise you and myself with

the advice that the Messenger of Allah (p.) advised Abu Zarr Al-Ghafari when he said to him: “O Abu Zarr, if it pleases you to be the strongest of people, then rely on Allah, the Most Exalted. If it pleases you to be the most honorable of people, then fear Allah. And if it pleases you to be the richest of people, then be more confident in what is in Allah’s hand than in what is in your own hand. If all people took heed of this verse, it would suffice them: ‘And whoever fears Allah—He will make for him a way out and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah—then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose.

 

Let us fear Allah and rely on Him so that we may be more capable, present, and able to face the challenges that confront us.

 

Starting with the response of the resistance to the Zionist aggression that targeted the southern suburbs, this response demonstrated the extent of its capability and courage. At the same time, it revealed the wisdom with which it managed this response, as it succeeded in reaching deep into the enemy’s territory and hitting a sensitive target despite the enemy’s alertness and the intense raids it carried out to prevent it. This was done without allowing the enemy to exploit the situation to expand its war, taking advantage of the fleets and warships roaming the region that came to support it.

 

The significance of this response was clear, not just in the military and security dimensions, but also because it sent a message to the enemy that the time has ended when it could commit crimes or carry out attacks without facing an appropriate response or being punished for them.

 

In light of what happened, we salute the Resistance for its achievement, which will make the enemy think twice before violating the southern suburbs or any other Lebanese area, where the established rules of engagement are enforced. This calls on the Lebanese people to take pride in the strength they now possess, which serves their interests and has made them a match for the enemy despite all the capabilities it has, the international backing it receives, and the military support ready to defend it.

 

It is unfortunate that there are still those in this country who have painted a picture of the resistance that makes them see it as an adversary to their sect, creed, or political position, or as working for others at the expense of this nation. They have come to fear it without making an effort to correctly understand its true motives and goals. If they did, all these fears and concerns they have drawn around it would disappear, and they would see in its strength a support and protection for this country, making it possible to reach an understanding with it…

We turn again to Gaza, where the enemy continues its daily massacres against its people and the systematic destruction of its infrastructure, leading to the spread of epidemics warned about by the United Nations. Meanwhile, negotiations continue to face complications imposed by the enemy, which continues to raise impossible conditions, with its prime minister insisting on not withdrawing from within the sector, even appointing a military governor over it, indicating his intention to keep it under his full control. This is complemented by its invasion of the West Bank, prompting us to renew our call to the Arab and Islamic world and all the free people of the world to fulfill their duty at this stage to support this people, prevent them from being isolated, and thwart the enemy’s conspiracies aimed at uprooting them from their land.

 

During this time, we witness, and may continue to witness daily, incursions by this entity into Al-Aqsa Mosque, reaching the point where one of the enemy’s ministers has called for a synagogue to be built in its courtyards. What encourages this is the decision by the Zionist government to allocate a budget to cover the expenses of these incursions.

 

It is unfortunate that this news passes without significant reactions from the Arab and Islamic world, which would encourage this entity to continue its crime and pursue its goals.

 

We return to Lebanon to once again call for serious efforts to address the crises that the Lebanese people are suffering from in terms of their daily lives and livelihoods. The crisis of the depositors’ funds remains unresolved, and there are fears of its continued repercussions, as we witnessed in some incidents yesterday, driven by the depositors’ despair in recovering their funds at a time when they are most in need of them.

 

Therefore, we renew our call to the political forces, who bear responsibility towards the people, to work earnestly to relieve them from their suffering so that the Lebanese can meet their basic needs…