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, Sayyed Ali Fadlallah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Ramadan 7, 1446H/ March 7, 2025. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries and hundreds of believers attended the Jumu’a prayer. Following is summary  of his sermons

 

 

 

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

“O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous. [Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey then an equal number of other days. And upon those who are not able to fast, they have [the option of] feeding a poor person. And whoever volunteers excess, it is better for him. But to fast is better for you if you only knew.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 183-184). 

Allah has spoken the truth.

One of the most significant acts that Allah has commanded in this blessed month of Ramadan, and which defines it, is fasting. This is the very act referred to when Allah says in His Book: “O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting...”He has made it obligatory for a limited number of days, and has allowed its performance to be made up on other days outside this month if one is prevented from fasting due to illness or travel. Allah, the Most Exalted, has emphasized its importance in the verse we recited, indicating that this obligation was part of all previous divine religions, though each had different practices and methods of fasting. The purpose behind it was the same: to strengthen the willpower of its followers and help them fulfill their responsibilities.

 

The significance of fasting is further highlighted in the Hadiths. It is narrated from the Prophet Muhammad (p.) that Allah said: “Every act of the son of Adam is for him except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward him for it.” In another Hadith, the Prophet (p.) said: “Fasting is a shield from the Hellfire.” And in another: There is a gate to Paradise called Al-Rayyan, and no one enters through it except those who fast. When the last of them enters, the gate will be closed.

However, Allah did not intend for this obligation to be merely about abstaining from food, drink, and other things that break the fast. Rather, He intended fasting to achieve certain goals, and it is by fulfilling these goals that the acceptance of fasting is measured. No act of worship is accepted unless its goals are realized.

 

Today, we will highlight one of these goals, which was pointed out by Imam Al-Sadiq (a.s.), who said:”Indeed, Allah, has made fasting obligatory to make the rich and the poor equal. This is because the rich would never feel the pangs of hunger and thus would not have compassion for the poor. Whenever the rich wanted something, they could afford it. Allah, the Most Exalted, wanted to make His creatures equal and make the rich experience hunger and pain, so that they may feel sympathy for the weak and have mercy on the hungry.”

 

This Hadith points to a connection between fasting and the rich understanding the suffering of the poor, which should drive them to take responsibility for them. What strengthens this link between fasting and helping the poor is what Allah mentioned in the verse we recited, where He said that for those who are unable to fast due to illness or incapacity, their alternative is to feed a poor person for each missed day: And upon those who are not able to fast, they have [the option of] feeding a poor person.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 184). We also see this in the obligation of giving Zakat al-Fitra at the end of Ramadan on the day of Eid, which calls on those who have fasted to complete their fasting and achieve one of its key goals by giving to the poor and needy. The fast is not complete without it.

 

 

 

 

 

The feeling of responsibility toward the poor is something the Prophet emphasized in his sermon during the month of Ramadan. He urged that this month should be a time when the rich help the poor and those in need, and provide support to them, especially through acts of charity. The Prophet said: “O people, give charity to your poor and needy, and be compassionate toward the orphans of others as you are compassionate toward your own orphans… O people, whoever provides iftar (breaks the fast) for a fasting believer during this month, will have for that, by Allah, the freeing of a slave and forgiveness for his past sins.” Someone asked: “O Messenger of Allah, not all of us are able to do that? The Prophet (p.) replied: “Fear the fire, even if it is by giving half a date, and fear Allah, even if it is by giving a sip of water.“

 

This month has come to expand the circle of these emotions, as seen in the daily supplication that is recommended to be recited during its days, which says: “O Allah, bring happiness to the people of the graves. O Allah, enrich every poor person. O Allah, satisfy the hunger of every hungry person. O Allah, clothe every person who is in need of clothing. O Allah, pay the debt of every debtor. O Allah, relieve the distress of every distressed person. O Allah, return every stranger. O Allah, free every prisoner. O Allah, correct every corrupt matter among the Muslims. O Allah, cure every sick person. O Allah, cover our poverty with Your wealth. O Allah, change our bad situation with Your good situation.” This supplication encompasses concern for all who suffer, struggle, or are in need of support.

 

 

 

My loved ones, we are in most need of enhancing our sense of responsibility toward those who suffer and those who need our help, including the poor, the needy, the orphans, and all those who require assistance in our community. By strengthening this sense of responsibility, we can liberate ourselves from selfishness, which makes a person think only of his own needs without considering the suffering of others, and instead, work to ease their burden.

 

This responsibility has grown in importance, especially after the war waged by the Zionist enemy on our country, which left its effects and consequences on many people who have lost their homes, resources, or means of livelihood. This requires collective efforts to help alleviate the suffering of those affected by these events and to work on addressing the consequences of what has occurred.

 

 

While we stress the importance of continuing individual initiatives and encouraging them, the key lies in strengthening collective initiatives that emerge from mosques, neighborhoods, villages, or from the associations and organizations that have carried and continue to carry the burden of providing assistance to the needy: the poor, the orphans, the disabled, and the sick who need medication to recover — and there are so many of them these days! These organizations are bearing the weight of this situation due to the increased responsibilities upon them. It is the duty of the entire community to support them with aid, guidance, advice, and assistance. Here, financial inability should not be an excuse for neglecting our duties toward them; those who lack financial means should urge those who possess resources to fulfill their religious and humanitarian obligations.

 

We should not view participation in initiatives organized by these organizations, such as Iftar events that serve as an opportunity to help the poor and sponsor orphans, as the sole form of fulfilling our duties. Rather, we must take the initiative to engage in any form of social activity that our religion and humanity call upon us to participate in.

 

I would also like to highlight many of the initiatives we have witnessed and continue to witness every day, which reflect the spirit of goodwill within our society. These initiatives point to the image that the Prophet Muhammad envisioned for our communities when he said: “The example of the believers in their love, mercy, and mutual cooperation is like the example of the body: when one part of the body complains, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.” …Blessed is a society that carries this image and expresses it practically.

 

As we are in this blessed month, we must consider that helping the poor and those in need is a manifestation of our success in fulfilling the responsibilities of this month and honoring it. This is what guarantees that we will receive what was promised to us. These responsibilities do not stop at fasting, praying, reading the Qur’an, making supplications, maintaining family ties, and observing the Night of Decree(Qadr); rather, they extend to what is even more important: what Allah will question us about on the Day of Judgment when He calls: What have you done for My children, and how have you served them?”

 

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate , the Merciful

 

The Second Sermon

 

O worshippers of Allah, I advise you and myself to remember on this seventh day of the month of Ramadan, Abu Talib, the uncle of Prophet Muhammad, his protector, and the father of Imam Ali whom we meet today in the commemoration of his death. He played a vital role in preserving Islam and protecting the Messenger of Allah . Abu Talib took care of the Prophet after the death of his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, when he was only eight years old, providing him with excellent care and protection. When the Prophet (was sent with the message of Islam, Abu Talib believed in his message, and throughout his life, he was the Prophet’s protector and defender, standing against Quraish. One of the most difficult trials Abu Talib faced was when the Quraish, , besieged the Prophet along with the Banu Hashim who refused to surrender him, At that moment, Abu Talib and Banu Hashim stood by the Prophet ,enduring all the pain and suffering. They did not back down until Quraish realized that there was no benefit from the siege, so they lifted it. Abu Talib remained firm in his stance until he passed away…

O beloved ones, Islam reached us after all these great sacrifices, and this burdens us with the responsibility to preserve it, protect it, and defend it. When we act in this way, we become more responsible and capable of facing challenges.

 

The first matter I address is the ongoing Israeli aggression, which continues to expand. It has disregarded the commitment to the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, as we witness airstrikes targeting the Bekaa Valley and assassinations, which may not be the last, as we saw in the region of Sour (Tyre). There is also the extension of their presence in the border strip and the firing upon civilians, while they persist in holding their positions within Lebanese territories. The committee responsible for overseeing the ceasefire has not taken any action to deter this enemy, nor have they condemned these violations, which raises questions about their role and the usefulness of the ongoing agreement with this entity.

 

In light of this, we renew our call for a unified Lebanese stance, both officially and among the people, to confront this enemy. We must use all available means to prevent any harm to Lebanon’s sovereignty and stop their continuous aggression. Some voices must cease justifying the enemy’s actions, whether on the political or media front.

 

Let us now turn to the internal situation. We renew our call to the government, which approved the budget prepared by the previous government, to reconsider the taxes included in it. The new taxes and fees have reached up to 250 times the previous amounts. The government should not repeat the mistakes of previous administrations that sought to secure their needs by imposing taxes instead of investing in the resources they possess. The budget should reflect the commitment to reform and recovery. On the issue of appointments and filling vacancies in state positions, we call for the government to fulfill its promise that the basis for selecting individuals for these positions should be competence, integrity, and dedication to the entire nation. It should not be subject to political quotas, external interference, or those seeking to control the country’s decision-making.

 

 

We now turn our attention to the Arab Summit. While we appreciate the general positive stance in the summit’s resolutions, which affirmed the rejection of the forced displacement of the Palestinian people, the protection of their rights and dignity, the need to rebuild Gaza and return its people, and the complete implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, along with condemning Israeli violations and demanding their full withdrawal from Lebanon to internationally recognized borders, these positions remain extensions of previous resolutions that will not receive the necessary response unless they are backed by an effective implementation mechanism. Without support from forces on the ground, these summits remain ineffective and lack impact. The enemy pays no attention to them and treats them as meaningless declarations, as shown by their response to the Beirut Summit and others.

 

It has become clear that the only way to confront the displacement project for the Palestinians and the entire Arab situation is for the United States to realize that its actions threaten its interests in the region and impact the security of the Zionist entity. The Arab countries possess many sources of power, which, unfortunately, have not been activated, despite the many challenges they face, whether regarding the Palestinian cause or the broader region.

In another area, we express our appreciation for the position of the Sheikh of Al-Azhar when he said: “The difference between us and our Shiite brothers is a difference in thought and opinion, not a difference in religion.” He also stated, “The Muslim Ummah(nation) is currently in dire need of unity in strength and opinion to confront the challenges of this age and to defeat its enemies.” If this is worked on, it will help preserve the Islamic reality in all its manifestations, move away from the logic of excommunicating Muslims from one another, and avoid inflaming sectarian sentiments. It will also protect the Islamic reality from all risks and from those who seek to sow discord between Sunnis and Shiites.

 

 

 

Lastly, we remember the Bir al-Abed massacre and the perpetrators of this crime in our reality. This massacre claimed the lives of more than 100 martyrs and 200 wounded, including men, women, children, and even fetuses in their mothers’ wombs. The goal was to eliminate the voice that has never compromised with oppression or arrogance throughout its life.

 

By the will of Allah, the Sayyed, was protected at that time. He continued his role, which he had charted, to spread awareness and promote the spirit of rejecting injustice in the homeland and the nation. He mobilized efforts to confront the aggression, building bridges of communication between its sects, sects, and components, considering dialogue as the way to address internal issues. He inspired all those calling for freedom and justice, both within the country and internationally, a message whose resonance continues to this day.