His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlallah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Ramadan 19, 1445 /March 29, 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:

 “And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allah. And Allah is Kind to [His] servants.” Allah, The Most Exalted, speaks the truth

 

In the dawn of the nineteenth day of the month of Ramadan in the fortieth year of Hijra, the great tragedy that befell all Muslims occurred, when Abdul Rahman ibn Maljam plunged his treacherous poisoned sword into the head of the Commander of the Faithful, while he was leading the Fajr prayer with the people in his mosque in Kufa.

 

It was a difficult day for the Muslims, shaking their emotions, bleeding their hearts, and bringing tears to their eyes when they saw their leader, who had filled their lives with knowledge, deeds, jihad, sacrifices, and love for them, lying wounded before them. But for Ali (a.s.), it was a declaration of victory in his life’s journey, as he uttered then: “By the Lord of the Kaaba, I have succeeded.” This was a life spent in obedience to Allah, striving for His cause, and endeavoring to uphold His word. He was faithful in the position entrusted to him, never compromising on rights, justice, or the interests of Muslims and the people under his guardianship. Now, he concludes it with martyrdom for all of that.

 

Before departing from this world, Ali  was keen not to leave except after exhausting every effort to convey his message to the people. On that day, he addressed all those around him, saying: “Ask me before you lose me…”

 

Despite the pain he endured from the wound inflicted upon him, he was eager for people to benefit from the knowledge entrusted to him by the Messenger of Allah (p.) when he said: “The Messenger of Allah taught me a thousand doors of knowledge, each door opening to a thousand doors.” He urged them to inquire about matters of their religion and their worldly affairs before he left them.

 

Afterwards, he turned to the captors of who had struck him.  He did not want them to act with the emotions that may arise from the gravity of what he had done, violating the sanctity of the house of Allah, The Most Exalted, and the prayers and fasting during the month of Ramadan.

 

He said to them: “Feed him from my food, and give him to drink from my drink; and treat his captivity well.” For he was a captive and had the rights of a captive. Then he wanted to alert his tribe, the sons of Abd al-Muttalib, not to deal with his killer using the tribal logic, which does not suffice with killing the killer but extends to killing anyone related to him or equivalent to the deceased in his status. He wanted to establish the Islamic logic that only the killer is to be killed, no matter how high the status of the deceased or by what means he was killed. He said to them: “O sons of Abd al-Muttalib, I do not allow you to shed the blood of Muslims recklessly, saying, ‘The Commander of the Faithful has been killed.’ Look, if I die from this blow of his, then strike him a blow like his, but do not mutilate him. For I heard the Messenger say: ‘Beware of mutilation, even if it be of a rabid dog.'” After that, he directed his testament to his son Imam Hassan (a.s.) and through him to his family and all those who received his message, saying to him: “I advise you, O Hassan, and all the members of my household, my children, and whoever receives my message, with the guidance of fearing Allah, your Lord, and not to die except as Muslims. Hold fast, all of you, to the rope of Allah, and do not be divided. For I have heard the Messenger of Allah saying, ‘Reconciliation of your differences is better than all prayers and fasting,’ …There is no power except through Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.

 

Then he said: “Look after your relatives, pray for them to make your reckoning easier. Beware of neglecting the orphans, and do not let them disappear from your presence. For I have heard the Messenger of Allah  saying: “Do not neglect their mouths, and do not let them be lost in your presence, for I have heard the Messenger of Allah saying: ‘Whoever raises an orphan until he becomes self-sufficient, Allah will guarantee him Paradise for that, just as He has guaranteed Hellfire for the one who misappropriates the property of the orphan. Be mindful of your neighbors, for the Messenger of Allah, The Most Exalted, advised concerning them, and he continued to advise concerning them until we thought he would give them a share (of inheritance).

 

“And be mindful of the Quran, for no one can precede you in acting upon it.

 

“Be mindful of prayer, for it is the pillar of your religion.

 

“And be mindful of maintaining the house of your Lord (the mosque) as long as you are alive. For if it is neglected, you will be scattered.

 

“Be mindful of paying Zakat, for it extinguishes the wrath of your Lord.

 

“Be mindful of the month of Ramadan, for fasting in it is a shield against the Fire.

 

“Be mindful of the needs of the poor and the needy, and involve them in your livelihood.

 

“And be mindful of Jihad in the cause of Allah, with your wealth, your selves, and your tongues.

 

“Prayer, prayer, prayer. Do not fear in Allah the blame of the blamers… Say to people good things as Allah has commanded you.

 

“Promote communication and mutual assistance, and avoid neglecting and cutting off ties…

 

“Do not leave the matter of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, lest your worst people will be in charge among you, and then you will invoke Allah, but your supplications will not be answered. Cooperate in righteousness and piety, and do not cooperate in sin and aggression. Fear Allah, for indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.”

 

And when signs of the Imam’s departure from this world appeared, and before his pure soul departed, he cast a glance upon his family and said: “May Allah protect you, O people of the household, and may He protect your Prophet upon you. I entrust you all to Allah, may He guide you all. May Allah protect you all. My successor is Allah, and Allah is sufficient as a successor.”

 

Then he bore witness to the two testimonies of faith, and before his soul departed, he said: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.”

 

Beloved ones, as we recall this sad day when the pillars of guidance collapsed and the firmest bond was broken when the blood of the first of mankind who embraced Islam was spilled, the door of the city of knowledge of the Messenger of Allah and his brother and supporter was violated, and the one who was like Haroun to Musa, known for his engagement in war and peace, justice, wisdom, kindness, and compassion towards the poor, the orphans, and the weak, we are reminded of his words and actions:

 We will not be content to merely express our sorrow and pain for what has befallen him. Instead, we will strive to take from his stances, words, and biography what should be our provision in life. And we will advise with what he advised:

 

That we do not neglect the orphans in our presence and that the poor do not suffer from their poverty. That we are good neighbors to those around us. That we act according to the Quran, that we preserve the prayer, and do not leave the house of our Lord as long as we remain. That we strive in the path of Allah with our wealth and ourselves. That we speak nothing but goodness and cooperate in righteousness and piety, not in sin and aggression… And that we turn to where He is, in the embrace of His Lord, to say to Him:

 

“May Allah have mercy on you. You were a punishment for the disbelievers and a fortress for the believers. You were like a mountain that cannot be moved by storms. Your affair was truth, honesty, and kindness. Your word was judgment and decree. Your command was forbearance and determination. Your opinion was knowledge and resolution in what you did. You have followed the path, made things easy, extinguished fires, and balanced religion. By you, Islam and the believers were strengthened… Your calamity admonished the people. Indeed, to Allah, we belong and to Him we shall return. We are pleased with Allah’s decree, and we submit to Allah’s command. Indeed, to Allah, we belong and to Him we shall return.

 

The second sermon

Worshippers of Allah, I advise you and advise myself with what the Commander of the Faithful said:  ‘As for my will, do not associate anything with Him [God], and do not neglect the Sunnah of Muhammad. Establish these two pillars, and light these two torches …I was only like a wayfarer who has arrived and a seeker who has found. ‘And what is with God is best for the righteous…’

 

 Dear loved ones:

 

This is the will of the Commander of the Faithful for us, so let us take it to express our love for him, our loyalty and devotion to him, and thus we will be more aware, responsible, and capable of facing challenges.

 

And the beginning is with Gaza, where the Zionist enemy continues to commit massacres against civilians in their homes or shelters, and chases them even in hospitals, while the siege on its residents continues despite the appeals that call for opening the crossings and allowing trucks to enter it.

 

Meanwhile, the negotiations remain hostage to the intransigence of this enemy, who rejects any call to stop the bleeding and destruction. Despite the flexibility shown by the Palestinian negotiator, the enemy continues to declare publicly that he will continue his military campaign to Rafah without taking into account the millions of displaced people there who came from different parts of the Strip.

 

At this time, the UN resolution comes calling for the Israeli entity to immediately stop live fire, and this time it came without the use of the American veto that blocked previous resolutions.

 

We see a positive aspect to this resolution and a shift, even if relative, in the position on the war on Gaza.

 

However, it does not seem that this resolution will be implemented because it does not carry any binding character for this entity, which is what the US State Department expressed, since its issuance, nor is there a mechanism for its implementation, nor was it followed by sanctions, which makes this resolution practically useless, like all international resolutions that this entity turned its back on, did not implement, and they remained ink on paper.

 

Therefore, the choice remains for the Palestinian people: steadfastness, endurance, and defense of their land, and not allowing the enemy to pass its project of seizing it and displacing its people from it.

 

Here, we salute the heroism of this people who continue to confront this entity despite the difficulties they suffer in terms of their need for food, medicine, and shelter due to the siege imposed on them or due to the military and security capabilities that exceed their capabilities.

 

We renew our call to the Arab and Islamic countries to be well aware of the dangers of the enemy achieving its goals in Gaza, the repercussions of which they will not be immune to. At the same time, we urge the Arab and Islamic peoples and the free people of the world to keep their voices loud and understand the importance of these voices and what they have led to in pressuring their countries and besieging this entity and exposing it.

 

As for Syria, the Zionist enemy is escalating its violation of the sovereignty of this Arab country, targeting it daily in a way that threatens its security and increases its suffering. This calls for a unified Arab position to confront this entity and deter it. Because continuing to allow it to do so under any pretext will make it target any other Arab country when its interests and calculations necessitate it.

 

In Lebanon, which is witnessing these days an escalation of aggression that has reached the farthest corners of the Bekaa Valley, targeting medical and civil defense centers… Meanwhile, the enemy continues the systematic destruction of houses in the border areas, and it does not stop threatening to expand the circle of aggression to reach the Lebanese depth, which must be dealt with seriously and with readiness for any adventure it might embark on.

 

Thus, we reaffirm the necessity of strengthening national unity and not allowing anything to threaten it, whether on sectarian, religious, or political levels, all of which are exploited by the Zionist enemy who is actively seeking to create divisions among the Lebanese people, regardless of their sects or doctrines.

 

We do not deny the existence of Lebanese disagreements on many issues, whether related to internal matters in the way the country is managed or in the perspective on what is happening on the southern borders. These disagreements may have justifications, but they should not deepen internal divisions or lead to sectarian, religious, or political alignments. Rather, we should push towards enhancing the language of dialogue, which remains the only way to address problems and alleviate concerns.

 

We are confident that this dialogue contributes to reaching solutions to the country’s problems, offering an alternative to the language of remote accusations, which only exacerbate the country’s crises. At the same time, we emphasize the need to accelerate the electoral process, whether at the presidential or governmental levels. The country cannot remain hostage to a void at a time when the Lebanese people are in dire need of a state that protects their interests and fulfills its responsibilities towards them. It has become evident that solutions to what is happening in Gaza or in the region will not be forthcoming anytime soon. Instead, we fear they may be elusive or come at the expense of this country.