Friday Speeches Mosque Safar 30, 1424h

Allah says in His Glorious Book -And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels!, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful. (3:1 4) .

This Holy verse, was revealed according to the interpreters in the aftermath of the battle of Uhud, When the Messenger(p) was hurt and a rumor was spread among the Muslims that he was killed.

Some of the weak hearted among them said: "Let us go and side with the Abu Sufian (the head of the unbelievers)_ while others said: If Muhammad is dead, his God is not. Let us fight for what he fought for. Thus this verse came to explain that Muhammad(p.), although a leader of Muslims, is not immortal.

The role of the Messenger (p.) is to convey the message and this is what Allah told us: O Prophet! surely We have sent you as a witness, and as a bearer of good news and as a warner, And as one inviting to Allah by His permission, and as a light-giving torch.(33:45-46). Allah has sent His Messenger to convey the Message in full and to prepare the conditions and circumstances that ensure its existence and continuous spread in the future.

To achieve this aim, Muhammad was concerned towards the end of his life, to ensure the success of someone who is able the carry the burden of the Message.

It had to be someone whose potentials were unique in all the aspects of leadership and Imamate. This person was Ali bin Abitalib(a.s).

The Messenger(p.) wanted the believers to adhere after his death to two pillars: The Book and the members of his household. He told his followers: "I am about to be called and I will respond to this call. I am leaving among you two pillars: the Book of Allah and the members of my household… Who will remain bonded together until they come back to me in Heaven…"

Thus the Messenger(p.) wanted the Nation to adhere to the infallible line that includes two pillars, the Holy Book which no falsehood draws near to, and the Members of the House whom Allah, the most Exalted, has purified and gave them the knowledge of the Book. And thus these two pillars cannot be separated.

Then the Messenger(p.) passed away after he had conveyed the Message and ensured its continuity. Consequently we as Muslims whom Allah told us that if the Messenger dies, the Message does not die, have the duty to adhering to the Message and spreading it. We should consider it a trust that we have to hand one generation to the next. We have to be concerned of the religious beliefs of our children and family more than we care about their material comfort and financial success.

For Islam is the message of Allah, the most Exalted, that Muslims have to make every effort to convey. Those who do so are described in the Quran as such: Those who deliver the message of Allah and fear Him, and do not fear any one but Allah; and Allah is sufficient to take account.( 33:39)

Moreover, Allah, the most Exalted, threatens those who turn back, thinking that they will cause some damage to God and to the Message. He says to those people ”And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful .( 3:144)

Those grateful are the ones who are ready to struggle for the cause of God. We, as a general rule, should not be committed to the person in himself, as long as he is alive we will adhere to the message and we will leave him as soon as he dies. The leaders dies and his line stays, the religious authority dies and his jurisprudence achievements remain… etc. The person should be the embodiment of the message and the champion of the cause, and our attachment to him should be an attachment to the message. Lest we would be practicing personality cult which has spread largely in our community.

Towards the end of his life, the Messenger(p.) wanted to underscore several basic Islamic concepts, one of the most significant of them is that being close to God is attained by actions, and not by money or any other advantage.

He said: “There is nothing that lets Allah give you some of his grace or draws evil away from you except what you do. Do not depend on wishing and do not claim (any privileges ). The only thing that saves you is your action coupled with Mercy. If I sin I would fall" He also asked the people around him before he died to feel free to came to him and tell him if he had, being a human being, wronged any of them or taken some of his money to settle the matter or to forgive him. Of course Muhammad(p.) would not to do that, but he was teaching us an important lesson.

If Muhammad(p.) , the master of mankind and the one loved by Allah, the most Exalted, wants to make sure that he is going to part knowing that no one owes him any thing, then what should we do, especially that we are of those who commit various kinds of sins, including denying what we owe to others, cursing them and back biting them? We ought either to give back the others their rights or to ask for their forgiveness before it is too late.

Towards the end of his life the Messenger(p.) wanted to make himself accountable before the nation, although the latter was not the one that chose him. He was chosen by God who knows him far much more than the others do. But the Messenger(p.) wanted to act as a role model, for The leader should know what the nation thinks of him and the nation has to hold the leader accountable.

He said: "O people, you can have nothing against me, for I have not made lawful except what Allah did, and have not prohibited except what Allah did: " In another story he is said to have added: O Fatima daughter of God's Messenger of Allah… seek to please God, for I cannot do you any good: He aims at underscoring the fundamental Islamic theme that the people’s relations with God-including God's messengers- is one based on following the straight path of Allah. That is why God even threatened him indirectly as he was aiming to teach the rest of mankind- :

“And surely they had purposed to turn you away from that which We have revealed to you, that you should forge against Us other than that, and then they would certainly have taken you for a friend. And had it not been that We had already established you, you would certainly have been near to incline to them a little. In that case We would certainly have made you to taste a double (punishment) in this life and a double (punishment) after death, then you would not have found any helper against Us. “(17:73-75).

In another Ayah, Allah, the most Exalted, used a similar method to talk about the prophet:” And if he had fabricated against Us some of the sayings, We would certainly have seized him by the right hand Then We would certainly have cut off his aorta. And not one of you could have withheld Us from him. (69:45-47)

Another lesson the Messenger(p.) taught us in his last days was when he was on his deathbed. He asked the Muslims who had gathered around him to bring him some ink to write some advise that he was sure that they will never be led astray if they followed it. But some of the Muslims said that he was hallucinating. They knew for sure that this was not the case, but they also knew what he was going to write. The Messenger was very upset and he quit the whole idea altogether.

Another lesson is the lesson we can learn from what happened when the Prophet(p.) died. Most Muslims were trying to chose a leader to succeed him while Ali was busy burying the Prophet(p.) in a funereal that was attended by few of his relatives. This is what happened when the people move away from the messengers and their message and become preoccupied by their personal interests.

This is the Messenger of Allah. Our prophet, our Imam(a.s.), our beloved and interceder on the Day of Judgment.
Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation”. (33:56).

The Palestinian issue is still in the forefront, with the international and regional game trying to force the "Road Map" which will not lead the Palestinian people to their legitimate rights of freedom, independence and self-determination. All these pressures are trying to make the Palestinians realize first the Israeli objective of stopping the Intifada without even expecting the Israelis to withdraw or end their massacres and assassinations.

These massacres that kill scores of women, children and the elderly have turned into a daily acts with Israelis killing the civilians in cold blood, claiming that they are after an activist or the like, while the Americans and the Quartet Committee, justify such acts as self- defense against "terrorism".

Despite all these developments they still talk about the Israeli peace… It is a peace that will not give the Palestinians any of their demands. It is only a maze of promises and rounds of negotiations, made by an enemy who will never agree on a Palestinian state even if it is as modest as that envisaged by the "Road Map" plan. To further complicate things, it invades the Palestinian territories in a barbaric manner, while at the same time asking them to stop the Intifada without even trying to prepare the atmosphere that is conductive to the international solution, the fact that such a solution will not achieve anything for the Palestinian militant and wronged people notwithstanding.

The problem is that this American-Israeli solution aims at liquidating the Palestinian cause with some cosmetic steps like the establishing of what could hardly be called a state, since it will not be given an sovereignty or independence, nor would they allow the Palestinian refugees to return. Furthermore, Jerusalem will remain a Jewish city and the settlements that turn the Palestinian territories into isolated Islands will not be dismantled.

The Question is : What is the plan of the new Palestinian government? Why did the American and Israelis endorse it? What are the illegal acts of violence it wants to ban? What are the real guaranties for Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinians territories? What are the controls that prevent internal Palestinian strife through all this… a civil war that might destroy everything and which only the Israelis will benefit of?

It is quite ironic that Israel demands Palestinian actions and does not offer them even words although promises are all what they have so far been offered. Meanwhile, the Israelis are creating a new fait accompli on the ground.

Some might say that they ought to be realistic and accept whatever is being offered to them, for this is all what they are going to get... But who said that Israel and America are going to give the Palestinians, their right in freedom and independence… They tried to be realistic when they accepted " Oslo ", but it all but evaporated.

Therefore, we say to the Palestinians that they ought to follow up the developments, very vigilantly…

We warn them against the old/new ploy and against falling into a civil war… We call on them to be realistic in changing the actual situation with the available tools and not in the sense of surrendering to the statuesque. Be sure that by your steadfastness, resolve and will to continue your sacrifices, you will be able to impose change, through a carefully studied and volatile plan that is executed by consistency and patience. Be sure that victory in the end is on your side…

In Iraq , the American killing of demonstrating civilians under the pretense of self-defense is the same method the Israelis resort to… The Iraqis should learn this object lesson and learn that the Americans have come to exploit Iraq , when the role of their agent "Saddam" has been done with and not to liberate them… We are not calling upon them to an adventurist undertaking, but to study how to confront the forces of occupation and arrogance… To understand their plans and to be aware of their objectives… Let us be united in demanding the American withdrawal from Iraq and leaving the Iraqis to rule themselves for they have all the resources and potentials when the atmosphere of freedom is available.

As for the talk about the need for an American spaceship even in the meetings (that are held to decide their future), we believe that it is quite insulting and demeaning. It is also an attempt to exert pressure on the participants whom we do not know if they really represent the Iraqi people.

The big question in Lebanon is: Is there a bold and carefully studied plan that surpasses the personal and confessional loyalties to embark on a political reform that constitutes the base of economic and administrative reform; a reform that would end political tyranny that is hidden backstage, but one that is very active in protecting corruption?

Is Lebanon going to remain a victim of political games and policy statements? Isn't there a way to get out of the tunnel?

Lebanese ought to have mercy on this great country whose cultural civilization and creative role is a source of pride through its history… This country is facing pressing challenges on all levels… especially with the new American –Israeli policies that threaten the whole region, including Syria and Lebanon with various threats that could even reach military ones… Everybody knows that there is a common destiny between Syria and Lebanon necessitating the presence of a solid base and a carefully studied plan to protect both countries... especially that Israel is threatening us everyday… While the international stance and the French is particular have begun to pressurize Syria to end its presence in Lebanon , without studying the objective conditions that govern the relations between the two countries, or the dangers that threaten both of them.

We know that there are some complications in the Lebanese political life, but we call on freezing all differences that ought to be postponed in view of the critical situation in the region.

DES: At the Anniversary of the Death of the Most Honored Prophet (p.): We follow His Path and continue His Message. The Book and the Members of the Family. Our Responsibility after the Messenger(p.). Islamic Concepts. The Messenger: a role model in leading. The messenger dies thinking about the Message only. The Road Map: A plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause. Realism of change not surrender. Iraq : Occupation in but occupation Lebanon : with Syria against pressures.