Friday speeches 14 Jumada'I 1425h/2 July 2004AD

Allah, the most Exalted, says in His Glorious Book: Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a (thorough) purifying. One of the Members of this House is our mistress, the pure and purified Lady Fatima Az-Zahra’, the lady of the worlds and of the women of Heaven and the women of this nation whose death anniversary is tomorrow.

This is because she died, according to Imam Jaa’far As-Sadiq (a.s), seventy-five days after the death of her father (p.). It is also reported that she came to her father on his dying bed. He whispered something to her and she cried, then he whispered again and she laughed. Asked after the Messenger's death about why her mood had changed so quickly, she said: In the first time, he told me that he has been called to meet his Creator, and in the second he said, that I was to be the first of his house to follow him and I laughed.

Such a story demonstrates the spiritual relations between Al -Zahra and the Messenger (p.). Just imagine that a young women of 18 who loves and is loved by her husband and children, who are in an age that needs her care and love, laughs when her father tells her that she would die because of the prospect of meeting him.

This shows us that her life with the Prophet (p.) was one of love and dedication.

Since her mother died, she used although a very young child to embrace her father with her love and care. She used to go with him to the mosque and watch what the infidels did, and support him with her tears.

The Prophet (p.), thus, used to call her her father’s mother for she gave him the motherly love he missed since his mother died early in his childhood.

In Medina, her house was his house. It was the house he used to come and rest in. She used to be the last to bid him farewell when he traveled and the first to welcome him when he returned. He used to feel tranquility and security in the house of Ali and Fatima, for it was the house that embodied Islam in every aspect of faith and life.

The Messenger used to find in Fatima's house what he did not find in the other houses of his wives and companions.

He knew that his daughter used to live with God all night long. Her son who used to watch her pray until her feel were swollen, asked her once, having noticed as young as he was that although she was so sick and tired she never asked God anything for herself, about the reason for such an attitude: She told him that we are people who always think about others before they think about themselves.

Our message is to open up the people's minds on truth and their lives on justice; we seek to think about their problems and pains and try to solve them.

These are the morals of Ahl el-Beit that Allah talked about, and that is why the Messenger (p.) said that Fatima (a.s.) is a part of him adding that he is pleased with what pleases her and angered by what anger her. This is also the model Allah, the most Exalted, wants His servants to follow: To enter happiness to the hearts of others and not to be selfish and think about oneself.

It was said that whenever the Zahra came to visit the Prophet, he would stand up, kiss her hand and seat her in his place. She used to do the same too.Such a spiritual relationship that demonstrates how could two human beings become one made her the role model that we ought to aspire ,especially in her spiritual pride that is void of any arrogance or selfishness.

She used to say in her arguments against those who denied her what was rightfully hers: "Know that I am Fatima and my father is Muhammad", which means that she represents the Message and that she was not talking as an individual.

Aisha, the mother of Muslims, described her as the one that resembles most, in her features, traits and talk, the Prophet. She also said that she has never seen anybody more truthful than her except her father. This truthful, loving and dedicated person used also to teach the women what she heard the Prophet say. For Muhammad used to take time to talk to her, even giving her written inscriptions like the one that said:

If you believe in God and the Hereafter do not hurt your neighbor ... If you believe in God and the Hereafter then try when you speak, to say something good or hold your tongue.

And she used to convey everything she heard making her, as short as her life was, fill the world around her.

She used to carry all her responsibilities strongly and patiently…

She suffered a lot after her father's death. She was denied her inheritance, and when the people came to burn her house while she was in it. She suffered all that, but she only cared about denying her husband his rightful position, who was appointed by the Messenger as the Imam to lead the Muslims after his death… She used to defend her right to inherit telling those who argued with her: How come you inherit your father and I do not, while Islam provides for the right of children to inherit their parents?

She was also bold in demanding her rights telling some of the people who denied them: "I will ask God in every prayer to punish you". She was also the loving and faithful mother and the wife who never angered her husband or disobeyed him. For they were both joined together both in conveying the Message and in taking care of their children.

There are those who claim that after her father’s death she used to cry day and night. What kind of talk is this? She was far much greater than to indulge in such a behavior.

She was told, by her father, not to practice any of those expressions of grief that were customary before Islam. She did so, and demonstrated a kind of sober grief, visiting her father’s grave, along with her children to tell them about his life and Message. The only thing she used to say was: This is where the Messenger (p.) is.

It is reported that when her father died she told the women who began to cry loud not scream but to read supplications...

Those who claim that she acted in this way actually undermine her image and her infallibility... She never acted in any way that was not right even when she protested. The maximum that she did in this respect was to ask her husband to bury her at night, so that those who opposed her would not attend her funeral.

Az-Zahra’, the purified, the infallible and the one who embodied all spiritual and humane values, the strong person in defending the right, the devote person in her prayers and the teacher who taught fellow women, used also to perform her duties as a daughter, a wife and a mother. May the peace and blessing of Allah be on her when she was born, when she died and when she will be brought back to life. We have to make her, men and women, a role model, for she is the best role model that was loved by the Messenger (p.), as well as his friend and student.

Israel hunts the Palestinian civilians, day and night, whether by killing their women, children and elderly, undermining their daily activities with such measures as curfew, closures, building the racial wall, continuous invasions, bulldozing farms and arbitrary arrests. Such measures paralyze the whole country, under the pretense of upholding security.

On his part, the American president, George Bush, claims in his arrogant manner that all these massacres and aggressions are in self-defense while what he calls "Palestinian terror" is the problem, suggesting that the presence of Palestinians in their own lands is a terrorist act.

He talks about freedom but he confiscates the freedom of nations in many regions… When he talks about the Palestinian problem, he only takes into consideration the votes of Jews and neoconservatives…

He reminds the Palestinians of being the first president to recognize a Palestinian state along side the Israeli one. But he did not take any step to pressurize the Zionist government. He only pressurizes the Palestinians to offer additional concessions, and drives his partners in the Quartet committee to follow suit.

In this atmosphere, we appreciate the French Foreign minister visit to Palestine and his reference to the difficult situation the Palestinians suffer from as a result of the Israel daily practice, as well as the building of the racial wall… We would like France to make every effort to pressurize the European Union to join Russia and the UN in facing the American stand that is totally biased.

We also appreciate what the French President said about the French not being "servant" to America.

And we wish that the Arab and Muslim rulers who are associated with the US to express their view about their relations with any state in the sense that they do not mean being a slave to it, especially in issues that determine their fate… but the problem is that those who do not believe in the freedom of their nations cannot be free in their relations with the arrogant.

We would like to congratulate the Palestinian Mujahedeen on their qualitative and creative operation in Gaza that constitutes a development in their militant strategies, and puts the enemy along with the new Palestinian an sockets in an impasse that could get out of unless it yield to the Palestinian will.. We believe in this people that produce in every stage a new generation of Mujahedeen starting by the stone children to the rocket youth and to…

All what changes in Iraq was the title: The occupation forces have become the multination forces, but they are still there doing the same things, but this time under the name of a treaty that is imposed on the Iraqi government… Moreover, the US have made the Iraqi embassy its biggest in the word suggesting that it will be the actual ruler of Iraq in all domains.

We wish the Iraqi people political and economic stability, and independence in taking its vital decisions. We all wish that its government will try to acquire the trust of the Iraqi people as well as those of the region by aiming at asserting national sovereignty and resuming the Iraqi pioneer role in enriching the civilization of this region and in interacting with the rest of the world.

Iraqis who have suffered from tyranny in their recent history want a government that puts an end to such suffering, and take them to the new future that builds civilization and that does not denounce its Islamic history.

Let us say to the arrogant: Hands off. For the Iraqis are perfectly capable of running their own affairs.

In Lebanon, there are certain attempts to hold into account some of the corrupt in a certain sector and / or to a certain level. This, in itself, is a positive indication.

But we are afraid that some will intercede as usual to stop any further investigation at a certain level and even to call the whole thing off.

Moreover, we are following the fiery statements by the top officials which have descended to the level of cursing. Those who have heard or read such statements are wondering about how those could be responsible for the morals of the country or its future… How could the future generation trust the old one that continues to produce the ethical and moral tragedy of this country?