The First Sermon

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful  

The Conquest of Mecca:

In the context of promising the Messenger (p.) and Muslims that they will open Mecca, Allah says in the Holy Quran {When comes the Help of Allah, and victory. And thou dost see the people enter Allah's religion in crowds. Celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and pray for His forgiveness. For he is Oft-Returning (in forgiveness)}. This Surah points out to the conquest of Mecca and the victory Allah will bestow on Muslims destroys all the barriers that hinder the people of the Arabian Peninsula from embracing Islam. For Mecca was the political, religious and trade capital of the region. It was indispensable to all the people of the region, which made it subject to the pressures of Quraish not to adopt Islam, fearing that such a development will have a negative impact on their trade.

Thus, Allah has stressed that the conquest of Mecca will make the people come to the Messenger (p.) to declare their adoption of Islam.

The Hudaybiyya truce was the necessary step that the Prophet (p.) molded to prepare for the conquest. He set on this task in a very secret way. However, Hatib b. Balta'a wrote to the Meccans to inform them of the decision of the Apostle of God to conquer it. He gave the letter to a woman and in instructed her to take it to some Meccans. Revelation about that came down on the Apostle of God. He summoned the Commander of the faithful, and Al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam to bring the letter.

The two departed and did not take the (main) road. They caught up with the woman. Al-Zubayr got to her first and he asked her about the letter which was with her. She denied it and swore that she had nothing with her and wept.

"I can't see a letter with her”, said al-Zubayr. "Let us go to the Apostle of God, and tell him that her journey is innocent."

"The Apostle of God told me that she had a letter”, replied the Commander of the Faithful.

Then he drew his sword and advanced towards her and said: "By God, if you don't produce the letter, I will compel you to show it". The woman had to give him the letter, which he took to the Prophet.

When he got the letter, the Prophet asked the Muslims "Who wrote this letter?”. Hatib b. Abi Balta'a stood up. He was shaking like a palm-bough on the day of a violent storm. He said: "Apostle of God, I am the writer of the letter. I have committed no (other) act of hypocrisy after becoming a Muslim, nor have I had any(other) doubt after my firm conviction (in Islam)."

"What made you write this letter?” The Prophet asked him.

"Apostle of God, I have a family in Mecca”, he said, "and I have no other tribal connections (ashira) there. I was afraid that they would be overcome on account of us. So this letter of mine was (an attempt) to offer a helping hand to my family, (to give) support to them. I did not do it because of any doubt on my part in the region."

Some of the companions wanted to kill him but the Prophet (p.) said: He is one of the men (who fought) at Badr. Perhaps God will look down on them and forgive them.

The story tells us that no one should, whatever reasons he has, spy on his own people for personal interests, especially if it is something that undermines the security of Islam and Muslims.

The peaceful conquest

When Quraish violated the terms of the treaty, the Prophet (p.) began to mobilize an army of ten thousand Muslim strong. Yet the Messenger (p.) did not want to violate the sanctity of Mecca, and set out a plan to enter the town in peace and in a state of mercy that opens the minds and hearts of people on Islam. But Abu Sufyan came to him for the second time asking him not to go on with his planned attack. He also interceded the prophet's uncle. It is also said that he professed Islam and asked the Prophet (p.) for some favor, which he could quote with distinction and the Prophet (p.) announced that who ever enters the Ka’aba, remains in his house or enters the house of Abu Sufyan will be safe.

The Prophet (p.) thus entered Mecca in peace and began to destroy the idols. Some idols were on a high pedestal and the Apostle could not reach them. He ordered Ali (a.s.) to climb on his shoulders and to knock them down. Ali (a.s.) mounted the shoulders of the Apostle, and knocked down the idols. He thus removed the impurity of idolatry from the Ka’aba for all time.

As he was destroying the idols, the Prophet kept repeating the following verse: Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. For falsehood in (by its nature) bound to vanish (17/ 81).

Then he stood up and gave the following speech:

"There is no god but Allah. He is one and all Alone, and He has no partners, all praise and thanks to Him. He has fulfilled his promise, He has helped His servant to victory, and He has dispersed the gangs of his enemies.

O people! Listen to me. All the arrogance, the distinctions, the pride, and all the claims of blood of the times of Ignorance are under my feet today.

O Quraysh! Allah has destroyed the arrogance of the Times of Ignorance, and he has destroyed the pride of race. All men are the children of Adam, and Adam was a handful of dust."

The Prophet then read the following verse from Qur'an.

O people! We created you from a male and a female and distributed you among tribes and families for the facility of reference only. But in the sight of God only those people have a place of honor who are God-fearing and God-loving. Verily, God is Knowledgeable and understanding. (49; 13).

There cannot be any distinction between men on the grounds of race, color, nationality, family or wealth. But whereas Islam destroys all other distinctions, it upholds a distinction of its own, and that is the distinction of faith and character.

Muhammad then posed a question to the Quraysh: those who have thrown him out of his city, fought him and killed several of his companions: "How do you think, I am going to treat you now? "They said: "You are a generous brother and the son of a generous brother, we expect only charity and forgiveness from you." He said: Go now; all of you are freedmen."

The Prophet (p.) declared a general amnesty in Mecca. The amnesty extended even to the apostates. He forbade his army to plunder the city or to seize anything that belonged to the Quraysh. This incredible tolerant mercy the Messenger (p.) was distinguished with is what he wants us to follow: when some of us overcome others in our social affairs, he wants us to be merciful and forgive.

He told a man who was so afraid when he met the Messenger (p.) for the first time to take it easy for he was no king… He also said that Allah has made Mecca a sacred and safe place since the day He created the earth and the heavens…

Thus, we know that Islam seeks in his war to liberate the people, the present and the future. And we have to be inspired by his conquests that began and ended in the month of Ramadan that we ought to gain back Jerusalem and any other place that the arrogant have put their hands on, and mobilize all the strength we have, for we are held responsible to accomplish this mission. {Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.

The Second Sermon

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The World is more dangerous

At last, Bush managed to win a second term, having invaded in his first term the Arab and Islamic world and engaged in a war which has so far claimed in Iraq and Afghanistan more than 200 thousand victims, as well as thousands of Palestinians who have fallen as a result of Bush's support to Israel.

In addition, he has waged several preemptive wars in Arab and Muslim countries under the slogan of “fighting terrorism". But he created a reaction in which violence turned into anarchy making the entire world fearful and making even America unstable. But the president benefited from the fear he created in his citizens to pose as the leader who will save them.

The world has become more dangerous and less secure. This is a direct result of Bush' preemptive wars against any country that opposes his polices… Moreover, he says that he believes, along with his administration of neoconservatives who claim to be devoted Christians, that he carries a message from heavens to use it as a pretense to continue his aggression on the nations of the Third World especially the Arabs and Muslims.

Obeying Instructions

Some observers feel that this man might change in his second term, especially in his policies towards Iraq or Palestine. But those observers are hostile to the Arabs and Muslims and they even despise them… As for the regimes that hold power in our region, their only concern is to obey instructions to remain in their chairs by means of oppressing the people through a game that might look democratic on the surface, but it actually conceals all the makings of a harsh dictatorship.

We do not expect any good from Bush’s second term. On the contrary, we expect more economic and political pressures and military wars especially that the European Union has succumbed to the American pressures in its policies towards Iran, Syria and Lebanon.

Why do not we confront

We know that the world is not motivated by the human values or universal civilized principles, but by the economic interests and political and security strategies. Why then does not our nation protect its interests by building its strength and standing with the forces of resistance? And why do we reproduce our state of? They are killing us all. Why do not we try to organize our confrontation to end occupation by mobilizing our points of strength against their point of weakness…?

They are planning and cunning and we have to do the same if we want to win.

The Palestinians are able to produce leaders

On the Palestinian front, the Zionist eradication of the Palestinians is still going on, but the Mujahideen too continue to confront the enemy with their martyr and military operations to prove that no separating wall could prevent them.

It is interesting that most Arab countries take a natural stand between the enemy and the Palestinians and some even conspire against the Palestinians…

In this atmosphere, we want the Palestinians who are now being told that there could be a power vacuum that could affect their steadfastness… We want them all to consolidate their national unity to prove that, as they were able to provide a leadership for their cause, they are able to create several other leaders to preserve their cause and protect its future…

The Palestinians should prove that their national unity is a solid front that no one can penetrate, and that they are able to confront all pressures and all hardships, no matter how severe they might be.

Iraq: more awareness and unity:

Iraq continues to live in a whirlpool of blood, as a result of the security chaos that invaded the entire country under different titles that sometime hide under Islamic slogans which Islam is innocent of… We call on all Iraqis to face this difficult stage by more unity and awareness, especially that some are talking about dividing Iraq into sectarian and ethnic mini states, as a result of the Mosad’s planning for a civil war by driving some of those who are of weak hearts or those who understand Islam in a backward manner to assassinate others based on nothing but the fact that they are of a different sect … We warn all parties from such practices, for they will lead to state of psychological and security chaos, and call on all Iraqis to become watchful eyes that thwart all arrogant plans.

Lebanon: The Tragedy and the Crisis

Lebanon is still in the midst of political endless arguments that aim to score points instead of collecting them. Such an attitude is of negative consequences.

It creates complexes, hatred and suspicions… It also turns the formation of the cabinet to an issue of representing each region, and its agenda into a matter of dividing the spoils just as all other political issues in this state. Dedication for the people and the homeland, qualifications, cleanness and such issues have not yet become a condition that should be available in those who wish to become ministers.

We also hear some talk about waste, corruption, securing liberties and the independence of the judiciary, but we still have not heard anything about the dynamics that would lead us towards these goals.

If some are denying having relations with foreign parties, why do not they all meet in confronting the American escalating statements regarding the details of the formation of the cabinet?

O politicians: look at the tragedy Lebanon is living in, and think about the interests of the people before your own. Think about the coming elections, and about what will happen to you, if the people discover the rules of the game that created their misery.