The First Sermon

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

A close association between the prophethood and the Imamate

On this day, the 17th of Rabi’ I, we meet with the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet (p.) as well as that of Imam Jaa’far As-Sadiq (a.s.). It is an occasion that drives us to say that there is a bridge that links between the message of the Prophet (p.) and the movement of the Imamate, since the movement of the Imamate is an extension of the Message in which each Imam (a.s.) holds Islam in his heart and mind and embodies it in any action he takes at any level.

Moreover just as the Messenger (p.) was sent to all Muslims and all peoples, the Imams too were meant to address all Muslims and all peoples.

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) has stressed in many of his sayings the fact that he is committed like his fathers, and children, to the Holy Book in everything he said or did. That is why he used to say when people used to ascribe to him things that he did not say that what contradicts with the Quran is false. And this is why the Prophet (p.) has linked between the Quran and the Members of the House saying that they are the two guides which will never be separated until they meet him in Heaven. Therefore, whatever is claimed to be said by the Imams which contradicts with the Quran whether in its face value or in its spirit is a fabrication which we should not give credibility to.

All this is further reaffirmed by the fact that all what the Imam (a.s.) has said was not made up by him although he was the embodiment of the Message. It was what the Prophet (p.) has said before him. The Imams were not lawmakers and there could be no new laws or rulings after the Prophet (p.).

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) says: “What I say is what my father used to say and my father’s saying is that of my grandfather, and the saying of my grandfather is the saying of Al-Hussein bin Ali who quotes his father who quotes the Messenger (p.) who reveals what Allah, the most Exalted, has sent. Just as Muhammad (p.) did not add or remove one letter from what Allah, the most Exalted, has revealed, the Imams, from Imam Ali to Imam Al-Mahdi (a.s), did not add or remove one letter from what Muhammad (p.) came up with”.

They only explained what he said and applied it on the new events and problems the Muslims faced in their times.

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.): a Champion of Dialogue and Islamic unity

When we meet with Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.), we meet with the Imam who enriched the knowledge of the Muslims about Islam more than any other Imam with the exception of Imam Ali (a.s.). He used to talk with all men at all times and places with people getting round him wherever they saw him, as pupils gather round their teacher.

He was also the champion of Islamic unity receiving and teaching some of the Imams of other sects including Abu Hanifa Al-Nu’man who was his student for two years.

Abu-Hanifa says: “Were it not for these two years, I would have been doomed”. He also said in his response to a question about who is the most learned: “The most learned is he who knows all the views and thoughts of others, and this happens to be Jaa’far as-Sadiq (a.s.)”. The Imam, also, used to be visited by Imam Malik who used to quote his narrations.

The Imam (a.s.) used to receive all people without any sectarian discrimination. He used to open up on all people for he wanted Islam to enter the hearts of all people. He used to receive those who have opinions that differ with his own, telling his companions to conduct dialogue with them in his presence, and making sure that they will not hurt their feelings or curse what they believe to be sacred, saying “It is very easy to earn people’s pleasure; just do not say anything bad about them and stick to debate in the best manner as we are told to do in the Quran.

The goal of such dialogue is turning your enemy into a friend, since the mission of the Muslims in this world is to make people supporters of Islam and “impotent among people is he who cannot make friends but he who cannot keep the friends he made is even more impotent”.

That is why the Imam used to call on all his friends and followers to open up upon all Muslims, and befriend them even those of different sects. At that time, Sunnis and Shiites were not separated and they did not have their separate mosques.

But the negative developments that came later created this rift to the extent that Muslims used to accuse one another of unbelief, while our enemies of arrogant and infidels were laughing in joy because we are preoccupied with our differences and could careless of their plots.

We have become much like the Jews in the beginning of the call whose hatred and envy made them allies with infidels against those who share them the belief in the oneness of God… It is one of the consequences of backwardness and hatred to find some Shiites or Sunnis telling you that those who are not Muslims are more guided than their fellow coreligionists.

The Imam’s Advices

Let us, being the followers of the same religion of Imam Ja’far and the other Imams, look at how he used to instruct his companions on the way to deal with Muslims of other sects, so that we could assess whether we are following his advices or disregarding them.

He says “You return to them (the Sunnis) what they have entrusted you with, testify justly whether for them or against them, visit their sick and attend their funerals”: Live with them as members of the same community in which everybody cares about the rest. For if any of you is pious, truthful, honest, trust, worthy and good with peoples…If such a person was described as a Ja’fari “it would make me happy” but if you are not, you will being disgrace to me. In another saying he added to the necessity of being trustworthy honest, visiting the sick and attending the funerals, to attend the Sunni mosques and to love for others what you love for yourself.

The Imam used to end these teachings by concluding that the Imams would not do us any good on the Day of Judgment if we are not pious, since the only way to become a follower of Ahl el-Beit is by piety. In one of his sayings he added: “The most suffering on the Day of Judgment are those who describe how to be just and then act in a contradicting manner”. Did not he say: “Be pious… trustworthy, truthful and good neighbors... This is what Muhammad came with…Visit your neighbors, be kind to the sick and attend funerals of the dead… Make people love us and do not make them hate us, Bring us all love and drive all evil away from us”.

Those are the Members of the House whom we have, as their followers, not to hurt their image or that of Islam whether in our sayings or deeds. On the anniversary of the birth of Muhammad (p.) and Imam Ja’far (a.s.) we ought to seek to promote Islamic unity to face all big challenges that await us and that do not differentiate between Shiites and Sunnis. It wants the head of Islam. However, the meaning of Islamic unity is not make the Shiite a Sunni or vise versa, but to meet on what we agree on, and resort to dialogue on what we differ on. 

The American-Israeli plan

Israel is preoccupied with the Likud killing of Sharon’s plan who pretended to be determined to withdraw from parts of Gaza to obtain a promise from the American president to cancel the Palestinians return to their homeland and legitimize the settlements…

Meanwhile, Bush remains committed to the plan even after it has been thwarted for he has no other alternative, and he remains waiting for Sharon to present him a new one.

As for the American led Quartet Committee, it presented the Arabs some false advice calling on them to grab the rare chance for peace in the region, that is presented in Sharon plan which killed the Road Map that the Quartet Committee still talks about, the fact that it is no longer existent having been killed by Israel and US notwithstanding.

The international Quartet Committee itself was another victim of the American-Israeli plan that confiscated the Palestinians rights through all that political hypocrisy that proved the impotence of the UN, the EU and Russia in confronting the American leadership, which has practically denied the Arabs and the Palestinians all their human rights under the pretense of the war on terrorism that legitimizes the eradicating of Palestinians and destroying their infrastructure… We did not hear from any of these parties a demand to withdraw unconditionally from the occupied lands, for freedom means nothing to them when it comes to Arabs and Muslims.

American Diplomats condemn US policies

America continues to give Arabs nothing but empty verbal promises like the ones it presented its latest Arab visitors, but it gives Israel concrete stands, total security and military and financial aid. At the same time, it continues to pressurize the Arabs and the Palestinians, with the American Secretary of State trying to suggest to the Arabs that America is adopting a balanced stance.

Although the Secretary’s statements are intended to make an impact on the Arab leaders for he knows how much they are affected by words, about 60 American diplomats have denounced the American Middle East policy including the support of assassinating Palestinian leaders, describing it as violating international law and even claiming that it is not in Israel’s interest. They concluded that this policy made America lose its credibility, prestige and friends.

It is quite ironic that we did not hear any Arab voices condemning this American policy. Yet the American President does not read the reports that are submitted to him nor does he listen to any advice or criticism.

He is imprisoned by his own arrogance that was inflated by the unprecedented force of the US, but he does not feel that it has started to crumble as a result of the resistance of the nations that are fighting American hegemony.

New methods of torture

In Iraq, where 5000 civilians have been killed in April alone, and where the detainees are subjected to various forms of torture that even include raping, all with the knowledge and consent of military intelligence and high ranking officials, giving the world a true image of the kind of democracy Bush wants to spread in the region…

The Iraqis are watching now the Saddami America that renovates the means of torture and opens new mass graves, having watched the Israeli America… In this atmosphere, it is funny and even surrealistic to see the American President condemning the tortures through an Arab T.V. network.

Although, he has offered what could be described as an apology he refuses to take the responsibility by sacking his secretary for defense. Could there still be any credibility to America’s human discourse? Is there anything that could make the Arab regimes worried from America’s offensive that claims to seek the spread of democracy and freedom..?

We say to our peoples, especially the Iraqis and the Palestinians that those who seek America’s support are like those who are running out of fire to the blaze of hell.

Israeli threats to Lebanon

Israelis are once again trying to benefit from certain political circumstances in Lebanon, as well as the political instability in the region to commit further aggressions.

The Political rows in Lebanon are giving the enemy the opportunity it needs to threaten our security and stability and those of the region as well…

We warn against this preoccupation in our petty differences, and call upon all to rise to the level of challenges, especially that the entire region is being subjected to a comprehensive offensive that aims at laying the hands of the Arrogance on the resources of our nation.