FRIDAY SPEECH March 22, 2002

Praise be to Allah Lord of the Worlds, peace and blessings be on our master, Muhammad, his purified progeny, his selected companions and all God’s Messengers.

We are still with Imam Hussein, and we continue to learn from him. People have used to view the Imam, and other Imams for that matter, as a person and as a tragedy, their commitment to them was that of personal love and not as guides and a teachers, that could lead us to Islam; to justice in this world and to eternal bliss in the here after.

In this speech we are going to review some of the Imam’s teachings so that our commitment to him will be a commitment to the message of Islam he called for.

The Imam said in reply to Question

He who seeks Allah’s satisfaction even if it angers the people, Allah will free him from the need of them, but he who seeks to please people, even if it angers Allah, Allah will leave him to the people.

What the Imam wants, to say is: Allah has control over everything . If you have Him you need nothing else, and if you do not have him then nothing else will suffice…

The Imam is saying that there are two kinds of people. The first tries to satisfy Allah in everything he does… Before he embarks on anything, he will think about it first and only when he reaches the conclusion that it pleases Allah, he will go ahead. On the Other hand, there are those who seek to please other people whether the rulers on the public level or the wife and the like on the private one. Those people do not care if pleasing others angers Allah.

The majority of people are usually derive their conclusions, from the knowledge they acquire through their senses. Those people might imagine that the power of some people is greater than that of Allah. Even when we say that He is capable of everything, we will only be admitting it through our tongues, but when we go back to real life practices, we would act as if some people hold absolute power...

That is why Allah tells His Messenger to talk to us through him that he should not fear other people, but Allah only is the one who ought to be feared.

This is what Imam Hussein really is and this is his reformist Islamic methodology. He wishes the public who attend Ashoura to adopt this pattern of thinking: To care only about Allah’s satisfaction. If he wants them to stand with him against Yazid, it is because he stands with Allah while Yazid have angered Allah and sought the pleasures of this world.

The Imam has defined the ways by which one becomes rich and glorified when he said that they roam around until they find a person who has relies on Allah where they will stay. When Imam Hussein was told that Abuzar said: I love poverty more than wealth and sickness more than health, he answered: “May Allah bless his soul, but I say, he who relies on what Allah has chosen for him will not choose anything different. Allah has talked about those people and described them as those who have grasped a firm handhold (Allah) “and His saying that the Quran is his mirror (that is if a believer wants to know himself and the life around him, he would look in the Quran to obtain the real image of all that).

He would sometimes read how the believer is described {They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel fear when Allah is mentioned, and when the revelation of Allah are recited unto them they increase their faith, and who trust in their Lord}{And they will not cease from fighting against you till they have made you renegades from your religion, if they can}

If you want to learn about the believers’ traits you should go back to the Quran to learn about the issue in depth and not be deceived by the appearances, “and at other times he would look at the tyrants” {Lo! Pharaoh exalted himself in the earth and made its people castes. A tribe among them he oppressed, Killing their sons and sparing their woman. Lo! he was of those who work corruption} {And of mankind there is he whose conversation on the life of this world pleases thee(Muhammad), and he calls Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart; yet he is the most rigid of opponents}{And when he turns away(from thee) his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the crops and the cattle; and Allah loves not mischief}{And when it is said unto him: Be careful of thy duty to Allah, pride takes him to sin. Hell will settle his account, an evil resting-place}.

In these quotations the Imam wishes to say that the believer is the one who accepts gratefully what Allah has chosen for him.

These are some of the teachings of the Imam that show the other side of him. He also said in one of his speeches: “O people, when you want to compete let it be in doing good” and do not care if no one thanks you, for Allah will reward you, and He is the best and most generous rewarder “and know that people’s need to you is one of Allah’s rewards that He bestowed upon you” For when you give you will feel better and your spirit will rise to a higher level”. Do not ever stop giving lest it will turn against you … O people, be generous, and you will assure a position of leadership... be misers and you will be neglected… Know that the best charity is the one given to those who do not expect it… and the best forgiveness is the one made when you have the power [to punish].. and the best socializing is the one with those who have boycotted you…

This is Imam Hussein and those are his advice and recommendations. Come let us learn from him how lo love Allah more; how to obey Allah more... how to love one another more… how to unite more and how to do good more.

Ashoura is a big responsibility. It asks: What did you learn? What did you gain? what change has it made in you? For it carries all this spirituality and all this good.

The Intifada goes on , and the Mujahideen continue to overcome all the security arrangements, and prove the Zionist government and Sharon that their security and aggression project has failed and that the daily practice of the Israeli Army of incursions into the Palestinian territories to chase wanted militants is a counterproductive weapon. This was evident since the Martyr operations have been increasing.

Not only do these operations represent a retaliation for the Israeli aggressions, but they also represent a message to the American envoy who came to solve the Israeli problem without any concern to the plight of the Palestinians, he has played into Israel’s hand by focusing on marginal details, instead of the central issue of occupation.

The American president was disappointed in the fact that the “violence” did not stop, since he was unable to make the Palestinian people succumb to the Israeli demands. We have noticed the same attitude in Cheney’s visit who proved, by refusing to meet with the Palestinians that America is not neutral as its is supposed to be an honest “broker”.

The current situation in Palestine will remain one of an action from one party and a reaction from the other, with the American weapons, used for killing the Palestinian people destroying its infrastructure and demolishing its houses. The American green light might turn into a yellow one at times to pay some lip-service to the Arabs but it will always provide a cover for the Israeli aggression.

On the other hand, the Palestinians have to preserve their national unity, since it is the only road to victory… Moreover, the Arab and Muslim masses as well as all freedom-loving nations in the world have to uphold their responsibility in standing with this wounded people that faces the American and Zionist terrorism.

The civilized world ought to stand against this American and Israeli state terrorism, instead of being deceived by the Americans and enter in an alliance against the free nations, that oppose arrogance and its exploitation of their resources and confiscation of its political will. The problem of the International arrogance, especially America, lies in the fact that they did not ask themselves about the reasons that make the world’s weakened hate them. If it does so they will understand that such a hatred is not due to a belief in a religion or a terrorist mood, but rather out of the anger of those who want political and economic freedom. They are looking for peace, but those who talk about peace are the ones that wage wars against the oppressed every where.

To this respect CIA director, George Tenet, said in his testimony before the US Senate: There is no difference between Shiite and Sunni terrorism. Distinguishing between them is no longer accepted, because there is a common interest that binds them: to act against the US and its Allies in the Middle East” He then accused Iraq and Iran of being associated with Al-Qaida without providing any proof, and asserted that terror will increase in the region because of poverty and racial tension. Such statements make us wonder if America is trying to incite the Americans against those who oppose its policies as a prelude to its second phase of its war against terrorism.

Furthermore: If America really believes that poverty and the like are behind terrorism why does not it try to address its causes instead of attacking various nations? Lastly: Whey have they started to talk about the Shiites and Sunnis, and why did not they talk about “terrorism” of non Muslims? Is it because they want to continue their war against Islam.

As for the Arabs Summit, the Arab leaders are supposed to rise to the level of their responsibility towards the need of Arab peoples for a free future that is not dominated politically and economically by the arrogant powers.

If the Arab leaders are trying through their political imitative to show that they want freedom, then they should know that America and Israel will try to sink any imitative in the maze of negotiations.

In this stage, and in this moment in which we have reached a critical crossroad, we bear a huge responsibility to rise to the level of challenge of founding a new Arab free world. Talking about real politics only means that we accept the statuesque, claiming it is the best possible.

The future is not yours, and holding the posts you hold, means only that you are delegated by your peoples, and therefore you do not have the right to sign any resolution they do not agree upon unless it promotes their freedom, glory and dignity.

We are all waiting, together with history, and we will either curse or appreciate you.

In Lebanon we need to enhance our political stability and freeze all the differences that could wait, for things around us are turning upside down, as a result of the arrogant offensive that wants to impose the Israeli conditions on all of us including the coming Arab Summit.