FRIDAY SPEECH June 1, 2001

One of the infallible Imams that God had purified is Imam Abu Muhammad, Al –Hassan bin Ali Al-Askari, the 11th Imam of blessed chain of Ahl-Beit, whose death anniversary was yesterday 8 Rabi-al-Awal. As usual, we would like to take this opportunity to learn about their life and teachings so as to maintain our relationship with them and base it on what nourishes the mind, elevates the soul, and gives us strength and the ability to keep following the right path. For the relation between the Messenger (P), the Imams and us is not just a case of acknowledging their prophet-hood or imamate and then keep leading the life you chose. In this respect God says:

“Obey Allah and the Messenger”

”You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for him who hopes in Allah and the final Day and who remembers Allah much” (S33: 21).

Do not think that it is easy to follow their model you need fight against yourself. Imam Ali the father of all the Imams, told his followers that he knows they cannot live the same the way he did, and asked them to, at least, help him to continue leading the pious, ascetic and righteous type of life he led.

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir asked:

“Is it enough to say you love Ali and believe in his Imamate without following him? The Messenger is better than Ali and you cannot say that you love the Messenger and not follow his commands?”.

To follow the Messenger and the Imams is to be committed to their beliefs, sentiments, ideas and actions. That is why we have to learn about their sayings, actions stands, beliefs and religious sciences.

Although Imam Al-Askari died young, for he was poisoned, he had a great intellectual impact on his contemporaries. He taught many religious scholars, who used to consider him as their religious authority. He had such a great social and political position that no one else matched, even some of the dignitaries of Bani Hashim. The Abbasid Caliphs also respected him and feared him, for the people used to believe in his imamate, and this made him the only legitimate leader who was feared, like all the other Imams, by the de-facto rulers, who persecuted them and kept close watch on their actions.

One of the ministers of the Abbasid Caliphs of that time was criticized by his son for showing a great respect for the Imam that he did not see his father maintain for anybody else. The minister told his son: ”Were the Abbasids to lose the caliphate none of the Bani Hashim deserves to be a caliph other than him. He is so pious, righteous, of good manners and of neglect to worldly gains…” Having heard such a testimony from his father, the son began to investigate the matter and found out that the Imam was the most respected even among the leaders and dignitaries of Bani Hashim including the Abbasids, and even among his enemies.

In another story, Al-Mutawikil, one of the Abbasid caliphs, imprisoned the Imam. And as if this was not enough some of the Abbasids, met the jail warden and asked him to tighten the grip on him. The warden said: I have asked two of the toughest and meanest men to take care of him, but they soon began to dedicate their time to prayers.

The warden called the jailers and asked them,” what is the matter with you?” They said: “What could we do with a man who fasts all day and stays up all night praying. He does not talk and does not engage in anything other than worship. And if we look at him, we will start trembling…

On this anniversary, we ought to listen to some of the Imam’s teachings:

“I ask you to fear God, be pious, truthful, as well as trustworthy. I ask you to return what you are entrusted with to its owners be they good or bad. I also ask you to be good neighbors…”

Imam Al-Askari, and the other Imams who came before him, used to tell the Shiites to remain integrated and not separate themselves from the other Muslims. He said:

Pray among them. Take part in their funerals, visit their sick ones and give them what is due to them. If any of you is known to be pious truthful, trustworthy and of good manners, I will be glad when they say he is a Shiite… You should make the people believe we are good and not bring us humiliation. Because the good they say about us is true while the bad is not. Anyone who claims a legitimacy that is written in God’s Book, a relation to the Prophet, and purification from God apart from us is a liar.

Keep remembering God (SWT) and death and this will keep you pious and righteous.

These are some of the teachings the Imam used to repeat to his followers, and we being among those followers have to abide by them and follow the right path.

Worshippers of Allah, be pious and always stay on the right side against any injustice or arrogance whatever you risk losing or suffering.

Anniversary of Imam Khomeini`s death

As the anniversary of the death of Imam Khomeini is in a few days, I would like to say a few words about him:

The Imam was able to stand firmly against the greatest power on earth until the tyrant regime in Iran fell. He then founded the Islamic republic that not only became the base for the Islamic international movement but also the country from whom all liberation movements and freedom fighters seek their support and inspiration.

The Imam’s objective was not limited to the Islamic republic for he used to be concerned with every Islamic and liberation movement that was about to fight international arrogance. He was always concerned with the unity of Muslims, for he believed that this is the only way the Muslim and national movements could become victorious, especially in their major struggle in Palestine.

And since the Islamic Republic is providing all kinds of visible and invisible support for the Palestinian people, we can see that they are still adhering to the Imam’s strategic Islamic of enabling the Palestinians to achieve their goals in the same way the Lebanese did with the help of the Iranians too.

But the Imam’s teachings were not limited to the Palestinian cause. In fact, if we want to follow the line of the Imam we have to stand with Islam as a whole and be concerned with the victory of Islam in the whole world.

From this Islamic viewpoint, we look at occupied Palestine where the Intifada has astonished the world. It has entered its ninth month without showing any sign of fatigue, despite all the causalities and destruction it has endured.

The incredible steadfastness of the Palestinians has made the enemy resort to deception in talking about accepting a ceasefire, having failed to stop the Intifada.

The enemy is talking about a proposal put forward by Sharon to the American envoy, to ask the Palestinian Authority to declare a three month ceasefire as a period of ”testing and restoring calm” to be followed by security coordination, and confidence building measures”.

But, we in Lebanon have already experienced the enemy’s false promises whether from Rabin or Netanyahu.

This Israeli proposal proves one thing only: The enemy has begun to get tired and the Intifada has begun to yield its fruits. The people and Mujahideen’s pressures have began to shake the ground the settlers stand on, especially after we heard them talking about their suspicion of Sharon’s ability to contain the Intifada. The Palestinians should reject all these Israeli offers (as the Lebanese did) in order to achieve the final victory.

We are aware that the last American initiative does not aim at containing the “violence” but rather at saving the Israelis having felt that the turn of events is in the Palestinians` favor.

None of the Palestinians or the Arabs should help the Israelis get out of the state of panic that is overwhelming them, whether by accepting a ceasefire, a return to the negotiations table or security coordination. The Palestinian struggle is now focused on the major issues of liberation and independence and they will not go back to being preoccupied with such details. It is the final battle that needs a lot sacrifice and dedication, and all the Arabs and Muslims should provide all support at this critical stage.

In Lebanon, the government is being pressurized to deploy the army in the South. These pressures are led by the US that aims to close the Lebanese front in its effort to besiege the Intifada, for the enemy realizes the grave threat that any coordination between the Lebanese and the Palestinians could ultimately pose on it.

On this occasion, I would like to express my belief that the statements made by the Lebanese president during his visit to France conform to the Lebanese aspirations of achieving complete sovereignty and to the strategy of the struggle with the enemy in which the government does not beg for certain trivial aids.

I would also like to emphasize that a row over the legitimacy of the operations that aim to liberate the Sheba’a farms does not serve the Lebanese interests. Especially when Lebanon is faced with intensive American and Israeli pressures. Any doubting of the Lebanese sovereignty over the Sheba’a farms helps these pressures whether they were made with this propose in mind or not.

In these circumstances, any political rows between the state’s officials that aim to score personal points or serve factional interests are counterproductive. Lebanon that is being looked up to as an example and inspirer of liberation does not need such rows. It needs an atmosphere of unity that rallies behind the strategic line of liberation.

Lastly, I would like to point out an issue that affect our society, economy and health, that of smoking. The whole world is fighting this habit after statistics have proved that millions of people are dying as a result of smoking being a major cause of cancer.

A few years ago I issued a fatwa making all kinds of smoking (cigarettes ,pipe, hubbly -bubbly…. etc) unlawful because it is unlawful for man to harm himself. Now, I would like to add an additional point: It is also unlawful to harm others through passive smoking that harms your wife, guests and especially your children.

The whole world now is moving to ban smoking in public places as a step to ban it completely, just as it banned drugs.