FRIDAY SPEECH October 26, 2001

Every now and then, we find that we need to go back and consult Imam Ali, for he is the one who said: If all the Barriers were removed my belief would not have increased. He is the man who lived solely for God and left nothing for himself:

“And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah. Allah is affectionate to servants”.

Ali lived with the Messenger (P) from the day he was born until Muhammad (p.) met his God. and learned all his knowledge.

Did not the prophet say: I am the city of Knowledge and Ali is its gate. Who wants to enter it, has to go through the gate”. The Imam used to preach and advise round the clock, even on his death bed, telling them about all that they need to strengthen their ties with God, with one another and with life around them.

Furthermore, when we read Ali, we find out that he was not talking for those who lived at his age but rather for all generations. Because he is telling the truth truth which is not ,by its very nature, limited to a certain timeor place,.

So, let us go and benefit from some of his teachings.

The Imam was asked about the meaning of Good

(And from among you there should be a party who invite for good).

Contrary to what some people believe good does not mean to have a lot of money or children, but a lot of knowledge

“Are those who know and those who do not know alike”.

Knowledge is the balance of value man is weighed with.

The Imam says: “The worth of each of you is what he masters”.In the light of this, he who loves the good for himself out to seek to learn and acquire knowledge. Each field in life has its own knowledge and science: Politics religion, economy, trade… etc. Man has always to live in a state of emergency that makes him ready to learn… Knowledge makes you enlightened while living in ignorance is living in darkness… You do not have to go to college to learn… You can learn from experience. Public wisdom advises us to consult those who were in the same situation,” and Don’t ask a doctor”.

We have to learn from the experiences of those who came before us, and especially from the learned and wise ones… The woman at home and the worker in his factory could listen to the Islamic radio stations that provide a lot of education in various fields or they could ask Islamic scholars when they meet them.

This is what makes the community an educated one.

Saying we do not have time” is not true, for we have ample time, to the extent that we go out to spend time… Spending time in doing nothing is killing time, and such a nation; a nation that kills its time, is a nation that does not respect its age.

Thus we have to make use of our time to learn about all what we need in our life and religion… We have to know how to pray, fast and perform pilgrimage, as well as the essentials and details of what we do in life.

Imam Ali continues his talk about the good by saying: and to become more tolerant and prudent”. Tolerance and prudence are the basis of morals, for you have to be tolerant and prudent to face crisis, endure pains, and forebear the harm of others…”You have to boast of your worship of God”. For it is actions and not talks that count and worshiping is by no means fasting and praying only. It is also how you act towards yourself and towards others. You have to obey Allah in everything you do… Our traditions tell us that the “best worship is chastity... and “if you do good you ought to thank God and if it was bad or evil you ought to ask for forgiveness. The good of this world is best for two men: one who repents if he sins and one who hastens to do good, for no deed is of little worth if it is accompanied by piety. How could what is accepted be little?

There is another saying for the Imam which we tend to repeat because it is very important…” Do not use Allah’s grace in disobeying Him”… It is not logical that Allah gives you one of His graces and you use it to fight Him with it.. But since everything in this world is a grace that Allah has bestowed, then you cannot disobey Allah…

Yet there are many in this world whom you teach and educate, but once they start on their own they use what they have learned to hurt you. If this is inappropriate among human beings- How could we act like this with God.

The time will come when we have to stand before God and be judged. We have to be prepared for such a day and think before we do any action or say anything: does it please Allah or not .

”The day when every soul shall come pleading for itself

, with no one to defend you but your good deeds, will certainly come. Are you prepared for this day?

We ask Allah, the All-Mighty, to help us against ourselves with what He helps the faithful believers on themselves… we ask Him to guide us to the right path, the path He is satisfied with.

Worshippers of Allah (SWT)…. Be Pious…. For piety is the path to Heaven… Do not wrong one another and do not support the wrongdoers.

On the contrary, you ought to stand up to them each according to his potential. Do not be misled by their slogans like the one they are using now “fighting terrorism”. For you ought to differentiate between terrorism and fighting for freedom.

We have repeated several times that we are against terrorism that targets innocent civilians, but fighting the occupier is not terrorism. It is a struggle that is approved by all religions, and civilizations. But they stamp all those who stand against their policies and interests or the interests of their allies as terrorism. Thus, they considered the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon and the Intifada in Palestine as terrorism. But when it comes to Israel, they considered the Zionist brutality as a form of self-defense. We ought to face such an arrogance that appoints itself a prosecutor and judge at the same time.

In the course of one week only, more than 50 martyrs and hundreds of injured fell in Palestine.

Scores of houses and thousands of acres of gardens were destroyed. In addition, all Palestinian cities and towns are still suffering of the suffocating besiege.

All this was met by an American “understanding”, a warm welcome to the enemy’s foreign minister and some hypocritical words saying that it is “appropriate for the Israelis to withdraw”.

There is a common language between the Israelis and the Americans in claming that what the two parties are doing is fighting terrorism. Therefore, America is the one responsible for all these massacres, for it is the Americans who are providing all moral and physical support for the enemy.

Meanwhile, the European Union is practicing political hypocrisy, giving the Arabs verbal words of understanding and giving the Israelis sound support.

The UN is playing the part of a false witness calling the Israelis to withdraw but with a resolution that is non- committal. The Arabs are running after America offering their support to its war against the Muslims in Afghanistan.

Thus, The Arabs Have no policy towards the Palestinian question, were not for some fluid words that practically mean nothing. The states of the Islamic Conference Organization are totally absent. The Palestinians are left on their own for all this international and Arabic climate has only one goal :to weaken the Intifada and end it. They are now trying to pressurize the Palestinian Authority to arrest the Mujahiden and hand them to the enemy.

But the Palestinians should know that Israel has entered a huge impasse, despite all its arrogance and barbarian acts.

They should also know that America will not stand with the right-even if it were for once. Their only choice is to go on with their Intifada until liberation. For this is their fate and this is the destiny Allah wants them to achieve.

The picture in Afghanistan is getting more tragic everyday, with hundreds of children, women and the elderly getting killed by the American warplanes. They have become their ideal target with schools, mosques, and international relief centers being the favorite targets for these planes. Although as much as a thousand civilians have been killed and several thousands injured the Americans, are still talking about unintentional mistakes.

The question is: does America want to kill as many civilians as those who died in the attack on the World trade Center and the Pentagon. We believe that what is going on, with the events reaching the level of killing and dislocating a whole nation, has made the issue one that all Muslims shoul hold the responsibility for. They should not join any coalition that targets their fallow innocent Muslims. This is not a coalition against terrorism. What America is doing is terrorism itself, but it is the terrorism of a superpower and its ally (Israel).

The Muslims have to remember that the Prophet said that he who does not answer the call of a fellow
Muslim for help, is not a Muslim. We have to keep away in this stage from sectarian sensitivity… For our Islamic unity is our major source of strength.

Daily Israeli aggressions against Lebanon continue, with the Israeli warplanes flying over the Lebanese territories and with several border zones shelled… Meanwhile America is offering advice- and even threats-to stop the Resistance from continuing the liberation process. At the same time, a vicious attempt is being carried out to incite internal strife with the bombing of mosques and churches. But we believe that the Lebanese have matured and will not fall for such traps. Such childish games are nothing but bubbles in a roaring river… National unity is the fortified castle the Lebanese should take refuge in.

Other vital issues like filling the vacancies in the civil service or the university, providing essential services and being balanced in studying the country’s political problems, should be addressed away of the mentality of sharing the cake… the country needs qualified , dedicated and honest civil servants to develop and prosper and not the thieves and opportunist losers who currently fill the administration.