Friday speeches 17 JumadaII 1423h/15August 2003AD

Two qualities are among the most prominent qualities that make man uphold his responsibility whether with regard to truth or to people and life. These qualities were represented by the actions and sayings of God’s Messenger(p.), before and after he became a prophet, to the extent that they became a part of his name. When the tribe of Quraish wanted to talk about Muhammad(p.) it used to call him the truthful and the trustworthy.

These two qualities are the pillars that societies are built on. Being truthful is being committed to the truth in all your positions and actions. You would be truthful with God by doing all that He pleases. And you would be truthful towards yourself in that you would not cheat it. As for being truthful with others it should include all human beings. There is no difference in this regard between a believer and a pagan, a just or other wise. Being truthful does not have anything to do with others; it has to do with your honesty. You either adhere to truth or you don’t.

Secondly being trustworthy means being committed to preserve any money you are entrusted with, but it also means being honest and idealistic in performing any job you are paid to do, any political office you hold or any religious duty Allah has entrusted you with:” Surely We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to undertake it and feared from it, and man .And man assumed it surely he is unjust, ignorant.” (33:72).

Thus trustworthiness is not restricted to the money someone might entrust you with. It extends to all your responsibilities, including your work. If truthfulness with Allah, others and yourself will lead to a life that remains detached from falsehood, deceit and cheating, trustworthiness means that you uphold all the responsibilities and duties of life you are entrusted with.

The traditions of the Prophet(p.) and the infallible Imams(a.s.) have emphasized the call of the Quran to acquire these two qualities. Imam Al-Sadiq(a.s.) asserts the fact that Allah, the most Exalted, wants us to return the trusts to their rightful owners. He says: “Allah did not send any prophet except with truthfulness and returning the trusts…” These two moral traits constitute the heading of all messages, for they build one’s relations with God and fellow humans; they also build the community and give life an extension, a power and openness.

In another saying, the Imam(a.s.) talks about the criteria that distinguish the Muslim. He refutes the idea that such a criteria could be the prayers, the fast, the pilgrimage and the like, and asserts that a Muslim is judged by his actions: He says: “Do not be deceived by their praying or fasting… but test them when it comes to truthfulness and returning the trusts”...Watch how they act at home, at work or in the community at large…

In emphasizing the importance of being truthful, the Imams used to ask those who came to memorize their sayings to learn how to be truthful before they learn them and narrate them to others . Imam Jaa’far al-Sadiq(a.s.) advised one of his followers to learn what made Ali (a.s.) attain that supreme position in the Prophet’s eyes and adopt it. For “Ali did not reach the position he did, except by being truthful and returning the trusts ” to their owners. Muhammad (p.) loved Ali (a.s.) all that love and made him that close to him because he was truthful and trustworthy. If you want me to love you and make you as close to me as Ali (a.s.) was to Muhammad(p.) you have to be truthful and trustworthy.

Imam Al-Sadiq(a.s.) called his followers to stick to the truth regardless if the people believed them or not. What is important is that Allah, the most Exalted, believed them and they believed themselves.

The Imam(a.s.) also explained that Allah called Prophet Ismail(a.s.) the truthful, because he promised a man to meet him in a certain place without setting a fixed time, and he remained for a whole year waiting for him to come.

Imam Al-Baqir(a.s.) also emphasized that telling the truth is very important, because Allah will see your actions, and because you yourself will know that you are truthful when you tell the truth.

He advised all religious men, preachers and all Muslims in general to call for God not only by the tongue, but by acting as a role model. People should see that you do your best to obey Allah and that you are truthful in what you say and that you refrain from what Allah has deemed unlawful.

Being truthful in your sayings and promises represents the straight line that if people follow they will feel tranquility and stability, while if they lie they might act in a way that wrongs others as well as life itself.

Religion is truthfulness and trustfulness... Truthfulness with God and trustfulness in that you are worthy of what Allah entrusted you with towards other people, which means that you ought not, to say the least, betray them whether in their private affairs, or public issues… This is the Islamic virtue that Allah, the most Exalted, wants us to acquire so as to be close and faithful to Him, as well as to life and fellow human beings. And this is what we have to educate ourselves and the coming generations on.

America has condemned the military retaliation the Intifada carried out in response to the Israeli assassinations, invasions and imprisonment of Palestinians. In its view, this represents a “terrorist activity” that should be punished by the Palestinian Authority. On the other hand, America did not say a word regarding all the Israeli Army violations of the truce and the various atrocities the Zionists commit daily. It only utters a few meaningless words about the need for both parties to be committed to the “Road Map”. Meaning that the Intifada organizations should be dismantled, since, as they claim, they are derailing the road for peace, the Zionist opposition of the Road Map in principle notwithstanding.

We understand by this biased policy that they want to stop the Intifada in all its forms, without any commitment to withdrawal from the occupied lands and without any support for the Palestinian Authority in the face of Zionist aggression... They want this Authority to be subjected to the Jewish extortion, and thus to enter the negotiations without any cards to play, which will drive them to offer concessions in the various critical issues, especially these of Jerusalem, the refugees, the settlements…

Moreover, not only will they have no card to play but they will be all alone without any international support.

In this respect, we noticed that the European Union that is trying to renew its relations with America and Israel has denounced the Intifada operation, without comparing it with the Israeli crimes of killing Palestinians and destroying their houses… We were also surprised by their condemnation of the retaliation of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon for killing the Resistance Mujahid, Ali Saleh.

It seems that this assassination is the beginning of new trend in the Israeli aggression similar to that of killing the Intifada militants in Palestine, thus returning Lebanon to the same whirlpool it has gone out of, since the end of the war.

The Arab and Muslim peoples ought to remain watchful for everything that is happening on the Palestinian front. They ought to try to exercise pressure to stop all actions that aim at executing the American -Israeli strategy of ending the cause of Palestine. It is an issue of critical significance that determines the Arabs and Muslims’ destiny.

Iraq remains an open wound that is vulnerable to catch any symptoms. The security there is not the security of the citizens, while basic services are still missing despite all the promises that the occupation authorities had given… Several civilian women, children and man are being daily killed by the Americans who are applying the Iron fist policy under the pretence of searching for the traces of Saddam and company.

We say to our people In Iraq: You are still in a state of danger. The occupation has a plan that does not intersect with your interests but with its own. Therefore, you ought not to be deceived by the occupation’s sweet promises of freedom and prosperity... This does not mean that you have to stand still and wait. You ought to employ smart cautiousness and let those of the faithful who are not manipulated by the occupation run your affairs, so as to maintain law and order and preserve the comprehensive liberating slogan: “No for occupation”

Iraq must be free of any foreign forces, and all plans should be set up to achieve this goal by all possible means.

In Lebanon, some have been talking about administrative reform, but who has the power to hold those who politically protect corruption into account? Administrative corruption is a product of political corruption. Those who have influence should, if they are honest, put to trial those who belong to them before those who belong to others. In any case who is going to reform whom with the corruption reaching the inner fabric of political life of the country?

As for the power shortage, we have two choices either total blackout or borrowing money.

The traditional question in this matter is: will the promised investigation reach a decisive result or will this file will join the other files in the drawers until another file is opened and a comprise between the high officials is reached to protect criminals who are considered of this party or that?

We do not want to run away from the internal dangers by talking about external threats, for it is the social and economic security that provides the solid base to confront the external threats.

We have to confront deprivation and neglect in the homeland just as we confront the enemy. Any defeat in one front, will undoubtedly affect the other.