FRIDAY SPEECH May 18, 2001

One of the things a Muslim should learn in order to secure a place in Heaven is how to fear God. He should think about how great God is, for the more he is aware of His greatness the more he will fear Him.

But Allah is not only a powerful force. He is the aboslute power, Who has given us any power we might have or think that we have. Do we not say when we feel weak: “There is no power other than God`s” and that “To God we will return” meaning that we submit to God’s will in all what happens to us.

When man reflects on the greatness of God and the secrets he has embodied in the universe, everything else will look minute and unimportant. We might sin and disobey God’s command to please our wife or husband or to please the rich and powerful.

But this only happens when we forget how great God is. Therefore we should always keep in mind that Allah is great and fear Him. He has told us that the reward is Heaven: ”And for those who feared standing before their lord’s (tribunal) and restrained (their) soul from lower desires, There abode will be the Garden”.

In Imam Ali Bin Abi Taleb`s (AS) will for his son Imam Hassan, he says:

“I trust you to fear God in what you do in public as well as in private”.

Imam Ja`afar As Sadeq (AS) says:

“Fear Allah, as if you can see Him. Since if you don’t see Him He sees you. And if you say that He doesn’t, then you have become an unbeliever.”

Talking about the fear of Allah (SWT), the Prophet (SAWS) said:

“The believer lives between two fears: Fear of the time that has passed, which he does not know how Allah is going to judge, and the time that is still remaining.”

The Prophet (SAWS) then says that we should make sure that we take charge of what is left since we still have a chance to redeem ourselves. He added that we should do that today and not wait until tomorrow since after this world you will go either to hell or to heaven. It is your choice.

Imam Ja`afar As Sadeq (AS) quotes his father Imam Al-Baqir (AS) as saying:

“Every believer has two lights in his heart one of fear and one of hope, and if you weigh them you will find them exactly equal”.

The Light of fear makes you fear God and refrain from disobeying him, and the light of hope in God’s Mercy will prevent from feeling dispair.

The Imam then explains to us how both feelings work.

Hoping for God’s blessings and reward should lead you to make every effort to earn it, while fearing something should make you avoid it and run away from it. And since there is no fear greater than the fear from hell fire, one should run away from any unlawful desire.

On the other hand, one should endure all the hardships he meets in life since he has hope in God (SWT) . Did not he say:

” Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Who say, when afflicted with calamity: “To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return”. (S2,v155,156)

The Quran explains in several verses the reward for obeying God- Who does not want such a reward? God says:

“ Behold! Verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear nor shall they grieve”. ”Those who believe and (Constantly) guard against evil”. (S10,v62,63)

”Verily those who say.”Our lord is Allah”, and remain firm (on that path),-on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve”. (S46,v13)

I would like to refer in particular to a verse that reminds us that if we fear God, we ought to fear no one else, because God is the only source of strength:

”Those to whom men said;”A great army is gathering against you so fear them…(S3,v173)

-The whole world is against you. The kind of intimidation and progaganda that tries to defeat the fighters of the cause of Allah before they even begin to fight. But we, in a war, have proved them wrong, and that a small group of believers can fight and defeat even the most powerful army :

“But it only increased their faith. They said: “for us Allah is sufficient and He is the best Guardian.”(S3,v173)

“ And they returned with Grace and bounty from God. No harm ever touched them for they followed the path that assures God’s satisfaction… It is only Satan that suggests to you the fear of his henchmen: Do not be afraid of him but fear me if you have faith.” (S3,v174,175)

We ought to educate ourselves about the greatness of Allah (SWT). If we realize how great he is, we will fear him more and refrain from disobeying Him and keep to the right path that He ordained for our benefit in this world and in the Here after.

The Palestinian people are proving every day that they can undertake their grave responsibilities.

They are holding fast against the brutal Zionist attack that has used every means of killing and destruction possible, while the rest of the Muslims and Arabs remain silent. America in contrast, is providing every means of political and military support to the extent that one gets the impression that it has entered the war with the Zionists against the Arabs and Muslims. Europe that the Jews have denied the chance to play any role in the settlement process, is still searching for a role that serves its interests and strengthens its position. Believing that this could be done by statements that are very favorable to the Israelis. The UN for its part has become an American instrument that does not any longer, respond to the pleas of the nations especially the Palestinians who are calling it to provide international protection but to no avail.

The Zionists and the Americans are betting on the Israeli military pressure forcing the Palestinians to accept the political conditions of stopping “the violence”, that is to surrender and become a dependent people who has forgone any ambition for freedom and independence.

But the Palestinians have decided to continue their struggle until liberation. They are guided by the Holy Quranic verse that reminds Muslims that a war is made up of many battles some of which we might lose, but in the end, victory is guaranteed because we rely on God and have full trust in him. The Palestinians people have already covered the major part of the road, and the final victory of liberation is already in sight.

Meanwhile, the Arab and Muslim peoples should rebel against this political seige on the part of their regimes.

They are preventing the people from taking to the streets to protest against the Zionist brutal massacres, because they are afraid that it will turn into a condemnation of their policies of surrender… The current stage is the toughest in the history of the nation, and the nation should rise to the level of the challenge to confront and defeat the enemy for we are fighting for a free and dignified future.

At the same time, the Israeli war minister has been making threats against Lebanon and Syria that coincided with the American pressures in the form of the House of Representatives deciding to cancel the insignificant US aid to Lebanon. These threats have also concided with UN moves to decrease the number of UNIFIL soldiers in the south no doubt to force Lebanon to safeguard the Israeli border.

But Lebanon and Syria are not intimidated by these threats.

Lebanon has acquired the necessary force: its heroic Resistance, that has deprived the enemy from imposing its own rules of the game.

It has continued its operations, in the occupied territories to prove that it is still committed to the cause of Liberation, and to support the Palestinian Intifada with all possible means. This underscores the unity of the nation in its struggle against the enemy despite all the pressures.

Thus, the enemy will not be able to force its will on us no matter how big the necessary sacrifices.

The future is definitely with the people that are fighting to gain their freedom and independence.

On the internal level, our basic goal is to solidify the national unity being the solid foundation of our struggle against the occupier. It also prevents any political instability that would further worsen our economic crisis. We are at a stage that needs action not speeches, especially after the recent conferences meetings and comunique’s which have not offered the country even a glimpse of hope.

Lastly, there is a problem we have to talk about, the lay-off of a number of workers in the both the public and private sectors. Although I am in support of radical and comprehensive civil service reforms, such a task should be executed as being a part of a general economic plan that provides new job opportunities.

We do not want to solve the problem of the public sector in a way that creates a bigger social problem. Such a general approach, that relies on planning should be adopted with respect to all issues that affect a large sector of the population. We should always try to find the proper balance between the needs of the state and the needs of the people, and never take decisions like the one that permitted the certain type of fuel for automobilies and then resversed the decision a year or two later for the sake of the enviroment.

I call for a comprehensive political and economic plan that leaves no room for haphazard decisions that have destroyed a lot of potentials in the past and that I am afraid might destroy what is left.