Ali in the House of Allah

Tomorrow we will celebrate the birth anniversary of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali bin Abi Talib, whom Allah has honoured by making it take place in Kabaa' where one before him or after him was born. This birth is very symbolic, since it indicates that the entire life of this man will be in the House of Allah, and in every place Islam Allah wanted him be in the establish Islam's dignity and power.

Ali (a.s.) was not of those who loved wars but his reasonability towards Islam was so big that he responded to all calls whenever Islam was in danger and needed support.

That is why Ali's (a.s.) struggle was a prayer to God, just as his guiding and teaching people, as well as his incredible patience were, since prayers is any action that one does with the intention of nearing to Allah is a prayer.

We also know that Ali was raised by the Messenger, since Ali’s (a.s.) father had a lot of children and could not afford to support all of them. Thus he lived with the Messenger(p.) who used to take him to Hira' where the Prophet(p.) used to contemplate and where Allah assigned one of the greatest angels to educate him, Islamically and spiritually which Ali also lived. He says: you knew how close I was to the Prophet (p.), who used to hug me, make me sleep in his bed, and even chew the food for me. He then adds that he used to follow the Prophet(p.)  like a baby camel following his mother. Thus the character and personality of the Messenger(p.) were imprinted in Ali (a.s.),  for the Prophet(p.) used to teach him something new in knowledge and morals everyday, and ask him to learn it and abide by it.

The Islam of the mind and heart

Such a bringing up made Ali (a.s.) think and act like an adult. Thus when Allah sent the Messenger(p.) with the Message, he called on Ali to embrace Islam, while Ali was ten years old.

And when Ali agreed, it was because he lived the meaning of Islam in his heart and mind.

It was not the Islam of a child as some try to envisage. It was the Islam of one of a big mind that was educated and raised by the Messenger.

It is said that when Ali declared his Islam, he was told that children ask their parents before taking such a decision and he told them: “God did not consult my father before creating me". He continued to live in the Messenger's house, and the Messenger (p.) used to recite each Ayah that he received. He also used to hear Jibril when he came to the Prophet(p.) who told him: You see what I see and hear what I hear, but you are not a prophet.

The Imam also said: "Nobody performed prayers before me, except the Messenger." He used to pray behind him with Khadija praying behind them. Once his father saw him praying behind the Messenger and he asked his son Jaafar to pray next to him.

This indicates that Abu Talib was a Muslim, but like the believer of Al-Pharaoh, he concealed his belief to protect the Messenger.

Ali (a.s.) lived with the Messenger(p.) and learnt his knowledge. The Prophet says: I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate", and Ali says: The Messenger taught me one thousands fields of knowledge of each a thousand doors are opened to me.

And the Messenger used to believe, having followed up all of Ali's actions and sayings that Ali (a.s.) embodies the right in his behaviour, relations, peace, war and in every thing he says. He has sold himself to God, as the Ayah that was revealed when he slept in the Messenger's bed to enable Muhammad to immigrate states: And there is the type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is full of kindness to (His) devotees.

Ali and Islam:

Ali fought with Muhammad all the wars that the latter was forced to fight. He was the hero of all these wars, although he did not learn how to fight or took a training course.

It was his commitment to Islam and his dedication and courage that enabled him to fight like the best of trained fighters. That is why when he fought the war of Badr and killed half of the unbelievers on his own that were killed in that battles. Jibril said: "There is no hero but Ali and no sword except Zulfikar".

That is how we know why the Messenger talked about Ali (a.s.) like no other companion, although they were older than Ali. He says: The right is with Ali and Ali is with the Right". Ali and the Quran will always be together until they come to Heaven". Aren't you satisfied to be with respect to me like Haroon was to Moses", a partner in everything with the exception of not being a prophet. The Prophet was not being emotional, since all what he says in being revealed to him.

Ali (a.s.) was the person who has all knowledge, belief ,dedication and Islam. In the battle of Ahzab, when Amr bin Abd wud was challenging the Muslims to fight him the Prophet asked: Who will fight Amr? And I guarantee that God will put him in heaven. He repeated the question three times and each time only Ali (a.s.) said “I will”. Deciding reluctantly to send him, the holy Prophet then recited this verse from The Holy Koran out loud: My Lord, do not leave me without an heir, and You are the best inheritor."

And then when Ali (a.s.) went out to fight Amr, the Messenger(p.) said:

And when Ali (a.s.) killed him, the Messenger(p.) said:

It was he who preserved the worship and religion of Muslims, because the unbelievers were seeking to end all Islam. And that is why the words of Muhammad were the words of revelation.

And when Muhammad was about to die, he gathered the people who were accompanying him in his farewell Pilgrimage and asked them: Do I not have more right over the believers than that they have over themselves? And God says: The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on themselves

The People cried and answered: 

He then held up the hand of 'Ali and said: 

"For whomever I am his Leader (mawla), 'Ali is his Leader (mawla)." O' God, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him." This means that he appointed Ali as a ruler for he wanted him to preserve Islam after his death, as he preserved it under his leadership.

Ali's support of Islam

After the death of Prophets Ali was denied his right, but despite of what he had to endure, he felt that he should support Islam whether a caliph or not. He gave advice to those who came before him and said: I would keep peaceful so long as the affairs of Muslims are secured and the only injustice that has taken place has befallen on me only

This was Ali's agenda to assure that Muslims will not grow weak. He said in his speech to the people of Egypt: I was shocked when I heard the people pledging legality to Abi Bakr

… But when I heard that there were people who wish to destroy Islam, I was afraid that if I do not support Islam even if I were denied my rights, there will be a catastrophe that is far greater than assuming the post of ruling, which is something very trivial that will last for a few days and then disappear like clouds, I had to act until the falsehood was defeated.

And we saw him continuing his march of supporting Islam. And then when he became a caliph, they put barriers on his road. Describing this stage he said:

When I took up the reins of government one party broke away and another turned disobedient while the rest began acting wrongfully as if they had not heard the word of Alláh saying:

That abode in the hereafter, We assign it for those who intend not to exult themselves in the earth, nor (to make) mischief (therein); and the end is (best) for the pious ones.

Yes, by Allah, they had heard it and understood it but the world appeared glittering in their eyes and its embellishments seduced them. Behold, by Him who split the grain (to grow) and created living beings, if people had not come to me and supporters had not exhausted the argument and if there had been no pledge of Allah with the learned to the effect that they should not acquiesce in the gluttony of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed I would have cast the rope of Caliphate on its own shoulders, and would have given the last one the same treatment as to the first one. Then you would have seen that in my view this world of yours is no better than the sneezing of a goat.

One of his companions, Darrar bin Hamza Ad-Dabbabi, describes him to Muawiyah after he was martyred: By God, one night I saw him standing in his place of worship when the dark night had engulfed everything; tears were rolling down on his face and beard; he was restless like a snake-bitten person and was weeping like a bereaved man."

"It seems as if even now I am hearing his voice as he was addressing the world: 'O World, thou is coming towards me and want to lure me? Go deceive someone else. Thy time is not come. I have divorced thee thrice after when there is no return. Thy pleasure is valueless and thy importance insignificant. las! The provision is too little, the journey too long and there is no companion.

It is said that Muawiyah cried when he heard that.

Ali has lived with Allah, The Most Exalted, dedicating his life to Him. Even when he was hit by Ibn Malgam he said:

It was as if he was going over all his life and deciding that this is the end Allah is pleased with.

Allah loved Ali like he loved no one after the Messenger. That is why Muhammad describes him at Khaibar: "I will give the banner tomorrow to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger and who is loved by Allah and His Messenger. A man who attacks and never backs away…"

That is why we love Ali all that love and declare our support for his Imamate and rule. We are still learning from him since he is still among us in everything he said and did.

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The Second Sermon

The Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, continues his meetings with the Palestinians and the Israelis amidst scepticism over his ability to achieve any political breakthrough, as a result of the limitations, the US imposed on his mandate as a representative of the International Quartet Committee, since Israel comforted him by the call on the International Community to differentiate between the moderates and the extremists, to take a firm stand against Hamas and not to attribute any legitimacy to it as long as it does not recognize Israel.

The enemy's Foreign Minister declared that the road to the Palestinians’ state passes through their own war on terrorism, meaning that they should end the resistance and preserve at the same time the security political and economic freedoms of Israel in continuing to execute its plan in assassinating and detaining Palestinians activists, and storming Palestinian villages and towns. This suggests that the task of the international Quartet Committee is to waste time until Israel implements its strategy of controlling most of the Palestinian lands.

Media sources have reported lately that Tel Aviv is ready to discuss the main issues including the borders and the political framework, but only in a general meaner. Because it is too soon, as Olmet says, to talk about resuming final status negotiations. The Israeli plan is to postpone, as long as it can, the talks about any decisive solution, just as it did since the Jews occupied Palestine armed with an American cover, a European silence and an Arab letdown… When the Israeli Foreign Minister receives Arab officials she would try to normalize political relations with them that would lead to additional Arabian concessions without realizing the dream of a viable Palestinian state.

The question is: If Blair is not authorized to meet with Hamas officials, how can he get anything done whether in building Palestinian institutions or improving the economic situation in the Palestinian lands, while the international organisations continue to exclude and ignore a large sector of the Palestinian people, which makes such a policy a failure, and one that will not produce any tangible results.

Ending the Resistance:

We say to the Palestinians: you will not reach any realistic or effective result, if you do not resume the positive dialogue between your factions, especially between Hamas and Fateh, even if you go to early elections. The split among the Palestinians will prevent any cooperation in building the state, you have to know that the International Community, and the Arab regimes are planning to deprive you of many of the sources of your strength, especially the Intifada, to facilitate the solution of on-going concessions that will tear the Palestinian state, which although might still be called a state, into separate and scattered shreds.

There has been a lot of talk about an Israeli Plan to storm Gaza, and assassinate the leaders of Hamas, that is encouraged by same of PA officials, the American Administration and the silent accepting Arabs.

If this plan is true, it will destroy the temple on the heads of all parties, since they are not seeking to destroy Hamas but rather the resistance that confronts the enemy's occupation. Then, as we all know, the Authority will not get anything since Israel that monopolizes the power will not give the Authority any power outside the realm of the Jewish national state whom the Arabs will live only on its political and economic margin.

Iranian American complications

The Americans and the Iranians continue to discuss ways of reducing the security tensions in Iraq. But America wishes to restrict the negotiations to the Iraqi issue only, especially to the American accusation of supporting Shiite militias that resist occupation. It wants Iran to stop this support to ease the security tensions on the occupation army, whose commanders have said that it will stay in Iraq for at least two years.

We believe that these meetings will not reach any conclusive results since the complications in the American-Iranian relations have exceeded the Iraqi security issue, especially that America, and the European allies, are planning for new sanctions against Iran, although some of the Western countries have asserted that there is no evidence that Iran is planning to make nuclear weapons.

America rejects peaceful solutions

The American Administration is still tampering with the security of the entire region to promote its strategic interest by all means and in all countries.

An American intelligence officer has declared that if America is attacked from the Pakistani tribe region, it will enter the region and destroy it. This proves that America does not believe in peaceful solutions to the problems it faces in this or that country. It resorts to violence only, claiming that it is fighting terrorism although this policy has failed in many parts of the world.

Turkish loyalty to Islam

The success of the Justice and Development Party in Turkey proves that the Turkish people are still loyal to Islam against those who are trying to make sectarianism a sacred taboo and which has led them to fight such Muslim symbols as the veil and religious schools.

We say to the secular forces is Turkey, especially the military, that your regime imitates the Western secularism that believes, for the most part, in freedom, therefore suffocating religious freedom indicates a social and political backwardness which is not recognized by Western secularism.

No indications for a solution

In Lebanon, the French initiative along with the Arabs initiative, is still making no progress especially that the Lebanese internal complications, such as the by-elections has opened some new wounds.

Moreover, the American movement in Lebanon, as practiced by its Ambassador, suggests to those in power that they should reject any solution to the political crisis. This will have a negative impact on the coming presidential elections, and we might have a state of vacuum that might destabilize the whole situation.

The Authority punishes the people

The ruling Authority who controls the public services, is spreading darkness in the Lebanese weakened regions, when people are suffering from blackouts in the middle of this very hot weather, while other regions including the capital enjoy round the clock power. This made a large portion of the Lebanese, especially in the suburb, feel that it is not a technical problem, but a political decision to punish the people who stood with the Resistance especially in the first anniversary of its victory against the Zionist enemy.

Is there any state in the world that would punish its people in the most difficult times of economic hardship and lack of planning to solve the complicated situation in Lebanon, leaving the citizens as confessional entities that applaud the stands of their sectarian leaders?