Friday speeches 12 Rajab 1425h/27 August 2004AD

"Whoever I am leader (Mawla), Ali is his Leader (Mawla). O' God, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him." “Whoever believes that I am his leader then Ali is his leader”.

O' God (SWT), side with those who side with him and be the enemy of those who are hostile to him…".

"I am the city of Knowledge and Ali is its gate". "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.

This is Imam Ali as presented in Allah's Book and in the sayings of His Messenger… On the 13th of this month Rajab, we meet with the anniversary of his distinguished birth when his mother, Fatima bint Assad, found herself in labor; she went inside the Ka’ba, as she was near the Beit Al-Haram. There, she gave birth to Ali to be the only person to be born in this most sacred place, suggesting that the child who was born there has dedicated his life starting right from the moment he was born to worship Allah and guide man to His right path standing always with the right and defending it with all the strength he had.

This is Ali, whose early childhood tells us that he was virtually the son of the Prophet not only in blood but also in educating him. The Prophet took him from his father when he was barely two years old. And he used in make him sleep with him in the same bed, playing the role of a mother too. Recalling this stage the Imam says:

You know how close I was to the Messenger… He put me in his lap and hugged me, and made me sleep in his bed, touch his body and smell his beautiful smell. He used to chew the food and give it me to eat. He never found me tell any lie or do any wrong deed. I was always with him, following him as a baby camel following its mother.

Then, as kid, Imam Ali lived with the Messenger the spirit of loving God. On this stage, the Imam recalls: “He used to teach me everyday one of his goods norms of ethics and ask me to abide by it. He used to go each year to the cave of Hiraa where I was the only one who could see him”.

Then, after the Message was initiated, he used to defend the Messenger in Mecca diving away the other kids who used to harass the Messenger.

And he continued to live with the Prophet until the latter died.

The Messenger used to go to the Al-Massged Al-Haram to pray, accompanied by Khadija and Ali only. That is why the Imam said: "Nobody has preceded me to pray except the Messenger…

He lived with the Messenger the meaning of praying as a spiritual assention to the creator.

Later on and when people began to enter the religion of Allah in companies, Ali was their teacher and guide. He was also the knight who fought for Islam as no one else did since the battle of Badr. It has been said that Ali alone has killed half the infidels and all the rest of Muslims killed the other half. It is also said that Gabriel declared that there was no champion of war other than Ali and no sword other than his sword. The Messenger said when Ali fought Amr bin Abid Wid: "Belief in its entirety has challenged unbelief as a whole".

Although Ali has, as the Messenger said, more authority on believers than they had on themselves, he did not, when he was denied his right, fight to retain it but said:" I will remain peaceful as long as the Muslims' affairs are being taken care of and the only injustice committed in against me"

Thus, he was the open minded man who advised the caliphs who preceded him, and protected them thus acting as the champion of the cause of Islamic unity.

Therefore, to all Muslims who try to undermine this unity in the name of Ali, We say that you are taking a position against Ali who was the champion of the cause of Islamic unity. If you support Ali, you ought to uphold this unity which unbelief and arrogance are trying to disrupt.

As a caliph, the Imam has always emphasized the general principles people should adopt in life. He taught them how they ought to deal with their ruler asking them not to be afraid of him or try to pay him lip service and fear him. He asked them to be frank and straight forward in criticizing him and saying what they believe to be right. For if he cannot tolerate such an advice that calls him to the right, how would he be expected to uphold the right in every action he takes.

Therefore, he wanted to teach the people to criticize and oppose any ruler who deviates.

He used to give people equal sums of money, for those who preceded him used to favor the dignitaries. He told those who were advising him to use money as a means of buying support: “You are asking me to seek victory by being unjust in what I am entrusted with… The money is not mine, it is Allah's money".

Moreover, when the so-called opposition revolted against him, what did he do?

He did not kill them or even cut their allocations, but he sought to talk to them. He only fought them when they began to threaten the well being of the nation.

He also tried to conduct a dialogue with the Prophet's companions, Talha and Zubair, and when they were killed, he attended their funeral and asked Allah to have Mercy on them.

One of the major concerns of the Imam in all his life was to educate people not only in his age but in all ages.

When we read Ali now, we feel that he is talking about our own problems, for he used to touch on the social problems talking about the sulfurings and the causes of the people. He says, for example: “O' creatures of Allah! You and whatever you desire from this world are like guests with fixed period of stay, and like debtors called upon to pay. Life is getting sort while (the records of) actions are being preserves.

Many strivers are wasting (their efforts) and many of those who exert are heading towards harm. You are in a period when steps of virtue are moving backwards, steps of evil are moving forward and Satan is increasing his eagerness to ruin people. This is the time that his equipment is strong, his traps have been spread and his prey has become easy (to catch).

Cast your glance over people wherever you like, you will see either a poor man suffering from poverty, or a rich man ignoring Allah despite His bounty over him, or a miser increasing his wealth by trampling on Allah's obligations, or an unruly person closing his ears to all counsel. Where are your good people; where are your virtuous people? Where are your high spirited men and generous men? Where are those of you who avoid deceit in their business and remain pure in their behavior? Have they not all departed from this ignoble, transitory and troublesome world? Have you not been left among people who are just like rubbish and so low that lips avoid mention of them and do not move even to condemn their low position.

…"Verily we are Allah's and verily unto him shall we return." (2:156)

Mischief has appeared and there is no one to oppose and change it, nor anyone to dissuade from it or desist from it. Do you, with these qualities, hope to secure abode in the purified neighborhoods of Allah and to be regarded His staunch lovers? Alas! Allah cannot be deceived about His paradise and His will cannot be secured save by His obedience. Allah may curse those who advise good but they themselves avoid it, and those who desist others from evil but they themselves act upon it”.

This is Imam Ali, the Imam of Knowledge, thought, piety, Islam and Jihad, for his time and for all times. Let us learn from him and consider him as our role model. Ali, the man who was born in Allah’s house, and who dedicated all his life for Allah's causes, was happy when he was killed in the mosque, because he knew that he has won the martyrdom that culminated a life of devotion and piety: “I swear by the Lord of Ka’ba that I have won”.

We cannot but love Ali with all hearts, minds and all our being.

In Palestine, we meet with the anniversary of the crime of burning with Al-Aqsa Mosque. This mosque is still subject to vicious attempts to demolish it in order to build Solomon's temple in its place.

Thus, the Muslim World should stand firmly against these plots that target one of the most sacred Islamic places; one lies in the heart of the Islamic and human dimension of the Islamic cause.

In the meantime, the hunger strike declared by the Palestinian prisoners in protest against all the Israeli brutal and savage practices goes on, and although there is some support for their cause outside Palestine, it is not up to the level of the seriousness of this issue.

As the Arab league has been talking about the need for UN interference in the prisoners’ sufferings, we call upon the league to take this issue, as well as other Palestinian issues, more seriously. The Palestinians are living in one big prison of occupation and suffering from all kinds of siege, repression and starvation.

All Arabs, Muslims and Free people in the world have reinvigorate the Palestinian cause, so as not to become a cause that has been worn out by the passage of time. Freedom and independence causes do not die as time passes along.

The brutal torture in Israeli prisons leads us to the new information that has been disclosed about the torture in American prisons whether in Iraq, Guantanamu or Afghanistan. The man who is responsible for these tortures is the American Secretary of defense who should resign. Moreover, what is happening in the Israeli and American prisons proves that American and Israel have the attitude towards violating human rights and disrespecting the human value of man.

On another level, we call on the Palestinians, who suffer also from internal problems that have to do with reform and security, not to be preoccupied with this problem in a way that makes them ignore their major cause of confronting occupation, especially the building of new settlements, which has gained American approval due to electoral considerations. Such a prospect even undermines any attempt to establish Palestinian state.

In Iraq, we are still monitoring the security events that are destroying Al-Najaf.

The American forces there continue to bomb the sacred city, benefiting from an Iraqi cover provided by the interim government.

In this respect, we have always called for establishing Al-Najaf as a city of peace that provides security for every citizen and visitor so that they can all learn the principles of Islam and piety as well as the lessons of freedom provided by its past, present and future aspirations.

Therefore, we welcome the initiative that calls for the withdrawal of American forces from the cities of Najaf and Koufa, as well as disarming them so that they can all live in peace and security. To establish this, the government should uphold its responsibilities in providing the security and the various services for the people without resorting to violent means.

And we hope that all parties would reach an agreement that serves the people’s best interests.

We continue to call for the withdrawal of occupation forces from Iraq, being the source of all evils. We also call on the Iraqi people to uphold their national and Islamic unity, and we call upon every citizen to act as a guard for the security of the country, and prepare themselves to choose the right and faithful politicians to run the country; those who do not take orders from the government but have the country's national interests in heart.

The ongoing debate in Lebanon has made the country ignore the Israeli threats to Lebanon and Syria. Israel might benefit from the American elections to make a major aggression that would destabilize the entire situation including the presidential elections.

It is also making the people turn their attention away from the economic crisis, especially with the academic year about to begin, as many families cannot afford the school feels.

The entire region is shaking as a result of the American aggressions and pressures that affect the peoples of the region, the Lebanese included. Nevertheless, many politicians are arguing about an American statement and an Arab or even an Israeli one. They are thinking about what others want from Lebanon and not what the Lebanese want. They want to adapt with the developments in a way that serves their interests even if it means siding with this axis or that. In the meantime, the Lebanese interests will have to pay the price.