One of those members is Imam Al-Baqir (a.s), whose death anniversary was yesterday. The Imam’s knowledge was not restricted to the Quran and the tradition but it also extended to knowledge of life and the way to confront the challenges Muslims used to face in his time. It was reported that the Roman Cesar threatened the Umayyad caliph Abdulamalik bin Marwan who wanted to coin a new currency that if he went along with this project he would issue a new currency with an inscription that curses the Prophet (p.). The Caliph felt that it was too big a problem for him to solve.

He consulted the Imam (a.s.) who advised him to go on with it because the Roman emperor was merely bluffing, for no Muslim would use a currency with such an inscription. And he was right, for when he coined the money the Romans did not do anything. They were merely conducting a psychological war of intimidation.

The Imam had a major role in the struggle between the Umayyads and the Abbasids, telling the poets who were loyal to the members of the House to support the downfall of the Ummayads. This does not mean that he sympathized with the Abbasids, but the Ummayds were extremely tyrannical and oppressive that he felt that getting rid of them was good for Muslims.

Moreover, the period of the struggle between the two dynasties was a period of relative freedom. That is why we find that most of our heritage in jurisprudence, ethics and all what is related to the attitudes and stances one should adopt in his life has come from Imam Al-Baqir and his son Imam Jaafar Al-Sadiq.

Living with God

The Imam, as the historians recordeds used to live with God at all times even while talking or walking.

He used to gather his family and tell them to do the same or read the Quran. He also used to work for a living in his ranch in Medina.

One of his contemporaries, Muhammad bin Al-Munkadam, says: I would not have believed that Ali bin Al-Hussein(a.s) would have a son who is better than him, until I saw his son Muhammad bin Ali whom I wanted to advise and ended up with him advising me. As for how this was, he said that he saw him once in high noon working in his farm in Medina and said to him: “How could one of the nobles of Quraish be working in this hour? What would you do if you die now? The Imam replied: I would die obeying one of God’s commands: to sustain myself and my family.

For working and earning money is one of the rituals of worship, if it is a lawful job that seeks no unlawful gains.

I would have been afraid if I were disobeying Allah:

The Quran was his judge

Although not that rich, the Imam used to take care of the poor people in Medina. He used also to tell the people to be sure that they knew for certain what they were talking about before they say anything… We refer those who interpret the Quran as they wish or those who discuss jurisprudence without having the required knowledge to this saying of the Imam.

He also used to say to his people that they should tell others what they would like to hear from them, preventing them from slander, for Allah does not like those who curse.

He likes those who are tolerant and those who do not envy others or take what is not lawfully theirs.

He also used to tell the people not to believe in any of the traditions they hear and refer them to the Quran. If it agrees with the Quran, then it is valid; if it does not they should discard it.

Social Consolidation

Then, the Imam discusses the issue of consolidation with the poor, especially that we nowadays find people who annually perform the pilgrimage. He tells them that supporting a poor Muslim family is better than performing Hajj over and over again. Thus, Islam believes that helping the poor is another form of worship that is no way less in rank or status than praying day and night.

He also tells the people about how to be real Shiites. He says to Jabir bin Abdallah: “Is it enough for a person to embellish himself as our Shi’a (follower) by professing love for us, the ahl al-bayt? Nay! By Allah, a person is not our follower unless he fears Allah and obeys Him. Our followers are only recognized, O Jabir, by their humility, submission, honesty, abundant praise of Allah, fasting and prayers; goodness to their parents; attention to the poor, needy, debtors, and orphans living nearby; speaking of the truth; recitation of the Quran; holding their tongues except for good words; and trustworthiness towards relatives in all affairs”.

He goes on to say that loving Muhammad (p.) who is better than Ali (a.s.) would not be of any benefit on the Day of Judgment if the person does not follow his message. Thus he tells the Shiites: “Be pious and seek to please Allah Who is not related to anyone of you. For Allah loves most those who are most pious and who obey Him the most.

No one gets closer to Allah except by obeying Him, which is also the only means to become a follower of Ahl el-Beit.

He also tells the people again and again, that saying that one is a Shiite will do him no good. For we have no relations with Allah, and the only way we draw close to Him is by being pious and obeying Him.

Therefore, those who obey Allah will benefit from being our followers, and those who do not it will do them no good”.

Moreover, the Imam has always called for being moderate and not to be extremists who exaggerate the position of Ahl el-Beit by saying things about them that they do not say about themselves. Those according to the Imam “are not a part of us, nor are we a part of them”.

Thus, I call you to study the sayings of Ahl el-Beit; and to learn that they call on us to perform our duties regarding fellow human beings. Those who call us to love and to adhere to the message of Ahl el-Beit; the message of Islam.

The Second Sermon

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Liberating the detainees: A great victory

The Mujahideen in Lebanon continue to pursue the strategy of liberation, whether that of the land or the prisoners, and for both martyrs and detainees. They look forward to the day all the occupied territories and the imprisoned people in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon are liberated. In accomplishing this, they are making their own experiment of liberation that studies every development as well as the enemy’s points of weakness and strength to pressurize the point where it hurts.

In doing this, they are telling the Arab and Muslim world, that it possesses the element of strength that should be deployed and intensified to force the enemy to accept concessions every now and then, thus undermining its morals. In the end of the day, the enemy’s soldier is not an invincible force. His courage is not the courage of a human being. It is the courage of the machine and the Mujahideen in Palestine and Lebanon have proved that they are stronger than the machine.

It is a major landmark in the history of confrontation with the enemy, representing the conscious policy of addressing challenges with wisdom, thoughtfulness and calm. We congratulate the Mujahidden on their victory, and the prisoners on their freedom. We also hope that they would be able to stay on the course they have chosen for themselves, and ask the entire nation to stand with them to achieve full liberation.

Martyrdom operations are not acts of terror

In Palestine too, we meet with the hero who executed the martyrdom operation in Jerusalem that was condemned by the governments in America and Europe as an act of terror, while they failed to say anything about the barbaric acts of the Zionists in Palestine especially the latest massacres and atrocities in Gaza that killed 13 Palestinians..

The Palestinian blood is worthless in the eyes of the arrogant and those Arabs who have grown afraid. It is only the Jewish blood that counts, and any confrontation with the Zionist “civilians” is considered terrorism.

We have stated several times that we are against killing any civilian whether a Jew or an Arab... But the fact of the matter is that the Israeli military machine is suffocating Palestine as a whole, and the Palestinians cannot but try to cut the fingers that are pressing on their necks. The Mujahdeen have repeatedly said that they will not shoot even one bullet if the Jews withdraw from the occupied territories. But Israel and America want nothing except unconditional surrender.

The Jerusalem operation has proved that the racial wall can do nothing to provide security for the Jews and showed that it only aims to usurp additional land, and further besiege the Palestinians.

The Resistance in Lebanon, along with that in Palestine are the two sources of light in this overwhelming Arab darkness…They are the movements that drive the Arab and Muslim peoples in the direction of resistance. And this is what we see in the upheaval that our peoples are exhibiting to the extent that the rulers have become afraid from it. We are certain that these points of light will increase and accumulate to create the new dawn of freedom and victory against all arrogance.

Silence all those who call to fragment Iraq

In this context, we look at the injured Iraq that still suffers from occupation, absence of security, suppress of free will and violence that sometimes lead to negative consequences and sometimes to positive ones. In this very critical stage, we ask all the faithful sons of our nation to support Iraq, and silence all those who try to fragment Iraq under any racial or sectarian pretense… All Iraqis should be united under this slogan: No to foreign occupation… Yes to the people’s free decision, and careful planning.

Lebanon: Sects are a source of richness and not division

Lebanon, that celebrates the return of its detainees and martyrs should adopt a political stand in confronting the enemy that is as powerful and courageous as that the Resistance exhibited in fighting it.

There is no place for fear and calls for surrender in the name of diplomatic real-politics. This is what the enemy wants and this is what he is exerting all pressures to make us agree to…

The Lebanese who suffered from all kinds of security, political and economic hardships should try to thwart any sectarian call that produces hate and strife… The Islamic Christian diversity is a source of spiritual and intellectual unity for both religions … They contain the same spiritual values that enable us to love one another and work together to pursue peace, and justice… Let us meet in the name of God and not fight in His name… If we do so, we will able to fight our real enemy that is producing poverty and civil strife among our people. They are depriving us from our tranquility and peace both inside and outside the country. If we can live as humans who cherish love, peace and justice, why do we create beasts inside us?