The First Sermon

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The Martyr of the Mosque

The dawn of the 19th of the month of Ramadan, was the day in which Imam Ali (a.s.) was assassinated by Abdurrahman bin Maljam. His martyrdom represented a great loss and catastrophic tragedy, since the people did not meet, after the Messenger, a man who represents Muhammad in his human and spiritual traits more than him. We know that Ali (a.s.) lived with the Messenger, as a child and gained his spirituality (a.s.), knowledge, wisdom and devotion to Allah, until he became the same as the Messenger (p.) in his mind, heart and spirit.

Then when the mission began, Ali (a.s.) was ten years old. He adhered to it, because he has lived the meaning of Islam with the Messenger (p.) before Allah called on His Messenger (p.) to start the mission, since the Messenger (p.) was educated on Islam before Allah sent him with the Message. In this respect, Imam Ali (a.s.) says: from the time of his weaning, God had put a great angel with him (the Messenger) to take him along the path of high character and behaviour throughout day and night, while I used to follow him like a young camel following the footsteps of its mother. Every day he would show me in the form of a banner some of his high traits and commanded me to follow them.

As a young man in Myakka, Ali (a.s.) used to accompany the Messenger (p.) and protect him. And when Quraish started to challenge Islam and Muslims Ali (a.s.) was the champion of Islam who was described by the Angels as "there is no man (champion or fighter for a cause) except Ali, and there is no sword except Zilfiqur (Ali (a.s.)'s sword).

The Muslim's victory in Badr was an opportunity in which he showed his courage and heroism, since he killed half of the unbelievers by himself and helped the Muslims in killing the other half. From there on Ali (a.s.) took part in every battle upholding his responsibility in defending Islam, except in the battle of Tabouk, in which the Messenger (p.) asked the Imam to stay behind.

The Imam was surprised and asked the Prophet about it, the Messenger (p.) told him: Are not you not satisfied that you are with respect to me as Haron was to Musa except that there is no prophet after me.

He also told him: You see what I see and hear what I hear but you are not a prophet. He was a student of the Messenger (p.)in all sciences.

Describing this fact he says: The Messenger (p.) taught me one thousand branches of knowledge of each one thousand branches were opened to me.

The Messenger (p.) described Ali (a.s.) as the man of the right, saying these eternal words: Ali (a.s.) is with the right and the right is with Ali (a.s.). It turns with him wherever he turns.

He also wanted the people to know that he who believe in him must believe in Ali (a.s.), he said: "Whoever I am his master. (Mawla), Ali (a.s.) is his leader (Mawla). O' God, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him, and turn the right with him wherever he turns."

Islam is more Important than the caliphate

Ali (a.s.)'s sole concern was Islam, even when he was denied his right to be caliph, which he did not care about, had it not been his right. He says that he stayed on the sidelines when people were pledging loyalty to Abi Bakir.

"But when I heard 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 falsehood was defeated.

He also used to say: I would keep the peace as along as the affairs of Muslims are secured, and the only injustice befalls on me.

He also used to say about himself: 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.

Thus, those who did not rise to the level of Islamic responsibility especially, the Kharigites, who closed their minds and did not wish to know the rights and who Ali (a.s.) was, conspired to kill the Imam, and when he was stabbed, he talked about this new development sayings:

O' people, everyone one has to meet what he wishes to avoid by running away. Death is the place to which life is driving. To run away from it means to catch it. How many days did I spend in searching for the secret of this matter, but Allah did not allow save its concealment. Alas! It is a treasured knowledge.

The last will

Even when he was dying, his only concern was Islam, he says: As for my last will, it is that concerning Allah, do not believe in a partner for Him, and concerning Muhammad (p.), do not disregard his Sunnah. Keep these two pillars and burn these two lamps. Till you are not divided, no evil will come to you. Every one of you has to bear his own burden. It has been kept light for the ignorant. Allah is Merciful. Faith is straight. The leader (Prophet) is the holder of knowledge. Yesterday I was with you; today I have become the object of a lesson for you; and tomorrow I shall leave you. Allah may forgive me and you. If the foot remains firm in this slippery place, well and good. But if the foot slips, this is because we are under the shade of branches. The passing of the winds and the canopy of the clouds whose layers are dispersed in the sky, and whose traces disappeared in the earth. I was your neighbour. My body kept you company for some days and shortly you will find just an empty body of mine which would be stationary after (all its) movement and silent after speech so that my calmness, the closing of my eyes, and the stillness of my limbs may provide you counsel, because it is more of a counsel for those who take a lesson (from it) than eloquent speech and a ready word. I am departing from you like one who is eager to meet (someone). Tomorrow you will look at my days, then my inner side will be disclosed (you will) know the secrets; I used to keep in being faithful to Allah, His Messenger (p.) and the believers, to you and you will understand me after the vacation of my place and its occupation by someone else (muawiyiah and Yazid…).

Before he went to the Mosque on the day he was stapled, he said as narrated by his son Imam Al-Hassan.

This night I saw the Messenger (p.) of Allah, may Allah bless him and give him peace, and I said, Messenger (p.)of Allah, what distress and argumentation I have received from your Ummah!, 'O Allah, give me in exchange for them what is better for me that they are, and give them in exchange for me what is worse for them than I am'".

He also said after he was hit by the sword.

"Until yesterday I was your Amir, today I am only an object from whom you can take lesson and warnings, and tomorrow I shall part company with you. If I survive this fatal wound I shall be at liberty to decide how to treat the man who attempted to kill me. If I dies then my worldly life comes to an end. If I forgive my assassin then it will be to gain the Blessings of Allah for forgiving a person who has harmed you, and it will be a good deed if you also forgive him. Do you not desire to be forgiven by the Lord? I suddenly and unexpectedly that I may hate or abhor, neither is it such a visitor whom I may refuse to meet. So far as death by martyrdom is concerned I always expected and desired it and I now welcome it like a thirsty person who finds water when he is extremely thirsty. I am a seeker whom martyrdom finds what he was seeking for. To the pious people the best is that which they find with Allah'.

The greatness of Ali (a.s.) which we all should try to emulate, lies in the fact that he wanted to apply the Sharia on himself before others, that is why he gathered his relatives and told them:

O children of Abdul Muttalib (a.s.)! Do not shed the blood of Muslims under the banner: The Imam has been assassinated! Only the assassin should be condemned to death.

If I die of this stroke of his, kill him with one similar stroke. Do not mutilate him! I have heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying "Mutilate not even a rabid dog."

Thus, this is the greatness of this Imam who left us but remained alive in our minds, hearts and feelings. We can only bow before such greatness and love him with all our hearts and minds, And we have to add that to become a follower or an adherer to this great person means to follow his course and study his thought, which was not limited to a certain time or place.

A westerner had said: Had Ali (a.s.) been present today, you would have found the Kufa mosque fall of Westerners, leaving no place for even one Arab.

Ali (a.s.) thought, wisdom and knowledge is the light that illuminates our path. May Allah's peace and blessings be on the Commander of the Faithful and the Wasi of Allah's Messenger, the day he was born, the day he was martyred and the day he will be brought back to life.

The Second Sermon

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Celebrating the anniversary of nine eleven with destructive wars

The American president George Bush, finally admitted that he was thirsty for the blood of the Iraqis.

He scolded his military commanders in Iraq who only announce the number of their death toll without recording the number or the enemy's causalities in the front he opened five years ago. This suggests that, on the seventh anniversary of nine eleven, the Americans, especially the extremists in the Republican party, that are represented by Bush, his vice and his administration, have never forgone their desire to revenge, driven by the fanaticism that is inflated by the Jewish controlled media. America is fighting an entire nation and several peoples in our regions, to the extent that war has became a part of its rituals to commemorate this infamous anniversary. This is what our Muslim and Arab peoples should be aware of, and what our officials should shoulder the responsibility of, instead of yielding to the American strategy of fighting terrorism, that is all freedom fighters who wish to liberate their country, and secure their national wealth.

America that wishes to usurp the wealth of the nations and to dominate the economics and the political decisions of all countries promote its position as a universal empire that leads the world, is creating troubles in many parts of the world, including Georgia, and the project of deploying a missile shield around the Russian federation is part of the desire to besiege Russia.

The American Administration: The Illusive Victory in Iraq

As for the relations with Europe, the American Administration tries to benefit from the political and economic weak points of the European Union, which negatively affects the latter’s political decisions. At the same time, it makes additional arm deals, especially with the Arab world although there is actually no need for them to arm, unless they are supposed to fight Iran while maintaining peace with Israel.

It is interesting to note that the strategic treaty which Iraq is forced, according to the Iraqi Foreign Minister, to conclude with the US, may be signed shortly, as a result of the American pressures, and the declared promises that it will pave the way for a big withdrawal of the American troops in 2011. Nevertheless, the Iraqi minister indicated in his statement that the treaty does not define a date for the withdrawal, which suggests that the American President wants to announce to the American public opinion that he has won his unjust war in Iraq, while he plans to stay long in this country, in accordance with his regional strategy.

We want the Iraqi people to understand the rules of the game, so as it could continue to pressurize the occupiers to withdraw as soon as possible and without any conditions. The concerned officials in Iraq should support the movement of the people since there is no legitimacy to any authority that tries to restrict the people, thus providing a cover for the occupation to stay. All Iraqi parties should unite over the fundamental goal of forcing the unconditional withdrawal of the occupation.

Palestine: The Option of Resistance and Intifada

In Israel, the enemy's prime minister, who is leaving soon, posses as political preacher, advising the Zionists in occupied Palestine to reach a quick agreement with the Palestinians, because the price the Jews will pay in the future will be huge. He also talked about the collapse of the myth of greater Israel, which points out, one way or another, to the impact of the Resistance in Lebanon and the Intifada in Palestine had on the enemy whether on its mentality or its political elite.

This fact should drive many people to adopt the Resistance as the best and the most successful option in dealing with such a hateful and arrogant enemy.

That is why we call on the Palestinian Authority, which the American Secretary of State encourages to continue the line of negotiations of appeasing the Zionists Entity and its falling leaders…We call on the PA to go back to its people and adopt the line of carefully studied confrontation with the enemy instead of falling into the hole that was dug by the American Administration, in collaboration with the Enemy's officials, and which the Palestinian structure is falling gradually in, having lost the issues of Jerusalem and the refugees, and after refusal of dismantling the settlements and the separating racial wall, which has put an end to the dream of a Palestinian state.

In this respect, it is tragic that the Arab League continues to convene, issuing only more conessional resolutions. It also does not try, as seriously as the situation impels, to resolve Palestinian differences, and even the differences between the Arab states that made the Arab League the Arab contradictions league.

Lebanon: Supporting the Lebanese Army and the Necessity of the National Dialogue

Lebanon continues to face the Israeli aggression that threatens to invade the country and destroy the Resistance, and that violates daily its airspace, and that still occupies some of its lands and refuses that its ally, the American Administration, would arm Lebanon’s army. Nevertheless there are those who were not disturbed by Israel's continuous aggression, since it occupied Palestine, but by the Resistance weapon's and call for disarming it. They do not study the capabilities of the Army to deter any Israeli aggression when it happens, nor do they study the friendships the state possesses to pressurize the enemy into withdrawing… Thus, the defence strategy should study how to give the state the force that enables it to face the enemy in any confrontation.

This requires, as a minimum, to raise the level of Lebanese Army armament, and supply it with all needs of advanced weapons, especially an air defence system that deters the daily violations of its warplanes. It also means that we should increase the number of its soldiers and provide them with the proper training that enables them to deal with the most advanced technological systems. This means also that huge financial resources should be allocated on a constant and even gradually increasing basis, since new generations of weapons continue to appear, which make the older generations obsolete, especially when compared with the new weapons Israel continues to acquire.

On the other hand, it is natural that the Resistance should support the Army, as each has a different and complementary role in defending Lebanon, whether the regular warfare of the Army or the guerrilla warfare of the Resistance… And if we are aware of the nature of the arrogant Zionist army and the implicit international consent of its schemes, we have to review all our political, economic and military policies, if we really want to confront its plots. The rich Arab countries, that interfere in the Lebanese political and security conditions in Lebanon to promote their own interests, have to grant Lebanon some of the billions it pays to America on armament, so that Lebanon will posses a defence striking force to confront the aggression they do not have to face, making their weapons unnecessary from the view points of urgent need.

Finally, we hope that the necessity of dialogue is being based on an understanding of the critical situation of the country's internal crisis in which foreign powers interfere, and not on certain sectarian or electoral calculations, or in the hope of gaining money that some Arab axis are paying to win certain political victories in Lebanon that compensate for the failures they suffer from in other places.

The parties engaged in the dialogue must understand that they do not represent themselves, but rather the Lebanese. Thus, they have to rise above their own interests to serve that of the people as a whole.