In The Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful.
His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque, Jamada Al-thaniya 06, 1441H/ January 31 , 2020 A.D. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries and thousands of believers attended the Jumu’a prayer. Following is an edited text of the sermons
The first sermon
Allah, The Most Exalted, says in His Glorious Book:“Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household and to purify you with [extensive] purification…”[x4; y6]Allah, The Most Exalted, speaks the truth.Three days ago the death anniversary of the purified, the steadfast affirmer of truth(Sidieqah) Lady Fatima Az-Zahra (a.s,) passed, in accordance with the narration that reports that she passed away 95 days after the Prophet’s death.This tragic event that broke the heart of Imams Ali (a.s.),Al-Hassan, Al-Hussein, Zainab and Um-Kalthoum as well as all the lovers and followers of Ahl Al-Beit and renewed their grief over the Messenger(p.) which was most visible in the Commander of the Faithful eulogy of her:“O' Prophet of Allah, peace be upon you from me and from your daughter who has come to you and who has hastened to meet you. O' Prophet of Allah, my patience about your chosen (daughter) has been exhausted, and my power of endurance has weakened, except that I have ground for consolation in having endured the great hardship and heart-rending event of your separation...”,“Verily we are Allah's and verily unto Him shall we return”.[2; 156]
“Now, the trust has been returned and what had been given has been taken back. As to my grief, it knows no bounds, and as to my nights. They will remain sleepless till Allah chooses for me the house in which you are now residing.
Certainly, your daughter would tellof the oppression you ofyour ummah (people). You ask her in detail and get all the news about the position”.
As we commemorate this anniversary, we wish to inspire some of the events in her life to emulate her; and be loyal and faithful to her.
It is narrated that Fatima (a.s.)complained once from all the house shores she had to do in addition to her public duties.Therefore,Imam Ali (a.s.)asked Fatima (a.s.) to beseech her father to send a servant to help them. When Fatima (a.s.)visited her father to ask him, she became too embarrassed to ask for help. She left without mentioning why she had come. That night after the Prophet (p.)came knocking at their door, she received him, along with her husband, Imam Ali(a.s.), and told him about her need.
The Prophet(p.) who loved his daughter to the extent that she was the spirit that was inside him would not have possibly refused such a request, but he sought something else, for both Fatima(a.s.) and Ali (a.s.).
TasbihatAz-Zahra
He sat beside them and told them that the most effective form of aid is to say 33 times “Subhan Allah”(Glory be to God,) 33 Alhamdulilah, (Thanks be to God) and 34 Allahu Akbar (God is Great) before sleeping. By this guidance, the Messenger has honored his daughter, as this tasbiha(prayer)became known as tasbihatAz-Zahra, which the Hadiths have pointed out to its significance and the effectsit has on those who recite it.Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) was quoted as saying :“Tasbihat of Lady Fatima (a.s.), every day after every prayer, is more pleasant to me than one thousand rak'as of prayer in every day. AndAllah has not been worshiped by anything except for prayers better than tasbihAz- Zahra”.
Nevertheless,the value andsignificance of this Tasbihatis, like any other form of worship, associated with feeling it by the heart andnotonly saying it by the tongue.Moreover, for the mentioning of Allah, The Most Exalted, to play its role, it should be accurate and complete. Imam As-Sadiq(a.s.)advises us to repeat the whole Tasbihat , if we have any doubt concerning the numbers of therecitation.
The spiritual and educational benefits
The spiritual and educational benefitsof the Tasbihatare numerous. They include firstly the benefits of mentioning(remembering )Allah, The Most Exalted :The Messenger(p.) said that remembering Allah, The Most Exalted, is the most loved deed by Allah, The Most Exalted, surpassing even the fight for his cause, it has also been narrated that mentioning Allah, The Most Exalted, is the pleasure of the lovers and the food of the souls and the one that expels Satan.We also saydescribing God in our supplication:“whose Name is a medicine and Whose remembrance is a cure…” Allah, The Most Exalted, has promised that He will not forget those who remember Him. He said: “Soremember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me”[x4; y6].Imam AS-Sadiq (a.s.) says: “O, Abu Haroun! The same way we order our children to pray, we order them to [recite] Tasbiha of Lady Fatima (a). So persist with this Tasbih, because every servant [of God] who persist with that will not be unhappy”.Thus, reciting Tasbiha of Az-Zahra(a.s.) assures the hearts:“Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured”. And conversely:“So remind, if the reminder should benefit”[x4; y6];
“He who fears [ Allah ] will be reminded.But the wretched one will avoid it -[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire”[x4; y6].
The significance of TasbihatAz-Zahra
The Hadith says that he who recites Tasbihat of Az-Zahra would mention Allah, The Most Exalted, a lot, as He urged us to do: “You who have believed, remember(mention ) Allah with much remembrance” [x4; y6].The Hadith says that he who mentions Allah, The Most Exalted, a lot, (much remembrance)Allah, The Most Exalted, would love him,and he who mentions Allah, The Most Exalted, a lot,“will be safe from the fire and free from hypocrisy”.
TasbihatAz-Zahra was considered among the prayers of much remembrance because of the number of times Allah, The Most Exalted, is mentioned in it, especially if it is recited at the end of each prayer, and before going to bed…
It is also significant because it glorifies Allah, The Most Exalted, thanks Him and declares that He is the Almighty who isvoid of any weakness and deficiency.
This is but a little of what LadyFatima (a.s.)taught us.In addition, the only way to be faithful to her is by being committed to what she has adheredto. She was faithful to God. She lovedand mentioned Him .She worshipped and prayed to Him until her feet were swollen, and served His creations.
Being loyal and faithful to her is to love Allah, The Most Exalted, and worship Him and serve His creations as she did.
The second sermon
Worshippers of Allah, The Most Exalted: I advise you and myself by the advice of Allah, The Most Exalted, when He said: “O you who have believed, seek help through…more