AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Hojat al-Islam Sayyid Sadr al-Din Qabanchi, the Friday Prayer Leader of Najaf, in his Friday sermons delivered at the Fatimiyah Grand Hussainiya in Najaf, elaborated on his views regarding important issues in Iraq and the region.
Regarding the weapons file in Iraq, which he described as a "hot file," the Friday Prayer Leader of Najaf said, "Our view is that this file must be pursued with national management, free from foreign pressure, and by seeking the opinion of the religious authority. The internal and external risks surrounding Iraq must be considered; because the ultimate goal is the preservation of security, independence, and national sovereignty. In the shadow of this triangle, the weapons file must be examined, and the final word on it belongs to the religious authority, because they are the ones who issue the fatwa."
In another part, Hojat al-Islam Sayyid Sadr al-Din Qabanchi referred to the reports of the "Martyrs Institution" and said, "This institution has reported the existence of 20,000 cases of deaths without bodies across Iraq, with Anbar province at the top of this list. The institution has also reported 22,000 cases of violations and document forgery, among which the names of 471 Ba'athists and 2,302 terrorists have been recorded on the martyrs' lists. Therefore, we ask the Martyrs Institution to cleanse these lists of terrorists, Ba'athists, and fabricated names, and we thank this institution for its efforts and sincerity in pursuing this case."
Regarding the situation in the region, the Friday Prayer Leader of Najaf said, "Bahrain has revoked the citizenship of 69 individuals, including a number of religious scholars. Their charges have been stated as disrupting national loyalty, sympathizing with Iran, and sectarian behavior. Even Muhammad Ghuloum, a eulogist of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) and the composer of the elegy 'Peace be upon you, O Mahdi,' had his citizenship revoked. Yesterday, a young Bahraini, Mahdi Zuhair, was imprisoned solely for publicly reciting the Ziyarat of Imam Hussain (a.s.). These are examples of the war against Shiites that the region is grappling with. One must avoid divisive language against Shiites and coexist with everyone in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood."
In his religious sermon, after recommending piety, Hojat al-Islam Sayyid Sadr al-Din Qabanchi said, "We are on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hassan Askari (a.s.), and here we recite some of his hadiths and wills."
He added, "The Imam (a.s.) said, 'There are two qualities above which there is nothing: faith in God and benefiting one's brothers.' This hadith emphasizes the human and moral dimension of a believing person's character; because faith should not be separated from serving others and righteous deeds."
Imam Askari's (a.s.) Will to the Shiites; Be an Adornment, Not a Disgrace
He continued, "Also in his will to the Shiites, it is stated: 'I advise you to have piety and restraint in your religion. Fear God and be an adornment (for us), not a disgrace. Draw every love toward us and repel every ugliness from us. Remember God frequently, remember death, recite the Quran, and send blessings upon the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), for sending blessings upon the Messenger of God brings ten rewards.'"
The Friday Prayer Leader of Najaf noted, "The historical period in which Imam Hassan Askari (a.s.) lived under the strict Abbasid rule during the time of Mutawakkil and after was a period of genocide, uprooting, pursuit, and suppression of Shiites, to the extent that pursuit and uprooting reached the point where Imam Hassan Askari (a.s.) forbade his Shiites from even greeting him."
He continued, "The situation under the efforts of genocide and uprooting reached a point where Imam Askari (a.s.) ordered his Shiites to wear the ring on the left hand instead of the right, and said, 'We had ordered you to wear the ring on the right hand, but now we order you to wear it on the left so that you may not be recognized.'"
Hojat al-Islam Sayyid Sadr al-Din Qabanchi stated, "Perhaps the most important role that Imam Hassan Askari (a.s.) played, after saving his Shiites from uprooting, was preparing the ground for the occultation of Imam Mahdi (a.s.) and drawing a roadmap for the Shiites during the period of occultation, to the extent that it is narrated from him: 'As for the jurists who protect themselves, preserve their religion, oppose their desires, and obey the command of their master, the common people must follow them.'"
In conclusion, he said, "Here, the principle of emulation and referring to jurists was emphasized, and thus the Shiite sect and the Shiite Ummah were preserved; if it were not for this, Shiism would have been destroyed."
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