Beirut Friday prayer: The Islamic conceptualization of freedom

The First Sermon

In the first sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, talked about the issue of freedom, based on the definition given by Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.), who said: “A (true) free is (the one) free in all situations.” He would not, in any situation, accept slavery, no matter how hard the circumstances were. If he was hit by calamity, he would be patient, even if he were to be imprisoned. As an example, the Imam cited Prophet Yusuf  (a.s.) whose will was not conquered neither by the depth of the well he was deserted in nor by the darkness and torture of the prison.

Furthermore, if you believe in Allah then you are free, for religion per se is the gate of the human beings to freedom. When Allah calls on man to serve Him alone, that is because He is equal to all others. Imam Ali (a.s.) explains that “Adam was not born a slave or a servant. All men are free.”  He (a.s.) also says: “Do not be the slave of another being. God has created you free.”

Thus, according to Islam, freedom does not come from the outside as a gift; it is an internal decision to be free and not to be subjugated by any external power. If one decides to be free, he will be free even in jail. Islam has even rejected the logic of those who do not rebel against injustice, asking them to migrate to preserve their freedom: for He says: “(The angels) will ask: In what were ye engaged? They will say: ‘We were oppressed in the land.’ (The angels) will say: ‘Was not Allah's earth spacious that ye could have migrated therein?’” (04:97).

In this respect, there is a misconception among the people that those who adhere to the teachings of religion are complicated and do not enjoy the freedom of action or movement. This is certainly false for the deeper you become immersed in serving Allah, the more sublime and free you will become, since you would break all chains, whether those of desires or those imposed by an unjust ruler.

The Sayyed, then, turned to the concept of freedom that is spread among the youth, nowadays, who think that being free means that they can commit any sin they want including, for example, reckless driving and drinking alcohol. He explained that such freedom is irresponsible and it would only lead to chaos and become a problem per se instead of being a means to solve problems.

Imam As-Sadiq (a.s.) has outlined to his followers the path to a free and dignified life that is based on respecting the other and adopting sublime manners and merciful tolerance. He advises his followers to: “Maintain relationships with your kinfolk, attend their funerals, visit their sick, and fulfill their right. If a man of you is pious in his religion, truthful in his speech, and returns the trusts, and they say he is a Ja'afari, I will be pleased…But if he was not, then I will be affected by his disgrace.”

The Second Sermon

In the second sermon, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah began by making an appeal for the unity of Muslims to be able to fight for the sake of Palestine and the other Muslim causes.

He then turned to the 9/11 anniversary and said that America resorted to unjustified violence to deal with this condemned terrorist act, warning that violence will only produce more violence. The Sayyed said that America should understand that our religion calls for mercy, love, peace and openness on the others and that the problem between America and our nation would be solved when the former stops applying double standards and standing with oppression and occupation, as is the case in Palestine.

The Sayyed condemned the offense against the Messenger (p.) and wondered how could the so-called “freedom of expression” allow the distortion of the image of the Prophet (p.) and hurt the feelings of billions of Muslims. The Sayyed called on the Muslim states and peoples to unify their ranks in the face of this scheme, yet by resorting to civilized methods of expression that will not lead to turmoil or present a distorted image of Muslims.

As for Syria, the Sayyed said that the quartet meeting in Cairo is a good start, since it represents a beginning of a dialogue the parties that are the most influential on the situation in Syria (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and Turkey).

In Lebanon, the Sayyed praised the act of freeing the kidnapped Syrians and Turks, hoping that this step would be a positive message to all what is related to the issue of the kidnapped.

He explained that he has said from the beginning that there is no juristic ruling that could justify kidnapping and that he had urged the state to deal with the problem as quickly as possible so as to prevent any reaction that might lead to an irresponsible attitude.

Moreover, “we would like the government to find quick solutions to the pressing demands, such as the salaries, the electric power… etc.” Lastly, the Sayyed hoped that the Pope's visit to Lebanon will further strengthen the Muslim – Christian relations in the country and throughout the east.

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