Lebanese Shia cleric praised the unified Friday Prayer between Shiite and Sunni Muslims

The First SermonIn the first sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, talked about the virtue of patience. He cited the example of Prophet Ayoub who did not ask God to relief his pains and sickness except after he was isolated and left even by his wife. But when he asked God for help, he was shy because he knew that God knows what is best for him and that he should endure all what God had written for him.As for the issue of trial, it is the result of the laws that Allah has set to govern the universe. Thus, one would encounter both sweetness and bitterness, wealth and poverty, good health and sickness in life… This duality achieves balance; it is the law on the basis of which we ought to live our lives. Trials befall all people, even Prophets and Imams, and not only those who disobey Allah. It is not, as some might think, a Divine punishment for the sins one commits. The difference between one man and another lies in the way he deals with such trials. Prophet Ayoub, for example, endured his pains and sickness, which lasted for more than seven years, with content and acceptance of Allah’s trial.One should always resort to Allah and inspire strength from Him. We should accept what He has written for us to be able to continue and ultimately change things. Patience and hope in Allah are the only weapons we have to face any challenges and achieve our goals.The second sermonIn the second sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, praised the unified Friday Prayer that joined between the Shiites and the Sunnis, a symbolic move that eases the secular tension between the Iraqis who have always believed in their unity.As for Syria, the Sayyed asserted that it has become part of the struggle between regional and international axes, and it is no longer an issue of a people demanding their rights of freedom and decent living. These developments should be met by a dialogue between all the components of the Syrian people who should never rely on any external support, for the foreign powers would not provide such support except according to their own calculations that do not include the interests of the Syrians.In Lebanon, the Sayyed considered the extension of the Lebanese Parliament for its mandate a sign to the failure of the representatives of the Lebanese people to come up with a modern electoral law. He added that those who could not come up with such a law are unable to face this difficult stage with all its hardships, especially the secular tensions that are erupting in some parts of the country. To face this, the Sayyed called on the Lebanese leaders to work together to find an adequate solution. He also supported the call of the Speaker of the Parliament for a inter-Muslim dialogue./129