Beirut Friday Parayer Led by Sayyed Ali Fadlullah at Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque

Following is a summary:The First SermonIn the first sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, celebrated the anniversary of the conquest of Mecca. He elaborated first on the preparations the Prophet (p.) took to ensure that the conquest would take place without spilling any blood.The first step was travelling secretly until he reached the vicinity of Mecca. Then, he asked each fighter to set a fire at night to make an impression that the Muslim’s army was huge, and he made sure that Abu Sufian sees for himself how huge this army is. The third and most important measure he took was proclaiming that he who enters the house of Abu Sufian or the mosque or stays in his house would be safe. Not only did the Messenger (p.) want to conquest Mecca without shedding any blood, but he also proved that he was the most merciful human being ever. He did not prosecute those who tortured him, and he told the people of Quraish that they were all free. He asked the people: "O people of Quraish, what do you think of the treatment that I should accord you?" They said: "Mercy, O Prophet of Allah. We expect nothing but good from you." Thereupon, Muhammad (p.) declared: “Go, you are free”.Prophet Muhammad (p.) did not even punish the slave who killed his uncle Hamza, or Hind the woman who ate from his liver. We usually invoke Allah to forgive the ones we love, but Muhammad (p.) used to ask for forgiveness even for his enemies. He set out the most magnificent example of forgiveness.His leadership was not a leadership of killing or vengeance, nor was it one of division. It was a leadership concerned with the nation’s interests and welfare.The second sermonIn the second sermon, His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlullah, talked about the issue of Jerusalem, as the last Friday of the month of Ramadan is the Day of Jerusalem. He called for upholding the slogan of liberating it, although such a slogan might not seem realistic in view of the current divisions and strifes in the Arab and Islamic world, but he emphasized that this goal would become feasible once we decide to refuse our current situation and work on building our strength.Out of this concern for Jerusalem and Palestine, the Sayyed rejected the strategy of negotiations that the Palestinian Authority is putting its stakes on, since the enemy does not wish to offer any concessions; rather, it seeks to stall and kill time to build additional settlements. He called on the Palestinians to unite and adopt the only language the enemy understands; that of force and Intifada.The same concern for Jerusalem and Palestine calls on us to stop the blood-shedding in Iraq and Syria, as well as Egypt in which the language of threats could lead to the outbreak of violence.The Sayyyed said that Lebanon is in dire need for an internal dialogue that discusses all issues in a responsible manner to be able to face the internal and external threats, especially that those who aims at undermining its security have started to plant bombs or fire rockets aiming to divide the Lebanese.The Sayyed ended his sermon by appealing to the Muslim nation that is living today a state of divisions and strife to follow the example of their leader who came to complete sublime manners, and to seek to be merciful and forgiving in order to unite and work for the good and welfare of the Islamic nation/129