Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech on Holy Prophet’s Birthday (Part 1)

Full speech delivered by Hizbullah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah during the ceremony held on the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Birthday and al-Imdad Association Day on Friday January 9, 2015.

Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech on Holy Prophet’s Birthday

I take refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Peace be upon the Seal of Prophets, our Master and Prophet, Abi Al Qassem Mohammad, on his chaste and pure Household, on his chosen companions and on all messengers and prophets.

Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings. I salute all those participating in this kind occasion whether in this hall in the Southern Suburbs of Beirut, Baalbeck, Hermel, Nabatiyeh or Hanaway. I also extend my regards to all those who are watching or listening. Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessing. First, I would like to felicitate and congratulate all Muslims and all humanity on the anniversary of the birthday of the Holy Prophet – The Seal of Prophets – Abi Al Qassem Mohammad (Peace be upon him and his Household) that coincides also with the anniversary of the birthday of his grandson – the Master of the nation and of all jurists – Imam Jaafar Sadeq (Peace be upon him).

As we are still close to the anniversary of the blessed birthday of Jesus Christ (Peace be upon him), we greet all Christians and Muslims on this occasion as well on the occasion of the New Year.

The first group of people whom we are supposed to salute and address at this moment is the officers and soldiers of the Lebanese Army, security forces, and the Islamic Resistance men who are deployed on the borders and are providing the country with security and safety and protecting it against “Israeli” aggressions and threats and against Takfiri terrorist attacks. On those days and especially on the past days and nights and up to this very day, they are defending their country, people, and both sides of the border within the Lebanese territories and also inside the Syrian land in snow, cold, frost, high positions and hills at an elevation of 2000 and 2500 meters, and in harsh and tough conditions.

Still, they insist on steadfastness and perseverance and on assuming this major national, legal, and moral responsibility. They are the true followers of the Great Prophet of Allah (PBUH) and the true defenders of the Lebanese people and of humanity in this country. I also salute the families of martyrs because was it not for the blood and sacrifices of these martyrs Lebanon and the region would have been in a very different position.

Also before ushering in the topics of the speech, I pause on the decease of a great national personality. I mean Premier Omar Karami (May Allah have mercy on him). PM Karami used to have a great national position that used to truly support the causes of the nation and the resistance movements in Lebanon and Palestine in confronting the Zionist Project. He was a noble, righteous, committed, and sacrifice-offering political and national personality. We ask Allah Al Mighty to have mercy on him, to bestow patience on his kind family, and to aid his son – MP Faisal Karami – in moving on the same path and in shouldering his father’s trust as he is competent of that.

On the occasion of the ceremony and “the Week of Supporting Orphans”, I salute all the brothers and sisters in the Imam Khomeini (al -Imdad) Charity Association whether in Lebanon or in the central administration in the Islamic Republic in Iran. I thank them in your name. I thank all the workers and volunteers for their efforts and for their care and support of the honorable families who have lost their breadwinner and especially for their moral, emotional, educational, and financial support of orphans. This is one of the greatest and most honorable deeds that please Allah Al Mighty and make man closer to Him.

Brothers and sisters! On this kind occasion and in the available time, I would like to set a brief outline as usual. I have a word on the occasion, a word on al-Imdad and the orphans, a word on the Lebanese situation, and a word on the situation in the region. Inshallah I will be as concise as possible and wrap all of these topics in the available time limit.

First, regarding the occasion, this year we have chosen the slogan of “Mohammad – The Prophet of Mercy”. No doubt, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was one of the greatest manifestations of divine mercy in this universe on the level of humanity as well as on the level of all creatures. Allah Al Mighty addresses him saying: {We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures}. All what our Prophet (PBUH) came with was in its truth, essence, and spirit a mercy from Allah Al Mighty to humans and to all creatures in this world as well as in the Hereafter. From the very beginning, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) guided his companions, followers, and all those who believe in him all through history and until Doom’s Day to refine themselves and attain the distinctive feature of Allah which is that of mercy. He called on them to be characterized by divine morals. In fact, we do not need evidence on that.

However, unfortunately, we are obliged to give evidence in this time we are living. That’s why the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) taught us to begin every saying or every deed with (In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful). We are asked to bring our children on doing this. This is one of the confirmed favorable deeds among Muslims and in the religion of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH).

Though all the Beautiful Attributes are for Allah, the central and most primary supplication is to call Allah as “The Most Compassionate and The Most Merciful” and to ask Him by His Mercy. The Fatiha of Our Quran and the first Surah in the Quran of Mohammad (PBUH) is {In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful * Praise be to Allah, The Cherisher and Sustained of the Worlds * The Compassionate, The Most Merciful}. When Allah Al Mighty wanted Mohammad (PBUH) to make us know Him – as one of the missions of prophets is to make humanity know their Lord, Creator, Founder, Endower, and the One Who decides their affairs, fates, livelihood, ages, deaths, and destinies – He made him introduce us to Him as The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. This education, this focus, and this orientation are not on the level of saying or a slogan to be raised. It is to pass into our hearts, souls, behaviors, deeds, bodies, and spirits. By the way, reiterating this Praise to Allah is favorable in all circumstances whether I am not saying anything or doing anything, but rather I am just sitting.

Some Prophetic Traditions and some senior scholars view that the best Praise to Allah or one of the best Praises to Allah is “In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful”. The goal from reiterating this Praise is to make it pass to our souls and spirits so that we would be people of mercy. We find this mercy in the Prophet’s (PBUH) conduct with his wives, family, relatives, friends, foes, and all those around him. We notice his mercy in peace as well as in war. We notice his mercy, modesty, and perfect morals in all the details of his holy life: in his behavior, sayings, teachings, and the rules of his code.

Mercy is the feature of all of these aspects. Anyway, this has been taken for granted over hundreds of years. Neither I nor anyone needed to talk about Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as a Prophet of Mercy. However today, unfortunately, we have become in dire need of that due to the conduct of some terrorist Takfiri groups which have attributed themselves to Islam, the Prophet of Islam, and the banner of Islam. Through their sayings and deeds and through their inhuman, brutal, violent, and savage practices, these terrorist groups have insulted the Prophet of Allah, the religion of Allah, the prophets of Allah, the Book of Allah, and the nation of Muslims more than his enemies and even more than those who composed insulting books, made insulting movies, or drew insulting sketches. All of these are offensive; however, it is most offensive when heads are cut, chests are ripped apart, hearts are stabbed, massacres are perpetrated, and thousands are slaughtered in minutes and in hours.

All of this is being filmed to the entire world to see. People are being killed in Yemen and in other countries only because they are marking the anniversary of the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH)! In the eyes of these Takfiri groups, this is atheism or unbelief. Do these groups have the right to present themselves as defenders of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) or as representing the Prophet of Allah?!

Today, this is one of the major threats and ordeals confronted by our religion and nation. It is a looming sorrow that has defeated all aspects of happiness and joy on such an occasion. A host of factors amplified these insults and their impact:

First: The magnitude and nature of the cruel and brutal practices and their geographic spread – in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and all around the world as they covered now the countries that exported these individuals to us, granted them visas, and provided them with facilitations. This has been expected from the very first day.

Second: Media outlets which are transmitting all of these atrocities and broadcasting them to every house.

Third: The cunning of the enemies who are lurking for this Prophet, this religion, and this nation.

I can say that these are among the factors through which these groups have offended the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) more than in any time in history. I am responsible of what I am saying. You may inquire and scrutinize in history since the beginning of the Prophet’s mission. The magnitude of the insult perpetrated by these groups is massive and crucial and unprecedented in history. This is one of the major challenges to be confronted by the Islamic nation, Muslims, Muslim scholars, and Islamic movements today. All of us must assume responsibility.

In this framework, no doubt there are missions that we must all assume. It is required that we recall these responsibilities on the occasion of the birthday of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) including the duty of introducing the Prophet, his Quran, his religion, his teachings, his morals, and his life to the world in every possible way and in all the available means. This is the positive side. However, there is another point which we must be aware and careful of. It is the solidarity of the Islamic nation and the followers of the various Islamic sects. In the Week of Unity among Muslims, we must all unite in face of these practices to deny any ties between them and Islam. Moreover, we must unite to confront these terrorist Takfiri groups and exert every effort to isolate them, besiege them, and eradicate them, to say it openly.

To be frank, I would like to say today that these groups have always and are still forming a threat to the peoples of the region, the nations in the region, and the map of the region. They pose a threat to our blood, wealth, honor, dignity, fate, future, present, and every right thing. Still, it has become evident that they are posing a threat to what is above politics, security, dignity, and everything – meaning Islam itself, the Prophet, and the Qoran. These groups form the greatest threat to Islam as Islam, as a religion, as a mission and to the Prophet of Allah (PBUH), the Prophet’s stature, and to this Holy Book. Scholars know that when it comes to defending Islam as Islam, the religion as a religion, and the divine mission as a divine mission many conditions that are taken into consideration when confronting and assuming responsibility fall. In fact, things reach the level that led Abu Abdullah Al Hussein (PBUH) to leave to Karbala despite having few supporters and humble capacities. As we say in all Ashura occasions, the battle in Karbala was above all to defend Islam. All Muslim scholars and Muslims shoulder this responsibility of confronting the terrorist Takfiri groups. The issue is not anymore limited to defending certain regions, peoples, minorities, majorities, moderates, governments, a political map, or the future of the region.

The issue has become more sublime and lofty. It has become the defense of Islam which is threatened with the conduct, logic, and practices of these groups on the level of the world and not on the level of a certain country or region. All of us must assume this responsibility.

The second point has to do with orphans and al-Imdad Charity. One of the manifestations of mercy in this divine religion is this great care for a special social group – the poor, the needy, and especially orphans. Though the mission of the Holy Qoran is not to get into details and especially legislative details – which was the primary mission of the Prophet (PBUH) -, we find a great Qoranic assert on the cause of this group of people and especially orphans. Orphans were mentioned in the Holy Qoran 23 times in 12 Surahs and in 22 Ayahs – meaning on various occasions and at different times.

When orphans are mentioned, they are mentioned in the framework of primary instructions and not in the framework of marginal, minor, or secondary instructions. So they are mentioned rather in the primary instructions that Allah Al Mighty made to His people through the Qoran. Allah Al Mighty says: {Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your sides, the wayfarer, and what your right hand possesses; for Allah loves not the arrogant, the vainglorious} See that Allah Al Mighty mentions the parents and the relatives followed directly by the orphans.

Accordingly, there are several Qoranic Ayahs that assert and recommend supporting the orphans, preserving their dignity, taking care of their spiritual status and their social future, and seeking to unite them in wedlock. One of the important points that are recommended by the Qoranic Ayahs is guarding the wealth of orphans to the extent that Allah Al Mighty threatens those who embezzle the money of orphans with Hellfire. See this great interest which is not limited to a sheer moral recommendation. The instruction mounts to the level of a commitment which is to be rewarded with Heavens and punished with Hellfire in case of embezzling the money of the orphan or hurting him.

An orphan himself, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) showed great interest in this framework through Holy Traditions, through his conduct, and through asserting this concept. We are talking about supporting the orphan not only through providing him financially or with food, schooling, and healthcare. We are talking about a general comprehensive support. An orphan is in need of moral and spiritual support. By losing his father, he did not lose the breadwinner only. He lost the tender father, the refuge, the guider, and the person who takes his hand to overcome the difficulties of this life. The support required here is moral, spiritual, and educational. Indeed part of the support is financial manifested in providing these orphans with the necessities of life.

Here I cite a quote to assert what I am saying. In the will Amir Al Mumineen makes before his death, he says: “What a kind man is he who supports the orphans. Do not leave them hungry. Don’t let them feel lost as long as you are there to support them. I have heard the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) saying: “Allah will reward with Heavens whoever supports an orphan until he is able to support himself as Allah Al Mighty will punish in Hellfire whoever embezzles the money of orphans.” The Prophet of Allah (PBUH) gave the evidence, and it was quoted by Imam Ali (PBUH).

The Prophet of Allah (PBUH) made another recommendation. He says: “Be a merciful father to the orphan”. The Prophet (PBUH) also raises the level of favoring such deeds saying: “I and the God-fearing supporter of the orphan are as these two in Heavens” and he raised his forefinger and middle finger. This narration is known by all Muslims. So he is not saying that the supporter of the orphan will be rewarded with Heavens only; he will also have a status close to that of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) – that being the highest and most sublime status there. That’s why he raises both his fingers. So the supporter of orphans is close to the Prophet of Allah (PBUH). This is his position. This is at a time such a simile or this kind of expression or such mentioning of a lofty position is rarely made. There might be other places in which such a status is mentioned but they are rare and special occasions. Furthermore, the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) makes a recommendation to those with merciless hearts.

This Tradition is of great benefit to us in this time in which the owners of merciless hearts have become very numerous. We need to have merciful hearts at our homes and with our families, children, wives, relatives, neighbors, and those around us. Anyway, the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) addresses a man saying: “Do you wish to have a merciful heart and to achieve your need? Then have pity of orphans, pat on their heads, and feed them from your own food.” So this leads to having a merciful heart. What does make a heart full of mercy? Psychologists must work on this. This deed also leads to achieving your need. If you have a need – any need – for this world or for the Hereafter, and you want Allah Al Mighty to make it come true, if you find the doors locked before you, one of the ways that help you achieve it is having pity on orphans.

See the story is not limited to money, food, drink, and medicine. “Have pity on orphans, pat on their heads, and feed them from your own food.” Bring the orphan to your home. Let him sit on your table. Let him sit among your wife and children. Feed him from your own food. As such your heart will be merciful, and your need will be achieved. This is the recommended level of support. Through these instructions we can understand that orphans must be supported and taken care of in their own homes and among their own families in principle. So if we can keep the orphan with his mother, this is a priority. She would take care of him and raise him while giving him her love. This would take place while we support this mother and this orphan and this family. This is the first priority because this guarantees support with all its various dimensions.

Here we must salute all mothers who lost their husbands whether through martyrdom or through natural death or for any reason. We salute the wives of martyrs, the mothers of orphans, and all orphans and not only the orphans of martyrs. I know that many of these mothers have sacrificed their personal future and their personal lives to raise up these orphans. This is one of the greatest deeds that bring man close to Allah Al Mighty. This is a great form of jihad in the sake of Allah Al Mighty which a woman or a mother or a wife can do. If we cannot leave the orphan with his mother, he must stay with his family – his grandfather or his grandmother or his relatives. If that is not possible, we must keep him with a family. It is important that he be in a family. The orphanage is an exception. It is an indispensible need and a necessity at some stages. However, it must be the last position.

This must be the program of all charities which care for orphans. They must be committed to these priorities because these priorities were clearly given and implied from the content of the Holy Traditions and Narrations. Praise be to Allah many of these societies and orphanages take this into consideration. On top of these charities comes al-Imdad Charity which is proud of a special feature – that it was founded by Imam Khomeini (May Allah sanctify his secret) and developed and grew under his sponsorship. Nowadays it carries on its work in Iran, Lebanon, and several countries in the world under the sponsorship of His Eminence Imam Khamenai (May Allah prolong his lifespan), and it still carries this name Imam Khomeini al-Imdad Committee. We hope that all believers and all kind people – whether men or women – would support al-Imdad Charity and the other similar societies to enable them to assume this responsibility on behalf of all of us because this collective social show of solidarity brings us all closer to Allah Al Mighty and makes our society and our families enjoy the mercy and sympathy of Allah Al Mighty.

The brothers and sisters in al-Imdad Charity have called for a campaign to support 4050 orphans. I support them in their call and call on others to support them; everyone according to his capacity. The burden must not be left aside. All of us must cooperate to shoulder it. We are all hope also that the brothers and sisters in al-Imdad Charity will always be fit to assume this responsibility on the moral, behavioral, spiritual, logistic, and executive level as they have always been in the past. We hope they will carry on assuming this responsibility as concerning the families that have no supporters and especially orphans as this is the will of our Prophet (PBUH).