• Activities
• 13 Shawwal 1436

The representative of Grand Marji’ya in Europe:
• Has called for abiding to Uhlul Bait Imams’ way (P.B.U.T) by maintaining the unity of the Islamic nation without encouraging sectarian or factionist divisions.Persuading all various communities of the Iraqi society to stand firmly together with their brothers and sons of the security forces and the popular mobilisation (Al-Hashd al-Sha’bi) and tribes by supporting and helping themagainst terrorism and terrorists and those who consider other Muslims as blasphemers.
• Reminding supporters and those who offer help to the terrorists by either words or actions that those terrorists, if they gain control, they would not spare their lives or forgive them.
• Drawing the politicians’ attention to the importance of Al-Marji’y’s Fatwa which without it, they would have been forced to return back to their countries of exile where they were before the fall of Saddam’s Rule and they should not hesitate in answering the needs of the Iraqis and should adhere to Al-Marji’ya’s advices before the situation becomes uncontrollable and is too late to handle it afterwards as it would be impossible to resolve.
• Appreciating Dr El-Ibadi’s decision and his call for the ministers and those in authorities to be in touch with the ordinary people and answer their worries.

Starting his address during the Friday Congregational Prayers in Nottingham , UKwith the following verse from Qur’an, “ Verily, this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, And I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other).”

Saying that after the study of the history of Uhlul Bait’s Imams (P.B.U.T) and their pious manners in life and their relations with people, beginning with Imam Ali the leader of the believers and in the Unity of God (P.B.U.H) and other pure Imams, we would find that they had striven for the unity of Muslims in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the pious conduct of the prophet Muhammud (May Allah bless him) and this is very clear from the points which we refer to below:

1-We rule that followers of other Muslim Sects are Muslims and this can be proved through marital relations with them, the prohibition of their blood, their slaughters beingHalal, the necessity of replying to their greetings, shaking hands with them, visiting their sick ones, exchanging gifts with them among other things, and more than this, the Imams (P.B.U.T) believe that at the doomsday Allah would bestow His mercy on them and would allow them in His Paradise if their hands were not contaminated with the blood of the innocent and have not committed anyoppression against others. Imam Tabatabay relates in Al-Mizzan, volume 7 page 392to Zarara the following:” I said to him i.e. to Imam Al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H) “ May Allah improve your affairs, what about the one who prays, fasts, avoids the forbidden acts and is pious but does not acknowledge Uhlul Bait’s Imamt (P.B.U. T) and does not have any hatred to them?”He answered by saying that Allah would allow him into His paradise by His kindness. This is the important stress that unity of Muslims is very crucial.

2-The Imams’ silence about their rights to the Caliphate for the sake of maintaining the Muslims’ unity, though they werethe right claimant to it, but we notice that the Imams of Uhlul Bait (P.B.U.T) in desire for keeping the unity of Muslims, even though it is against their own legitimate rights to the Caliphate, they had preferred not to chase the issue and keep silent about them. This means that maintaining the Muslims’ unity is part of Imamt’s affairs even if it were against their own legitimate rights to the Caliphate as with Imam Ali, the leader of the believers. He had kept silent for fifteen years and he had spelled outthe reason for this by saying, “I hold no objection as long as Muslims affairs are secured and there is no injustice except to myself.”

3-Imam Al-Hassan’s acceptance (P.B.U.H) and his reconciliation with his enemy for the interest of the Umayyad by sparing Muslims’ blood, and this has been reflected in Imam Al-Hussain’s address to the leaders of Akhmass in Iraq as it was related by Sayyid Al-Muqaram in the Imam’s martyrdom story. “Now then, Allah has chosen Muhammud (May Allah bless him) from his creation and honoured him by his prophet-hood and chosen him for his message and then he passed away. The prophet hasadvised and fulfilled his mission, and we are his family members, his proponents, legal guardians and inheritors and we are the most rightful people among people for his position but some of our people appropriated it and we accepted this because we hate disunity and love the well-being, though we have more legitimate right to it than those who have claimed it.) The Imam (P.B.U.H) has spelled out the reason for being silent because he dislikes Muslims disunity in spite of his belief that he has more legitimate right to the Caliphate and Islamic leadership than any one else.

4-Imams’ relations were the same and constant with all Muslims. They have treated all Muslims equally and without prejudice. Imam Al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H) had opened the gate of his scholarly school with all its branches to all Muslims without restrictions to any sect or group, and he was very generous with his scholarly knowledge to all Muslims regardless to their background. He also exercised patience in listening to others to express their opinionsand thoughts, debating withthem transparently. Therefore, various opinions of thoughts and believes did not have negative consequences on his method. This is very obvious in his debates with blasphemers, freethinkers and with leaders of other sects such as Abu Hanifa, Malik and others. He used to debate with them amicably in order to guide them to the right path. This part of pious and amicable manner has become a guide to us when debating with others scholarly whenever it has become necessary as SayyidSharaful Din’s debate with Shaikh Al-Bashary.

5-The Uhlul Bait Imams’ guidance to their followers to cement the relations of unity with the followers of all other sects. A number of narrations stressed the importance of this such as the Imam Al-Hassan Al-Askri who reported this by saying, “Pray with their tribes, attend their funerals, visit their sick ones and give them their dues.) In Usul Al-Kafi, it was related to Imam Al-Sadiq (P.B.U.H) that the Imam was asked by Mu’awyia binWahab, “How must we act between ourselves and people of our tribe and with other people who do not follow our way, i.e. not Shia?” The Imam (P.B.U.H) answered, “Follow the steps of your Imams whom you believe in. By Allah, your Imams visit their sick people, attend the funerals of their dead, be witnesses for them and against them and they hand back anything that was held in trust to them.”

6-Uhlul Bait Imams (P.B.U.T) believe that Muslims unity is the first pillar for their strength and the disunity is the main factor for their feebleness and this is compatible with the Qur’anic instructions: “And fall into no disputes, Lest ye lose heart and your power depart”

And Imam Ali said in this regard: A group of people would never have an unanimous agreement only when their issue becomes serious and their strength is built up.” This is the civilized view of Islam as it calls for sound building for the nation to be the witness on all other nations but this cannot be achieved without the pillar of unity.

7-The warning of the Uhlul Bait Imams (P.B.U.T) from intrigue that is shrouded by different untrue mottoes and Imam Ali (P.B.U.H) was the first one to strive for the nation’s unity after the Saqifa event by diminishing it as it was about to create disunity and fighting when Abu Suffiyan came to him saying, “If you desire I would bring on them horses and warriors and encircle them. “, but Imam Ali replied to him by saying, “By Alla, you only aim by this at intrigue as you always wish evil may strike Islam. We require not thy advice.” On another occasion, Imam Ali (P.B.U.H) referred to this by saying, “O’ People steer clear through the waves of mischief by boats of deliverance, turn away from the path of dissention and put off the crowns of pride. Prosperous is one who rises with wings – when he has power- or else remains peaceful and others enjoy ease, i.e. the aspiration for Caliphate is like turbid water or like a morsel that would suffocate the person who swallows it. One who plucks fruits before ripening is like one who cultivated in another’s field.” Imams of Ahulul Bait warned against unfruitful debates that would lead to intrigue among Muslims, though such debates seem as a defense forthe truth as some who seem very enthusiastic these days without being aware of the negative consequences on the unity of the nation.

8- To stress the unity of the Muslims, we notice that Uhlul Bait Imamshad engaged in the administration of the Islamic State, particularly through advices to the Caliphates of their time. We have noticed that Imam Ali had advised the second Caliph not to join warriors in war in certain places and advised him to make peace with people of Palestine and protect them. And the attitude of Imam Mohammed Al-Baqir (P.B.U.H) during the Caliphate of Abdul Malik bin Marwan as mentioned in Al-Mahasin and Al-Adhdad for Buhiqy. Although Abdul Malik hated Uhlul Bait, we notice that Imam Al-Baqir (P.B.U.H) took the positive stand for the protection of the Muslim State when the Roman Emperor had intended to mint currency with a curse of the prophet on it. At that time there was no other minted currencyexcept the Roman one. Abdul Malik became very annoyed, so he was advised to consult the Imam about the issue. And, when he consulted the Iman, the Imam said to him, “You should not be distressed by this for two reasons: The first one is Allah, the exalted, would not allow the Roman’s emperor to carry out his threat against Allah’s messenger (May Allah bless him)and the other one there is the trick for it.” Then the Imam (P.B.U.H) explained to Abdul Malik how to mint the currency and its weight and what it should be done in that case. By his consultation, he helped to bring the Emperor’s threat to failure. The Imams used to deal with their enemies by the same manner for the desire of maintaining the nation’s interest and its unity because the main cause for disunity is selfishness and achieving private interests but the Imams of Uhlul Bait are far from this. In books of history, there are numerous examples like the previous one.

And following the rout of the pure Imams and their manners in life, the Grand Marji’ya took the initiative in addressing the people of the Sunni Sect by saying to them, “Don’t call them our brethren but call them ourselves”, all this for keeping the Muslims unity and their position, in a time when the words of the enemies united to ambush them by creating the sectarian and factionist division even though Al-Marji’ya has never addressed people by sects or factions. Its address to the Iraqi is comprehensive, “You, the Iraqis, the Muslims, the believers, in commitment for the road of the Islamic unity, and in enforcing this doctrine, the Grand Ayatullah Sayyid Al-Sistani’s answer for those who came to ask permission for revenge and punishment reflects this truth. He said to them, “If I had ten sons and nine of them were killed, I would not have asked for revenge until such time the killer is identified. If you need to be remembered in books of history, be oppressed rather than oppressors and leave the issue to the administration of justice.” This is one of his principles and the manner by which he deals with the current issues for the benefit of the nation and for maintaining its respect.

At the end of his address, he has persuaded the Iraqi people regardless to their sect or faction to stand together firmly for the support of the security forces and forces of the popular mobilisation and members of tribes against the terrorists and against those who consider others as blasphemers and addressed those who collaborate with them by action or deed telling them that such people if they hold control in Iraq, they would not spare no one even those who protect and support them as we had witnessed how they have dealt with their own comrades and their policy of Umayyad: (If any one shakes his head as a sign of rejection to do what we want, we would slaughter him/ her with our swords.) So, be ware of their evil and control before it is too late by supporting your brothers who have been defending Iraq and the Iraqis. Rulers must be aware that without the defence of theses forces in answer to Al-Marji’ya’s Fatwa, the map of Iraq would have changed and they would have forced to go back to their countries of exile. Therefore, we stress that they should follow the last guidelines and advice of Al-Marji’ya by putting them into action and answering the needs of people before the situation becomes uncontrollable and the issue becomes irresolvable.

He also appreciated the Iraqi prime Minister’s decision by which he asked the ministers to be in touch with people to answer the important issues that worry the citizen, asking Allah, the Exalted, to safeguard Iraq , its people and protect the holy shrines from all evils and calamity. He is the most hearing and answering.