• Activities
• 11 Rabi I 1437

The representative of the leading Marja’iyah in Europe:
Congratulates the Muslim world on the blessed birthday occasions of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w.) and his grandson Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad Sadiq (a.s ).
• Reviving the two occasions is a commitment to applying Allah's commands and avoiding His prohibitions.
• Appeals to scholars, preachers, politicians and prominent people of the world to combat the phenomenon of extremism around the globe.
• Emphasizes on unity, understanding and the rejection of hatred and resentment and the fight against sectarianism and respect for Muslim blood, honor and property for these are as sacred and inviolable as the Kaaba.

Here are details of his speech:

Each year on the twelfth and seventeenth days of Rabiul-Awwal the Muslim world celebrates the birthday of the great prophet (s.a.w.w.) and his grandson Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad Sadiq (a.s.) . It is not a coincidence the birth of the founder and restorer (of the religion) fall on the same day, but rather a declaration for the continuity of this lineage through the grandson and his sons, the divine Imams (a.s.), after him.

If we question ourselves about the reason for celebration, the answer would be that; we celebrate in honour and reverence of the Prophet Mohammad and his grandson; to convey our love and please them – seeking closeness to Allah Almighty – as widely narrated (in Hadith al-Arbaeen) from Amirul-Momineen (a.s.): Allah Almighty looked upon the earth and chose us, and chose for us Shi’as to help us; [who] rejoice for our joy and grieve for our grief; give their wealth and lives for us; they are from us and for us.

In celebrating the two births there is victory for the Prophet and the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

But I wonder if all who celebrate the births are praised as in the context of the two narrations below and that he/she is a true loving follower?

The answer is no, because some of those celebrating are enemies or traitors or cause great hurt to them; because they insist on committing sins like: being ungrateful to parents, breaking links with family, lying, backbiting, cursing and disseminating discord, division and hatred among Muslims – which is a major sin.

He who persists in his transgression of Allah Almighty is their enemy because he is transgressing Allah’s limits and works against His commands and prohibitions. From Jabir from Abi Jaffar (a.s.) “Oh Jabir do not be fooled by he who professes his love and his following of Ali; in reality he is not. If he were to say ‘I love the messenger of Allah, because the messenger (s.a.w.w.) is better than Ali’ and he does not follow his [the messenger’s] ways or apply his traditions then what use is that love to him...He who obeys Allah (s.w.t.) is for us and he who disobeys Allah (s.w.t.) is our enemy and thus our allegiance is of no use to him, be careful of being pretentious, be careful of being pretentious.” (said twice).

In these two narrations it is clear that Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) are innocent of the wrong-doers. But in a reported statement which is worse than that; from Abi Zaid: I was with Abi Abd-illah (a.s.) when Issa bin Abdi-llah al-Qummi entered. He greeted him and sat him close to his seat and said: ‘Oh Issa bin Abdi-llah; [A shia] is not from us if in a land of a hundred thousand plus people and someone else was more pious than him.’

He who persists on sinning is betraying Allah Almighty, because Allah entrusted man with all his faculties when He ordered him not to sin with them. But man betrayed this trust when he turned his faculties into a sin-machine. It is reported from Abi al-Jaroud from Abi Ja’far (a.s.) with reference to (O ye that believe! betray not the trust of Allah and the Messenger, nor misappropriate knowingly things entrusted to you – Holy Qur’an 8: 27) that betrayal of Allah and his messenger is sin.

He who persists on sinning greatly hurts the messenger of Allah (s.a.w.w.) and Imam Al-Sadiq (a.s.); because according to reliable narrations everyone’s actions shall be put before them.

Thus the most important aspect of celebrating this precious occasion is to maintain unity between Muslims and renounce hatred among them. Thus ordered the book, the Prophet and the Imams (peace be upon them), especially in this era of the widespread phenomenon of terrorism and ideological extremism, based on the use of violence and refusal to coexist with others, and the subsequent actions which tarnished the reputation of Islam and caused the shedding of a great deal of Muslims’ blood and the destabilizing of a number of countries in the region; a warning of the breadth of this phenomenon and its continuation.

Therefore all scholars, preachers, politicians and prominent people in the world must combat these ideas and adopt a moderate stance upon which Islam and monotheistic religions are based - for peaceful coexistence between the various components of society. If no limit [to these actions] is set then this phenomenon will escalate to include more Muslim countries - God forbid - and other nations and peoples of the world.

Hence we see Islamic teachings in the words of Prophet Muhammad ( s.a.w.w.) and the immaculate Imams (a.s.) , ordering us to deal with people with kindness, love and affection. In the Sahih of Abdullah bin Sinan from Imam Al-Sadiq (a.s.) that he heard him say : “I advise you to fear Allah and do not carry people’s weight on your shoulders, i.e. do not be rough in speech, for you will suffer humiliation – Allah (s.w.t.) has said in his holy book: (Speak fair to people) then the Imam (a.s.) said: Visit their sick, attend their funerals, testify for them and against them and offer prayers in their mosques.”

In a narration by Marazim he (a.s.) said: “Pray in mosques, be good-neighbourly people and testifiers, attend funerals, because people are part of your life and no one you can live without others, people are made for each other.”

In the Sahih of Mua’wiya bin Wahab, I said: “How are we supposed to conduct ourselves with people of our belief and with those who are different?” He said: “Look at your Imams whom you follow and do as they do, for by Allah they visit their sick, attend their funerals, testify for and against them and return what they have been entrusted with.”

In the hadith of Kathir ibn Alq’ama: ”Be a good example for us and do not be a bad example, endear us to others and do not repulse them from us, draw every friendship towards us and repel ever evil from us.”

In the Sahih of Zaid ibn Sha’ham: Return [to its rightful owner] what you have been entrusted with whether he is a good or bad person, for the holy prophet used to order returning the cloth and the yarn … by Allah my father (a.s.) used to tell me that when a man from the Shi’as of Ali is in a tribe he was the best in returning what he was entrusted with and the best in judgment, most truthful in his speech and he was an example for the tribe.

By these narrations from the prophet (s.aw.w.) and Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.) no excuse is left for Muslims, be they men or women, to commit acts which dissatisfy Allah and his messenger and the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s.). If we apply these recommendations and teachings we will have then celebrated the two births and brought joy to the hearts of the prophet (s.a.w.w.) and his household (a.s.).

(( And say"Work (righteousness): Soon will Allah observe your work, and His Messenger, and the Believers...”))