.In The Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful

His Eminence, Sayyed Ali Fadlallah, delivered the two Friday prayer sermons at the Imamain Al-Hassanain Mosque,

Rajab 6, 1447 / December 26, 2025. Several prominent religious scholars, dignitaries and thousands of believers attended the Jumu’a prayer. Following is a summary

The Birth of Christ (a.s.)

Allah, the Most Exalted,  says in His Glorious Book:

“He said: Indeed, I am the servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet.
And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has commanded me to pray and give charity as long as I live.
And He made me kind to my mother, and He did not make me a wretched  tyrant
And peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised alive.”

Allah, the Most Exalted has spoken the truth.

Yesterday, on the 25th of this month, we marked the blessed anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ (a.s.). This birth was meant by God to be a clear sign for all people, showing His great power.

The angels gave glad tidings to his mother Mary( Maryam ) (a.s.)   as God says:

“When the angels said: O Mary, indeed God gives you good news of a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near to God.”

Jesus was born to a mother without a father, just as Adam (a.s.) was created. God says:

“The example of Jesus before God is like that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him: Be, and he was.”

Allah, the Most Exalted, surrounded this birth with special care and protection. He sent an angel to stay with Mary and ease her pain during childbirth, a very difficult moment, as described in the Qur’an:

“Then labor pains drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: I wish I had died before this and been forgotten.
So he called out to her from below her: Do not grieve. Your Lord has placed a stream beneath you.
And shake the trunk of the palm tree toward you; it will drop fresh ripe dates upon you.
So eat, drink, and be comforted.”

God also eased Mary’s worries about how she would face her people with a child while she was unmarried. He told her not to speak, but to point to the baby instead:

“If you see any human, say: I have vowed a fast to the Most Merciful, so I will not speak today to anyone.”

When she came carrying her baby, her people accused her and said:

“O sister of Aaron(Haroun) , your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother immoral.”

Mary followed God’s command, and the miracle happened. God made the baby speak from the cradle, defending his mother. Jesus(a.s.) said:

“Indeed, I am the servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet.
He made me blessed wherever I am and commanded me to pray and give charity as long as I live.
And He made me kind to my mother and did not make me a wretched Tyrant.
And peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised alive.”

Dear brothers and sisters,

When we commemorate this occasion, we are not copying others. We do so because our religion calls us to believe in Jesus (a.s.) and in all the prophets before him, without making distinctions between them. God says:

“Say: We believe in God, and what was revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abrahim, Ismail, Isaac, Yacob, and the tribes, and what was given to Mousa and Jesus, and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.”

We believe that Jesus (a.s.) was part of the honored chain of God’s prophets, sent to guide people and bring them out of ignorance and misguidance. He fulfilled his mission, and then Prophet Muhammad (p.) came to complete this message and be the final prophet.

Our belief differs from some Christian beliefs that go to extremes by attributing divine qualities to Jesus. God says:

“The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of God and His word that He cast to Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers, and do not say ‘Three.’ desist – it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.

Despite these differences, this never caused hostility or conflict between the Prophet Muhammad (p.), Muslims, and Christians.

Prophetic Examples of Respect Toward Christians

First example

When the Christians of Najran came to Medina, the Prophet(p.)  welcomed them in his mosque to honor them. When it was time for their prayer, he allowed them to pray inside the mosque with their crosses on and even ring their bells, in front of all the Muslims.

He discussed faith with them respectfully, allowed them freedom of belief, and protected their religious institutions, as long as they respected the laws of the Islamic state.

Second example

After Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula, the Prophet (p.)sent a letter to the Bishop of Najran stating that Christians had full protection for their churches, prayers, monks, priests, and religious rights. No one was to be removed from their position, and none of their rights were to be violated, as long as they acted justly and peacefully.

Third example

When Muslims were persecuted in Mecca, the Prophet (p.) sent them to migrate to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). He said:

“There is a king there who does not oppress anyone.”

That king was a Christian who followed the teachings of Jesus. The Muslims found safety, respect, and kindness there until they later returned to Medina.

All these examples show that the relationship between Islam and Christianity has always been based on respect, not tension or hatred. The Qur’an confirms this:

“You will surely find the closest in affection to the believers those who say, ‘We are Christians,’ because among them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant.”

And God calls for cooperation:

“Say: O People of the Book, come to a common word between us and you: that we worship none but God and associate nothing with Him.”

Dear beloved ones,

We want the birth of Jesus (a.s.) to be a shared occasion for Muslims and Christians to strengthen their relationship and work together to restore spiritual, moral, and ethical values in the world.

These are the values Jesus taught and Prophet Muhammad completed: worship of God, love, mercy, justice, and respect for human dignity. In this way, a person achieves rank in the sight of God

Allah,the Most Exalted  says:

“Indeed, those who believe, and the Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians—whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good deeds—there will be no fear upon them, nor will they grieve.”

The Second Sermon

In The Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful

 

Worshipers of Allah,

I advise you and myself with the advice of Imam Ali al-Hadi (a.s))whose death anniversary we recently marked. He said:

“I advise you to fear God, obey Him, be cautious in your faith, and remember Him often, in private and in public.
God-consciousness nourishes the heart and raises ranks and lights the darkness.
Be patient, for patience opens the door to relief.
Avoid haste, for haste corrupts judgment.
Remember death, for it weakens desires and prepares you to meet God.
Whoever reforms his inner self, God reforms his outer life.
Be an honor to us, not a shame.
Speak kindly to people, guard your tongues, and restrain your hands.
Silence brings safety, and patience brings salvation.”

We are in great need of this advice today as we face many challenges.

We begin with the Israeli escalation. The enemy continues its attacks on Lebanon through airstrikes, assassinations, destruction of homes in border villages, constant drone surveillance, and preventing reconstruction.

Israel continues occupying Lebanese land, refuses to release Lebanese prisoners despite agreements with the Lebanese state, and issues threats of further escalation if Lebanon does not submit to its demands.

This is happening even though Lebanon has fulfilled its commitments and is close to announcing the end of all armed presence south of the Litani River. This proves that the enemy will not stop, but wants more concessions, including redrawing borders, creating a buffer zone, and maintaining freedom to operate inside Lebanon.

We call on the Lebanese state to remain firm before the ceasefire committee and the sponsoring countries, and to hold Israel accountable for stopping its aggression, withdrawing from occupied areas, and releasing prisoners.

We also urge the state not to offer free concessions, to prepare emergency plans, activate diplomacy, and remain vigilant.

At the same time, we call on all Lebanese to overcome internal divisions, remain united, and stand together against Israeli aggression that targets all of Lebanon, not just one group.

Regarding the debate over the financial gap law, we stress that this file must not be closed without accountability. Those who betrayed public trust must be held responsible.

There can be no future without accountability. At the same time, this law must not come at the expense of depositors. Their money is their right, and banks and the state must return it within a realistic timeline.

Without justice, trust will not return, and the wound will remain open.

We also express concern about reports regarding the kidnapping of a Lebanese General Security officer by Israeli intelligence. We call on the state to clarify what happened and work seriously to bring him back.

In occupied Palestine, Israel continues its aggression in Gaza, violates ceasefire agreements, and expands settlement projects in the West Bank. This requires a serious Arab and Islamic response before what remains of Palestinian land and rights is lost.

Finally, we congratulate Muslims and Christians on the birth of Jesus Christ a.s.) We hope this occasion strengthens cooperation, dialogue, and shared moral values—love, forgiveness, justice, and peace.

Humanity desperately needs cooperation between these two great messages to confront moral decay, injustice, oppression, and brutality across the world.

We ask God to make the coming year a year of goodness, relief, and hope—for Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and the entire world…