Shaikh ul-Islam Mawlana Abdol Hamid, during today’s (October 11, 2024) Friday prayer in Zahedan, strongly condemned the “massacre of women and children” and the “attacks on mosques and hospitals” in Gaza and Lebanon by Israel, labeling these actions as “contrary to global norms and international laws.” He called on world powers to stop Israel.
There is no justification or permission for attacking hospitals and mosques
According to the official website of the Sunni Friday Imam of Zahedan, Mawlana Abdol Hamid stated, “Unfortunately, there is a ruthless and unprecedented massacre taking place these days in Gaza and Lebanon. Hospitals and mosques are being targeted in these attacks. Assaulting mosques, churches, temples, and places of worship of all religions and nations is universally considered disgraceful, yet Israel does not adhere to this principle and has targeted several mosques and hospitals in Gaza and Lebanon.”
He emphasized, “Targeting hospitals that care for the wounded under the pretext that combatants and soldiers are hiding in these hospitals is highly unacceptable under global norms and international laws. The presence of fighters in hospitals or mosques cannot be a license to attack these places.” The Friday Imam of Zahedan added, “War has its own rules and principles. Killing women, children, defenseless and unarmed people, and destroying cities is prohibited under global norms and international laws. Unfortunately, despite numerous warnings, Israel disregards these laws because it enjoys the support of certain powers. Why does Israel continue to bomb Gaza, a city that is already destroyed? Why does it target the West Bank, which has no role in this war and is administered by the Palestinian Authority? In Gaza and Lebanon, the number of innocent civilians killed far exceeds the number of militants and armed individuals.”
He further noted, “Killing civilians goes against international laws and norms, and Islam strictly prohibits this act. No Muslim is allowed to target innocent non-Muslim women, children, or elders. Islam does not grant such permission to Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) advised Muslims in wars to avoid harming women, children, and the elderly, and not to attack people’s places of worship.”
There is a danger of a “broader war” in the Middle East; the only solution is a “just resolution to the Palestinian issue”
Mawlana Abdol Hamid warned of the risk of a “broader war in the Middle East,” stating, “Unfortunately, the situation is such that there is a real threat of a larger war engulfing the entire Middle East, and sadly, no one is paying attention to the warnings and advice of well-wishers.”
He pointed out, “We must realize that even if a hundred thousand or a million people are killed, the current problems will not be resolved, because the root cause of these conflicts— the occupation of Palestinian land—still remains. Until the occupation of Palestine ends, these conflicts will persist. Therefore, the best solution is a fair and just peace, and a resolution to the Palestinian issue. The parties must sit down and accept their rightful share.”
He added, “If a just peace is established, there will be no other threat or source of conflict in the Middle East, and all nations can coexist peacefully by respecting each other’s rights. Therefore, international organizations and global powers must pressure both sides to accept a fair peace and bring this seventy-year war to an end.”
The international community and world powers should dissuade Israel from attacking Iran; this is a national demand
Mawlana Abdol Hamid continued, “The national demand of the Iranian people from the international community and major world powers is to dissuade Israel from attacking Iran. If Israel attacks, and Iran retaliates, the war will be prolonged, and the region cannot endure war under the current conditions.”
He added, “At present, the region is more capable of peace than ever before. Therefore, targeting economic and military centers by either side is detrimental. The best course of action is for both sides to stop attacking each other.”
People have the right to criticize the municipality and city council
Mawlana Abdol Hamid, in another part of his Friday prayer speech in Zahedan, referred to the “public criticism of Zahedan’s municipality” and said: “There are criticisms directed at Zahedan’s municipality. The citizens of Zahedan have the right to criticize the municipality and city council if they fail to fulfill their legal duties.”
He added, “The city council, which is elected by the people, and the municipality, which has accepted the responsibility to serve the people, owe it to the people. Anyone who accepts the responsibility to serve must sacrifice their time and energy and must not be negligent. The citizens of Zahedan should demand services from the municipality and city council, and they should also collaborate with them and offer advice.”
Why don’t some government offices pay their large debts to Zahedan’s municipality?
The Friday Imam of Zahedan revealed the “significant debts some government offices owe to Zahedan’s municipality” and said: “It is said that some government departments owe billions of tomans to Zahedan’s municipality. Why aren’t these debts being paid? Why is the law not respected in Zahedan? If the municipality collects its dues from the people, why shouldn’t well-funded government offices pay their debts to the municipality?”
He added, “If there Is no cooperation with the municipality to help it properly fulfill its duties, all citizens will suffer. Our request to officials is not to think along ethnic or sectarian lines but to see the reality, act fairly, and help the municipality reclaim its dues.”
The Afghan government should provide conditions for women’s education
Mawlana Abdol Hamid emphasized the importance of “women’s education in Afghanistan” in the final part of his speech, saying: “Women’s education is essential and vital. Our advice to the officials of the Islamic government of Afghanistan is to provide the necessary conditions for women’s education. This advice is well-intentioned and in the interest of both the Afghan government and its people.”
He continued, “If Afghan women have to go to other countries to study, their culture will change, while every nation cherishes its own culture. Islamic and Afghan culture, and the culture of any nation, is preserved when both women and men can study in their own country. Thus, providing education for both men and women is a national duty and should be a top priority for every country.”
The Friday Imam of Zahedan also mentioned, “The Afghan government has achieved good success, especially in the security sector, and we pray for Afghanistan’s continued success. We hope that the officials of this country will solve their problems and concerns and establish diplomatic relations with other nations, which would benefit both the country and its people.”
Today, humanity is facing a “crisis of belief and morality”
Shaikh ul-Islam Mawlana Abdol Hamid, in the first part of his Friday sermon in Zahedan (October 11, 2024), described the “crisis of belief and morality” as the worst crisis facing modern humanity and emphasized the necessity of “complete adherence to Shariah commands” to overcome this crisis.
According to the website of the Office of the Sunni Friday Imam of Zahedan, Mawlana Abdol Hamid, after reciting the verses “(success is really attained by him who purifies it, and failure is really suffered by him who pollutes it)” (Ash-Shams: 9-10), remarked: “Human beings see many problems and crises with their own eyes, hold meetings about them, and seek solutions. Climate change, livelihood issues, and the war between Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon are among the problems that have turned into crises these days.”
He added: “However, there is a fundamental crisis that underpins these other crises, but most people are unaware of it: this is the ‘crisis of belief and morality.’”
The Friday Imam of Zahedan continued: “Today, humanity is trapped in the crisis of self-worship. Many people, instead of worshiping the One God, worship their desires and Satan. Worshiping desires and Satan is not just bowing before them, but submitting to them, just as worshiping God is not just bowing to Him, but submitting to His commands.”
He elaborated: “Today, there are many ‘people,’ but little ‘humanity.’ When a society lacks compassion, empathy, respect, justice, and fairness, humanity is absent. Today, the noble morals and correct beliefs that the Prophets taught are missing from humanity. When a person has no heartfelt connection with Allah and is deprived of good morals and faith, their humanity suffers, and they fall into this ‘crisis of belief and morality.’”
He further stated: “Unfortunately, the situation is fundamentally flawed. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) warned in a hadith that there is a piece of flesh in the body, which, if it is sound (full of the fear of God, piety, and guidance), the whole body will be sound and will act righteously. But if this piece of flesh is corrupted (by worldly attachments, desires, and immoral beliefs), the whole body will be corrupt. This piece of flesh is the heart.”
In the society the Prophet (PBUH) nurtured, there was no “lying,” “slander,” or “immorality”
Mawlana Abdol Hamid pointed out: “The Prophet (PBUH) worked to instill faith and correct beliefs in people’s hearts and to rectify their morals and behavior. He sought to remove greed, selfishness, and arrogance from hearts and bring in humility and modesty. People were faithful to their promises; they did not slander, lie, or use foul language.”
He expressed: “The Prophet (PBUH) nurtured a faithful and ethical society in which there was no lying, betrayal of trust, or injustice. Everyone fulfilled their duties properly and respected the rights of others, both Muslims and non-Muslims. The rights of non-Muslims were also honored in that society, which is the highest form of morality.”
The Prophet (PBUH) did not differentiate between Muslims and non-Muslims in upholding rights and justice
The Friday Imam of Zahedan emphasized: “The Prophet (PBUH) never made a distinction between Muslims and non-Muslims when it came to rights, justice, and fairness. He treated them all with fairness. In the early Islamic society, the ‘minorities’ and the ‘majority’ were all equal. The worst kind of moral corruption is when someone disregards the truth in a dispute and supports their tribe or kin.”
He added: “Unfortunately, today the truth is sacrificed in the world. Islam commands us to uphold justice and fairness even with prisoners, captives, and murderers. We must all stand for justice, even if one side is our brother, relative, or close friend. There should be no consideration of Muslim or non-Muslim, rich or poor, close or distant; only justice, truth, and facts should matter.”
Mawlana Abdol Hamid concluded: “The Prophet (PBUH) taught the best of manners in dealing with all people. He recommended observing the rights of parents, relatives, neighbors, the needy, the weak, travelers, and so on. These rights require that we treat them with kindness. May Allah grant humanity the ability to overcome all these crises of belief, morality, actions, and humanity. The responsibility of reformers and preachers in this regard is immense.”
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