Khateeb and Friday Imam of Sunni Muslims in Zahedan, Iran, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid Isma’eelzahi, counted humankind a responsible and questionable creature over the deeds and morals in his latest Friday sermon on August 23, 2013.
He began his sermon by reading the Qur’anic verses: “وَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَـٰفِلاً عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَۚ إِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمۡ لِيَوۡمٍ۬ تَشۡخَصُ فِيهِ ٱلۡأَبۡصَـٰرُ” (Never think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers are doing. He is but giving them respite up to a day when the eyes shall remain upraised (in terror).), [14: 42] and said, “It is very clearly understandable from the noble Qur’an and Sunnah of the beloved prophet, peace & blessings be upon him, that people are responsible for what they do, say, listen, touch, taste and believe; mankind is a questionable creature of Allah the Almighty. The Almighty created humankind giving them some responsibilities and duties; they are not free fully. Humankind will be questioned for what they do out of Shari’ah and the way of nature.”
The prominent Sunni Islamic scholar underlined mankind has been created in the template of the real and correct nature; the nature that is in accordance with the path of Islam. Faith in Allah (God), His oneness and submission before all commands of Islam and Sunnah of the last messenger of Allah have been carved in the nature of humankind. The prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, did not leave this way of Shari’ah even for a moment in his entire life. Thus, the standard for goodness and badness of deeds depends on Islamic Shari’ah that abrogated all previous laws and religions.
He said, “If anyone seeks to enter the Paradise and get the pleasure of Allah, the only option is repenting towards Allah. By going on the path of Allah and Shari’ah, we can get His pleasure. Allah says: «ما یلفظ من قول الا لدیه رقیب عتید»؛ (Not a single word is uttered by one but there is a watcher near him, ready (to record).) [50: 18]; these words can lead us to the Hell or Paradise, according to what we have said.”
As people are responsible for what they say, in the same way, the responsibility of their tenets returns to them. If tenets of any one are in accordance with the path of Islam, the man will meet Allah’s pleasure. Otherwise, he must explain why he left the way of nature. We must be cautious over what we say, do, think, listen, touch and look; in all cases we must take care of the orders of Allah, our creator who knows everything well. He controls our all moves without missing anything, the rector of Darululoom Zahedan further said.
Shaikh Abdol-Hamid pointed out to an important issue, saying, “These are the good deeds and responsible behavior of mankind which make the worldly life clean and full of blessings. While bad deeds make the life difficult and full of problems. If anyone wants to get rid of troubles and crises, so repentance is the only way. Break the deadlocks by returning towards the Almighty and abandoning sins. When people are involved in harlotry, binge, usury and killing innocent people, we observe the punishment of Allah the Sublime in the shape of earthquakes, hurricanes and devastating floods.”
At the end of the first part of his speech, Khateeb of Sunnis in Zahedan called on the audience to repent towards Allah and confess for the misdeeds. The treatment of all pains and pressures in the routine life is in repentance towards Allah and reviewing deeds.
Syria, Egypt Massacres for Protection of Israel
Shaikh Abdol-Hamid alluded to the chemical massacre of hundreds of Syrians near Damascus calling it very shocking, painful and ‘an effort to ensure Israel’s protection for years’ in the second part of his speech.
He said, “The chemical assault on innocent people near Damascus was very shocking and painful where many women, children and old aged citizens lost their lives sadly. It was more painful to see the carelessness of human rights organizations and international communities who claim to protect the rights of people.”
Khateeb of Sunnis in Zahedan underlined, “The colonial powers of the West and East only seek their interests; in fact they are slaves of their interests and they have no sympathy for human beings and their rights. If the international community is serious with the case of Syria, why we see more destruction and massacre every day and night? The number of the victim citizens and refugees goes up every day.”
He said if the international powers were striving to resolve the crises in Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq and Afghanistan, there would not have been any problem regarding human rights.
The member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars counted ‘justice’ and ‘negotiation’ the best solutions for the human crises across the world. He said, “Islam also teaches us to be just; justice is one of the main principles of Islam. Muslims should resolve their matters by justice and negotiation not fighting and gun conflict.”
Pointing out to the release of the ex-Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, Shaikh Abdol-Hamid said, “Following the crackdown on Islamists by the Egyptian military forces, dictatorship returned to this country and, as a result, ‘Mubarak’ was released from prison. It is a very disastrous phenomenon; the intellectuals who watch and observe the global moves comprehend well the seriousness of the matter.”
The eminent Sunni leader urged that if any side was not happy and satisfied with the role of any government, military coup and barbaric massacre of people cannot be good tools to show dissatisfaction. The solution of such problems depends on discretion and mutual negotiation.
Shaikh Abdol-Hamid leveled the massacre of innocent Egyptians and Syrians a ‘colonial conspiracy’ that has been being supported by the Israel and its allies who are afraid of Islamic awakening and public revolutions. He said, “Some countries which claim to be ‘super powers’ have kept silent over these crimes, even some of them support the massacres in order to give Israel safety for 50 or 100 years more.”
Mawlana Abdol-Hamid emphasized Muslims –from any sect, wing and race–, inside or outside of Iran, need to have unity and solidarity; sectarian violence and animosity are not the ways of Muslims but the ways of Satan. All Muslims need calmness and peace, and they must reach to any unanimous point by dialogue. Nowadays, Iran and the rest of the Muslim countries need ‘peace’ that cannot be ensured by the force of gun machines.
At the end of his speech, the rector of Darululoom Zahedan beckoned to the new government of Iran and expressed his hope for a better atmosphere of national dialogue in the country. He said, “The president has underlined that if the government does not pay attention to the voice of people, it would be defeated. It is a good point that the president wants to solve the problems of ethnic groups and religious sects discreetly. We hope this environment would give an opportunity to all to struggle for the comprehensive development of the country together peacefully with solidarity.