Darayan in the Eid al-Adha Message: The Danger of Wars Will Remain Until Weapons Are Confined to the State

The Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Darayan, addressed a message to the Lebanese from Mecca on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, which began with: "Praise be to God, and prayers and peace be upon our Master Muhammad, possessor of radiant lights, and upon his pure family and good companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment. God Almighty said in Surat Al-Hajj: {And [mention] when We designated for Abraham the site of the House, [saying], 'Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand [in prayer] and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim to the people the Hajj [pilgrimage]; they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass.}'"

He pointed out that "Eid al-Adha is linked to the Hajj and to sacrifice. At a time when many brothers are proceeding for Hajj, performing Tawaf, Sa'i, standing at Arafat, and running between Safa and Marwa, raising their voices: 'Here I am, O God, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, here I am. Indeed, all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty, You have no partner,' most of us in Lebanon and Palestine remain under the weight of suffering and invasion, killing and displacement. It is stated in the Holy Quran: {Be patient, persevere, and remain steadfast, and fear God} Indeed, O Lord of the worlds, O Forgiving, O Merciful, endurance becomes almost impossible, and patience does not respond after these long years of horrors upon souls, civilization, innocent childhood, and lives of escape and refuge, living in misery and ruin. In circumstances like ours, people turn to their authorities, their states, and their social and moral pillars, and to protecting parties, but the authorities are incapable, the enemy shows no mercy, social units disintegrate, and there becomes an existential threat not only to states and homelands, but to the humanity of man. Whether in our case – we in Lebanon – or in the case of Gaza and Palestine, where it is of course impossible to rely on the enemy's assessments and considerations, nothing remains but for us to think about what we can and cannot do to avoid harm, and to maintain cohesion and think about our lives, our children, and our future. No one among us is any longer convinced by the methods adopted in confronting the enemy, or in attracting aid and solidarity. For in every confrontation we lose more land, more souls, and more requirements for stability, tranquility, honor, and dignity, not to mention security and sovereignty."

Darayan added: "This has been repeated in several wars, starting from one side or more that is counted as ours, and ending with a ceasefire after great destruction and horrific killing. It is a repeated method that has become futile, causing the destruction of man and civilization as before, in addition to the occupation of land. As long as this method is unsuccessful, and its results are always catastrophic, it must be changed. For this reason, we find that the state's resort to negotiation to stop the fire and the withdrawal of the occupier is a political and religious act worthy of welcome, because it reduces losses and suffering, and promises the return of the people of the south to their villages and towns. And if it is said that this constitutes a concession and recognition of the enemy, we are deluded, because we are the ones with the interest in stopping killing and fighting, and if that does not happen through war, let it happen through negotiation. Therefore, solutions and exits must be devised for the benefit of Lebanon and the Lebanese. Based on this, we call for a awakening of conscience to save the nation."

He affirmed that "Dar al-Fatwa is with the covenant, the government, and its president to implement what was stated in the oath of office speech and the ministerial statement to get Lebanon out of the crises it is in. Weapons outside the framework of the state lead to an imbalance and weaken state institutions. The Lebanese army's responsibility is to protect the nation and the citizen. We, the people of religious institutions, are not political or military officials, but what do we say to the many people who come to us complaining or seeking relief and rescue? These people always ask: Until when? And what is the fate? And when will peace finally come? After much hesitation, we have begun to say to the afflicted citizens: The danger of disorder and wars will remain until weapons are confined to the state, and the state becomes responsible for the decision of war and peace. And imagine that this current destruction is one of the results of the fact that the decision of war and peace is not in the hands of the state, and it has been so for decades in which several wars occurred that caused what we are in now."

He said: "O pilgrims to the Sacred House of God, the occasion is your occasion, and you, in the course of performing the duty, endure great hardships. The Holy Quran describes this hardship through the text mentioning coming to the precincts of the Sacred House 'from every distant pass.' While we salute your great effort in performing worship, we desire that you supplicate to the Generous Bestower in the precincts of the Sacred House that He may bestow upon our homelands and our people the missing peace, the diminished tranquility, and the serenity of security and safety. Of course, among us are good and evil, but mutual cursing and disavowal are neither required nor useful. On the other hand, blackmail with the threat of sedition every time a person expresses his opinion is also not useful. The advocates of blackmail with sedition want us to submit to the monopoly over the decision of war that has brought calamities. And the situation will continue in this manner unless the voice is raised against war and in support of the just and strong state, whose strongest desires and endeavors remain ending the war, liberating the land, the life of man, and making peace."

Darayan mentioned that "in the Holy Quran and Islamic belief, Abraham and his son Ishmael, peace be upon them, are the ones who built the Sacred House to be a place of return for the people and a sanctuary. What we ask of Him, Glorified and Exalted, and what you pilgrims ask, is that the security of Mecca may become security for all of humanity in times of clamor and wars. For Islam came to achieve world peace in the name of God, and it is one of His beautiful names, Almighty and Majestic. Yes, homelands only remain through peace, and by that you pilgrims become messengers and advocates for peace and coexistence. We ask God for a safe Hajj for you, and we ask Him, Almighty and Majestic, for security and peace for our homelands and our people, our young and our old, for He, Glorified and Exalted, is the Peace, the Faithful, the Protector, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Lord of mercy and grace. The message of Eid al-Adha is a message of peace that should settle in souls and abodes: {As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the people, it remains on the earth} God Almighty has spoken the truth. May every Hajj and every Eid al-Adha find you, dear citizens, in goodness, security, and mercy."