Text of the First Sermon – Friday Prayer of Rudsar City
God is the First, the Last, the Manifest, and the Hidden of all beings; yet this does not mean that beings themselves are God.
The Friday Prayer Imam of Rudsar, while explaining the content of verse 3 of Surah Al‑Hadid, stated: The Almighty Truth is the First, the Last, the Manifest, and the Hidden of all beings, and He has filled the entirety of existence of every creature.
He then elaborated on the relationship between human beings and God and said: All of human existence and being comes from God. Yet this question arises: if all of our existence is from Him, and He fills our beginning and our end, our outward and inward being, then what is our position? Does this mean that we ourselves are God?
Clarifying the Meaning of “هو معکم”: Neither Incarnation nor Separation
The Friday preacher of Rudsar emphasized the importance of precision in this discussion and stated: When God says in the Holy Qur’an “هُوَ مَعَكُمْ”, meaning that God is with you and not separate from you, and that you are a ray of His existence, one must be careful not to draw an incorrect conclusion. Although all beings receive their existence from God, they are not God; yet they are not separate from Him either.
Explaining the perspective of the Unity of Being (Wahdat al‑Wujud), he added: Those who speak about the unity of existence do not mean that all beings are God; rather, they mean that beings are not separate from Him.
The Mirror Analogy: “We both are and are not”
To clarify the matter, he referred to an example mentioned in the works of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi in Al‑Futuhat al‑Makkiyyah and said: The example of a mirror is a precise illustration. When a person stands before a mirror, his image appears in it. In one sense, that image is “himself” and not separate from him, because if he moves away from the mirror the image disappears. Yet in another sense, the real person stands outside, and the image is not the very essence of the person but rather his reflection. Therefore, the true connection is with the original, not with the reflection.
The Friday Prayer Imam of Rudsar concluded: From this perspective, it can be said that in relation to the Divine Truth, the human being both exists and does not exist, which itself reflects the power of God.
The Story of the Lover and the Dervish: God Is Not Outside Us
The preacher then narrated a story and said: It has been reported that a lover once saw God in a dream. He clung to His robe and said: “For a long time I have been searching for You, and now I have finally found You.” When he awoke, he realized that he had been holding onto his own garment:
“چون درآمد ز خواب خوش درویش
دید محکم گرفته دامن خویش”
Through this story he emphasized: What human beings search for is not outside themselves.
Reference to the Words of Amir al‑Mu’minin (AS)
The Friday Prayer Imam of Rudsar then referred to the saying of Amir al‑Mu’minin Ali (AS):
“ما نَظَرْتُ إِلَی شَیْءٍ إِلّا وَ رَأَیْتُ اللهَ قَبْلَهُ وَ بَعْدَهُ وَ مَعَهُ”
Meaning: I do not look at anything except that I see God before it, after it, and with it.
He described this statement as astonishing and added: One must reflect on how both we exist and He exists, and what our respective place is within this relationship.
Interpreting the Verse: “فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ الله”
The preacher continued by referring to the Qur’anic teaching:
“فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ الله”
He stated: Since beings are not separate from the Divine Truth, wherever you turn and whatever being you face, from one perspective it is as though you are witnessing the manifestation of God.
Explaining the Ontological and Legal Perspectives Regarding Idol Worshippers
He then addressed the issue of idol worshippers and said: If we understand this perspective accurately, we will see that idol worshippers who worshipped stone, wood, or the sun were not truly worshipping the stone or wood from an ontological perspective. Stone, wood, and the sun possess nothing of their own; their reality has been shaped and filled by God.
For this reason, on the Day of Judgment God will bring forth the idols and ask them whether the polytheists worshipped them or Him. The idols will answer that they worshipped You, not us, because we were nothing in ourselves.
However, their problem was from the legislative (religious law) perspective, because God had commanded them not to do this, yet they did it. Therefore, from the perspective of divine law they were in error.
The Fire and the Tree Speaking to Moses (AS)
Continuing the discussion about the Divine presence with creation, he referred to Qur’anic examples and said: When the Qur’an states that the fire spoke to Prophet Moses (AS) and that the tree proclaimed “أنا الله”, it illustrates this same reality.
┄┅═✧❁💠❁✧═┅┄
Text of the Second Sermon – Friday Prayer of Rudsar City
On the Eve of Eid al‑Ghadir and the Anniversary of the Passing of Imam Khomeini (RA)
The Friday preacher of Rudsar pointed out that the Muslim community is approaching Eid al‑Ghadir and said: This year, Eid al‑Ghadir coincides with the 14th of Khordad, the anniversary of the passing of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini (RA).
He honored the memory of the late Imam and stated: We are all sitting at the table of that great man’s legacy. The Friday Prayer Imam of Rudsar also referred to the absence of the “Martyred Imam”, noting that he used to attend the shrine every year on the anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s passing and deliver a speech there.
The Great Lesson of Amir al‑Mu’minin (AS): Patience and Preserving the Interests of Islam
Referring to the status of Imam Ali (AS), he stated: Although the Prophet (PBUH) introduced Imam Ali on the day of Ghadir, after the Prophet’s passing many of those instructions were forgotten, and Amir al‑Mu’minin endured many hardships.
For a period of time, Imam Ali withdrew from public life and devoted himself, among other things, to collecting the Qur’an. Later, when he realized that some individuals were attempting to harm the foundations of Islam, he returned to society in order to protect the interests of Islam and assisted the Muslim community in critical matters.
The Friday preacher described this conduct as a model for today and stated: Differences in opinion and perspective may exist, but such differences must not prevent coexistence, cooperation, and the advancement of society.
The Need for Greater Social Patience and Avoiding Polarization
People may hold differing views on certain matters, but disagreements should not become an excuse to withdraw from religious and social responsibilities, including participation in Friday prayers.
The Friday Prayer Imam of Rudsar emphasized that social patience and tolerance must increase, and that we must ensure our words and actions do not become tools for the enemy to exploit in creating polarization and division.
Warning About Enemy Projects and Emphasizing Unity
Referring to a statement from the Ministry of Intelligence, he said: According to the warnings issued, the enemy is pursuing projects such as ethnic and sectarian provocations in order to break the unity and cohesion of the people.
National unity is so important that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution has repeatedly emphasized, particularly in his message to the pilgrims of Hajj and in his advice to officials and society, that preserving unity is one of the manifestations of piety (taqwa).
The Friday Prayer Imam of Rudsar added: In recent days the enemy has taken certain actions and carried out provocations in some areas, including Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz, which resulted in the martyrdom of several members of the country’s forces.
He stated that through these actions the enemy is attempting to assess the level of readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to evaluate Iran’s response while negotiations and political discussions are ongoing. However, while Iran pursues political paths, it remains militarily prepared and powerful, and it will respond to any mistake.
He emphasized that the armed forces are in full readiness, and if the enemy commits any miscalculation, it will receive a firm response.
┄┅═✧❁💠❁✧═┅┄
Cultural Headquarters of Rudsar County
