- The birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad brings blessings for all Muslims; he is described as "the mercy for the universe."
- The Prophet’s mercy is evident in the guidance given to Muslim soldiers, as reported by Imām Ja‘far aṣ-Ṣādiq, whose birth anniversary coincides with the Prophet’s.
- Prophet Muhammad instructed his soldiers to avoid deceit, mutilation, killing non-combatants, and harming the environment.
- Soldiers were prohibited from killing the elderly, children, women, cutting trees unless necessary, and destroying fruit-bearing trees.
- These instructions, given 1400 years ago, precede the Geneva Convention’s humanitarian principles from 1864, such as protecting wounded soldiers and civilians.
- Muslims often discuss humanitarian values but may overlook how their faith and Prophet set these standards long before modern conventions.
- Expressing hope that Muslims would adhere to the ideals presented by the Prophet and Imams of Ahlul Bayt.
- Recent events in Lebanon saw high-tech warfare by Israel, leading to the explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies, killing 37 people and injuring thousands.
- In Gaza, hospitals are targeted, with most casualties being civilians, including women and children.
- Western views on civilian casualties vary, with more concern shown for "our" civilians versus "the other," particularly Muslims.
- The case of Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, highlights this hypocrisy when she justified the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children during sanctions, stating the price was "worth it."

Friday Juma Khutba
September 20th, 2024

Donate towards our programs today: https://jaffari.org/donate/

Jaffari Community Centre (JCC Live)