Sheikh Al-Aql of Lebanon Tours the Manasif Region

During a religious and social tour he conducted to a number of villages and towns in the Manasif region of the Shouf, he pointed to the current reality that increases the pessimism of the Lebanese, but we will continue to hold the hope of finding solutions to these difficulties, which we must face with the unity of our word and by bringing our people together, and by looking forward together to what will save our souls, especially since we are days away from the holy month of Ramadan, the month of fasting, emancipation, forgiveness, and striving against the self.”

The tour, conducted by His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql along with the esteemed Sheikhs Abu Zeineddine Hassan Ghannam and Abu Fayez Amin Makarem, accompanied by a delegation of sheikhs and members of the Confessional Council, included the town of Kafrqatrah. They participated in the funeral of the late Sheikh Abu Nazih Youssef Mahmoud Nasr Al-Din, with the participation of the esteemed Sheikhs: Abu Saleh Mohammed Al-Andary, Abu Daoud Mounir Al-Qadmani, Abu Taher Mounir Barakat, Abu Youssef Amin Al-Aridi, Abu Mahmoud Saeed Faraj, Abu Masoud Hani Jaber, and a crowd of sheikhs from the Mountain and other regions.

The prayer was preceded by a testimony given by His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql for the deceased, saying:

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Esteemed Sheikhs, dear mourners, the Almighty said in His Holy Book: "For every nation is an appointed term; when their time comes, they cannot delay it an hour, nor can they advance it." Truthful is God Almighty. We were scheduled to visit the late Sheikh Abu Nazih this afternoon, but destiny cannot be delayed or advanced. It was his destiny and ours to be here with you today to bid him farewell; this noble, pure sheikh, from this generous family, and from this honorable Unitarian path that extends from here to Abeih and to all the lands. Sheikh Abu Nazih is from this righteous generation, the generation of the sincere, pure, and pious people. May God have mercy on him, we bid him farewell saying: "O soul at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing, and enter among My servants and enter My Paradise." The soul at peace enters the Paradise of God. Congratulations to him whose end was in happiness and who was accepted, and happiness lies in this tranquility; the tranquility that encapsulated the soul of Sheikh Abu Nazih, so he departed well-pleased and pleasing. May God have mercy on him, and we belong to God and to Him we shall return.

His Eminence then led the prayer, with Sheikh Ghaleb Al-Shoufi by his side, before the body was laid to rest in the town’s cemetery.

He also offered condolences in the town for the late Sheikh Abu Bassam Tawfiq Zahreddine, brother of retired Brigadier General Ghassan Zahreddine.

His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql, accompanied by Sheikh Abu Zeineddine Hassan Ghannam and the accompanying delegation, visited the town of Deir Kousha. He was received at the homes of Sheikh Radwan Mukhaiber, Sheikh Kamel Al-Qader, the late Sheikh Abu Sami Mahmoud Al-Dabsis, Sheikh Hatem Daw, and Sheikh Abu Walid Ali Suleiman Daw, in the presence of a group of sheikhs and town residents, including former Director-General Anwar Daw, Mayor Walid Daw, and journalist and writer Bassam Daw.

In the town of Bshtfine, the esteemed Sheikh Abu Fayez Amin Makarem and a number of sheikhs joined the delegation. A visit was made to the home of Sheikh Abu Faisal Anwar Fayyad to check on him following a health crisis, in the presence of the town's prominent figures. This was followed by a visit to the town council, and then offering condolences for the late Abu Faisal Youssef Abu Aker and his son Faisal Abu Aker at the town hall.

In the town of Kafrfaqoud, visits were made to the "Ajouz al-Khair" shrine and the home of Sheikh Abu Tawfiq Anis Zahreddine, where he received a large reception in the presence of a group of sheikhs, the head of the Al-Irfan Unitarian Foundation Sheikh Nazih Rafeh, and town figures. He and the sheikhs also visited the home of Sheikh Saeed Nasr and the home of Judge Wassim Zahreddine, with the participation of Mayor Bassam Nasr and sheikhs and figures from the town. The visits included welcoming speeches and addresses by His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql.

In the evening, His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql participated in an expanded religious meeting at the Jarnaya Khalwa in Kafrhim, hosted by Sheikh Ghannam and attended by the esteemed Sheikhs Abu Ali Suleiman Abu Diab and Makarem.

His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql received at the Sect’s House in Beirut heritage artists, the brothers Mansour and Assaf Assaf, who presented him with a booklet about the Assaf Assaf Museum in Al-Busail, and briefed him on the museum's development projects.

He also received Dr. Mohammed Mustafa Mansour, who presented him with his two books: "The Inherited Heritage" and "The Hejazi Torah", accompanied by Mr. Fawzi Bitar.

Among his visitors were retired Brigadier General Kamal Safa, and poet Wajdi Abdul Samad with a delegation from the family, to thank him for his condolences on the family's loss.

He also received Mr. Nadim Shaaban, Mr. Rabie Maadad, and Mrs. Lina Al-Banna.

His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql offered condolences at the Sect’s House for the late Hafez Al-Sayegh, whose passing was announced by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, in the presence of the party’s leadership and other figures.

He delegated Sheikh Shawqi Al-Khashen to offer his condolences to the family of the late journalist Ramzi Musharrafieh.