A memorial service was held for the representative of the Sheikh al-Aql institution in Washington, the late "man of charity and benevolence," Engineer Sheikh Fouad Nassim Salim, who passed away in the diaspora (United States of America), at the birthplace of the deceased in the village of Jbaa, Chouf.
His Eminence Sheikh al-Aql of the Druze Unitarian community, Sheikh Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, participated in the event, attending at the head of a delegation of Sheikhs and members of the Confessional Council, as well as members of the directorates of the Sheikh al-Aql institution and the Confessional Council. Also present were a representative of His Eminence Sheikh Judge Naim Hassan, Sheikh Fadel Salim, and other Sheikhs, dignitaries, and residents from the town and the region.
Sheikh al-Aql
Before the absentee funeral prayer for the soul of the deceased, speeches were delivered on the occasion by: Mr. Raja Saad El-Din, Mayor of Jbaa Engineer Ihab Hammad, Sheikh Fadel Salim on behalf of the family, and Mr. Shafiq Yahya from the Druze Orphanage. In conclusion, His Eminence Sheikh al-Aql spoke, saying:
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
"Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah: of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait: but they have never changed (their determination) in the least."
Dear brothers, the Salim family and relatives, loved ones and friends...
Today, we join you in bidding farewell to a prominent figure of the Lebanese community in the United States of America: our uncle, Sheikh Fouad Salim. He departs in comfort and peace, content and well-pleased. We combine feelings of pain and regret with steadfast faith, contentment, and submission, accompanying his departure with words of loyalty and testimony. May we fulfill our duty to him and to those who knew him with a few expressions of appreciation and respect, testifying with confidence and honesty that he was a righteous model of sacrifice and giving, and a distinguished example of authenticity and loyalty.
Sheikh Fouad Salim was a descendant of a prominent Druze family known for its national struggle, scientific progress, and humanitarian work since long ago. He was the representative always present in his Unitarian community, a permanent volunteer for charity, a steadfast fighter from his early youth until after advanced age and declining health. He realized deeply that living in exile from one's homeland can become a real tragedy if it turns into an alienation from spiritual identity and a disconnection from social, cultural, and national roots, in the absence of steadfast men like Sheikh Fouad—those responsible for the task of uniting, fostering solidarity, and spreading the spirit of love, intimacy, and communication among the members of the sect and the community.
While the subject of orphans was one of Sheikh Fouad Salim's top priorities, his greatest concern was always guiding the youth and the members of the Druze community toward the truth of their religion and their path. He called upon them to adhere to the virtues and values of the Druze heritage and true faith, seeking the pleasure of God Almighty and ensuring the legacy of the ancestors and the preservation of children and grandchildren.
Sheikh Fouad Salim was a man of charity and initiative, a promoter of reconciliation and gathering, and one of the elite members of the Druze and Lebanese community in the United States of America. He was one of the sincere pillars of the American Druze Society, a man of high ambition and a heart pulsating with vitality, kindness, and faith. He was a courageous man who never sought rest and never hesitated for a moment to encourage donors to do good and fulfill their duties. He was the one who collected money drop by drop, knocking on doors, making phone calls, and calling out to consciences and hearts to care for an orphan and help someone in need.
Sheikh Fouad Salim was a trusted guardian of faith, the principles of Unitarianism, and the values in his community. He felt regret at people moving away from the truth of religion and drowning in fields of amusement, vanity, images, and appearances instead of clinging to the essence and truth. He was a believer committed to the morals of religion, sincere and pure-hearted, honest in his commitment and detachment, truthful in his friendship and love, and always keen on preserving the family and protecting the heritage.
In 2009, the American Druze Society honored him by choosing him as 'Man of the Year,' in recognition of his giving and merit, as he was the Druze Unitarian who combined authenticity and openness. He was a role model for the members of his sect in the diaspora, with his boundless initiative, the sincerity of his faith, and his attachment to the mission of the fathers and grandfathers. He was one of the firmly grounded Unitarians in their affiliation and faith, who never stopped planting hope in hearts and benevolence in souls, so that their planting would bear the fruit of goodness for the coming generations.
Greetings to your kind soul, Uncle Fouad. It was destined for us to visit you in the diaspora, where we met you and got to know you closely after hearing about you from afar. You were the father, the brother, and the loyal friend. Today, here in the position of the Sheikh al-Aql and in a position of responsibility within the ancient Druze community, we take pride in you just as we take pride in those like you. We pledge to you that your memory will remain a flame of goodness that does not go out, and a message of humanity that does not retreat; an inspiration for our Unitarian institutions and a catalyst for our authentic Unitarian children, as one of those pioneers who carried the concerns of the sect and the community, and one of those unique individuals who lived in exile but were not alienated. Rather, the exile of the body only increased their attachment to their spiritual identity and their moral adherence to the 'Right Path' and the 'Straight Way.'
Oh dear friend and loving, advisory brother, for your soul we ask God for mercy and forgiveness, and for your family, loved ones, and those who knew you, we ask for safety and security. We lift up to Him, Glorified and Exalted be He, our hope and prayer, repeating His saying: "O soul at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing. Enter among My servants, and enter My Paradise," beginning and ending with the mantra of faith and belief: "To God we belong, and to Him we shall return."
