During a spiritual tour of the town of Ras el-Metn, which began with a visit to the venerable Judge Sheikh Ghandi Makarem, His Eminence the Sheikh Akl of the Druze Unitarian Community in Lebanon, Dr. Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna, emphasized the necessity of elevating our internal unity to the level followed by our righteous predecessors in the approach of meeting, uniting, and strengthening the values of brotherhood and tolerance, and drawing from the light of their faithful thought, which strengthened in us the moderation that we all need today, just as our homeland needs it, in accordance with the Almighty’s saying: (And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people”…)
He added: We are living in the midst of very significant challenges at the social, economic, cultural, and spiritual levels, which threaten the path of our daily lives and the values upon which our society was founded. This places us in a state of anxiety—if we do not realize their risks and deal with them well—and fear for the future of our coming generations. Therefore, as we are a short distance away from the arrival of the blessed ten days, we call for a return to our authentic Ma'roufi roots and to ourselves, and to realize the meanings of sacrifice aimed at achieving our absolute goal, in seeking the countenance of God Almighty.
The tour included visits to the homes of a large number of the town's Sheikhs and religious retreats (Khalwats), accompanied by the venerable Sheikh Abu Zein al-Din Hassan Ghannam, the two Sheikhs Fandi Jamal al-Din Shuja' and Abu Safi Anwar al-Ayyas, and a number of members of the Madhhabi Council, Sheikhs, and advisors. It concluded by participating in the extended religious evening at the town's Khalwat on the occasion of its renovation and expansion. This was at the invitation of the venerable Sheikh Abu Fayez Amin Makarem and in the presence of His Eminence Sheikh Judge Naim Hassan and the venerable Sheikhs: Abu Saleh Muhammad al-Andari, Abu Ali Suleiman Abu Diab, Abu Taher Munir Baraka, Abu Mahmoud Saeed Faraj, Abu Hassan Adel al-Nimr, Abu Suleiman Saeed Srei al-Din, Abu Fares Marwan Fayyad, and Majid Abu Saeda, in addition to a number of prominent Sheikhs and a gathering of Sheikhs from the town, the Mountain, and other regions.
Meetings
His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna received at the Community House in Beirut the retired Brigadier General Wael Abu Shaqra, then Mr. Labib Harb.
He also held a working meeting with the head of the Religious Committee in the Madhhabi Council, Sheikh Hadi al-Aridi. He had previously held a working meeting with the Cultural Committee in Chaneh, chaired by Sheikh Imad Faraj, to follow up on the preparations for the intellectual conference regarding Prince Shakib Arslan and his role in supporting the Palestinian cause and Arab causes.
At his residence in Chaneh, he received Dr. Atef Salloum in the presence of Sheikh Imad Faraj, the head of the Cultural Committee; the Mukhtar of Majdelbaana, Ali Abdul Khaleq; a delegation of Sheikhs from the town of Ain Qiniya - Hasbaya and Sheikh Naseeb Arabi and an accompanying delegation; and Mr. Shafiq Abu Shaheen and his wife, Mrs. Souad Abu Shaheen. He also met with businessmen Ghassan Al-Aridi and Mansour Abu Raed in the presence of Mr. Nizam Hatoum.
Condolences
His Eminence offered his condolences for the passing of the late Sheikhah Umm Akram Naziha al-Aawar, wife of Sheikh Abu Akram Salim Daoud al-Sayegh in Sharoun.
Assignment
His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna dispatched a delegation from the Madhhabi Council, led by Sheikh Fadi Al-Attar, to Tripoli to participate in the opening of the cultural exhibition.
