His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql of the Druze Unitarian community, Sheikh Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, stated that "we are facing a state of anxiety about our destiny today, and national and moral duty dictates rising above bickering—rising above a personal interest here or there—and converging on the higher national interest; out of compassion for the suffering people and for the protection of the state and the constitution, before a total collapse occurs." He called for gathering around a common word, rising above sectarian motives and dual loyalties, to emerge from the dark tunnel of internal polarization into the required horizon of national rapprochement, and from the furnace of the devastating war in Palestine and southern Lebanon to the oasis of victory, security, and peace.
His Eminence Sheikh Al-Aql led the prayer on the morning of the blessed Eid al-Adha at the council of the shrine of the late Sheikh Abu Hussein Shibli Abi Al-Muna in Shanay, with the participation of spiritual, social, and judicial figures, as well as members of the Sectarian Council and the directorates of the Council and the Sheikhdom of Aql.
His Eminence Sheikh Abi Al-Muna delivered the Eid sermon, which stated:
"Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the Master of the Messengers, his family and chosen companions, and all the pure prophets of God... Praise be to God by whose grace good deeds are completed, by whose favor blessings descend, and by whose success goals are achieved... Praise be to God always, at every beginning and end... Praise be to God with the utmost praise for His bounties, which cannot be counted or enumerated. Thereafter, my brothers, my loved ones, O Muslims making pilgrimage to the Sacred House of God, and the Unitarians seeking the face of Truth in every site and station, O those celebrating the Eid today and every day, whether after standing on Mount Arafat and offering sacrifices, or after standing on the spiritual peaks of monotheism that never cease to embrace those who sacrifice... Now that the striving is completed and the circumambulation is realized, and the Ihram has reached its end and the striving its purpose, and the rites of Hajj are fulfilled, hearts are united, and mosques and councils are blessed with supplications and prayers, in ten blessed days and nights, by which God swore in His saying: "By the Dawn, and ten nights," not for anything but to show the greatness of those nights, and for Him, the Almighty, to say in the same Surah: "Indeed, your Lord is in observation," and in that oath and that saying are signs for a people who reflect. Now that the ten nights have passed and we are in the heart of the happy Eid, realizing that our Lord is in observation, "He knows what is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what you conceal and what you declare, and Allah is Knowing of that within the breasts," it is fitting for each one of us to be pleased with the sincerity that shone in his heart, with the giving his hands provided, and with the effort he made without pretension or favor, each according to his sincerity, giving, and effort—joy in drawing near to God Almighty, worshipping Him with sincere loyalty, sound belief, and upright conduct, and an overwhelming, encompassing rejoicing in unity, mutual affection, togetherness, and gathering around the word of Truth and Monotheism."
"O brothers celebrating the Eid, remember that the Eid is but a passing temporal station, but it carries a spiritual meaning and a monotheistic lesson. Let our attachment to the lesson, the content, and the meaning be stronger than our attachment to the day, the ritual, and the appearance. Let the present of the Eid and the joy of observing it be a yearning for a near future in which the truth of the commemoration and the happiness of salvation are embodied. Know that true happiness cannot be achieved through malicious intentions, deadly resignation, and reliance on helplessness and illusions, but rather through the purity of hearts and the clarity of inner thoughts, by tireless effort in what pleases God and brings comfort to consciences, and by confronting reality with a foresighted vision, strong will, and sincere brotherly and humanitarian cooperation, away from ambiguity in speech, vagueness in positions, mixing concepts, changing skins, and reversing roles. Let piety be your guide, your weapon, and the light of your insights; with it, you banish negligence and strife, and with it, you repel the hordes of laxity, fragmentation, and loss. My brothers, children of Monotheism and Al-Ma'rouf wherever you are, by whatever title you are called, and in whichever lands you reside, blessed is your Greater Eid, blessed is your gathering and coalition, and blessed are your institutions, families, and retreats (Khalwat); in their shelter, you generate your faith and steadfastness, and in their embrace, you cultivate your values and foster virtues in your children and grandchildren and banish vices. Peace to you from here, from the mountain of ancestors and glories, and from the land of goodness and struggle. Peace to our people, the Unitarians of Ma'rouf, from Syria, Palestine, and Jordan, and to our people from Lebanon, in the mountains, the coast, and the blossoming valley, residents and expatriates... With you and through you, hope is strengthened, and deadly despair and discontent are banished. With you, through you, and for you, institutions are built and their roles integrated. Do not underestimate your presence and existence, and do not make light of your capabilities and potentials if they are gathered. We are here to strengthen them and gather them for the sake of goodness, and to spread optimism in our society despite the difficulties, the fog, the attempts to make the youth despair, and the talk about the absence of institutions. For society does not rise or fortify itself except through them, on all educational, social, and economic levels, and this is what we are working on sincerely. Here is the Druze judicial institution receiving, in these blessed nights, five new judges from among the educated youth whom we rely upon, for whom we raise prayers for success, and through whom we renew hope for developing our sectarian judiciary. For the community, like the nation, does not flourish except through the renaissance and integration of institutions. We are a part of the nation, nay, we are the essential part of it, and even if the number is small, it is compensated by solidarity, cohesion, sincerity of belonging, stability of identity, national brotherhood, and organized, tireless work. O honorable brothers, O Unitarians, O Muslims and believers, whatever sect you belong to, whatever community you are affiliated with... the nation has a right upon us to protect it, advance it, and respect its constitution, and we have a right upon the state to live with dignity in justice and equality... The nation has a right upon us for supplication, prayer, and work for its sake, and we have a right upon the state for protection and care... The nation has a right upon us to respect the diversity within it, and we have a right upon it to preserve coexistence and the cultural and spiritual heritage of every community. The nation has a right upon us to care for the expatriates among its children so they do not lose their national and spiritual identity, and we have a right upon the expatriate Lebanon to turn its attention to the people and support their steadfastness on their land... And here we are, with every new dawn, renewing the prayer, the call, and the invitation to work. How much more so if the dawn is the dawn of Eid, and the prayer is the prayer of Al-Adha? Our rising supplication and our loud call to everyone is to be inspired by the Eid with the meaning of sacrifice, to offer sacrifices on the altar of the nation, with closeness, humility, harmony, and giving, and to work together so that the state's fabric is mended, the institutions' work is organized, and prosperity prevails."
"We are facing a state of anxiety about our destiny today. Do those in charge not see, in light of this, that the national and moral duty dictates rising above bickering—rising above a personal interest here or there—and converging on the higher national interest; out of compassion for the suffering people and for the protection of the state and the constitution, before a total collapse occurs? Let everyone be certain that true power is nothing but the power of loyalty to the nation and solidarity for the renaissance and protection of the country, and that the majority is nothing but the majority of those loyal to the nation from all categories and sides, and those united to rescue it and achieve its prosperity. Power may sometimes be a retreat from a position that complicates a solution and a relinquishment of an association that hinders progress... it may be the ability for dialogue and adaptation to reality, just as it may, at other times, be steadfastness in self-defense and standing against aggressors. However, it is never, in any case, a form of bullying, obstruction, or entrenchment behind overriding sectarian or factional dreams... The true majority is not achieved except by the Lebanese diversity gathering around a common word, sincere citizenship, and a unifying national cause. If we find comfort from time to time in this initiative or that effort, and feel reassured by the existence of national political leaders, sensible officials, and wise men of thought who seek to bridge the divide and address the outstanding problems and the vacuum in the Presidency of the Republic, in particular, as a prelude to addressing the pervasive defect in all joints of the state and pushing together towards investing its wasted potentials, we wonder how the Lebanese wait for magical solutions from abroad and do not create realistic solutions for their state at home; solutions that take into account the concerns of the essential components and the demands of the Lebanese people with their different internal and external orientations and affections. Have we become incapable to this extent of loss and hesitation? And chained by the shackles of divisive positions and foreign loyalties to this level of contempt for the nation and its unity? Or has the language of speech and dialogue been disabled, and realism disappeared from our national life? As if we have become specialized in the art of waiting, anticipation, and reliance on others; waiting for an appreciated and thanked quintet committee, or international decisions stamped to end a devastating and fierce war, or anticipating the appropriate international moment for the birth of national understanding. Even if we excuse ourselves a little given our connection to the issues of the region, especially the Palestinian cause, and given the reality of Lebanon and its position affected by what is around it, especially the presence of a usurping and aggressor Zionist entity that requires caution, steadfastness, and resistance, there is no excuse for us in what we are capable of if we gathered around a common word and rose above sectarian motives and dual loyalties. This is what we hope for sincerely with every Eid and occasion, to emerge from the dark tunnel of internal polarization into the required horizon of national rapprochement, and from the furnace of the devastating war in Palestine and southern Lebanon to the oasis of victory, security, and peace, hoping to achieve the promise of God Almighty which contains the meaning of hope and expectation, in an affirmative question in His saying: "Is not the morning near?"
"O believing brothers who are confident in the nearness of the night's end and the breaking of the morning, with you we pray for the salvation of our state, a prayer that accompanies the desired dialogue, the required consultation, internal solidarity, and work to strengthen the relationship with the Arab brothers who constitute our civilizational depth, and a supplication rising from the depths for the victory of our people in Palestine who are being subjected in Gaza to the most heinous types of massacres in sight and hearing of the civilized world, in which they find nothing to remove the injustice or provide hope."
"My brothers, it is the Greater Eid; the blessed Al-Adha, with its witnessed historical symbolism, its customary social requirements, and its promised future connotations. We and you are gathered in its horizon, drinking from its meanings, and seeking refuge in its blessings, so that we may live it as a higher truth, within ourselves, in our families, in our communities, and in our homelands. May God return it to you, to the Muslims, to the Lebanese, and to all Unitarians with goodness, tranquility, pride, and peace. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings."
