Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s Speech on The Tenth Day of Muharram 1444 AH
Translated by Al-Ahed News
Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on the Day of Ashura 1444 AH.
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Master and Prophet, the Seal of Prophets, Abi al-Qassem Muhammad Bin Abdullah and his good and pure household and his good and chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers.
Excerpt from Ziyarat Ashura: Peace be upon Hussein the son of Ali the martyr. Peace be upon Ali the son of Hussein the martyr. Peace be upon al-Abbas the son of the Commander of the Faithful the martyr. Peace be upon the martyrs from the sons of the Commander of the Faithful. Peace be upon the martyrs from the sons of al-Hassan. Peace be upon the martyrs from the sons of Hussein. Peace be upon the martyrs from the sons of Jaafar and Aqil. Peace be upon every faithful believer who was martyred. O Allah, [please] send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad and convey to them greetings and salutation from me. Peace be upon you, O Allah’s Messenger. May Allah console you satisfactorily regarding your son Hussein. Peace be upon you, O Fatimah. May Allah console you satisfactorily regarding your son Hussein. Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful. May Allah console you satisfactorily regarding your son Hussein. Peace be upon you, O Aba-Muhammad al-Hassan. May Allah console you satisfactorily regarding your son Hussein. Peace be upon you, O my imams and masters. Peace be upon you, O Sahib al-Zaman. May God magnify your reward and give you the best consolation for the martyrdom of Hussein, through your father Hussein [PBUH].
Dear brothers and sisters, may the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you all.
You and I, at this hour, send our condolences to the one who mourns, to the grandson of Hussein [PBUH], to Baqiyatullah in the two lands, Imam Al-Hujjah bin Al-Hassan Al-Askari Al-Mahdi [may God’s peace be upon him and our souls be sacrificed for him]. We offer him our condolences and sympathy and express to him our pain and sorrows as we share with him this great and painful affliction, during which he weeps for his grandfather's blood instead of tears.
We also extend our condolences to our great religious authorities, foremost His Eminence the Leader, Sayyid Khamenei, to all the Muslims of the world, and to all the lovers of Ahl al-Bayt [peace be upon them].
It’s been customary, brothers and sisters, that I speak very briefly on the tenth day [of Muharram] or during Ashura. This is because you stayed up late at night and woke up early in the morning and walked long distances for hours under the scorching heat. Hence, my speech will be brief in which I will touch on some situations. At the end of the speech, I will talk about Lebanon.
First, I would like to thank all of you for this great and solemn presence to console the Messenger of God and his household and to Sahib al-Zaman [PBUH].
Today, you are expressing your loyalty, sincerity, and steadfastness as you’ve done for the past 40 years. Neither war, fighting, car bombs, heat, rain, nor snow has prevented you from expressing this love, adoration, and loyalty for the past 40 years.
We also gather in this square to renew our allegiance, covenant, and pact with the Messenger of God, with his household, and with the Master of Martyrs Abi Abdullah Hussein [PBUH].
We tell him what we said yesterday. O our master and imam, we are with you and on your path, heeding your call, carrying your banner, preserving your grandfather’s Islam, which you were martyred for so it survives and is preserved, and defending the glory of our nation, which you were martyred for so it remains dear and dignified, not humiliated by Yazid or Ibn Ziyad in a world full of tyrants.
Today, from the position of jihad and the fields of jihad, we renew our pledge, O Abu Abdullah, men and women, young and old. We renew our pledge, allegiance, sincerity to you and commitment to this path. We will not abandon it no matter the sacrifices.
As we have been saying for 40 years on the battlefields, in the axes of resistance, at the funerals of the martyrs, in our political positions, in the face of challenges in all fields: “Labaik ya Hussein” [at your service, O Hussein].
On the day of support for the oppressed – Ashura is the day of support for the oppressed – I would like to say a few words of sympathy for the oppressed people in Nigeria. We usually begin with Palestine.
But allow me to start with Nigeria. There are followers of Ahl al-Bayt [peace be upon them] who are still being shot at whenever they mark the tenth day [of Muharram] and take part in peaceful Husseini processions. Men, women, and children are martyred.
This injustice in this era reminds us of the past, in which visitors of Hussein, those who mourned Hussein, and those who commemorated Hussein’s memory were killed. Unfortunately, this era still exists. It still exists in Nigeria, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world, even if it no longer exists in many arenas.
In any case, at the beginning of the speech, we express our sympathy to the great leader in Nigeria, the oppressed, the patient mujahid, and the father of the martyrs Sheikh Zakzaky, his family, and all the families of the martyrs. We ask God to accept them on the path of Hussein and with Hussein and to speed up the recovery of their wounded. The central issue on the Day of the Oppressed is Palestine, the occupied land, the usurped holy sites, and the oppressed, and people.
Today, brothers and sisters, it must be clear to everyone with a mind and conscience as well as those who claim Arabism that the basic standards of humanity, Islam, honor, and Arabism are for us to stand by Palestine and take a position against what is happening in it.
Its oppressed people are steadfast, proud, and unwavering. This morning, they were fighting in Nablus. Yesterday and for a few days, they were fighting in Gaza.
They do not weaken, relax, and submit despite the siege, the betrayal, the abandonment, and the silence of the world.
They are imposing their rules, equations, and conditions on the enemy. They are growing more and more confident day after day in the resistance being the only option to liberate the land and sanctities and protect existence and dignity.
Day after day, all the Palestinian people – if there is still a certain segment, a certain group that is still hesitant or confused about their options – will come to know, believe, and make their choice that resistance is the only way to liberate the sanctities, to restore Palestine, and to bring back the displaced Palestinians from all the countries of the diaspora and the world.
We do not expect mercy or justice from arrogant people such as the Americans and their ilk, but we turn to those who claim affiliation with Islam or Arabism and ask them what is their position towards the blood of the children and women that was unjustly shed in Gaza and the West Bank this year and last year during the Al-Quds Sword? The blood of these martyrs must always be approached from a position of condemnation, on the faces of those who normalized and at the hands of those who surrender, crying out to them and calling them to return and repent.
On Hussein’s Ashura, we take pride in the mujahideen and resistance fighters in Palestine who fought and always fight with steadfastness, courage, and legendary resoluteness. We take pride in their martyred leaders who fell in the past few days.
We renew our commitment in our march today as we have been doing for the past 40 years. We renew our commitment to this sacred cause, the Palestinian cause, and we reiterate that we stand by these struggling and resistant people. We will always be present on the front line in the struggle with this brutal Zionist enemy.
One of the ugliest [regimes] that normalized [ties with “Israel”], brothers and sisters, is the Bahraini regime. In addition to its tyranny, injustice, and oppression, the Bahraini regime has shown in the past few days that it cannot stand Hussein's black banner raised over a street in Manama, in any Bahraini town, pole, or house entrance. However, it tolerates Zionists roaming its capital and dancing in its clubs.
Today we remember the grievances of the proud, patient, and oppressed people of Bahrain caused by a corrupt, treacherous ruling junta that robs them of their most basic natural rights, assaults their symbols and sanctities, embraces their enemies, and imposes normalization. Meanwhile, they reject normalization, declare their absolute enmity towards “Israel”, and champion the cause of the Palestinian people and their noble resistance.
On this day, on the day of the oppressed, we also stress our support for the mujahid, resistant, and besieged people in Yemen who have been fighting for years in defense of their dignity, existence, and homeland in the face of occupation, aggression, humiliation, and arrogance. They know neither weariness nor boredom.
They fill the fronts during the war and throughout the years. They fill the squares and are never absent from taking part in the nation's occasions, including al-Quds Day, Ashura, the birth of the Prophet [PBUH], or in championing the Palestinian cause. They take part in demonstrations despite their pain, wounds, grievances, and alienation and at a time when most of the squares of the Arab and Islamic world are empty.
These heroes, this proud and jihadi people of Yemen, are a true embodiment of fighting, steadfastness, ignoring grievance, martyrdom, patience, the victory of blood over the sword, loyalty, and steadfastness. They are a true embodiment of Karbala and the master of martyrs, Abu Abdullah al-Hussein [PBUH].
On our Ashura, we renew our unwavering support for them. By doing so, we do not fear blame from the blamers in Lebanon, in the region, or in the world. We believe that supporting them with words and money and standing by their side is one of the most important duties of all Muslims, the oppressed, the free, and the honorable in this world because what has been happening in Yemen for years is grave oppression, persecution, and aggression that is practiced in the most horrific form. We call for halting the war against them, lifting the siege imposed on them, and an end to this brutal aggression.
Iraq, the blessed and holy land, embraces our master, the Master of Martyrs, his companions, and his family, all of whom we are commemorating today. We hope that all the dear ones there are able to work wisely, responsibly, and honestly to overcome this difficult stage and save Iraq for the sake of the Iraqi people and the whole nation that longs for Iraq's historical position at the heart of the nation, the nation's front, and in the nation's struggle in major causes and in confronting the arrogant.
Syria, which has overcome a global war, still suffers from the siege. The voice must also rise in the nation, in the Arab world, in the Islamic world to lift the siege on Syria, to lift the sanctions, to bring down the Caesar Act.
Today, there are besieged areas and countries. Meanwhile, the Islamic and Arab worlds remain silent. Gaza has been besieged for more than 15 years. Yemen has been besieged for more than seven years. Syria is also besieged. These are oppressed peoples, states, and governments. They are subjugated through sieges and sanctions after they were unable to subdue them by global wars, aggression, fighting, and the killing of children, the young, and the old.
In our view, Islamic Iran under the leadership of Imam Khamenei will remain the great force of Islam, the heart of the axis of resistance, and the forerunner of the camp of Hussein in this era and until the advent of the Hour. It will carry his banner and defend all the oppressed of this world.
On Ashura, we remember Hussein [PBUH], the master of the martyrs of the resistance axis martyr leader Hajj Qassem Soleimani, and his brother, the great jihadi leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
In Lebanon, we are a people who insist on steadfastness and real sovereignty, not fake and false sovereignty. We are a people and a movement that insist on being the masters of our decisions as we really are, and we are not men for this embassy or that.
We are a people who have been facing wars, conspiracies, assassinations, car bombs, and sedition for 40 years. We’ve been under sieges and sanctions for years, but this will not make us lose our resolve.
We look forward to a strong, sovereign, free, and dear Lebanon that is capable of protecting its sovereignty and dignity, is secure, capable of extracting its natural wealth – its oil, gas, and water belong to it – does not allow anyone to rob it of its wealth, and will cut off the hand that reaches for any of these riches in the same way it cut the hand that reached for our land, our blood, our people, our villages, and our cities.
We in Lebanon, in this position where we feel responsible for our people, call for maximum political, popular, and official cooperation to overcome the current difficulties and crises. We are capable of doing so, God willing.
We seriously call for the formation of a real government with full powers, especially since there are people who are portending or threatening Lebanon with a presidential vacuum. There must be a real government that bears responsibilities. If the presidential challenge is achieved, it will be a blessing. If it is not achieved, there will be, at the very least, a government capable of facing crises.
The officials must really feel the people’s pain and hunger. I tell you honestly and frankly that people feel that most officials in this country are far from people's pain, sorrows, and suffering, as if they live in their ivory towers, luxuriously, in their theories and philosophies. They are required to live the suffering of the people in order to confront and address them.
Regarding the issue of oil, gas, and maritime borders, our position remains unchanged. There is no need for me to repeat everything we have said over the past few days and weeks. In the coming days, we are waiting for the answers to the demands of the Lebanese state, and we will build on that.
On the tenth [of Muharram], on the day of Ashura, on the day of insight and awareness, on the day of patience, on the day of steadfastness, on the day of redemption, on the day of defense of dignity, I tell you and the Lebanese, especially to the supporters of the resistance and the resistance fighters, that we must be ready for all possibilities; we must be ready and prepared for all possibilities.
We are very serious when it comes to this battle and challenge. As I’ve said in the past, and I repeat today. I tell the Americans who present themselves as mediators, but are not, and to the "Israelis", Lebanon and the people of Lebanon can no longer tolerate the plundering of their wealth.
I said it before and I will repeat. We have reached the end of the line, and we will go to the end of the road. Let no one test us or threaten us. Do not even bet on us being frightened.
In the past few days, even during the aggression on Gaza, we have heard many statements, threats, and references toward Lebanon. Some of them even mentioned me by name and said that was your official spokesperson. They say that so-and-so is definitely watching what is happening today in this battle and received the required messages.
Yes, we’ve received the required messages. What we’ve seen in the past few days – the steadfastness of the people of Gaza, the heroism of its leaders, the solidarity of its factions, the steadfastness of its fighters, and the insight of even its young children – Gaza is steadfast, imposing its conditions and establishing its deterrence equation.
As for Lebanon, your account is with us, and our account is with you. It’s another account.
You know us and have 40 years worth of experience with us; the July war is not far from you. Today, this resistance, as well as its men and women, with its faith, trust, and confidence, its supporters and environment, its embrace and solidity, its certainty and hopes, and its weaponry is stronger than ever before.
We tell these people: Do not err with Lebanon, with the people of Lebanon, with the resistance in Lebanon, or with regard to the issue of oil, gas, and the maritime borders. Also, do not err in launching any aggression.
We have heard in the past few days that they are planning to assassinate leaders of the Islamic Jihad, in Hamas, or the Palestinian factions, outside occupied Palestine, including Lebanon.
On Ashura, we tell this enemy that any aggression against any human being in Lebanon will not remain unpunished and will not remain unanswered. To those who threaten us and expect weakness from us, this is our message from this great Husseini-Zainabi crowd.
We remind you that we are the lovers, followers, and supporters of that Imam [Imam Hussein] who stood on a similar day and said his words that resound in history: “Know that this evil-doer who is a son of an evil-doer.”
The biggest evil-doer in this world today is this temporary usurping entity of occupied Palestine.
“Know that this evil-doer who is a son of an evil-doer makes me choose between two things: the sword [to fight] and humiliating allegiance. We will never be humiliated!”
We will never be humiliated! This is our message to the enemy. Let them know who stands in the opposite front. This is our message to our friends, to all the Lebanese, and to all those residing on Lebanese soil, especially our Palestinian brothers who are facing the threat.
Let all loved ones and friends know that there is resistance in Lebanon and its supporters have been proving for more than 40 years that they defeated the army that was said to be invincible; they humiliated the army that humiliated multiple Arab armies; they defeated the entity that imagined its strength to be eternal and its control final.
Today's message is for our friends and the enemy. We are a people who refuse to live in humiliation in our country. We refuse to diminish our sovereignty. We refuse to have choices imposed on us by major powers. Therefore, from this position, we will continue our path in the coming years, God willing, through the future generations. We look at Lebanon and Palestine, which will all extend from the sea to the river, and no Zionists will remain in them.
All these Zionists will return to the places they came from, with the blessing of faith, awareness, insight, presence, and constant readiness to make sacrifices. We see this promising future that was made and is being made every day by the victory of blood over the sword.
We conclude as we began with Al-Hussein [PBUH]. O Master and Imam, we renew our pledge, fealty, and loyalty to you. We will not leave in the darkness of the night or in broad daylight regardless of the challenges. O Abu Abdullah, we are a people – our men and women, young and old – who if we know that we shall be killed and then made to rise again and then killed and burnt and our ashes be scattered around, and this shall happen a thousand times, even then I shall not forsake you, O Hussein.
May Allah reward you favorably. May Allah accept your deeds and whiten your faces. May He grant you victory over your enemy. May He honor you in this world and the hereafter and grant you the intercession of the one who mourns on this day, the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his household, on the loss of his beloved Hussein.
Peace and God's mercy and blessings be upon you all.
