Reisu-l-ulema, Dr. Mustafa Ceric, led the Friday noon prayer (Salaat-ul-Jumma) and gave a sermon in Vares today.

Before the Jumma prayer, in the Majlis of the Islamic Community in Vares, Reisu-l-ulema attended the meeting of the Executive Council of the Majlis together with the members of the Executive Council, imams, representatives of the parishioners, as well as religious teachers.

Reisu-l-ulema also met with leaders of the socio-economic, educational and cultural life in the Vares region.

The arrival of spring
Dear brothers and sisters,

When the length of day and night equals, the spring arrives and in it the nature awakes from hibernation.
Allah provides that rain from the skies bring earth to life after its death. That is a sign to those who listen to what is being said to them. (Qur'an, 14:65) 

And if you ask them: "Who, from the skies, provides the rain from which the dead earth springs to life?" - they will certainly say: "Allah provides the rain"! Upon that you say to them: "Thanks to Allah"!, but majority of them do not comprehend that! (Qur'an 29:63)

The arrival of spring is not only the reason for us to remind ourselves of the significance and meaning of earth, but it is also important as we, the people, are made of earth and return again to earth.

And one of the signs of Allah's is that He creates you from earth, and you disperse, so that you are everywhere upon Earth. (Qur'an 30:20)

Is there a clearer notion than this one, that we are created of earth, we live off it and we return our bones to it? Look around! What do we see? We see the earth which feeds us! We see the earth which beckons that we return to it! We see the earth which chides us because we abandon it and neglect it, as in the end we shall return to it not only when we die but also when we come to realize that there is no life without earth. Everything which we need to survive, be healthy, develop ourselves and be prosperous, all of that is in and upon earth, everything is a gift from God - the water we drink, the fruits we pick, the vegetables we grow, the medicines we search for, the scent we like, the minerals we appreciate, the wood we need - everything is in the earth, upon the earth and of the earth.

There is nothing that can replace the land in our existence
Is it not odd that such a simple truth is not clear to those who leave the land thinking that there is something better than the land, thinking that other than the land there is some other source of human existence? There is no other source for our human existence than the source of the land. There is nothing better or safer than the water and food from own land. And there is nothing that can replace the land in our existence. Therefore it is a strict order to protect the land from robbers so that they don't steal it, from the uncaring so they don't pollute it, from the irresponsible so they don't sell it, and from the malevolent so they don't betray it.

And exactly because it is an irreplaceable source of life for all of us, for all people regardless of religion and nationality, we are all called upon and we are all at duty to love and preserve the land upon which and in which we all live, and on which depend our health, success and happiness. It especially goes for those of us here and now in this land of ours, which has everything we need to live together in the joy of our success if we are smart enough so that we arrange our relationships upon principles of justice, honesty and equality, so that no one muddies the source of the water we all drink from, so that no one pollutes the nature from which we all breathe, so that no one robs the land from which all of us obtain food, but that all be content and happy in the land which is the gift of God, just as we all are gifts of God, and therefore we ought to respect one another as in that way we respect God - the Creator, who created us of the earth upon which we live and into which we return again, regardless of our names and regardless of the way we worship God.

The spring has sprung which needs to awaken us, the people, from lethargy
This is why we are gathered here in Vares today - so that we can send the message that the spring has sprung which needs to waken us, the people, from lethargy, as earth wakens up from its lethargy and with its springing to life points that Allah is alive and eternal, who never tires in showing us, again, the right way of life upon earth, who shows us hope instead of despair, who reveals Himself in the beauty of every bud and flower of the spring, every sound and song of the joyful birds which portend spring as the sign of new life.

Allah Almighty, give us the strength to turn our powerlessness into the power of life You are content with!

Allah All-knowing, teach us to turn our despair into hope, our failures into successes and the irresolvable predicament into the way You are content with!

Merciful Allah, lavish us with Your mercy which will bring us closer together in attempting to find the right way for peace, coexistence and tolerance among all people of good will! Amin!