His Eminence Sayyed Ali Fadlallah called on parents and on the educational institutions that serve girls at the age of religious maturity to “accompany them first with prevention and by answering their questions, to fortify their minds with ideas suited to their age and with evidence that supports them, and to soften their hearts with the counsel that strengthens their love of God, working to build their spiritual and moral resilience so that they are able to face all these challenges”
This came at the large ceremony held by Al-Mabarrat Charitable Association in Al-Zahra (PBUH) Hall at the Al-Imamain Al-Hassanain (PBUT) complex in Haret Hreik for more than four hundred girls on reaching the age of religious maturity
from its educational institutions in Beirut, namely:
Al-Kawthar Secondary School, Imam Al-Hassan (PBUH) Secondary School, Al-Abrar Secondary School, Imam Al-Mujtaba (PBUH) Secondary School, and the Al-Hadi (PBUH) Foundation.
The ceremony was attended by a number of religious, cultural, educational and social figures and by the girls' families.
It opened with verses from the Holy Quran, followed by the Lebanese national anthem, after which the girls of Al-Mabarrat schools presented a selection of anthems and plays inspired by the occasion,
Sayyed Fadlallah then delivered a speech in which he said: I am glad to be among you today so that together we may honor girls who have reached the age of religious maturity and who have decided, by their own will and choice and without compulsion or coercion, to bear the responsibility that the earth and the mountains were unable to bear, and to enter life through the door God has drawn for them in this life. This came out of their awareness that it is the safest path for their lives and for their future in this world and when they stand before God, because God wills nothing but good for them when He commands and forbids; He commands them only to what is right and forbids them only what is wrong and ugly in word, conduct and deed…
He added: Our girls are confident that God did not command this of them in order to restrict them, but so that it would be a banner of their humanity, and so that they would appear in society through that humanity rather than through their femininity, which remains within the frame God has set for it. Neither the neighbourhood, nor the school, nor the university, nor the office, nor any place of study or work is an arena for displaying femininity; these are places of action, work, and the advancement and development of society at every level. He noted that the hijab is not merely a form but a substance expressing commitment to God's command, which He intends not only as a covering, but as a covering of the mind against every deviant idea that turns away from truth and right, a covering of the tongue against every word that harms others and harms life, and a covering of the heart against all rancor and hatred, so that life may be as God wanted it: that they be the best in knowledge, work, character and presence in the arena of life, so that life is better for their presence, in culture, society, politics and the economy, and in building the nation, its advancement, its independence and its freedom.
He continued: Our girls have reached this sense of responsibility through the awareness they have gained, but that would not have happened without the efforts of parents who were keen to play their role toward their daughters, planting in them love of God, a sense of responsibility toward Him and obedience to Him, and who did not leave their daughters to be manipulated by media and social platforms and by all who would harm their thinking, their hearts, their lives and their responsibility toward their Lord.
He offered congratulations, thanks and appreciation to the parents for this good upbringing and for the effort and hardship they bore until they brought their daughters to the straight path. He also thanked the educational institutions of Al-Mabarrat Association, which have taken upon themselves the role of upbringing, formation and guidance, alongside the attention they give at the academic, intellectual, moral and interpersonal levels…
He noted that this responsibility will not end with our dear girls reaching where they have reached; rather today is the beginning of the journey of responsibility, in which they will face great challenges and difficulties from those who lie in wait to draw them away from the straight path. Many questions will be put to them about the hijab: is it obligatory, and why at this age, especially as we live amid workplaces that may not accept the hijab within them. Many of life's temptations will also be placed before them, aimed at diverting them from this path of faith and morality…
He called on the girls to acquire the awareness that enables them to answer and confront all these questions, and to be certain that the girls before them faced difficulties and were able to overcome them through their faith and awareness, and that you too will overcome all these challenges with confidence, awareness and steadfastness.
He also called on parents and on the educational institutions that host them to accompany them, first with prevention and by answering their questions, to fortify their minds with ideas suited to their age and with evidence that supports them, and to soften their hearts with the counsel that strengthens their love of God; to work to build their spiritual and moral resilience so that they are able to face all these challenges; to possess argument in the face of argument and insight in the face of deceptive hopes, temptations and propaganda that carry poison in the honey; and patience in facing pressure. And to plant in them the awareness that their beauty does not stop, as the media, companies, devices and monopolies seek to establish, at the beauty of the body; rather true beauty, true worth and true freedom are manifested in a girl's character, in her mind and awareness, in owning her decisions in her conduct, in her freedom from appetites and consumerism, and in her presence and her social, political and cultural role..
