The Eminent Scholar Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din
Dialogue and Safeguarding the Nation
A speech by Professor Dr. Michel Abs
Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches
Delivered at the seminar on the thought of Imam Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din
on the 24th anniversary of his passing
February 5, 2025
At the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in Hazmieh – Lebanon
When I think of the eminent scholar Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, I am first reminded of his gentle, loving smile and his kind countenance, behind which there was a far-sighted vision gazing into the distance, trying to decipher its secrets, perhaps to protect the nation and strengthen the future of its children. His sharp insight was one of his principal characteristics, and he employed it in the service of the faithful community, the Shi‘a of Lebanon—I avoid using the word “sect”—and the nation.
Allow me to interject a brief personal note: I sensed that same good spirit in his son, my friend and His Excellency the Minister Ibrahim, as well as in his grandson Khalil, the diligent student in the master’s program I used to lead at Saint Joseph University.
I got to know Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din through my membership, starting in 1997, in the “Islamic-Christian National Committee for Dialogue,” which he helped establish. Through it, through the activities of its members and thanks to his guidance and support, we contributed to safeguarding civil peace and preventing strife on many occasions. God alone knows where such strife would have led us when it often began with a seemingly minor incident of little apparent importance.
Whenever we visited him to draw from his wisdom, it was clear that he embraced the idea of Lebanon as the final homeland, stressing the need to preserve all components of the nation and to protect civil peace as a means of safeguarding the country. He would present his thoughts and opinions to us gently and simply, like a loving father who refuses to allow anyone to compromise the nation.
Perhaps the most important thing I can say about this great scholar is that he coupled his words with action. His rich, fragrant life story is, I believe, proof of that. During his time with us, it was inconceivable for him that there could be any discrepancy between what he says and what he does. Instead, there was complete intellectual and behavioral harmony, a fundamental principle set forth by a leader of this nation who operated in the religious sphere. It should serve as a working guide for generations, especially since our public life is rife with hypocrisy, favoritism, and double standards that have led the masses to repeated disappointments from independence until today.
The firmness of morality in public life is an essential basis for safeguarding society and people.
Relatedly, the thought of Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din was distinguished by openness and tolerance. These qualities of openness and tolerance were also manifest in his words coupled with deeds. They featured throughout his positions on various national matters, making any word or deed he issued profoundly marked by the logic of dialogue, which he embraced as a way of life, rather than a temporary mechanism to be set aside once a given goal had been achieved.
At the Middle East Council of Churches, and as someone who emerged from the Islamic-Christian National Committee for Dialogue, where this beloved and esteemed Imam was a pillar, we consider dialogue to be an end in itself, not merely a means. Dialogue is a continuous process that brings people closer to one another. It activates mutual maturation between individuals or communities that make up the nation, thereby becoming a culture rather than a mere mechanism or a short-term approach. Dialogue implies ongoing interaction among people and an acceptance of differing opinions, which means there is no demonization or treasonous labeling of the others, and no hate speech directed toward them.
This is the thinking of that wise Imam, who cherished both religion and homeland. The most significant aspect of his thought is that its roots lie at the foundation of religion, while also drawing on practical experiences from our shared Arab history.
In that spirit, Imam Shams al-Din thought, preached, and acted. This outlook is the ideal logic that can be adopted in the management of modern societies, which are intensely diverse. Through it, communities become acquainted with one another after having been estranged by historical circumstances, leading to mutual enrichment among the nation’s constituent groups, as is the case in Lebanon. Imam Shams al-Din also counseled this for other Arab countries. Was he not the one who stressed never to derail or hinder dialogue, which he considered the loftiest goal, believing that through it dignity is safeguarded and interests are secured?
Because of this, the far-sighted Imam is considered one of the pillars of national reconciliation, civil peace, and consensus, stemming from his religious position, not just from a transient pragmatic measure. He thus emerged as one of the champions of national unity in Lebanon, grounded in a tolerant, enlightened religious thought, constantly renewing itself to keep pace with the times and reflecting a supreme value of justice, pursued through dialogue, which is itself a fundamental pillar of his thinking.
Truly, he was the founder of a new school of understanding religious faith and applying it within the social reality of each Arab country. This school has proven its effectiveness and relevance, yielding positive results in Lebanon and many other Arab countries. Its foundation is justice, which preserves dignity and ensures equality among the citizens of a single nation.
As for diversity, Imam Shams al-Din based his approach on the idea that differentiation is a reality in human society, resulting from the fabric of the universe and the freedom God granted humanity. From that follows that the right to be different is a basic human right, and that the individual must shoulder the responsibility that comes with such difference and freedom.
In this context, the eminent Imam replaced the phrase “national melting pot” with the notion of “integration and participation” and of “diversity within unity,” as well as “consensus within multiplicity.” These operational values form the basis of cooperation leading to mutual enrichment. All of this is grounded in his religious conviction, which he relied upon to secure societal unity, essential for modern, diverse societies.
Following this line of thought, Imam Shams al-Din crystallized the concept of citizenship, believing that diversity does not constitute a burden on society or the nation and that both are capable of embracing religious plurality. Precisely this plurality makes dialogue a societal necessity, rendering the logic of social life based on dialogue and mutual acceptance among all the components of society. But dialogue also requires everyone to be equal in their dialogue with one another, both socially and before God.
At this level of approach, objectivity, based on discerning thought that ensures justice and rights, plays a critical role. This means avoiding emotional reactions that produce preconceived judgments and thus demonize the other. It requires respecting the other’s opinion, even if it conflicts with ours, and arguing “in the best way,” until we reach a common ground. This, in turn, facilitates reconciliation and civil peace. All of it must take place within a framework of objectivity that guarantees dialogue, interaction, and even constructive criticism.
Nor did Imam Shams al-Din overlook the legal dimension in societies characterized by religious diversity. He emphasized the legal (i.e., rights-based) constants that apply to both individuals and communities, a right that includes all people without discrimination between one individual and another, or between one community and another. By doing so, he grants diversity a form of legitimacy, an approach that positions the eminent Imam as a founder of a new method that no other religious scholar before him had articulated in quite the same way. In the same vein, he stressed the importance of preserving diversity in its religious and cultural dimensions, thereby heralding a society that enjoys advanced freedoms, where each constituent group retains its particularities and the right to develop and enhance them. Is that not a bold model of a progressive society at peace with itself, marching on the path to success?
This calm, steadfast leader, this learned Imam who was raised on knowledge and virtue inherited from his family, who endured hardship while clinging to his convictions and faith, who chose to remain first in Iraq despite harsh living conditions, who studied under the greatest scholars and established libraries, journals, and universities, who published books, and who was nurtured in the fundamentals of religion, paved the way toward openness and modernity. He presented to the people of his faith valuable proposals for a bright future, founded on social stability and balance, given their presence in modern societies characterized by diversity in all aspects.
The partnership between Imam Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din and Imam Sayyid Musa al-Sadr in founding the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council in 1969, and their affirmation of the Council’s role in building the edifice of national unity, alongside the beloved, absented Imam Musa al-Sadr, offers unequivocal proof of the foresight of these two Imams regarding the national complementarity Lebanon needed amidst the regional and international transformations of that era. Neither of these two historic leaders had any ambiguity about how the Council and the faithful Shiite community fit within the unifying Lebanese national framework, adopting a clear stance of dialogue.
Since one matter calls another to mind, I should mention that my generation, the university generation of the 1970s, found ourselves in the midst of intense political awareness and anxiety, from the Cairo Agreement to the Ain al-Remmaneh incident. We regarded Sayyid Musa al-Sadr, at that time representing this intellectual orientation, as emblematic of the new Lebanon we wanted: a Lebanon of openness, modernity, and social justice, in line with our hopes for change. He was called the “Teilhard de Chardin” of our era, despite our Arab nationalism and our rejection by some of any imitation of Western figures.
Meanwhile, we must note that throughout this period, Imam Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din was producing his enlightening ideas in the same direction we have come to know him for, addressing the intellectual and existential anxiety prevalent at the time.
But when strife awoke in Lebanon and the country began to burn, land and people alike, the wise national Imam held positions consistent with his vision and convictions, in parallel of course with the disappeared Imam al-Sayyid Musa al-Sadr. He confronted the civil war with every means and resource at his disposal, sparing no effort in any matter that could be undertaken, whether by bringing the parties together or by launching dialogue initiatives, even if this came at the expense of his own community, whose members had historically suffered glaring deprivation and neglect. It was a historic stance, not new to the Shi‘a of Ali.
After the disappearance of Imam al-Sayyid Musa al-Sadr and the assumption by Imam Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din of the presidency of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council, he found himself at the forefront of events. He had to assume sole responsibility for steering the course of affairs as a leader, albeit with the support of able aides around him.
Throughout that period, Imam Shams al-Din’s position was clear, a position of unity and integration, in a final homeland for all its citizens. This statement became part of the national constants embraced by all groups, despite their mutual disagreements. “Lebanon as the final homeland for all its people” became a key element in the historic bequest left by the wise Imam to Lebanon’s coming generations, those who knew him and those who did not. For the national Imam, Lebanon is neither a transient station nor a matter open to bargaining: it is final!
Yet this Lebanon is not a homeland of naïve romanticism exploited by the corrupt and opportunists. Belonging to it comes with legal conditions, first of which are the freedoms that enable interaction among its constituents, and second is a fair and balanced good governance based on strong institutions.
This, then, is how Lebanon becomes a homeland-message.
In this context, the wise Imam worked to remove from circulation any discourse related to demographics or numbers among the Lebanese, in order to avoid causing anxiety in certain Lebanese communities that were experiencing emigration or a numerical decline. If anything, this demonstrates that he prioritized national unity above all other considerations.
He also considered that national unity could not be achieved if one of the nation’s groups became a source of fear for others, because that would make it an enemy of the people, akin to the behavior of certain regimes today. He believed that the Shi‘a of Ali must act as a link among the various segments of society through dialogue and communication, which would give others a sense of security and ensure the integration of all groups into a collective national crucible, for not only their differences but their contradictions as well.
Such was the depth of his national concern and far-sightedness that, when he sensed his time in this world ending, he provided future generations, those born and those yet to be born, with a set of bequests to guide them in the nation’s future.
This Book of Bequests, the content of which was transcribed from an audio recording of Imam Shams al-Din, is now in its seventh printing, so great has been the readership drawn to his loving, visionary thought.
As stated in the book’s introduction by his son and my friend, Ibrahim, these bequests are a “distinctive milestone and a clarion call of admonition in the domain of political Shi‘ism in general, in the Arab world in particular, and in Lebanon most specifically.”
In this book of reference, the eminent Imam pours out his entire vision and aspirations for the future of the Shi‘a, of the Lebanese, and indeed of the Arabs in general, because what applies to Lebanon, which he termed a “message,” applies to any region worldwide, owing to how highly diverse Lebanese society is within a small space.
Through these bequests, the great scholar urges the Shi‘a to integrate into their nations, their societies, and their homelands. He uses the expression “that they integrate themselves,” intending that such integration be a voluntary act arising from them, not forced by external power. Likewise, his use of three dimensions—nations, society, and homelands—reveals his thinking of a comprehensive, unambiguous approach to integration.
Along similar lines, he counsels them not to be drawn toward distinction or exceptionalism, for that is an absolute evil with dire consequences. In fact, he believes that their integration into the national public sphere is the only way to overcome the marginalization and deprivation they suffered for centuries.
I pause here at the phrase “the national public sphere,” which appears repeatedly in the Imam’s bequests, sermons, and writings. It reflects his firm conviction of the importance of the social structure that unites people in the homeland, and of its role as the only path to societal cohesion and integration. At the very least, recognition by this enlightened scholar of the significance of human social interaction, over and above sectarian partisanship, makes him a pioneer of national unity and societal safeguarding.
When he speaks about our Lebanese Shi‘a community, he notes that they have formed a moral personality within Lebanese society; in other words, their ultimate frame of reference remains the homeland and society.
Because Imam Shams al-Din was fully aware of the marginalization and deprivation from which Lebanese Shi‘a and their regions in general had suffered, he categorized these into developmental deprivation and administrative representation deprivation. The establishment of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council was essentially a signal of the beginning of the end of this long era, which lasted for centuries, that had so profoundly shaped the historical collective consciousness of our Shi‘a brethren.
When it comes to Arab Christians, he stressed the absolute necessity of an active Christian presence in Lebanon and the necessity for them to integrate into their societies, to feel complete belonging and satisfaction, and to avoid any sense of frustration or any condition that might lead to deprivation or fear.
In a related vein, Imam Shams al-Din addressed the question of Christian presence in the East, a matter in which he was among the pioneers. We discussed this issue more than once within the framework of the Islamic-Christian National Committee for Dialogue and in conferences that committee members attended.
Toward the end of his life, he emphasized the need to ensure everything required for Eastern Christianity to regain its full presence and capabilities, so that it could share in decision-making and in shaping the future of the nation.
Furthermore, the visionary qualities of this leader were evident in his insistence on realizing the project of a “General Secretariat for the Lebanese Spiritual Summit.” A quarter-century after his passing, that concept is still only a project in mind, one we celebrate whenever we hold a spiritual summit and see how beneficial it is in bringing hearts closer and endowing the people with a measure of love and national harmony. Yet these spiritual summits are still convened only when necessary and under the pressure of events, instead of having been institutionalized and held regularly, as our committee repeatedly demanded.
I will not delve further into the thought of the eminent scholar Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, as neither time nor space allows for it. We remain thirsty to read more of the work of this far-sighted national leader who anticipated and provided guidance, in hopes that this nation may one day emerge into the realm of unity and stability, so crucial for progress and development.
The writings of this learned Sheikh stand as testimony to an enlightened religious-based thought that succeeded in reconciling the enduring principles of faith with the requirements of modernization. They remain an open invitation for everyone to pursue a better future.