Speech of His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian Grand Mufti of the Republic of Lebanon
December 01, 2025 · 17:10
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
May prayers and peace be upon our master Muhammad and upon all the prophets and messengers,
It is our pleasure to welcome Pope Leo XIV, who is visiting Lebanon – the land of coexistence and diverse religious communities, a diversity that enriches human dignity. Citizenship, in our country, is the basis for defining rights and duties equally and without any discrimination. In Lebanon, we always affirm our national constants at our spiritual summits, and we respect religious freedoms and human rights as foundations of shared living in our diverse and plural societies. We do not interfere in religious particularities, for our Constitution guarantees every community the right to practice its own laws, in accordance with the verse: “To each of you We prescribed a law and a path.”
Islam is not only what was brought by our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, but also the faith journey in the One God from Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses and Jesus, and finally to Muhammad, peace be upon them all.
God Almighty said in His Book: “He has ordained for you the religion which He enjoined upon Noah, and which We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: establish the religion and do not be divided therein.”
We recall here what the Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded those believers who could not defend themselves: he instructed them to migrate to Abyssinia, saying to them, “There is a king there under whom no one is wronged.” Quraysh feared that the message would spread outside Mecca through this migration, so they sent envoys to the Christian king of Abyssinia to expel the Muslims. The envoys alleged that these refugees seeking his protection were against the message of Jesus. Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin, recited to the king verses from Surat Maryam. The Negus was moved and said: “This and what Jesus brought come from the same source of light.” He refused to expel those who had come to him fleeing persecution for their faith. Christians in Abyssinia thus became the first friends of the new message and its people.
The Charter of Medina – the foundational document of the first Islamic state – affirmed that believers from among the Jews and Christians formed, together with the Muslims, one community.
On these spiritual principles, I welcome the distinguished guest of Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV, wishing him success in steering the Christian ship for the good of humanity, in the spirit echoed by the Document on Human Fraternity signed by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and the late Pope Francis.
Lebanon is the land of this message, its bearer, and its defender. Therefore, we consider ourselves jointly entrusted, religiously, ethically, and nationally, with carrying the torch of this message, so that security and peace may prevail in the world, and love may reign among all nations and peoples.
May prayers and peace be upon our master Muhammad and upon all the prophets and messengers,
It is our pleasure to welcome Pope Leo XIV, who is visiting Lebanon – the land of coexistence and diverse religious communities, a diversity that enriches human dignity. Citizenship, in our country, is the basis for defining rights and duties equally and without any discrimination. In Lebanon, we always affirm our national constants at our spiritual summits, and we respect religious freedoms and human rights as foundations of shared living in our diverse and plural societies. We do not interfere in religious particularities, for our Constitution guarantees every community the right to practice its own laws, in accordance with the verse: “To each of you We prescribed a law and a path.”
Islam is not only what was brought by our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, but also the faith journey in the One God from Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses and Jesus, and finally to Muhammad, peace be upon them all.
God Almighty said in His Book: “He has ordained for you the religion which He enjoined upon Noah, and which We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: establish the religion and do not be divided therein.”
We recall here what the Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded those believers who could not defend themselves: he instructed them to migrate to Abyssinia, saying to them, “There is a king there under whom no one is wronged.” Quraysh feared that the message would spread outside Mecca through this migration, so they sent envoys to the Christian king of Abyssinia to expel the Muslims. The envoys alleged that these refugees seeking his protection were against the message of Jesus. Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin, recited to the king verses from Surat Maryam. The Negus was moved and said: “This and what Jesus brought come from the same source of light.” He refused to expel those who had come to him fleeing persecution for their faith. Christians in Abyssinia thus became the first friends of the new message and its people.
The Charter of Medina – the foundational document of the first Islamic state – affirmed that believers from among the Jews and Christians formed, together with the Muslims, one community.
On these spiritual principles, I welcome the distinguished guest of Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV, wishing him success in steering the Christian ship for the good of humanity, in the spirit echoed by the Document on Human Fraternity signed by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and the late Pope Francis.
Lebanon is the land of this message, its bearer, and its defender. Therefore, we consider ourselves jointly entrusted, religiously, ethically, and nationally, with carrying the torch of this message, so that security and peace may prevail in the world, and love may reign among all nations and peoples.