“Each vulnerable person embodies a force for the future.” The charitable association led by Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Fadlallah daily demonstrates this conviction through projects like the el-Hadi Institute. The association also supports students displaced by bombings at the southern border of Lebanon.
In memory of
Amani Hussein Berjawi,
Zainab Hussein Berjawi,
Mahmoud Ali Amer,
Hussein Ali Amer,
Fatima Ahmad Berjawi,
Ghadeer Abbas Tarhini,
Amal Mahmoud Ouda,
Hussein Ahmad Berjawi
Killed on February 14, 2024, in an Israeli airstrike in Nabatiyeh.
For decades, the socio-communal Shiite scene in Lebanon has been marked by the dynamic initiatives of several non-partisan associations, primarily engaged in the educational and academic spheres as well as in all aspects related to human development*. Among these community-oriented associations, al-Mabarrat stands out, along with other associations linked to influential Shiite families, embodying the principles and vision of its founder, Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah. The commitment to openness to the Other and to the world at large, as well as the dedication to moral and humanistic values that have defined Ayatollah Fadlallah’s journey, are reflected in the spirit and in the ‘philosophy’ that govern the actions of al-Mabarrat’s various educational, social, and medical institutions.
Established in 1978 by Ayatollah Fadlallah to address urgent community needs, the al-Mabarrat association immediately aligned its efforts with the deep insights and open-mindedness of Sheikh Fadlallah, who quickly gained recognition for his undeniable charisma, his extensive religious and literary knowledge, and his clear vision of social issues.
Born in 1935 in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq, where his (Lebanese) father had emigrated in 1928, Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah chose to settle in Lebanon in 1966 after completing extensive religious training in Najaf. Upon his arrival in Beirut, Fadlallah — just like the imams Moussa Sadr and Mohammed Mehdi Chamseddine — engaged in numerous conferences and debates in meeting clubs and places of worship. Simultaneously, he initiated religious, social, and educational activities in Nabaa, a suburb of East Beirut, by establishing a school and a clinic in the area. At the onset of the Lebanese Civil War, he was forced to relocate to the predominantly Shiite southern suburb of Beirut to pursue his social and educational work.
In this context, he set up educational centers in several regions, mostly for women, a hospital, clinics, orphanages, and schools, including the avant-garde school, el-Hadi, founded in 1988 to support children with physical disabilities (hearing-impaired, visually impaired) or mental disabilities (autism, specific cases, etc.) across four educational centers.
Political Engagement and Independence
Drawing on his solid training acquired in Najaf, Ayatollah Fadlallah successfully reconciled, in a delicate balance, political engagement, independent thinking, openness to the world and others, and, of course, social and educational ventures. In the mid-1980s, following the Israeli invasion of 1982, he played a role, as a standard-bearer of the Lebanese branch of the Iraqi Shiite party al-Daawa, in the creation of Hezbollah. However, he did not display blind loyalty to the pro-Iranian party or to the mullahs’ regime in Tehran. He supported the Iranian Islamic Revolution under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, but he refused to pledge total and absolute allegiance, as Hezbollah does, to the wali al-faqih (the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran). Most especially, he frowned upon the heavy influence of the Iranian Islamic Republic on Hezbollah and Lebanon.
Sayyed Ali Fadlallah (the Ayatollah’s son) outlined his father’s stance in an interview with This is Beirut, stating: “He rejected the idea of pledging allegiance on political issues to the wali al-faqih and to Imam Khamenei. He was an independent religious authority (‘marjaa’), unlike other religious authorities who are under certain influences,” alluding to the Iranian Supreme Leader. This commitment to independence is palpable within al-Mabarrat’s institutions, as explained by Ali Fadlallah. He said, “Our association is an independent entity that does not fall under existing structures,” in a thinly veiled reference to Hezbollah. “We express our convictions freely (…) and we are keen on preserving our total autonomy.” Ali Fadlallah emphasized to This is Beirut that dedication to independence is mostly expressed through the self-financing of the various activities of the association.
The general director of al-Mabarrat, Mohammed Baker Fadlallah (the Ayatollah’s brother), clarifies to This is Beirut that the association does not accept funding from any party, state, or political movement whatsoever. The Ayatollah had thus established a self-financing system through productive and profitable enterprises, such as the restaurant el-Saha, commercial establishments, mostly jewelry shops, and commercial partnerships with foreign companies.
This self-financing model is evidently successful, as indicated by the significant expansion of al-Mabarrat’s initiatives. Mohammed Baker Fadlallah underscores to This is Beirut that since its foundation in 1978, the association has welcomed no less than 80,000 orphans, not to mention hundreds of elderly individuals, and is currently caring for 4,600 orphans. As for Sheikh Ismail el-Zein, director of el-Hadi center for disabled or special needs children, he told This is Beirut that the four schools within his center cater to 150 hearing-impaired, 150 visually impaired, 200 autistics, and 250 students with special needs.
The open-mindedness and lack of prejudice shown by Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah account for al-Mabarrat’s presence in numerous foreign and Arab countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, Sudan, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Abidjan, as well as Australia and the United States, where the association has opened a center and a school for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Another testament to this open approach is the creation of the Forum for Dialogue of Cultures and Religions, an initiative launched in 2013 by Ali Fadlallah.
Moral and Humanistic Values
But far beyond mere social and educational endeavors, it is mainly the moral and humanistic values he espoused, along with his bold and avant-garde positions on the interpretation of religious texts and women’s rights, that have elevated Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah to one of the foremost reference authorities (‘marjaa’) within the Shiite community in Lebanon, as well as in certain Arab countries and abroad, ever since 1994.
This can be seen upon close examination of the Ayatollah’s statements he delivered to the staff at el-Hadi during his visits. His positions on women’s rights in particular resonated strongly in certain Arab countries. “Woman is in no way inferior, neither in intelligence nor in the potential she possesses; therefore, education must be provided equally to boys and girls,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, he was one of the first Muslim religious figures to strongly condemn the September 11, 2001 attacks, as well as attacks against civilians in general.
Ayatollah Fadlallah was also well-known for his modesty in day-to-day life. “I learn from others,” he emphasized, showing great regard for others. “Humanism entails wishing for others what you would wish for yourself; it consists of prioritizing others before yourself,” he stressed during one of his visits to el-Hadi.
What was equally important was Ayatollah Fadlallah’s rejection of sectarian isolation within the Shiite community. “Being Muslim doesn’t entail withdrawing inwardly and limiting one’s altruism to fellow Muslims,” he stressed to the teachers at el-Hadi. “Religion is a code of conduct, a mindset, and a generosity of spirit; it’s about being empathetic and open-minded.”
Sayyed Ali Fadlallah uttered these particularly meaningful words as a legacy of the open-mindedness left behind by Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah: “We aspire to be friends with the world.”
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