Speech at the Allegiance Ceremony of the Assembly of Experts' Chairman and Friday Prayer Leaders Nationwide

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Master and Prophet, Abul-Qasim Muhammad, and his pure, chosen progeny, especially the remaining proof of God on earth.

I extend a warm welcome to all the esteemed gentlemen and dear brothers, and I thank you for dedicating the first day of this grand seminar and beneficial assembly to be in our service. I hope, God willing, this gathering will bring goodness and blessings to all of us and the faithful and righteous people.

In this sensitive period, the main issue is 'leadership,' which I will try to briefly explain:

For the Iranian nation, the revolution, and the future of the country, and in order to maintain the order and cohesion of the nation, an important time is passing. Over the past ten years, we have been very concerned about this sensitive period, knowing that the day of Imam Khomeini's (may his soul be sanctified) absence would come, and now we suddenly find ourselves in that very season. Considering this, we feel that everyone must present the utmost initiative, effort, and sincerity they can muster in this very important, sensitive, critical, and decisive season, so that, God willing, we can safely navigate the revolution through this very important and critical turning point.

What happened regarding the appointment of the leader and the burden of this responsibility being placed on my humble, weak shoulders was something I never expected or anticipated for even a moment in the past moments of my life. If anyone thinks that during the struggle and later during the revolution and my responsibility as head of the executive branch, I ever imagined for even a moment that this responsibility would fall upon me, they are certainly mistaken. I always considered myself smaller than this very critical and important position, and even smaller than positions much lower than this one, such as the presidency and other responsibilities I held during the revolution.

Once, I mentioned to Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) that sometimes my name is mentioned alongside some gentlemen, while I am not in their rank, and I am a small and very ordinary person. Not that I want to be modest; I still hold the same belief. Therefore, such a notion was never conceivable.

Of course, in those very sensitive hours, which were the hardest hours of our lives, and God knows what we went through on that Saturday night and Saturday morning, the brothers, out of responsibility and a sense of duty, were intensely thinking and trying to figure out how to manage the situation. They repeatedly mentioned me as a member of the leadership council, which I rejected in my mind; although it was presented to me as a possibility that perhaps this responsibility would indeed be directed at me.

At that time, I sought refuge in God, and on Saturday before the Assembly of Experts convened, with supplication, attention, and pleading, I said to the Almighty God: O Lord! You who are the arranger and determiner of affairs, since it is possible that as a member of the leadership council, this responsibility may fall upon me, I ask you, if this task might cause any harm to my religion and afterlife, arrange matters so that such a situation does not arise. I truly wished from the bottom of my heart that this responsibility would not be directed at me.

Finally, discussions and talks took place in the Assembly of Experts, which ultimately led to this election. In that assembly, I tried and argued and debated to prevent this from happening; but it happened, and this stage passed.

Even now, I consider myself an ordinary student without any special distinction or merit; not only for this great job and responsibility, but—as I honestly said—for responsibilities much smaller than that, such as the presidency and other tasks I had over the past ten years. But now that this burden has been placed on my shoulders, I will take it with strength; as the Almighty God advised His prophets: 'Take it with strength.'

For this responsibility, I sought help from God and continue to seek help, and every moment, I am in a state of seeking help from the Lord, so that I can fulfill this responsibility to the extent of my capacity—which is not more than what is required—with power and strength and maintain the high dignity of this position. This is my duty, which I hope, God willing, will be under the grace and mercy of God and the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance) and the righteous believers.

Dear brothers and esteemed gentlemen! You who hold the reins of thought, faith, and religious spirit of the people to a large extent, it is good to fully and precisely consider the importance of the time and the sensitivity of the situation. Our enemies assumed that society would disintegrate, bewilderment would arise among the people, and discord would appear among the officials, and the revolution would be deprived of popular support and the general defense barrier. They had hoped for this assumption and invested in that moment.

Thanks be to God, at that time, the enemy was disappointed, and the people maintained their unity and showed unimaginable loyalty to the revolution and Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified). The responsibility found its place and was accepted by both the elite and the general public. The enemy was astonished, and even their political analysts tried to pretend in the early days of the incident that the matter was not serious; they said it was temporary and expedient! They wanted to pretend that what they were waiting for had not yet passed; therefore, there was still room for discord among the people, for the ranks to separate, and for the general support of the people for the revolution to disappear!

With the passage of time and the decisiveness shown by the leaders of the nation and the loyalty shown by the general public, and with general awareness and vigilance, the situation changed. Today, the world's analyses and perceptions are different. Ultimately, the enemy received a slap from our people.

Dear brothers! Over these ten years, we have gained many experiences. I have truly reached the words of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him): 'And whoever sleeps, he will not sleep from him.' If we are negligent, we will be struck at the moment of negligence. The enemy will never desist from striking, attacking, and conspiring against this religious and Islamic establishment; however, when we have solidified the foundation, the enemy will be discouraged. Even if he can strike in a state of despair, he will do so, but when the enemy's hope is taken from him, naturally his efforts and movements will also decrease.

We must reach that point ourselves, and in the current situation, we must not be negligent for a moment of the enemy's plots and various methods. Do not think that because the issue of leadership has been resolved, the constitution has found its desired form, and the people have shown their strong presence on the scene, all matters are over, and therefore we should not, God forbid, be negligent and distracted from the meticulous care and vigilance we must exercise; no, I in my responsibility, the various officials of the country in their work, and especially you esteemed gentlemen in the critical and decisive responsibility and duty placed upon you, must not be negligent, for the enemy may enter and strike from various directions.

In the Islamic Republic system, we move forward with the spirit and faith of the people. Although our talents, capabilities, and resources as a country and nation are very abundant, and thanks be to God, the revolutionary experience of high-level governance is also available to the country's officials, what we currently have in hand, before resources are extracted and our industry finds the necessary form and the country's development is carried out correctly, are the people who have always been behind the country's officials with their satisfaction, acceptance, and support, and while their faith is very high, in some cases, due to shortages and deficiencies or even due to some mental imports placed in people's minds by the enemy or friend, their spirit may also be vulnerable.

What truly maintains this barrier now is the faith and spirit of the people. Who preserves the faith and spirit for the people? In my opinion, one of the most important factors in preserving faith and spirit among the people is these Friday prayers and Friday sermons and the spiritual presence of the people in the Friday prayer scene, and the fact that a trustworthy person, with a sincere language that people accept, speaks to them every Friday about the country's situation, advises them, and corrects their direction.

In my belief, this important matter is one of the fundamental pillars of preserving our social system; it has been the same throughout history. Both the just Imams—like the Noble Messenger of Islam (peace be upon him)—and the tyrannical caliphs during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods and their rulers in the Islamic lands used Friday prayers to strengthen the foundations of their government. Those who had a false system, based on oppression and discrimination and corrupt actions—like Hajjaj ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi—and their Friday prayers were not genuine, and the call to piety they made did not have a true effect due to their non-pious actions, but nevertheless, these words had a great impact; because the sensitivity and importance of this platform are significant.

Currently, a rightful system based on rightful leadership and guardianship has been established, and those who today are in charge of the Friday prayer leadership are truly faithful, pious, sincere, spiritual, and unambitious individuals who do not intend to gain power and authority and do not consider this position a worldly status and position. The impact and role of this platform in such conditions will be extraordinary and first-rate and will preserve the spiritual integrity and faith barrier of society. If we did not have this platform, it would not be clear what the state of the revolution and the spirit of the people would be. This was one of the blessings of the revolution, and Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) paid attention to this point.

In the early days when I was appointed as the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, I proposed the formation of this seminar to Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified). I told him: We have a number of esteemed scholars across the country who are Friday prayer leaders—of course, at that time, their number was not as many as now—and in fact, they form a nationwide network for the spiritual administration of society and the preservation of faith and the faith barrier of the country. If you agree, we will connect this network and later hold congresses between this group and the Friday prayer leaders of the Islamic world.

He was very pleased with this proposal and welcomed it. After obtaining Imam Khomeini's (may his soul be sanctified) approval, we came to Qom and held the first seminar, which was held in the library of the Feyziyeh School, and as a result, this work was established and, thanks be to God, continues to this day.

The networking of the Friday prayer leadership position and viewing this group as the spiritual and faith barrier of the country and nation is an extremely important matter that must not be neglected. This network will be genuine and will be able to function as a real barrier when these gatherings are held regularly and systematically.

My emphatic recommendation to the esteemed gentlemen of the secretariat is that the seminars of the Friday prayer leaders—whether nationwide seminars, provincial seminars, or inter-provincial seminars where sometimes several provinces hold a seminar in one region—should not experience any interruption or cancellation; rather, they should be held regularly and according to a schedule. This work must be taken seriously; not that an assembly is formed for individuals to sit together and say something and the matter ends.

A seminar is an assembly where the participants express the issues related to that group in a research-based and foundational manner, so that everyone has a unified view of these common issues and chooses a unified path and sometimes benefits from each other's experiences and research; that is, the group becomes homogeneous and its level rises.

A true seminar must have two characteristics: first, it should make the group homogeneous and bring their levels closer together, and second, it should raise the overall level. That is, with each seminar that is held, we should witness that the spiritual strength and stability of the Friday prayer leadership and the platform in your city have increased from the past.

Then, God willing, connect these seminars to the global congress of Friday prayer leaders, which has not been held for some time now—a congress that is very necessary and beneficial. The esteemed brothers of the secretariat must strive and prepare the groundwork and allocate time, and before attending this seminar, study, think, and research the issues they think should be raised. Some gentlemen may be inclined to extensive research and investigation; they should attend this gathering and raise the issues so that the level of the group rises.

On the other hand, the content of the sermons and what is presented should increasingly have elevation and its level should rise. Of course, in my opinion, this work is completely practical and feasible and is much more important than ancillary tasks. If we want to familiarize people's minds with the necessary Islamic arguments in Friday prayers, or justify their minds in terms of political orientation and strengthen their faith, this requires work and study and is not possible without it.

For going to Friday prayers, I perhaps study for an average of three hours, and I am always dissatisfied; because three hours is really a short time. Due to the many engagements I always had, before the Friday on which I want to go to prayer, I do not have the opportunity to study. On Friday, from eight in the morning until I go to prayer, I sit and study; yet I feel that it is a very short time.

It is really appropriate for a Friday sermon to have seven or eight hours of study behind it. If we can achieve this important task, it will be felt that we will have a nationwide public class for the general public, and this is something that will certainly advance the revolution. Therefore, both the connection and communication of the gentlemen should become stronger day by day, and what is given to the people should rise in level day by day.

People are interested in Friday prayers and the Friday prayer leader and understanding and learning about the world's political issues. Anyone who tells people some news, analyses, and new words of the world and the country, they gather around him with enthusiasm and interest and listen to him. If this program is in Friday prayers, it will undoubtedly attract attention. Friday prayers should be made attractive with various attractions so that people come and understand its importance.

What I am presenting is not to say that I am saying something new that you do not know; no, these are words that everyone knows and have been said many times; some of them were especially emphasized by our great and dear Imam, who repeatedly stated them, and he said most or all of them, which I do not need to repeat; I only emphasize a few points:

The first point is the paternal approach in cities and Friday prayer centers; this is really important. One of the dangers that threatens the revolution is that people become divided and factionalism and lines and divisions dominate them. If the Friday prayer leader says that I am not affiliated with any place and do not strengthen any faction and even emphasizes this point in Friday prayers, but in reality, it is not so, people notice these two positions.

It is not that we tell people from the Friday prayer platform that we are not affiliated with any side and do not support any candidate and are the father of all, but alongside these words, with expressions and hints and some ancillary actions, we act contrary to this statement and claim; people quickly understand. It is a mistake to think that people are deceived by words and think that we have no inclination or special tendency towards one side or faction; no, people sense this difference and the discrepancy between the words and actions of the Friday prayer leader will have a reverse effect.

The esteemed Friday prayer leaders must truly act paternally. Of course, it is impossible for a person to treat two people or two currents that are opposed to each other in terms of thought, politics, and taste equally in their heart. Naturally, in the end, you accept one of these two views and do not accept the other, and to the same extent, you have more heartfelt inclination towards the one who is like-minded with you—there is no problem with that—but be careful that your mental perception should not affect your actions, statements, and interactions.

A representative who comes to the parliament should not feel competition with the Friday prayer leader. An official who is appointed to a position—which may also be affiliated with a faction—should not feel opposition and confrontation with the Friday prayer leader. The Friday prayer leader should interact warmly, kindly, and sincerely with everyone. Of course, it is a difficult task, but we must practice and strive to, God willing, accomplish this task.

The second point is being with the people and living simply. Of course, you are like this, and thanks be to God, all the gentlemen, in terms of living—with a relatively broad range in qualities—are at an average level; however, some of the excessive protections observed in some cities, in our opinion, are unnecessary, and in some places, protection is not needed at all. This work distances the Friday prayer leader from the people. It should not be implied that the Friday prayer leader is someone who is threatened and in danger and must have guards.

Of course, I do not mean to say that if there is a real danger, that danger should not be averted. It is clear that preserving the dear lives of the gentlemen is obligatory; but the important thing is not to exaggerate in this work. We must be realistic. It should not be that if there is truly no probability or it is not reasonably and attentively present, we still give the same effect as if one is certain that there is danger. The protection that is truly necessary should be carried out and dealt with to the necessary extent 'according to its measure,' not more.

In providing facilities, my personal belief is that the Friday prayer leader should rely on the people and maintain the traditional clerical relationship with the people. This is better than the Friday prayer leader relying on the center and the center building a house for the Friday prayer leader or providing a car. Sometimes there is a need and necessity, which certainly these supports must be provided by the center; but the general and natural course should be that the Friday prayer leader acts like an ordinary cleric.

Of course, among our Sunni brothers, the situation is different, and the type of relationship with the people and their financial support is different from ours. Our financial and livelihood relationship with the people is very good. When I was in Mashhad, I had often told friends that when someone gives us their religious dues—as we are the local cleric—they are actually giving us their heart and love as well. When people financially support a cleric, they feel a connection with him.

Some have thought that if people give money to the clergy and financially support them, they have not done a good deed; no, my belief is the opposite. I believe this is one of the most blessed and best methods for people to financially support the clergy themselves. Regarding the Friday prayer leaders, my belief is the same, and naturally, a greater amount is also provided.

Regarding the communications and work that the Friday prayer leaders have with me, they should act as before. Of course, the esteemed members of the central secretariat in Qom continue their work and continue to pursue the responsibilities and duties they have. I have also asked Mr. Rasouli that if the Friday prayer leaders have any work with me or want to propose a subject, they should accept the trouble and provide this opportunity.

The third point is maintaining unity. The enemy hopes to infiltrate us through creating division and discord. This is a very delicate and precise work that they invest in. It is not that we say the enemy wants to sow discord, we also clench our fists and shout slogans and do not let the enemy achieve its goals; no, they have very calculated and precise methods and mechanisms for this work; therefore, we must be vigilant.

When a word is brought to us from someone, or a rumor is made against someone, a position, a manager, or an official, or in someone's mind, a sense of religious duty is shaped and they say you must say this word or take this position, in all these cases, the first thing that should come to mind is that perhaps the enemy has planned these matters to create discord.

Make maintaining unity the principle, and if we feel a religious duty, but see that acting on this duty may cause some tension and disrupt unity, certainly doing what we thought was a religious duty is forbidden, and maintaining unity will be obligatory.

After the passing of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), the good and valuable officials of the country at high levels, fortunately, dealt with the issues wisely and strongly. All the individuals and centers that the enemy thought it could invest in, confronted the enemy's conspiracy strongly, sincerely, and devotedly. From the noble household of Imam Khomeini and his honorable and dear son, to the country's officials and spiritual personalities and the top figures of our society, they dealt with the issues very well, strongly, decisively, wisely, sincerely, and faithfully, and truly astonished the enemy.

In the subsequent ranks, the various managers of the country were also like this. The general public, who have never been doubted in their sincerity and devotion, acted very well in this period. This vigilance and attention to the enemy's plots must always be considered. When the enemy wants to create discord, it does not explicitly state its intention; rather, it presents a word to people's minds that they think is really logical and should be reacted to and protested against. This is where vigilance is needed, and these conspiracies must be countered.

I will never forget the spring of 1986 when Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) was bedridden. He had a heart problem and was bedridden for about ten to fifteen days. At that time, I was not in Tehran. Mr. Haj Ahmad Agha—the esteemed son of Imam Khomeini (may God protect and preserve him)—called me and said to come there quickly; I realized that something had happened to Imam Khomeini. I immediately set off and after a few hours of travel, I reached Tehran. I was the first of the country's officials to be present at his bedside perhaps about ten hours after the incident occurred. At that time, our dear brother Mr. Hashemi was at the front, and no one else was aware of this issue.

We went through worrying and difficult days. I went to Imam Khomeini, and when I approached his bed, I was moved and could not control myself and cried. He kindly looked at me with affection. Then he said a few sentences that, because they were short, I memorized them; I came out and wrote them down. Our dear brother Mr. Sanei was also in the room. I took his help to rewrite the exact words of Imam Khomeini.

At that moment when Imam Khomeini had a heart problem, we were very worried. When I arrived, he was expecting and ready for the possible occurrence of an incident. Therefore, the most important words that were on his mind should have been told to us at that sensitive moment. He said: Be strong, do not feel weak, rely on God, be 'stern against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves,' and if you are together, no one can harm you. In my opinion, Imam Khomeini's thirty-page will can be summarized in these few sentences.

He was truly wise and a complete example of 'the transformation of man into an intellectual world resembling the real world.' One felt that all the truths of the world were reflected in him. He saw and understood things clearly and with the same spiritual illumination and merciful gaze and wisdom—not with ordinary reasoning and preparation of premises—that others reached with difficulty.

This wise, experienced, and compassionate divine man who had managed this society for several years considered these few words the most important issue, one of which is 'merciful among themselves.' I consider the true will of Imam Khomeini to be the realization of these points. We must step over preferences; where it causes separation from others; let alone desires and material motivations whose state is known.

We must also prevent the infiltration of undesirable enemy elements into sensitive centers, which, of course, I must be primarily aware of. Attention to this point is not exclusively for me and the likes of me. Sensitive centers are everywhere; including where you are; that is, the Friday prayer leadership center, where great attention and consideration must be given in selecting individuals who are there, so that, God forbid, the enemy does not strike from that direction; because a spiritual blow is much harder and higher than material blows.

Again, I thank all the gentlemen who came and expressed kindness and dedicated the first day of this seminar to this meeting; I hope the seminar will be beneficial for everyone. Apparently, the discussion is that the work of the seminar commissions should start from here, and the gentlemen should separately discuss and identify the issues they think should be disseminated through the great network of Friday prayer leadership in the mentality and atmosphere of society, and examine the problems and solutions and proposals, so that a tangible product from this great gathering is obtained.

Again, I emphasize that the secretariats must be active and give importance to provincial and inter-provincial seminars, and God willing, the nationwide seminar should also take a regular form. I really feel that once a year for holding such an assembly is not enough. Of course, it depends on how the gentlemen's planning responds and how your time allows. We need more gatherings, and especially before each gathering, study and reflection should be done on the issues to be discussed, to advance us.

God willing, the gentlemen will be successful and supported.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings