Statements in Meeting with Disabled Veterans and Their Families

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

Welcome, esteemed families of the disabled veterans! This is a symbolic meeting; while I have had the opportunity to meet with some of our dear veterans and their spouses, parents, and children, which is a great blessing for me, I thank God for it.

Moreover, the goal is to ensure that our devotion to the disabled veterans remains a constant symbol in the Islamic Republic. Disabled veterans are, in fact, living martyrs whom the Almighty God has granted the opportunity to spend years of their lives in struggle and difficult trials. This disabled brother is indeed our martyr brother. In the same battlefield, in the same area, in the same incident, for example, an explosion occurs or an attack is carried out by the enemy with bullets and bombs; one of the two individuals in that incident becomes a martyr, while the other is injured; yet he does not die. They essentially share the same fate; both went with the same motivation and intention to strive in the way of God. Both ventured to the brink of mortal danger, and both were subjected to a trial; now one became a martyr and departed this world, and his record of effort and work is closed - of course, the record of reward and merit is not closed; the record of effort and activity and struggle is closed - while the other remains alive, and his record of struggle is open.

If a disabled veteran observes divine limits during his life as a veteran and maintains piety and purity, he will receive such a reward that the Almighty God describes as a great reward; "For those who do good among them and are God-conscious, there is a great reward." What the Creator of greatness refers to as great is evidently a very high and significant reward. Each of the hardships following disability for you is a good deed and is recorded. The pains, deprivations, and life difficulties each have their own reward. When we sometimes show impatience in the face of events, it is because we do not realize what impact these events have on our ultimate destiny before the Almighty God. Each of these hardships has a corresponding reward from divine grace.

There is a narration that on the Day of Resurrection, when the rewards for the hardships endured in this world are presented before all creatures, and they see what a great reward the Almighty God has set for the sufferers, the people of the resurrection, and even these individuals themselves will wish that they had their flesh torn apart with scissors in this world, so that they could attain these rewards here. This point has been conveyed to us so that we understand and feel that each of your hardships in this world has a corresponding reward before the Almighty God. Therefore, appreciate this state and be grateful and thankful to the Almighty God.

Of course, this does not lessen the responsibilities of others towards you. Officials, non-officials, the Foundation of Martyrs, government officials, and various sectors all have responsibilities towards you that they must fulfill. When we say you have a reward before God, they should not feel that the burden has been lifted from their shoulders; no, we have responsibilities towards the dear veterans who went through the most significant trials of this revolution and sacrificed their health and youth in this way for the sake of God.

The second point pertains to the esteemed spouses of the veterans, and I feel it necessary to express my gratitude to them. They voluntarily shared in the hardships of a veteran's life and took on difficulties, which has a reward before the Almighty God. The reward of the spouses of veterans is very high, and we must truly thank them. Of course, they should also know that this veteran is a blessing from God in their hands and for them; because he is a means of divine reward and gaining God's satisfaction; and indeed, gaining God's satisfaction is achieved through effort and diligence; all the good in the world is like this. No one achieves anything through ease and laziness. Anyone who has any achievement in any material or spiritual domain has it through hardship. If someone acquires knowledge, wealth, or a good reputation, these are obtained through effort; they are not achieved through ease and laziness. Nations achieve victory and dignity through hardship. The rewards of the hereafter are exactly the same. Divine reward, divine satisfaction, and God's paradise are attained through hardship; they are not obtained without hardship. One must strive and exert effort. One of these hardships and efforts is what the spouses of veterans endure for the veterans.

The third point concerns the children of the veterans. I say this to the children of the veterans who are here, as well as to all the children of veterans across the country, and to the parents of these children; that is, the veteran and his spouse. You, the children of veterans, should take pride in being the child of someone who sacrificed his youth and health for the lofty divine and Islamic ideals; this is a source of pride. Do not let the worldly seekers, the undeserving exalted ones in society, and the culture creators of the enemies of religion and the revolution create an atmosphere where the child of a veteran cannot take pride in being the child of a veteran. You should take an offensive stance. The pride belongs to you.

This country once faced the harshest and bitterest attacks. Some fled, some even ran away from the hardest fields - let alone the battlefield - but some went and shielded their chests, confronted the enemy, and did not allow the enemies to trample upon the dignity, existence, honor, and chastity of this nation. Some of them became martyrs, while others became disabled veterans. Your father is one of those who has been able to attain this great honor and dignity. The children of veterans should view it this way, as this is the correct perspective.

There are those who are "When fear departs, they will attack you with sharp tongues, greedy for good"; when a calamity arises, they crawl like mice into their holes; but when the calamity is over, they suddenly become lions and shield their chests and demand from everyone! However, our veterans, the families of our martyrs, our self-sacrificers, a significant portion of our nation, are those who shielded their chests against hardships during difficult times and confronted bitterness, hardships, and difficulties; the embodiment of this is the veterans who are alive today and are the evidence and documentation of the great struggle of the Iranian nation.

We hope, God willing, that God grants you success and support and gives us the opportunity to fulfill our responsibilities towards you.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.