Statements at the End of the Mourning Ceremony for Arbaeen of Hossein

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

I am very pleased, and I thank God Almighty that we once again witnessed this radiant and blessed gathering in this Hosseiniyah and benefited from it. Your pure and clear hearts give quality to prayer, advice, exhortation, and elegy recitation, and everything else. The essence of the matter is the heart; the bright and pure heart, which, thanks be to God, is the source and origin of you all. This esteemed reciter has shown good taste by reciting this verse for us: "Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance." (1) God willing, you may be the embodiment of this noble verse: young people who have believed, whose faith has become firmly established in their hearts, and for this reason, God Almighty has increased His guidance upon them. Let us strive to be this way.

Arbaeen is the proud banner of Hossein ibn Ali (peace be upon him). This year's Arbaeen ceremony was more magnificent and honorable than any other year, more so than any year in history. Truly and justly, it must be said that the Arbaeen event, this pilgrimage, this public presence of the Muslim people, is a miraculous and wondrous phenomenon. This is not a natural occurrence. By no arrangement, no planning, no hand, no policy could such an event take place; it is solely the hand of God.

Well, this is good news. This is a message of glad tidings for you and me. It is evident that the hand of God Almighty is at work to advance the call for Islam and Islamic values, and day by day, God is raising the flag of the Islam of the Ahl al-Bayt higher. This is a sign that the path ahead of us is a bright one, God willing, a path that can be traversed.

I advise you dear youth to appreciate your gatherings. I always tell the youth to value their youth; this is true today as well. Value your youth, but also value these gatherings. These gatherings are a treasure; they are truly a valuable and credible treasure. The Hosseini gathering signifies remembrance and exposition. It is both remembrance and exposition. This means that the gathering should be such that it revives remembrance and serves as a base and center for exposition. This is necessary for our time. You know; there are those who do not favor movements like yours, young people; there are those who do not favor an event like the Arbaeen event between Najaf and Karbala; they do not favor this enthusiastic and inspiring presence of the people; thus, they are busy working and striving.

Hearts must be prepared, and all of us must be ready. Everyone has a duty; I have a duty, you have a duty, and the esteemed officials of the country also have duties; everyone has a duty. Try to identify your place, your duty for yourselves; know what you must do.

In my opinion, these two vital, fundamental, and eternal verses of the Quran, "And enjoin one another to the truth and enjoin one another to patience," (2) are always a guideline for us and today more than ever. Do not forget to enjoin one another to the truth; do not forget to enjoin one another to patience. Patience means perseverance, standing firm, not becoming weary, not seeing oneself in a dead end; this is the meaning of patience. Follow the path of truth, and lead others to the path of truth. Strive; believing, Muslim, interested, and truly Quranic and Islamic children should strive to make an impact in the university environment and various settings, to illuminate and color the environment in the way they believe — in the way of God. And this enjoining is necessary for you, for us. Today, enjoin one another to the truth, and also to patience. Do not let the environment become a weary one, a stagnant one.

I ask God Almighty for success for all of you. I apologize to the brothers and sisters who, due to the situation of illness and COVID and the limitations that exist, we could not gather more than those present in this Hosseiniyah, and I send greetings to all of them and to all those who have shown kindness to me and sent greetings from afar; I also greet them and ask God for their success.

God willing, may the pure soul of the Imam be pleased with me and you; may the pure souls of the martyrs be pleased with us; may the pure soul of Abu Abdullah al-Hossein (peace and blessings be upon him) be pleased with us, and may the sacred heart of our Imam of the Time be pleased with us.

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