Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza

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, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure, chosen, and infallible progeny, especially the Awaited One, the Mahdi, in the lands.

I express my gratitude to the Almighty God for granting me the opportunity to once again be in the vicinity of the holy shrine of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha, to celebrate the beginning of the new year of the solar Hijri calendar alongside you, brothers and sisters who have gathered from all over the country in the holy city of Mashhad. Please pay attention, brothers and sisters, as I would like to say a few words about Arbaeen at the outset of my remarks.

This year, with the coincidence of the Nowruz holiday with Arbaeen, our new year celebration has taken on a hue of Hussaini and has been enlivened by the name of Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon him), the master of the free and the lord of martyrs. Whether the arrival of the Prophet's family in Karbala on Arbaeen, as some narrate, is correct or not, there seems to be no doubt that Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, accompanied by one of the great Tabi'in, whose name some have mentioned as Atiyyah and others as Atta, and it is possible that he is Atiyyah ibn Harith al-Kufi al-Hamdani; in any case, he is one of the great Tabi'in who resided in Kufa - undertook this journey and on this day arrived at the grave of the martyr of Karbala. The attraction of the Hussaini magnetism begins on Arbaeen. Jabir ibn Abdullah is lifted from Medina and drawn to Karbala. This is the same magnetism that today, after centuries, resides in the hearts of you and me. Those who have knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt have a love and passion for Karbala that is always alive in their hearts. This has started from that day. The love for the soil of Hussain and the shrine of the master of martyrs - Sayyid al-Shuhada.

Jabir ibn Abdullah is among the first Mujahideen; he is from the companions of Badr; that is, before the birth of Imam Hussain, Jabir ibn Abdullah was in the service of the Prophet and fought alongside him. He witnessed the birth and growth of Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon him). Jabir ibn Abdullah had certainly seen many times that the Prophet embraced Hussain ibn Ali, kissed his eyes, kissed his face, and the Prophet himself fed Hussain ibn Ali with his own hands and gave him water; Jabir ibn Abdullah likely witnessed these moments. Jabir ibn Abdullah must have heard from the Prophet himself that Hasan and Hussain are the masters of the youth of Paradise. Later, after the Prophet, the status of Imam Hussain, the personality of Imam Hussain - whether during the caliphs' time, during the time of Amir al-Mu'minin, in Medina, or in Kufa - all of these were before the eyes of Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari. Now Jabir has heard that Hussain ibn Ali has been martyred. The beloved of the Prophet has been martyred with a thirsty lip. He has set out from Medina; from Kufa, Atiyyah has accompanied him. Atiyyah narrates that: "Jabir ibn Abdullah came to the banks of the Euphrates, there he performed ablution, wore a clean white garment, and then, with slow steps and respect, headed towards the grave of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him). The narration I saw states that when he reached the grave, he said three times loudly: 'Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar'; meaning when he sees how the beloved of the Prophet and Zahra has been martyred with such oppression by the hands of the lustful tyrants, he proclaims Takbir. Then he says: from the abundance of sorrow, Jabir ibn Abdullah fainted on the grave of Imam Hussain. We do not know what has passed, but in this narration, it says that when he regained consciousness, he began to speak to Imam Hussain: 'Peace be upon you, O family of God, peace be upon you, O chosen one of God.'

O Hussain, the oppressed! This Hussain, the martyr! Today, at the beginning of this new year, from the depths of our being, we say: 'Peace be upon you, O Abu Abdullah, peace be upon you, O Hussain the martyr.' Your martyrdom, your jihad, and your steadfastness have revived Islam and breathed new life into the religion of the Prophet. If it were not for that martyrdom, nothing would remain of the Prophet's religion. Today our hearts are also yearning for Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon him) and that six-cornered shrine and that pure grave. Although we are far away, we speak in remembrance of Hussain ibn Ali and out of love for him. We have made a pact with ourselves and we will continue to make a pact that we will never separate the memory of Hussain, the name of Hussain, and the path of Hussain from our lives. All our nation, all our country, all the Shi'ah of the world, and indeed all the free people across the globe have such feelings towards Hussain ibn Ali (peace be upon him).

This year, the name of the greatest Prophet of Islam has adorned our year. What can we say about the greatest Prophet? Except to say: the greatest Prophet of Islam is the embodiment of all the virtues of all the prophets and saints; he is the complete and perfected version of all the virtues that have existed throughout the history of the prophets and divine saints.

The name Ahmad is the name of all prophets, for when one hundred comes, ninety is also before us.

When we mention the name of the greatest Prophet, it is as if the personalities of Ibrahim, Nuh, Musa, Isa, Luqman, the personalities of all the righteous and distinguished servants, and the personality of Amir al-Mu'minin and the Imams of guidance (peace be upon them) are manifested and embodied in this sacred existence. The greatest Prophet can be likened to the brightest star in the universe of existence and described with this title. Why do we say a bright star and not the sun? Because the sun is a specific and defined body; it is luminous and magnificent; however, it is a body and a celestial sphere. But in these stars that you see, there are stars that are galaxies and are thousands of times larger than this galaxy that we see in the summer nights in the sky above us. A galaxy means: that collection which contains thousands of solar systems and thousands of suns. The greatest Prophet is a galaxy-like existence, and in him, there are thousands of shining points of virtue. In the greatest Prophet, knowledge is accompanied by ethics; governance is accompanied by wisdom; worship of God is accompanied by service to creation; jihad is accompanied by mercy; love for God is accompanied by love for God's creatures; dignity is accompanied by humility and modesty; modernity is accompanied by foresight; honesty and truthfulness with people are accompanied by political complexity; being immersed in the remembrance of God is accompanied by attention to peace and physical health; in him, this world and the hereafter are together; lofty divine goals are accompanied by attractive human objectives. He is the perfect example that God has not created a more complete being in the universe; he is a bearer of glad tidings, a giver of good news; he is a warner, a cautioner; he is a witness and observer over all humanity and all of history; he calls all humanity towards God and is a shining light on the path of humanity. 'Indeed, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, a warner, and a caller to God by His permission and a shining lamp.'

The year of the greatest Prophet is a year of this galaxy-like existence for our government and nation. In addition, the existence of the greatest Prophet on the international stage is the point of convergence of the beliefs and emotions of all Muslim nations. From all nations, with all their various sects, the blessed existence of the greatest Prophet is the point of convergence of the entire Islamic Ummah in belief and emotion. That we are in such a year with this name places a great responsibility on our shoulders. Our nation and government must act in such a way this year that aligns with prophetic wisdom, prophetic knowledge, prophetic governance, prophetic justice, prophetic ethics and dignity, prophetic humility and honor, and prophetic jihad and mercy. These are, of course, not the work of one year; just as the greatest Prophet is not a prophet of one year, every year is his year; all of history belongs to him. However, this means that we must take a significant leap, a great movement, and a bold step this year towards building that kind of society, that kind of world, and that kind of civilization that was the goal of the greatest Prophet. The year of the greatest Prophet is a year of lofty visions, a year of hope, a year of work, a year of struggle, a year of service, and a year of intelligent designs for the future of the country; it is a year of moving forward.

Let us take a look at the general situation of the country. We are beginning the new year while a new government has just come to power. Every government defines a new period for itself and begins the year with the characteristics of this period. This does not mean a change of direction; it does not mean that the nation changes its path of fundamental and lofty goals with the change of governments; no, rather it means benefiting from the advancements of previous periods, along with new innovations, along with accelerating work, and sometimes along with corrections; of course, if any mistakes or errors have occurred. The nation, with the change of the governments it chooses, is like a traveler who is moving along a path; when he reaches a point, he transforms the vehicle that has become exhausted or tired into a fresh and ready vehicle suitable for the conditions to continue along the same path. If, at any stage before, there has been a deviation from the main path, it is corrected and the path continues towards lofty goals. It is the people who determine this; it is the people who monitor the individuals, each of whom has their own slogans and personalities, and among them, they prefer one person and the majority of the society votes for him.

The government in every period is the government of the people; it reflects the will of the people and the direction of the people. This government, which has been in office for about six months, has the following characteristics: a decisive decision to serve tirelessly the people, bringing all its capabilities to the field, and emphasizing the lofty goals of the revolution. These are the characteristics of this government. This government, relying on the slogans of the revolution and the slogans of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), aims to bring all its capabilities to the field; to work with all its being; to solve the problems of the people's lives; to build the country's infrastructure as soon as possible, better, and more comprehensively to a desirable state for future advancements, and to emphasize national independence and the dignity of the Iranian nation in the international arena. In the international arena, political actors have one of their main tools, which is cunning, and one is threats. If a government does not succumb to their cunning and threats and relies on its people, it will achieve many successes. We see and feel that this government intends to preserve national dignity and independence as it befits the Iranian nation.

What can be briefly said about the slogans of the government and the new president and their activities is that they intend to take a bold step in service, in science, and in meeting the needs of the country. My dear ones! Our country has the capabilities of a developed country; in terms of human resources and natural and human talents, we can become one of the most advanced countries in the world. After the revolution, the presence in this field of progress has begun; of course, in the logic of the Islamic Republic, development and progress without justice have no meaning; then progress accompanied by justice requires tireless work, strong will, precise planning, and above all, the unwavering support and assistance of the people, so that they can bring about the worthy progress of this nation, along with justice. If we want this progress to be accompanied by justice for our country and nation, we must utilize all the efforts that previous governments have made and the products that have emerged from the efforts of past officials for the nation, and we must strive for creativity and production; we need creativity and production.

What does production mean? I do not mean just the production of goods; production in a broad sense must be the slogan of the nation. Production of work, production of science, production of technology, production of wealth, production of knowledge, production of opportunity, production of dignity and status, production of goods, and production of capable individuals; all of these are production. The key to the happiness of our nation lies in the fact that in this broad spectrum, both the government and the nation strive for this production. This ensures national security, power, and progress of the country; this is a jihad. I tell you today, both to the officials and government agents and to all the people, especially to you young people; this is a jihad. Today, the production of knowledge, the production of work, the production of innovation, the production of goods, the goods needed by the people, the production of capable individuals, the production of opportunity, and the production of dignity, each of these is a jihad. A Mujahid in the path of God is a producer; we must both learn knowledge and produce knowledge. We must become a knowledgeable country. In a narration from Amir al-Mu'minin, it is said: 'Knowledge is power; whoever finds it asks, and whoever does not find it is swept away.' This means that knowledge is power; knowledge equals power; any nation that is knowledgeable can govern; any nation that is devoid of knowledge must prepare itself to be ruled by others. We must pursue knowledge in all its complete meaning as a jihad; I say this to the youth, professors, and universities. Moreover, mere knowledge is not enough; we must connect knowledge to technology, technology to industry, and industry to the development of the country. An industry that does not contribute to the development and progress of the country is not useful to us; knowledge that is not turned into technology is of no benefit and is not useful. The responsibility of universities is heavy; the responsibility of education and training is heavy; the responsibility of research centers and research institutions is heavy.

Progress accompanied by justice is a movement; a comprehensive movement. This movement is not for one year. We have not just started this movement, nor do we want to start it anew. Since the beginning of the revolution, this movement has begun to the extent of the capabilities and powers of governments and officials. The people and governments have made efforts, and we see the effects of their efforts today in our lives. The efforts of the past allow future generations to take even bolder steps. Therefore, this movement does not start today; it has started before; it will not be completed in one year. However, when we say this year is the year of the greatest Prophet; it means that this year there must be a collective movement - both governmental and popular - in this work. Everyone, wherever they are, must take a bold step forward. As said by that enlightened scholar who wanted to preach in a mosque, the crowd had gathered in the mosque, it was full, and some were left outside. To allow those who were outside to come in, one person stood up and said: 'May God have mercy on anyone who, wherever they are, stands up and takes a step forward'; to uplift the people and bring those who were left outside inside. This enlightened scholar turned to the people and said: I have no more words to say. This thing that this man said, all my words are just this.

I want to say: O people! Wherever you are, stand up, take a step forward; if you are in the realm of worship, take a step forward; in the realm of education, take a step forward; in production, take a step forward; workers, take a step forward; employers, take a step forward; professors, take a step forward; students, take a step forward; government officials, take a step forward; researchers in the seminary and university, take a step forward. In the teachings and culture of the greatest Prophet, there is no stopping, no standing still, no stagnation, and no despair; our Prophet fought against despair. A Muslim is filled with hope.

Of course, we have enemies, and they do not favor this movement forward for our nation. The leading force of these enemies is the regime of the United States of America. What do the leaders of American politics say to the Iranian nation? Pay attention, I will express the heart of the political manipulators of America for you; now they say various things; but their heart's desire is one word; they say: O Iranian nation! Return to us what your revolution has taken from us. They say before the revolution, we had economic, political, and cultural dominance over your country; your country's leader sought permission from our ambassador for his international decisions. This is a reality. In the matter of oil, international transactions, various political diplomacy relations, and even in the way of dealing with the people, the cursed Pahlavi Shah negotiated with the American and British ambassadors for his actions. What they wanted and liked, they executed. They say we had this dominance over your country, the revolution came and expelled us; return this to us so that we can dominate your country again. This is what the Americans say. Now they bring up the name of human rights, they mention nuclear energy, they talk about democracy, and they accuse us of terrorism; these are just words. The real message is this; they say let us determine your governments again, let us rule over your economy, and let us decide where you stand in global polarizations; just as they do with some other countries. They have this expectation from the Iranian nation. For twenty-seven years, the Americans have been in this confrontation with the Iranian nation. Today, it has not changed from the past. What the Americans express today is the same thing that has always been in their minds regarding the Iranian nation for twenty-seven years. Their tools are threats, intimidation, psychological warfare propaganda, discouraging the people, instilling despair in the people, creating division, and inciting animosities; if they can, the tools of your enemies are these. They apply pressure - exhausting pressures - and highlight these through propaganda, to create a sense of insecurity among the people, to instill doubt and suspicion in the people's success, future, and the competence of their officials; this is the work of the enemy. They apply pressure, perhaps they can cause the officials to become divided; perhaps they can create instability among the decision-makers of the country in their major decisions; this is the work of the enemy; these are the enemy's tools; the enemy has no other tools. They threaten that they will sanction the Iranian nation; have you not sanctioned us until now?! Has the Iranian nation not suffered from your sanctions, you arrogant powers?! If we have made progress today in science, industry, and in some industries, and we are leading in the region, this has occurred under these conditions of sanctions. We have made military advancements; we have made scientific advancements; we have made astonishing advancements in medical fields; in industry, we have made progress in some very complex industries that the world did not expect; we have made advancements in biological sciences; we have gained access to knowledge that its holders never allow anyone outside their small group to access; we have achieved this knowledge. All of this has occurred under conditions of sanctions. If they had not sanctioned us, perhaps we would not have reached this point; if they had taken our money and given us their second-rate weapons, we would not have thought of utilizing the creativity and talents of our youth; today we produce airplanes, we produce tanks, we produce missiles, and we are ahead of many countries in the region in these productions. Are you trying to scare us with sanctions?!

They tell us you have oil, what do you need nuclear energy for; does America not have oil? America has oil, why does it have nuclear energy? Just recently, the President of America said, we must invest more in nuclear production. All the advanced world is moving towards investing in nuclear production, and then they tell our nation not to have it! We have not accepted this oppressive demand, and you, the Iranian nation, should know that the officials of the country will not accept it. I will not submit to this oppressive demand at any cost.

Nuclear energy and nuclear technology are the inalienable rights of you, the Iranian nation, and no one has the right to disregard this inalienable right or to compromise on it. The enemy spreads doubts, and some, perhaps some knowingly, give wings to the enemy's words inside. The truth of the matter is what I have conveyed to you. Today, if you do not seize this right, for decades the Iranian nation will fall behind and remain backward. No responsible individual, no follower of the greatest Prophet will be satisfied with this. The world also acknowledges this right. Now they threaten the Security Council, as if the Security Council is the end of the world. We have also experienced the Security Council. During the imposed war, when the Iraqis had trampled thousands of kilometers of our land, the same Security Council issued a resolution that you must end the war, do not defend and resist; and since it was against the interests of our country, we did not accept it. Whenever it is against the interests of the country, we do not accept it. Our nation stands firm. Our youth stand firm, and fortunately, our officials stand firm with enthusiasm; God is our supporter, and the future power of our country today depends on the decisions and determination of our officials and our people. With divine grace, with the help of the determination and will of the people, and with the support of the Awaited One (may our souls be sacrificed for him), we will insist on this right and seize it with all our being.

Allow me to take advantage of your enthusiastic breaths and warm hearts and make a few prayers:

O Lord! By Your might and glory and by the right of the greatest Prophet, send down Your mercy, blessings, and grace upon this faithful and steadfast nation. O Lord! Grant victory to this grateful nation of Islam over the enemies of Islam. O Lord! Make the path of this nation and our youth towards a future worthy of this nation smooth. O Lord! Make the officials of the country more successful day by day in serving these people. O Lord! Increase the blessings of Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (peace be upon him) upon the people of this land and country day by day; make us recipients of the prayers of the Awaited One (may our souls be sacrificed for him). O Lord! Elevate the ranks of our dear Imam and our high-ranking martyrs in Your presence day by day; make us among Your righteous servants; make us servants of these people.

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