Statements on Meeting the People of Bushehr on the Birth of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)

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

I also congratulate all of you dear brothers and sisters from Bushehr on this joyous occasion. You have traversed a long path and have adorned our Hosseiniyah with the fragrant breaths emanating from the hearts of the loyal.

The memory of the people of Bushehr in our historical consciousness is a very clear and honorable one. As the esteemed Friday prayer leader pointed out - who, thanks be to God, is a wise scholar - Bushehr has a bright and honorable history. The brave and faithful people in that region have repeatedly been able to force the enemies of this country and this nation to retreat and defeat them. The names of the renowned scholars of Bushehr that he mentioned, who are indeed well-known figures, are truly among the brilliant names of Shia clergy. The name of the faithful and brave commander, martyr “Reis Ali Delvari,” is one of those names that has always attracted the hearts of the faithful who are familiar with his situation and struggles throughout this country. And we thank God that after the victory of the revolution, this name, which was attempted to be concealed and this figure which was meant to remain unknown, has become well-known; he was recognized, his character was praised, and the injustice and martyrdom he suffered became known and understood by all. Of course, today is very different from that time. Back then, a small number of people, along with a brave young man, had to resist against the colonial and arrogant power of England in a state of oppression; but today, there are many like Reis Ali Delvari, and they are not alone. Our dear youth, our self-sacrificers, our Basij forces in the arenas of military, cultural, and political struggle are now widespread across the country; and Bushehr is certainly one of those centers that nurtures and cultivates such individuals. I will never forget the trip I made to Bushehr a few years ago. I witnessed the emergence of that deep faith spirit among the people up close. Today, you are also demonstrating this spirit. And everyone should know, and you dear youth should know; times have changed. The days when powers could freely threaten the nations of this region, humiliate them, and whenever they wished, deploy forces and exert pressure, are over. Today, the Iranian nation is recognized as a powerful nation in the world. The issue is not about money, not about weapons, not about propaganda tools that our enemies possess a thousand times more than we do; the issue is about faith, resolute determination, insight, and the awareness of a nation regarding its dignity, its position, and its rights. Today, the hands of the arrogant powers have been revealed. Despite all the propaganda they conduct, with all the modern propaganda tools at their disposal and their belief that they hold the public opinion of the world in their hands, day by day, the reputation of these powers - and at the forefront, America - is increasingly tarnished among nations, they become more disgraced, and the value of the steadfastness of nations and the emergence of national powers becomes clearer. The future belongs to you, it is yours. True power is the right of the Iranian nation and belongs to the Iranian nation; no one can divert this nation from the path it has taken.

Well, today is a day of great celebration; the day of the birth of an unparalleled figure in human history; after the sacred existence of the Seal of Prophets (peace be upon him), we do not recognize anyone with the greatness of the character of Amir al-Mu'minin. We must celebrate today. Our celebration is to learn lessons; we must learn lessons.

The character of Amir al-Mu'minin from the moment of his birth until his martyrdom is an exceptional character. His birth in the Kaaba is an event that has not occurred before or after him until today - his martyrdom also took place in the mosque and the prayer niche. Between these two points, the entirety of Amir al-Mu'minin's life is jihad, patience for God, knowledge, insight, and movement in the path of divine pleasure. In the early years of childhood, the hand of divine wisdom entrusted Ali ibn Abi Talib to the embrace of the Prophet. Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) was six years old when the Prophet brought him from the house of Abu Talib to his own home. Amir al-Mu'minin was raised in the embrace of the Prophet and under the shadow of his upbringing. At the time of the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet, he was the only one who was present beside the Prophet in the cave of Hira during those critical moments; and indeed, I followed him as a calf follows its mother. Following the Prophet, without separating from him, Amir al-Mu'minin was constantly learning. The Prophet himself states in Nahj al-Balagha in the Qas'ah sermon: “And I heard the wailing of Satan when the revelation descended.” He says: I heard the sound of Satan's wailing at the time when revelation was sent down to the Prophet. “So I said, O Messenger of God, what is this sound?” The Prophet replied: “This is Satan who has despaired of being worshipped.” This was the wail of despair from Satan, that he could not mislead the people. The light of guidance came. Then he said: “Indeed, you hear what I hear and see what I see.” This shows the closeness and proximity of Amir al-Mu'minin to the Prophet from childhood. In his childhood, he believed in the Prophet, prayed with the Prophet, fought for the Prophet, and sacrificed for the Prophet. Throughout his life, during the lifetime of the Prophet in one way, and after the Prophet's passing in various periods, he exerted all his efforts to establish the truth, uphold God's religion, and preserve Islam. From the perspective of the Prophet, the measure of truth is Amir al-Mu'minin. It has been narrated through both Sunni and Shia sources that: “Ali is with the truth and the truth is with Ali; it revolves wherever he revolves.” If you are seeking the truth, see where Ali stands, what he is doing, and in which direction he points. The life of Amir al-Mu'minin is such a life.

This Nahj al-Balagha must be read and learned. In recent times, many thinkers and intellectuals, not only Muslims but also non-Muslims, have become familiar with Nahj al-Balagha; they have read the words of Amir al-Mu'minin and have seen them; they have listened to the embodied wisdom in these statements and have learned from them and have been astonished by the greatness of this speech and its speaker. We must pay more attention to Nahj al-Balagha; we must learn more from it; we must benefit more from the turbulent sea of the wisdom of Amir al-Mu'minin; it clarifies all aspects of work, it provides us with all the lessons. The great scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah have expressions regarding these words that astonish a person. Amir al-Mu'minin does not belong only to the Shia; all of Ahl al-Islam, all those who have a heart devoted to the love of Islam, see Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) at the peak of scientific, spiritual, ethical, human, and divine greatness.

The life of Amir al-Mu'minin is a lesson from beginning to end. What one observes among the behaviors of Amir al-Mu'minin - which encompasses all the good qualities of a human being and a leader - and the most significant of these qualities for us today is the issue of providing insight and enlightening those who need insight; that is, clarifying the atmosphere. In all periods, this endless courage, this immense self-sacrifice, has been employed in the service of enlightening the people, deepening the thoughts of the people, and strengthening the faith of the people. In the battle of Siffin, when the opposing side felt they were losing, in order to stop the war, they raised the Qurans on their spears, and a group came around Amir al-Mu'minin and pressured him to surrender and end the war; they brought up the Quran. It was a treacherous act, a strange act. The Imam said: You are mistaken; you do not know them. Those who today present the Quran as an arbiter do not believe in the Quran. I know them. “Indeed, I knew them as children and as men”; I saw them in their childhood and I saw them in their adulthood. “They were the worst of children and the worst of men”; they were the worst. They do not believe in the Quran. When they find themselves in a tight spot, they bring up the Quran. Of course, they did not listen, they insisted, and the Islamic world suffered its losses.

Amir al-Mu'minin is one who provides insight. Today we need this insight. Today, the enemies of the Islamic world, the enemies of Islamic unity, enter with the tools of religion, with the tools of ethics; we must be vigilant. Where they want to deceive the public opinion of non-Muslims, they bring up the name of human rights, they bring up the name of democracy; where they want to deceive the public opinion of the Islamic world, they bring up the name of the Quran, they bring up the name of Islam; while they have no belief in Islam and the Quran, nor in human rights. This is something the Islamic community must know. The Iranian nation has tested these for thirty-one years; today we must know, all of us must know.

Amir al-Mu'minin, in that moment of deception and sedition, admonishes his friends: “Continue on your right and truthful path”; this path of truth that you have taken, this sincere movement that you are undertaking, do not lose it and do not abandon it; do not let the words of the seditionists and instigators create doubt in your hearts; “Continue on your right and truthful path”; your path is the right one. The characteristic of the time of sedition - as we have repeatedly stated - is obscurity, fogginess. The elites sometimes make mistakes and errors. Here, a criterion is necessary. The criterion is the truth and the evidence that is available to the people. Amir al-Mu'minin referred the people to that. Today we also need the same.

Islam tells us that the Islamic community must be governed and guided by Islamic directives and live accordingly. Islam says that you must confront the attacking enemies with power; a clear and transparent demarcation must be established with them. Islam says that one should not be deceived by the enemies. This is the clear line of Amir al-Mu'minin; today we also need this clear line.

Of course, the Iranian nation, by the blessing of the revolution, is an alert nation. Many of the problems of this country have been resolved with the insight of the people. Many times one observes that the masses see the truths better than some of the elites and intellectuals; because their attachments are fewer. This is one of the great blessings. My dear brothers and sisters! You should know, and all the Iranian nation should know; the Iranian nation has shown its steadfastness in the movement towards the lofty Islamic ideals, and this steadfastness will be preserved by divine grace and favor.

The Iranian nation wants to be a prosperous, affluent, complete, ethical, and dignified nation under the shadow of Islam. The Iranian nation has moved in this direction, has made progress, and has accomplished great works. What you observe today in our current situation - these advancements, these capabilities, these abundant resources, the realization and certainty of the main slogans of the revolution - have not come easily; the Iranian nation has achieved these with their own capabilities, with their own insight, and by divine grace, the Iranian nation will continue on this path. The future belongs to the Iranian nation. The plots of the enemies and the schemes of the malevolent will not be able to divert or mislead this nation from the path it is on. Our youth today, thanks be to God, have very good insight. In various fields, our youth are accomplishing great works; this must be increased day by day. This steadfastness, this resilience, this national unity must be increased day by day. Clinging to the slogans of Islam, clinging to the Quran, and clinging to the conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and the words of Amir al-Mu'minin must be increased day by day.

God willing, our youth will witness the day when the arrogant and oppressive international powers will feel that they can no longer bully the Iranian nation. May God assist our dear nation and our devoted and service-oriented officials to bring this goal closer with their sincere efforts and, by their actions, God willing, prepare the time for it as soon as possible.

We hope that God the Exalted protects you, supports you, and that the efforts you have made and the long path you have traversed will, God willing, be rewarded. I also convey my greetings and expressions of respect to all the dear people of Bushehr through you. God willing, may God be pleased with you, may the pure soul of our Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) be pleased with you, and we hope that God will gather our dear martyrs and the esteemed martyrs of the people of Bushehr with their saints.

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