Speech in Meeting with Clergy and Preachers on the Eve of Muharram

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

I extend a warm welcome to all the esteemed gentlemen, the revered scholars, the speakers, and the honorable clergy working in various institutions, as well as the dear students who have come from different schools and regions. I hope that Almighty God will support and sustain all of you, dear brothers and esteemed gentlemen, in the pursuit of the sacred goals of the clergy.

Although there are many high-ranking scholars present in this gathering, due to the proximity of the month of Muharram, this meeting is more focused on religious speakers and preachers. I will say a few words about religious preaching and conclude with a discussion on the clergy as a whole.

To begin with, I must say that if it is true that the honor of any profession depends on the honor of its purpose and goal, then we must say that one of the most honorable professions is the profession of religious preaching and speaking about religious and Islamic teachings; what is commonly known among us as preaching and the pulpit. This is because the purpose of the profession of religious preaching and speaking is to admonish for the purification of the people, to explain religious teachings to elevate the level of religious awareness among the people, and to recount the sufferings and elegies of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), providing a model for the people to enhance their movement towards great goals. All these things are among the most honorable goals: purification, elevating the thoughts and awareness of the people, and providing a model for striving in the path of God.

This profession should not be underestimated. Going to the pulpit and speaking on religious matters is among the most honorable tasks, and it is fitting that the most honorable, knowledgeable, and aware individuals of Islamic issues, and those most committed to religious laws, take steps in this path and consider it an honor for themselves; as it has been in the past. Individuals like Sheikh Jafar Shushtari, a great moral scholar, who himself was a preacher; or the late Hajj Agha Reza Hamadani, a preacher and author of the book 'Hadiyat al-Namla', who was himself a preacher and religious speaker; or his son, the late Agha Mirza Mohammad Hamadani, who was a scholar; and others like them. In the past, scientific personalities and well-known figures of piety and religion were characterized by this trait and took pride in this profession. In our time, too, we have seen and still have, thanks be to God, prominent personalities in the field of preaching and the pulpit.

What should be clear among those who are involved in the pulpit, whether it is their profession or they engage in it alongside their main profession, is that if we want to admonish the people, the first requirement is our own self-admonition. For someone who intends to speak on religion, self-purification is essential so that they speak from the heart, their words have an effect, and their actions reinforce their words and serve as evidence for them.

Since the preacher intends to elevate the people's understanding of Islamic issues, they must have broad and diverse religious awareness and insight; be familiar with the Quran; delve into and have delved into the hadiths; be familiar with new thoughts related to religion and faith; be a researcher on religious issues and religious thoughts; not only be familiar with religion alone, but alongside religious issues, they should have tasted and have awareness of some philosophical thoughts and social insights; and since they intend to introduce the model of jihad and struggle to the people, they must be meticulous and careful in this work, because the life of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) and the few days of his presence in Karbala are a great chapter of our history; its volume is small, but its concept is very vast, and its depth is very great.

The event of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) has truly been the engine of Islamic centuries' movement towards correct Islamic thoughts. Every freedom-seeker and every fighter in the path of God, and anyone who wanted to enter the field of danger, has drawn from that event and made it their spiritual and moral support. In our revolution, this meaning was clearly evident. It was not clear how we could have engaged in this battle if we did not have this event. This is itself a broad and contemplative chapter on how adherence to the event of Ashura and the struggle of the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him) impacted our revolution. When one delves into this issue, they are astonished by the greatness of the impact of that event and wonder how those who are deprived of it can fill this void.

These three chapters related to the profession of the pulpit—namely admonition, explanation of teachings, and providing a model and example—each have a requirement in the preacher and speaker and demand something from them. Therefore, this field should not be underestimated. In the past, there was a wrong perception in the minds of some of us, which, thanks be to God, was later removed. We thought that if someone is a scholar and a jurist, they cannot be a preacher or a reciter of elegies; we observed these two at different levels. The one who wants to undertake these three duties, it is better that they be at a high, rather the highest level in religious teachings, Islamic jurisprudence, and the sciences and arts prevalent in seminaries, which are the criteria for understanding the laws. Let us view the pulpit with this perspective.

The impact of the pulpit institution in our society is still an unexamined impact. Look at our society, see where there is no pulpit in the name of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him)? From large cities and populous centers to remote areas, villages, even small and remote villages, universities, among scholars, associations of those educated in modern sciences, to people far from the current sciences and knowledge in the farthest corners of the country, where is there no pulpit of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) where a speaker does not go to that pulpit at some point and speak? Therefore, our entire society, as a community with Shiite thought and belief, is under the umbrella of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him). Of course, it is not exclusive to Shiites; in various parts of the world, non-Shiites, even non-Muslims, in some way benefit from this arrangement.

Throughout the centuries and in recent centuries, in our entire country, this insight and reminder about religion has existed in the name and occasion of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) and has kept people reminded of religion at a level. This extensive channeling came into play in the revolution. From this organized channeling across the country, our revolutionary thought, which was also based on the event of Ashura, spread everywhere and brought people into the field. If you compare our country with other Islamic countries in this regard, where the name of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) does not exist, you will see the clear difference between the two. This has given our society particular characteristics.

Therefore, this is an influential institution in our social, religious, and intellectual fabric. This collection and institution were influential in the past; however, they were not under a regulation, law, or rule; in addition to the fact that religious thoughts did not have the field to be presented and discussed. In the country's audio-visual mass media, only during the days of Ashura, a very low level of these issues was shown to the people in the form of chest-beating and the like. When one listened, it was often deviant!

Today, this media carries the message of Quranic interpretation, Islamic teachings, philosophical and mystical issues, and the teachings of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon them). Therefore, on one hand, this is a new opportunity in the service of religious speakers; on the other hand, we, the clergy and speakers, have gained the ability to freely explain Islamic teachings in all their dimensions as a duty. In the past, it was not like this. Some things could be said, and some things could not be said, and they would not allow it; but today it is not like that.

I believe that today we have a new duty regarding the pulpit institution; organization and regulation are necessary. This regulation and rule must be established by the veterans of this profession, the experts in this field, those who have been in this path for many years and have assessed its various aspects, as well as the scholars and those aware of the conditions of the time. Weak and flimsy words should not be spoken; any useless or less useful knowledge should not replace beneficial knowledge; the demands of the time and the people's need for religious teachings should be considered; the event of Ashura, which is the mother of knowledge in the matter of jihad and struggle in the path of God and the main foundation of our revolution, should be presented in a refined manner; the truths should shine in it, and the additions that have occasionally seeped from tongues or pens and have been heard and read should be set aside. The matter of Ashura is no joke. This great event cannot be mixed with superstitions and expect complete impact. Today is the day these tasks must be done.

When have the eulogists of the Ahl al-Bayt and the speakers of the teachings and elegies of those great ones had the opportunity that you have today? When could the religious scholars have such supervision and oversight over this work as they do today? Of course, there are those who will not be pleased with such things—let them not be—it does not matter; what is pleasing to God and needed by the people and expected by future generations from us must be considered.

Approximately a hundred years ago, the late Hajj Mirza Hussein Nouri wrote a book called 'Pearl and Coral, on the Conditions of the First and Second Steps of the Pulpit for Reciters of Elegies'. At that time, a narrator who was compassionate, enlightened, and aware thought that the first and second steps of the pulpit each had conditions; one could not enter this field without conditions. Perhaps in those days, the reciters of elegies and mourners sat on the first step, and the preachers sat on the second step.

In those days, that great one wrote and saw within the scope of that time; but today you see within a broader scope and can act on it: who can go to the pulpit in a permissible manner and be accepted by a society that oversees this work? What should they say? When and where should they say it? This does not mean writing prescriptions and handing them to this and that. In other Islamic countries, it is like this that government officials write something and give it to an imam to read. No, thought, study, review, and using the experts of the field and the veterans of this field are necessary, and it must be done with criteria, appropriate speech, and correct understanding, with the aim of reforming reading and speaking.

Today, in many areas, there is regulation. Fortunately, the seminaries, with the blessed seminary of Qom at the forefront, are moving towards organization, classification, and ranking. This is a blessed movement that, although it started late, has finally begun. Such work must also be done in this field. Of course, it is difficult and requires thought, effort, and perseverance; but it must be done. The generation that wants to benefit from our religious speech will not forgive us if we do not refine it.

Today, the world is constantly introducing new methods in the most vital issues and sciences needed by people. Truly, in many sciences that are in the field and scene of exchange of views, if you read a theory today, a month later you cannot rely on it as the latest theory. Methods are constantly changing, and new words are constantly coming.

How do we want to present our rightful words in the same way and method that was said to the people fifty or a hundred years ago? Today is even different from before the revolution. The pulpit that could be useful and effective in the days before the revolution—in the years 1976, 1977, and 1978—may not be as useful and effective everywhere today. Of course, there are some teachings that, in any language and under any circumstances, have appeal; but this is not universal. This is the essential point I wanted to make regarding the issues of the pulpit and the people of the pulpit, and its summary is the advancement of this noble profession in terms of content, form, methods, and styles.

Regarding the main issue of the clergy, this one word suffices: today, Islam is the target of the greatest hostilities—of course, the enmity of the devils—in the world; yet, at the same time, it is the subject of the most profound love and affection among the deprived people. The world's bullies are not as hostile to anything as they are to Islam, and the clergy are the heralds of Islam.

Since the beginning of the revolution, the mass media network of global arrogance and Zionism has constantly spoken against the clergy in various forms, mocking, lying, slandering, and attributing things to the great scholars and religious thinkers and scientists that are worthy of themselves and their servants and henchmen; it does not matter to us. These are absolutely not things that would affect us; we are even pleased because we understand that the blow of the clergy is an effective blow.

Now, look at this issue of disarmament in the Middle East region, which the Americans are leading, with what goal have they entered the field? Who do they want to disarm? In the Middle East region, where are the most weapons? Where do the most dangers originate from? Is it anyone other than the Zionists?! This fabricated, usurping Zionist puppet state produces, exports, and imports the most weapons. The most dangerous germs are in this region. This regime is constantly a source of tension. Do they want disarmament from it? Absolutely not, they strengthen it even more! When it comes to action, you will see that they will equip their own servants and henchmen in the region as much as they can. So, who is their target?

Their target is not Iraq either. Now, with the weakness and humiliation that this despicable tyrant of Iraq has shown in front of them, they are freely roaming and wandering in Iraq and going wherever they want! If he resists, they punch him and threaten him. Therefore, they have no problem there either. The target is only and only Islam and the Islamic Republic and any point from which the Islamic movement rises. This uproar they have created is to confront Islam. They are so hostile to Islam. They do not mention the name of Islam, but the plan and structure of the work are such that it leads to pressure on the Islamic world and Muslims and the Islamic movement and revolution. They deeply oppose and plan and have a new thought every day. Their stance against Islam is this. Of course, they are mistaken; they will not achieve their goal, and the nations will not accept them.

This disarmament, in whatever form it is proposed, is not acceptable to the nations. If they say that all the oil-rich countries of the Middle East should not have weapons, it means that this wealthy point becomes completely defenseless and disarmed in front of the powerful; they affect OPEC, raise and lower oil, and when they decide, no one dares to prevent a drop of oil from them. This is something that if they want to implement it, they have distanced every intermediary and agent from the nations, and it will not be accepted by the nations. This policy will not be successful. On the other hand, if they want to implement what is the truth of the matter and the ultimate goal—namely, the siege and pressure on the Islamic Republic—they will still not be able to.

The Muslim nation of Iran rose with empty hands against the center of American weaponry and triumphed. Later, against a government that was armed by the East and West of the world, it produced and repaired weapons with its own efforts and brought them from wherever it could, stood firm, and finally struck the enemy's head against the stone. Does the Iranian nation sit quietly for decisions to be made about it?

This point was mentioned to show how the enemies of Islam confront Islam. To defend the Islam that has had such an impact and wave in the world and has bewildered the dominations, and to correctly explain this Islam, today the clergy must take a big step—a step that is not limited to teachings and thoughts—and create a great movement in knowledge and action. We should not only focus on our knowledge and science; we must pay more attention to our actions than to our knowledge. The support is this.

Today, the responsibility of the clergy is a great responsibility. In the past decades, or rather in the past one or two centuries, thanks be to God, the clergy have taken correct positions in confronting major international issues and matters related to this country and some other Islamic countries and have presented an honorable experience. From before the constitutional issues in Iran, to the issues of the First World War in Iraq and also the Second World War, to the events of the revolution and after the revolution, the positions of the clergy have always been correct, and their actions in those positions have been honorable.

Today, too, a great duty faces us; namely, presenting Islam in a way that can satisfy and quench the minds and hearts of the people, correctly answer their questions, and preserve their faith and presence in this field in a sincere and devoted manner, so that, God willing, our work and conduct will be under the attention of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him) and the blessings and prayers of that great one will include us.

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, make us steadfast and aware soldiers in this field. O Lord! Include Your pleasure and grace upon us and make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him) pleased with us. O Lord! Make the holy spirit of our great Imam pleased and satisfied with us. O Lord! Make this month of Muharram and the days of mourning a field of progress in Islamic teachings and actions for us.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings