Statements at the Gathering of Pilgrims of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) on the Day of Eid al-Fitr

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, Abul-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen family, especially the remainder of God on earth. God, the Wise, said in His Book: 'O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner, and one who invites to God, by His permission, and an illuminating lamp.' (Quran 33:45-46)

I thank the Great God for granting me the opportunity to be among you, dear brothers and sisters, under the shadow of the high threshold of the shrine of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) on this great Islamic festival day.

May the compact gathering of you dear and noble Muslim brothers and sisters, God willing, be encompassed by the boundless grace of the Lord, and may this blessed and happy Eid be auspicious and joyful for all of you.

To establish an Islamic and Quranic foundation for the discussion I intend to present, I will share a point from Islamic teachings with my brothers and sisters. The point is that humans have come to this world to achieve perfection. The creation of humans is for them to find the opportunity in this world of trial - the world of existence and decay - to attain perfection. This goal is not exclusive to humans. Other creatures have also been created to achieve perfection here. Of course, the perfection of each creature is in accordance with its structure and nature. The perfection of a fruitful tree is to bear fruit. The perfection of a flower bush is to offer its fragrant flower for human use. And human perfection is also in accordance with his essence and personality. This does not mean that every human who steps into this world will necessarily reach perfection; no. Many humans live for years in this world but do not reach perfection. It is like sending a child to school to become knowledgeable; however, not every child who goes to school necessarily becomes knowledgeable. Some succeed in acquiring knowledge, and some do not. We must identify the obstacles. We must see what obstacles prevent a being created for perfection from achieving it.

For other creatures, identifying the obstacle to perfection is not difficult; but for humans, who are complex and have various dimensions, identifying the obstacles to growth and perfection seems very difficult; because the obstacles to human perfection are very diverse. The divine prophets came to remove the obstacles and open the path of perfection that God has placed before humans and show them the way. This is an important issue and the subject of a very long discussion. What I present to you dear ones in this great gathering and in this sensitive place are only brief sections and generalities of this discussion.

In summary, humans face two types of obstacles: one is the obstacles within themselves, and the other is the obstacles outside of themselves, not within their personality and psyche. Both types of obstacles are dangerous and hindering. Among the internal obstacles of humans, we can mention 'corrupt morals.' For example, in the path of perfection, human selfishness is an obstacle. Self-worship and self-centeredness - where a person only considers himself and disregards others - is a major obstacle in the path of human perfection, which creates envy, greed, avarice, and fratricide. A person afflicted with these troubles initiates many wars and causes many injustices and inhumanities. The source of all these is selfishness.

Among other obstacles that hinder humans from the path of perfection are laziness, indulgence, indifference to work, and lack of enthusiasm for movement. In the prayer of the first night of Ramadan, you read: 'O God, make us among those who intend and act, and do not make us among those who are wretched and lazy, nor among those who rely on non-action.' See what profound phrases and what lessons are in the guise of prayer! The supplicant seeks refuge in God from being among those who are afflicted with laziness and inaction. He does not want to be among those who wish but do not act and expect results without working and reaping without sowing. 'And do not make us among those who are wretched and lazy, nor among those who rely on non-action.' He says: O God! Do not make me among those who only rely on hope and do not engage in action and effort.

Look at the backward societies of the world - including our own Islamic societies in various countries! One of the secrets of the backwardness and decline of these countries - materially and spiritually - is that action does not play a significant role in their lives. These are internal pains and diseases; these are internal obstacles that prevent humans from working. Among them is indulgence or the desire for pleasures; doing whatever one wants without thinking of the consequences and following one's whims. In a well-known narration, it is said: 'The most frightening thing I fear for you is two things: following desires and long hopes.' The most terrifying calamity I fear for you Muslims is that you follow your own desires; that is, indulging in pleasures and letting desires dominate reason. These are all internal obstacles for humans.

There is also a type of obstacle outside of humans. For example, oppressive and dictatorial governments have been obstacles to human perfection throughout history. Large capitalists and money-hoarders who have always strived to reach their goals by exploiting and enslaving others. These are among the obstacles to human perfection. Their corruption, their oppression, their power, their money, their whip, their sword, today their atomic bomb, their ballistic missiles, their complex policies, their propaganda conspiracies, their military forces, all cause billions of humans to be hindered from the path of perfection. In countries where tyrannical kings rule over humans, or rulers dependent on foreigners and powers hold the reins of affairs, humans cannot tread the path of perfection. When the social system is wrong and oppressive and not based on a correct foundation; when humans do not have a healthy government, a correct law, and faithful and compassionate leaders, in such conditions, humans cannot achieve perfection.

If these obstacles did not exist, the face of the world and history would be different; that is, there would not be all this oppression, poverty, corruption, misery, and all this trampling of the rights of the weak in the world; that is, there would not be all this fratricide, deprivation, and class disparity. All the miseries that have existed throughout human history are still seen in the world today, even in this century of great scientific advancements. All this prevents humans from finding the opportunity and success for perfection. In this case, humans remain incomplete and untrained, and the world of untrained humans is a corrupt, dark, and painful world, as history has shown us in the past and as we see today in the world.

But what does the perfection we speak of mean? What does it mean for a human to become perfect? Is a human perfect when equipped with various inventions, sciences, and scientific advancements? Is a nation perfect when it becomes wealthy? When a nation's life is equipped with computers, space missiles, and long-distance communications, can we say that nation has become perfect? No. Perfection in the logic of divine religions and the view of wise humans is not these. The facilities that today's advanced countries of the world enjoy bring them power; but do not necessarily cause their perfection. It is true that money, weapons, inventions, science, technology, and scientific advancement bring power to a nation; but not every powerful entity is perfect.

Suppose you place a wise, knowledgeable, and pious scholar in front of a burly, thick-necked, mustachioed thug. The pious scholar is physically weaker than his opponent; but the strength and force of the opponent do not mean he is perfect. It is wrong if someone thinks 'we must strive to reach where, for example, Western nations have reached today'! Of course, we must acquire their science. Flourishing and advanced science, if in the hands of a healthy and perfect nation, is a source of good and blessing. Modern weapons, if in the hands of a wise and perfect nation, are harmless. Atomic energy, if in the hands of the wise of the world and healthy humans, is a source of human growth; but the atom, in the hands of a nation that is not perfect, threatens human life. Intercontinental missiles, atomic warheads, advanced arsenals, space technology, and astonishing communications, when in the hands of today's arrogant powers of the world, what is the result? The result is the oppression that today America or other powers - and yesterday the former Soviet Union - inflicted and continue to inflict on nations and millions of humans. When weapons, power, money, politics, and media are in the hands of the untrained powers of the world, the result is that America comes from the other side of the world to the Persian Gulf and stations its fleet here to bomb a country and threaten countries; to take the Persian Gulf out of a healthy ecological state and threaten the world and the afterlife of the people of the region. Why does it do this? Because, as it claims, it wants to secure its interests in this part of the world! That is the same state that an exploitative and oppressive human has towards his subordinates.

Of course, a nation can also oppress another nation. During the colonial era, nations from across the world and across the oceans moved and came to this side of the world to crush India, the Indian subcontinent, the great country of China, the countries of Asia, and our dear country under their feet. They came to trample on humans, their honor, their dignity, their interests, and their religion and culture for their own interests. The facilities they have are science, power, and weapons; but not perfection. The sign of perfection is not that a human tears another human apart! You see that powers, with the weapons and money they have, tear apart weak nations. Even within their own countries, the situation is no better; that is, within the wealthy and advanced society enjoying material progress in America, class disparity is very high. There, blacks, the poor, and workers are oppressed. Many humans in that center of science, wealth, and technology sleep at night alongside stray dogs in the streets. Humans unjustly kill other humans. The statistics of murder and crime in America - proportionally - are higher than anywhere else in the world; even though they have science, technology, wealth, and material advancements.

With this account, we see that material advancements are not human perfection. Human perfection is something else. Human perfection is for his heart and mind to be purified. A benevolent human, a knowledgeable human, a God-knowing and God-worshiping human, is one whose actions, movements, words, deeds, and even thoughts and mental inclinations are according to God's pleasure. No oppression comes from him to anyone; he is kind to his fellow humans and feels duty and responsibility towards other humans and their rights. The prophets want to create such a human. A divine society is a society with a human heart; a society with correct and healthy feelings and emotions; a society where no one oppresses anyone and that society does not oppress other societies; a society where every action is done with the feeling that 'God sees and holds accountable'; a society where its individuals are not heedless; are not immersed in materialism; are not immersed in selfishness and self-worship and work for God and to reach His presence. Such a society is perfect, and a human living in this society is successful in achieving perfection.

The prophets came to create such a society. If a society where its people and individuals think and act correctly, are compassionate and merciful, have a sense of responsibility before the Great God, have a sense of spirituality, are not immersed in materialism, and do not want everything for themselves; if such a society finds power and material prosperity, that money and power and that progress and material prosperity bring good for all the humans of the world. Just as in the early days of Islam, Islam came and lit the lamp of science and spirituality in the world. Islam came and to the extent that the victorious societies of early Islam were endowed with spirituality, it established social justice on a vast scale in the world and engaged in the education of humans on a global scale.

Now the question arises: 'What gift and program and instruction do the prophets have for humans to reach this stage and remove the obstacles in the way?' The verses of the Quran answer. The verse I recited at the beginning of the speech states the main goal: 'Indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner and one who invites to God, by His permission, and an illuminating lamp.' O Prophet! We have made you a bright lamp inviting to God; a bringer of good tidings to people of divine reward and a warner of divine punishment and wrath and the miseries lying in wait for humans.

But in the path of this goal, there is another stage, which is the establishment of the Islamic system and society: 'We sent Our messengers with clear proofs and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice.' (Quran 57:25) That is, a just society. The prophets came to create a just society. A just society has multiple signs. The first sign is that the government in that society is not imposed, corrupt, and anti-people. The government of the prophets was a people's government; for the people and in service of their interests, and the people loved the prophets. When our Prophet formed a government, the people loved him. When Abu Sufyan, on the night before the conquest of Mecca, secretly and quietly toured the Muslim camp with Abbas - the Prophet's uncle - and in the morning saw people snatching the water of the Prophet's ablution and pouring it on their heads and faces, he said to Abbas: 'Amazing! I have seen Khosrow and Caesar, the king of Iran and the emperor of Rome; but I have not seen the grandeur that your nephew has in any of them. They ruled over people by force and bayonet; but this one rules over people's hearts; he has the people's emotions; he has the people's faith and the people's love is directed towards him.'

Such a government, with such a popular base and foundation, can make reforms. If the course that the noble Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) started and laid the foundation for had not been broken by the rule of the Umayyads and Abbasids, the face of the world would have been different.

From here, I enter the discussion that was my main purpose and intention to present: You dear brothers and sisters are people of insight. Thanks be to God, today the Iranian nation enjoys a high level of insight and political understanding. I say this in the true sense of the word, not to please you. Today, our women and men in remote villages and cities also understand political concepts. One day in this country, political concepts were exclusive to intellectuals; but today, if you ask any of our women and men about the issue of Palestine, you will see they know the issue; that is, they know that Palestine was an Islamic country that the usurping Zionists, with the help of global powers, have occupied for many years, and the people of Palestine - Muslims - are engaged in struggle to reclaim it. Today, within our society, who does not know these issues? These are among the common and ordinary words. Before the Islamic Revolution, those who knew this issue in our society were a very limited minority of intellectuals and readers - and not all of them!

Today, the Iranian nation, whether men or women, old or young, wherever they live in the country, know that there is a tyrannical superpower in the world that oppresses other nations with weapons, politics, propaganda, and force. It enters somewhere with force, somewhere with politics - like Nicaragua - somewhere by creating a military coup, somewhere it bombs the homes of leaders of a country, somewhere it enters with propaganda, and somewhere it enters with money. Everyone knows this. The issue of global arrogance and the preference of the power of an arrogant superpower over the interests of nations, who in our country does not know this? Everyone knows, they chant its slogan and speak its words. Our rural Basijis who went to the front wrote this in their wills. These are among the clear signs of our society. Do you think before the revolution in this country, what percentage of people understood the issue of arrogance and exploitation and the dominance of superpowers' interests over the interests of nations? Only a number of intellectuals. Even now, in European countries and in America itself, those who understand these issues are proportionally fewer than our people. They do not know what is happening in the world, but you do. This is political growth and understanding.

Our nation, with this political growth and understanding, understands one thing well, and that is that today throughout the world, there are two clear phenomena, one more atrocious, harsh, and severe than the other. These two phenomena, one is that the dominant powers of the world - and specifically the superpower America - do whatever they want and decide regarding other countries and nations. That is, they consider the free seas of the world as their own; they consider the space of the world as their own and do not ask anyone for permission to send satellites and spy on cities and streets and even inside homes in countries! Today, America, with the equipped satellites it has, can film and photograph our gathering here in detail from where it is! For example, a person is sitting in his house and in the corner of his yard to drink a cup of tea; they can see this and spy on it! It was with the use of this means that they filmed all our troop movements in the last years of the sacred defense and reported it to Iraq. This is something they have been constantly engaged in. Even now, everywhere in the world - wherever their interests dictate - they do this, and they do not ask anyone for permission. They condemn one; they call one a terrorist; they introduce one as opposed to human rights; they send people to interfere in the elections of a country; they engage in propaganda; they conspire; they stage coups; they do whatever they can and consider themselves the owners of the world. Until yesterday, it was America and the Soviet Union; but today, since the other is not there, it sees the field more open for itself and is rampaging. This is a phenomenon that everyone knows; you also know.

The second phenomenon, which is harsher than this, is that wherever there is a sign of Islam, they are more strict towards it. It does not matter if it is Africa, an independent Islamic country, a group of Muslims in a country as a minority, Asia, an Arab country, a non-Arab country, and whether the people there are thinking of forming an Islamic political system or not. Wherever there is a sign of Islam, they take a stance and line up against it and conspire. If they can implement the conspiracy, they do, and if they cannot, they lie in wait to implement their conspiracy at an opportune time. Our nation sees and understands this.

And why are they opposed to Islam? This issue has happened once before in another historical period, and that was when the previous British Empire, a century ago or a little more, considered itself the overseer of the world! The British, at that time, had spread their arms and legs all over the world and were more sensitive to wherever there was news of Islam.

Twenty or thirty years ago, when I was studying and writing about the issues of the Indian subcontinent, I realized that among the independence-seeking groups in India that were fighting against the British - and among them were Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs - the British had a special sensitivity towards Muslims! They would come to terms with Hindus and Sikhs, but they could not get along with Muslims! Therefore, they would first go after Muslims to suppress them. An English lord at that time had said: 'When we look at the experiences of our time, we feel that Islam is inherently hostile to us!' The British had reached this conclusion at that time and acted accordingly. They did the same in Afghanistan, in India, and in Iran. Today, American arrogance and its agents are doing exactly the same experience and moving forward. The reason for all this is that they are more afraid of Islam than before! When did this intensified fear become apparent? When the Islamic Republic system was formed in Iran under the leadership of the leader of the nation and the great man of our contemporary era and the rare figure of our history, the great Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), and he raised the flag of Islam in this country and created such a sacred government. They could not believe that Islam would revive and establish a government. When the government was established and they saw its power; they saw its influence and impact on humans; they saw its power over other nations; they saw its fearlessness in the face of threats; they saw its incorruptibility and resistance to temptations, they realized that the government they must fight against is this one.

Initially, they said we are opposed to 'fundamentalism.' Fundamentalism is a term they use regarding the faithful adherence of the Muslim nation to the Quran and Islam. To the fact that you love Islam and the Quran, they call fundamentalism and consider it an insult in the world! Some foolish people in various parts of the world have believed it, and when they say 'you are fundamentalists,' they cry out: 'We are not fundamentalists!' As if fundamentalism is a bad trait! Fundamentalism means adherence to correct and solid principles. This is fundamentalism. Anyway; initially, they said: 'We are opposed to fundamentalism.' Then they saw no; Islam, wherever it is; where faith accompanies it and where people's hearts beat with the memory of Islam, this danger exists exactly. Therefore, you observed that in the former Soviet republics, the Americans hurriedly reached there and tried to perhaps prevent people from Islam, from the relationship with Islam and Islamic Iran. Of course, some heedless people in these lands may have been influenced; but the nation of Azerbaijan, the nation of Turkmenistan, the nation of Uzbekistan, the nation of Tajikistan, and other great nations in that part of the world who are Muslims, their hearts beat with the love of Islam. The reason is that after seventy years when there was no mention of Islam and everything was anti-Islam, without anyone having done any propaganda, they are chanting the slogan of Islam. This shows the influence of Islam.

The Americans went there to perhaps prevent it. The main issue is their struggle with Islam; but this struggle, in its main axis and center, is directed at the Islamic Republic. Why? Because they know if they can remove the Islamic Republic from the scene, other Muslim nations will take heed and become hopeless. They want to make them hopeless. But how do they want to remove the Islamic Republic from the scene? There are ways, and they do whatever they can. One way was to impose war; and they did. One way was to impose an economic blockade; which they did for many years. As today, there is a very subtle and at the same time strong economic blockade against the Islamic Republic. One way is to impose a propaganda blockade. You, any radio from the radios dependent on the 'Zionist-American-arrogant' propaganda network that you open, in some way fights against the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic. Some explicitly and some implicitly and subtly. The fact that you observe in these very days when the fever of elections is in our country, radios from around the world are putting interpretations on the elections, what is their intention? The words they say are precisely intended to strike. They know that elections with the presence of the people stabilize and strengthen the Islamic Republic system. They know that a strong parliament, a people's parliament with two hundred and seventy healthy and righteous representatives, is a support for this system. They know that people's laws and in favor of the people are issued from such a parliament. They want to weaken this parliament. If America and arrogance know they can do something to reduce five million voters, reduce three million voters, reduce one million voters; they spend whatever they have to make this happen; because it is important to them. The fact that millions of people from all over the country go to the ballot boxes and determine their representatives, what clear and healthy democracy does it show! They know that if this happens, their propaganda is nullified.

Arrogance in its propaganda knows no shame or modesty. It says the clearest lies with the loudest voices; while in the entire Middle East region, there is no system where the bond between the people and its officials is as strong as the bond between the people and the officials of our country. They know this. During the life of Imam (may his soul be sanctified), they knew the people's love for Imam. Despite this, they kept saying that the people do not accept this regime - by the name of the regime of so-and-so; they mentioned the name of Imam - but at the passing of Imam, that funeral, that cry and sigh, that unending mourning, they saw with their own eyes and all their words were nullified. Yet they still say! They see that when 'Quds Day' is announced, millions of people - from all walks of life - come to the streets and chant slogans against arrogance and in support of the goals of the Islamic Republic system. They see and know this. Despite this, they say 'there is no people's system in Iran'! 'There is no democracy'! 'The people have turned away from the Islamic Republic'!

If they can do something to make the elections, which is the manifestation of people's presence, an unenthusiastic election; a quiet election and without excitement, they do. They are willing to spend a lot to make the elections not happen! Therefore, you see all their mercenaries, the treacherous hypocrites - mercenaries who sat in the enemy's house and drew swords against the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation and shot at the people's chests and planted bombs in people's homes and killed young and old and destroyed workers and shopkeepers and did not spare men and women - on one side; those who are sitting in America on the other side - anyone who receives money from the arrogant apparatuses - have set up newspapers and radios, all trying to make this election worthless and insignificant to perhaps reduce its credibility. Why? Because with the weakening of people's presence, the people's face of the system in the world weakens. They want this. This is also one of the ways to weaken: propaganda weakening, political weakening, economic weakening, and military weakening.

Our enemies have very well understood this truth that Islam, just as it was able to establish the Islamic Republic system and create this great miracle contrary to the expectation and desire of superpowers, this same Islam has given this nation power and courage and has made them strong against their enemies and does not allow the Islamic Republic and the brave and great Iranian nation to be defeated. They have understood this well.

At the end of my remarks, to conclude from this speech, I recommend to the entire Iranian nation that you must remove the obstacles in the way. The path is clear for us; the obstacles in the way are also clear for the Iranian nation. You must remove these obstacles; both internal and external obstacles. Internal obstacles must be removed with supplication to the Lord, with prayer, with attention, with self-discipline and purification, with strengthening morals, with worship, and with recourse. If our hearts are not healthy, we cannot create a healthy world. If we are flawed within ourselves, we cannot remove the flaws of society and the world. The Iranian nation has a heavy burden to carry and must deliver it to its destination. It must create a world that is sweet both for itself and for other societies. You can do such a thing; but the condition is that each of us strives to purify ourselves. Prayer with attention, familiarity with the Quran, supplication and recourse, humility, fasting in the month of Ramadan, and midnight worship, especially for the youth, who are highly impressionable, can be a purifier of the soul.

In this Ramadan - especially on the nights of Qadr - there were few nights when I did not sincerely pray for the youth. The youth are decisive and ready. The enemy wants to take the youth of the Iranian nation away from it. How? By corrupting them; by taking away their sense of responsibility; by taking away their religious enthusiasm; by distracting them with entertainment and trapping them in the snares of desires. If the youth of a nation are healthy and faithful, the same thing happens that you saw in the eight-year battlefields. Our faithful, enthusiastic, and passionate youth showed such faith and purity that it is rarely found in elderly mystics. These youth, in the battlefield, with the support of that same faith, were able to break through strong barriers, cut off the enemy's foot, and prevent aggression. If these youth were not there; if this faith were not there; if this enthusiasm were not there, do you know what would have happened to this nation and this country!?

And what happens to an unhealthy youth, a youth engrossed in desires and immersed in materialism and entertainment and moral and sexual corruption and all kinds of corruption? The same thing happens that we observe in some countries of the world; where the arrogant power is riding on their backs and they cannot breathe! Why? Because the youth have no time! A youth who is busy with entertainment and wine and music and engrossed in corruption and debauchery and desire, does he have the opportunity to fight or speak seriously!? They want to drag our youth in this way. The youth themselves must be careful. We recommend to the government, to fathers and mothers, to the Ministry of Culture, to the radio and television, and to various apparatuses; but my main recommendation to you youth is to be careful; be vigilant and strengthen your fortifications so that the enemy cannot penetrate your trenches. With this faithful and steadfast spirit, you can break the horn of colonialism and take the weapon from its hand so that your nation can breathe; so that you can build the country; so that you can raise the standard of living; so that you can eliminate the problems and knots that are the legacy of years of colonialism and foreign domination. These are internal obstacles. Men and women, boys and girls make no difference; everyone must remove internal obstacles from the path. We too, the same way. O elderly and old ones; our work is harder than the work of the youth.

And as for external obstacles. Today, the main stronghold in the world is the Islamic Republic. You must keep this stronghold strong. With what? With unity and agreement; with harmony among the people and between the people and the country's officials; with harmony between the people and the government, between the people and the parliament, between the government and the parliament, between the country's officials and among the people. Different groups, different factions, different policies and orientations, in confronting the enemy, must be together and not do anything that the enemy can exploit. Political differences are not a problem; differences of opinion are not a problem; healthy electoral competitions are not a problem; but destroying each other, destroying the face of the country, destroying the minds of the people and the face of the devoted officials is a problem. Creating doubt and ambiguity in the minds of the people is a problem. With unity and solidarity, 'as if they were a solid structure,' like a steel fortress, stand against the enemy; like several brothers in one house. Two brothers may have resentment and complaints against each other, but in the face of someone who attacks their house, they must stand shoulder to shoulder. The people must be like this. This is one of the features you can preserve in this stronghold. Second, presence in political arenas. The Quds Day march was very good. The February 11 march was very good. Our dear nation gave a very good test in front of the enemy and disappointed the enemy.

The elections are also ahead. Everyone must participate. Of course, some whose hearts are tainted with Islam do not participate. Let them not! Some whose hearts are tainted with the Islamic government. If you ask them 'what do you want?' they say 'we want the same regime dependent on America.' They are out of the account. We have nothing to do with them. They shout that 'the elections are not free!' What is the freedom of elections? The freedom of elections is to allow those who want to hand over the country to the enemy to enter the Islamic Consultative Assembly?! Is this freedom?! Free elections are elections where people, with peace of mind, send the person they know and trust to serve them to the parliament. The trustworthy apparatuses of this country read the people's votes and the representatives go to the parliament. The apparatuses are trustworthy. I said in the Friday prayer; I say now: I trust the apparatuses directly involved in the elections. Some should not object unnecessarily. The honorable Guardian Council is in our complete trust. The Ministry of Interior is in our complete trust. Everyone is trying and working hard. Of course, I must say one point here: those whose qualifications have been rejected, the Guardian Council has acted according to the rules and law with them, and it does not mean that all of them are bad people; no, it does not mean this. No one has the right to accuse someone whose qualification has been rejected - anywhere in the country - that 'you must have a heavy file! You must have committed a crime! You must have done something wrong! You must have stolen!' No, these are not! The law has specified criteria and the Guardian Council, with complete trust, according to those legal criteria, places some in the list of accepted ones and excludes others. Those who remain excluded, it means they did not conform to these criteria. There may be good people among them. Of course, there are bad people among them; not that there are not; but it is not that everyone whose qualification has been rejected, you say 'you must be a treacherous and bad person!' Absolutely not!

If you observe these issues, the Islamic Republic remains strong and the spirit of Imam is pleased. I tell you: God Almighty has promised that 'if you move in My way, I will guide and help you.'

O Lord! You are a witness that this nation has moved in Your way. By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, guide it.

O Lord! You are a witness that the officials of this country work and move for You. Guide them with Your comprehensive guidance!

In this near sunset of Eid al-Fitr, it is best to make a few prayers:

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, we beseech You, make us true awaiters of Imam Mahdi. Please the sacred heart of Imam Mahdi with us. Move us towards the lofty goals of Islam. Guide us towards the lofty goals of the Quran.

O Lord! Strengthen our hearts against the conspiracies of enemies.

O Lord! Strengthen our fists against those greedy towards Islam and Muslims.

O Lord! Show Your righteous servants victory over the devils.

O Lord! Make us the true nation of Islam and the true followers of the Quran.

O Lord! Keep us alive in Your way and let us die in Your way; make our death in the course of jihad in Your way; make our death martyrdom in Your way.

O Lord! Purify our hearts from impurities.

O Lord! Bring our souls closer to You.

O Lord! Shine the light of Your knowledge and love on our dark hearts.

O Lord! Encompass the sacred spirit of our dear Imam with Your complete grace and favor; grant him good reward from this nation; make us his true followers.

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, hasten the appearance and reappearance of Imam Mahdi and make us among the helpers of that great one.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings