Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the Eid al-Fitr Prayer Sermons

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. Thanks be to God who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light, then those who disbelieved in their Lord equate (others with Him). We seek His forgiveness and turn to Him, and we praise Him and rely on Him, and we send blessings and peace upon His beloved and chosen one, the master of His creation, our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the infallible guides, especially the Awaited One of God among the inhabitants of the earth. I advise you, O servants of God, to be pious.

First, I congratulate the dear nation of Iran and all Muslims around the world, and you dear worshippers, on the blessed Eid al-Fitr, and I hope that the Almighty God accepts your worships, acts of obedience, and devotions in the blessed month of Ramadan in the best manner. I recommend all dear brothers and sisters who are worshippers, and myself, to God-consciousness.

The month of Ramadan is a very exceptional and great opportunity that, by the grace of the Almighty God, we have been granted this year as well, to be present at the table of God's feast in this blessed month. This exceptional opportunity has no equivalent throughout the year. In the month of Ramadan, for us earthly beings, what a great fortune it is to be in the company of the divine angels and the trustworthy spirit: "The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord." The Night of Decree in the month of Ramadan is the night of the companionship of earthly beings with the angels of the highest assembly. Just as the human caravan is in constant motion towards an end, each individual human is also in the course of their life moving towards a destination and goal: "Indeed, you are laboring toward your Lord with (great) exertion and will meet Him." This long and winding path passes through various passages; there are hardships in it, calamities in it, difficulties, openings, reliefs, and joys: "We tested them with good things and bad things"; all of these are tests. In this long path that human beings must traverse and strive to reach the peak of human perfection, which is the meeting with God, movement in some segments of this path is difficult; like the ordinary paths of life; sometimes a person passes through a difficult passage; sometimes they must ascend a hard road at a pass; sometimes they encounter a swamp on their way; sometimes the path is wide and easy.

Throughout the year and in our long journey, we face challenges with our carnal desires, with sins, with the dark spaces that we create ourselves, with problems. Sometimes a person has difficulty finding the state of prayer; sometimes they have difficulty shedding a tear; because the path is difficult, we are surrounded by our transgressions and sins; however, the segment of the month of Ramadan is that segment in which movement is easy; it is like when you want to reach a place or a city, sometimes you have to walk the path on foot; sometimes you have to cross water; sometimes you have to pass through a swamp; at one point, you reach an airport where a well-equipped airplane is ready to take you effortlessly and comfortably to your destination after a long journey. The beginning of the month of Ramadan is reaching this airport. The Almighty God has smoothed the path in the month of Ramadan and has created an environment free from opposition. This fast that you observe chains the soul and carnal desires; these acts of worship, these prayers, these humbleness, these remembrances, and this Night of Decree are the means of ease that advance you many miles; the path that throughout the year and in other months we sometimes must traverse meter by meter, we can, if we strive and reach ourselves, traverse this path many miles in the month of Ramadan; hence, you see that the friends of God were delighted at the arrival of the month of Ramadan and tears flowed from their eyes at its departure.

Imam Sajjad, in the farewell prayer of the month of Ramadan - which is apparently the forty-fifth prayer of Sahifa - mourns so much for the departure of the month of Ramadan; he repeatedly sends blessings upon the month of Ramadan: "Peace be upon you." Here, peace means farewell and saying goodbye to the dear month of Ramadan and to these luminous days and nights; saying goodbye to this heavenly segment of our lifespan and the duration of the year, the month of Ramadan.

The product of the month of Ramadan is piety; turning to oneself, reaching oneself, and preparing the reserve of piety for oneself; "So that you may become pious." The month of Ramadan creates a reserve of piety within us. This piety is also a means for higher stations. Piety is a vehicle that can take us to those higher stations: "And be pious to God so that you may be successful"; "So be pious to God so that you may receive mercy"; "And be pious to God, and God will teach you." Knowledge, guidance, and divine mercy are granted to humans as a result of piety from God. Above all, success is achieved through piety. My dear ones! This reserve of piety that we have gained in the month of Ramadan - if God willing, we have gained it - if we have lingered at the table of divine visitation and benefited from it, we must preserve it; this is a very valuable product; like a farmer who works hard, harvests his wheat, and then entrusts it to a reliable storehouse so that he can use it throughout the year. This is our sustenance for the year. Throughout the year, this sustenance is threatened: there are temptations, there are glitter and glamour, there are carnal desires and sins; all of these are pests to this valuable reserve. Use this reserve to counter those pests and preserve this reserve.

Today is the day of Eid: "The one You have made an Eid for the Muslims and a treasure, honor, and dignity for Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)." This additional honor that has been designated for the Prophet on the day of Eid al-Fitr is that we, the followers of the Prophet, wherever we are in the world, equip and arm ourselves with this reserve of piety to traverse the difficult path of life; to cultivate the world and the hereafter and to achieve success.

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, grant us all success in acquiring piety and preserving piety.

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

By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the infallible guides, especially upon Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and the pure and chaste Fatimah, the Mistress of the Women of the Worlds, and upon Hasan and Husayn, the two grandsons of mercy and the Imams of guidance, and upon Ali ibn Husayn, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja'far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, and the Awaited, the Mahdi, the standing proof of Your authority over Your servants and Your trusted ones in Your lands, and send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims and the protectors of the oppressed and the guides of the believers. I advise you, O servants of God, to be pious.

Once again, I remind myself and you of piety and recommend all believers, both men and women, to observe piety and to preserve piety and to pay attention to piety.

This year, thanks be to God, the month of Ramadan was very prosperous. Year by year, as one observes, the interest and attention of the people, both in our country and in all Islamic horizons, is increasing. Contrary to the strategic policy of the enemies of spirituality and virtue who want to deprive the youth of the world of spiritual existence, thanks be to God, and despite their costly efforts, our youth are moving with their luminous hearts towards prayer, supplication, and seeking forgiveness, especially in the month of Ramadan. A nation that has the month of Ramadan has God; a nation that has Muharram has struggle and martyrdom, and a nation that is equipped with the tools of struggle and relies on God will never be defeated. In this month of Ramadan - like previous months of Ramadan - in addition to the acts of worship, supplications, and invocations that took place, the magnificent and glorious march of the people on Quds Day was a significant symbolic movement that has undoubtedly left deep impacts in the political arena of the world and in confronting global arrogance.

What has bittered the hearts of the fasting people in all of the Islamic world, especially this year, were the catastrophic events in Palestine and Iraq; these are the body parts of the Islamic world.

In Palestine, the massacre of the people has become a daily habit of the Zionist oppressors. A world that remains silent in the face of such crimes is a deviant world. Politicians who turn a blind eye to all this oppression on one side and all this crime on the other side for political considerations and worldly interests are sinful politicians. Today, humanity is afflicted with such politicians. The people of Palestine, in this month of Ramadan, have given martyrs with their mouths fasting. The people of Iraq have endured many hardships in this month of Ramadan with their mouths fasting. All of this is due to the undeclared war that global arrogance has waged against Islam. In this unbalanced war, all the wealth, power, and propaganda and political and economic capabilities of arrogance are arrayed against nations that want to utter the name of God and remain servants of God: "And they did not resent them except because they believed in God, the Exalted, the Praiseworthy." Islam instills courage, light, and steadfastness in the hearts of Muslims that the arrogant powers fear, and for this reason, they oppose Islam.

In the face of this arrogant and greedy front, the Islamic nation and community stand firm. You can observe examples of resistance; this motivation for resistance exists throughout the Islamic world. In some places, its manifestation is very striking, with the Palestinian nation at the pinnacle of this steadfastness. America and the Zionists who are complicit with it have not been able to silence this Palestinian collective and calculated nation; they are helpless. The Zionists, who when they entered into an organized armed conflict with Arab countries, their war lasted no more than six, eight, or ten days, now for nearly four years, they have the Palestinian nation before them; a nation that they kill, destroy their homes, and treat with utmost severity; yet they cannot overcome this nation. This is the case everywhere in the Islamic world. Wherever this obstinate enemy, at the head of which are the statesmen of the United States of America - who are the enemies of Islam, the enemies of Muslims, and the enemies of the Islamic community - seeks to enter with this face and this method, they will face the resistance of the community and nations of Islam.

We once again express our sympathy with the oppressed nation of Palestine, with the oppressed nation of Iraq, and with all oppressed nations; the nation of Iran stands firm.

Dear nation of Iran! Dear worshippers! This unity and this integrity and this adherence to spiritual values are the greatest achievement that helps you stand against the greed and excesses and transgressions of global arrogance; preserve this; it is very valuable. These Eid prayers, these great gatherings, these magnificent marches, these motivated youth, and this nation ready for movement, uprising, defense, and jihad in the way of Islam have been able to bestow dignity upon the entire Islamic community. Your dignity and power as a people depend on adhering to this unity, this integrity, this insight, and this clarity; preserve this. Officials in service to the people, the people alongside the officials, all thinking about the interests of this country and this nation, and all with great attention to that which is the main guarantee of the salvation of the Islamic community, which is adherence to Islam, which can cultivate the world and the hereafter for the people. Today, ask God to preserve this spirit, this faith, and this vitality and cheerfulness in you.

I would like to say one sentence today on the occasion of a very important event that lies ahead in the next semester; the issue of the presidential elections. There are approximately six months left until these elections, and there is plenty of time for speaking and listening; I will only say a short sentence:

The nation of Iran has always proven its vigilance and presence in the arena in these selections and elections. What should be considered as a fundamental strategy by all is the maximum presence of the people. The participation of the people in the upcoming presidential elections, which God willing will be among the national epic events, should be such that it discourages the enemy from encroaching on the Islamic Iran and the proud nation of Iran. Our nation has always prepared itself for great tasks by benefiting from divine blessings and spirituality, and God willing, the nation of Iran is preparing and determined to hold one of the best and most enthusiastic elections and national selections. What is important for the people in these elections and all national selections and elections is that the efficiency of the system improves day by day; this is the essence of the matter. If the people are looking for a president or looking for a member of parliament or looking for others whom they want to determine by election, they are seeking capable individuals to place in positions of responsibility so that they can increase the efficiency of the system and solve the material and spiritual problems of the people; this is the people's demand. Now, groups, parties, and political elements each have their own viewpoints; those viewpoints are for themselves. The people want those who take on responsibilities to be caring, competent, and efficient. Thanks be to God, many works have been accomplished; important infrastructures of the country are ready for utilization. The strong and capable arms of a faithful official who is loyal to the ideals of the revolution - which are the ideals of the people - will be able to resolve many of the knots; the people are looking for this. There is plenty of opportunity; there are many words in this regard; God willing, in due time, these words will be spoken, and our people, as always, with insight, readiness, motivation, and enthusiasm will also pass this great test.

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, unite the soul of the great Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) with the souls of the saints and the righteous. O Lord! Unite our dear martyrs with the martyrs of the early Islam. O Lord! Grant mercy and grace to our disabled veterans and those who have sacrificed. O Lord! Bestow Your grace and favor upon all our people in every corner of this country and remove the problems of the people's lives by Your power and will. O Lord! Convey our greetings on this day of Eid to our master and lord, the Awaited One (may our souls be sacrificed for him), who is the owner of this land and the master of time and the era, and make us recipients of the prayers of that great one.

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

Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent."

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