Sermons of Eid al-Fitr Prayer 1433 AH

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

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. I praise Him, seek His help, ask for His forgiveness, and place my trust in Him. I send blessings and peace upon His beloved, His chosen one among His creation, the guardian of His secrets, the one who conveys His messages, the bearer of His mercy and the herald of His wrath, our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the guided and awaited ones, especially the Remaining One of God among the inhabitants of the earth. And I send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the guides of the oppressed, and the protectors of the believers.

I invite all dear brothers and sisters to observe piety; and I congratulate you on the blessed Eid al-Fitr, which is a day of mercy, a day of forgiveness, a day of reward and recompense for the believers, for the good-doers, for those who have acted for God and in the way of God, and have moved their hearts closer to the Merciful and Forgiving God. We thank God for granting us once again another Ramadan and another Eid al-Fitr; we must appreciate this divine blessing.

Thanks be to God, this year's Ramadan, as one could hear from the news or observe, was a blessed month; hearts turned towards God, towards truth and spirituality, various segments of the people engaged in religious gatherings, in recitation of the Quran, in the blessed and fruitful nights of Qadr, with their supplications, created an effective and lasting spiritual atmosphere in the country; this should be valued, and we should express our gratitude to the Almighty God for this success.

Moreover, the people demonstrated a remarkable and shining movement regarding the issues of the Islamic world and the Islamic Ummah, which was the Quds Day movement; they honored the great legacy of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), supported the oppressed nation of Palestine, and stood by a fundamental and important issue of the Islamic world; in the hot weather, with fasting mouths, they participated in the rallies; for which we are grateful. We thank all the people of Iran for this timely and appropriate movement, which will undoubtedly have great impacts in the Islamic world, God willing.

This year, other nations also coordinated and harmonized with the Iranian nation more than in previous years. In some countries where the dominance and control of the remnants of tyrannical regimes prevented the people from expressing their sentiments regarding Palestine, this year, thanks be to God, the people were able to enter the field in those countries as well; and this is a movement that, God willing, will continue. We must ask the Almighty God to accept the worship of our dear people in this month, granting it value and significance with His special grace; just as it is mentioned in the supplication of Sahifa Sajjadiya: "O You who accepts the small gifts and appreciates the little deeds... O You who draws near to those who draw near to You and calls to Himself those who turn away from You." This is a supplication that Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) would recite on a day like today - Eid al-Fitr - and taught to be recited.

Take a step towards God, and the Almighty God will draw you closer to Himself. Those who have turned away from truth, spirituality, God, and religion, the Almighty God, out of compassion and mercy, invites and calls them; this is divine grace and mercy. Our dear youth should, God willing, preserve the illuminations they have gained in this month; they should keep this treasure for their entire lives, or at least until the next Eid al-Fitr and the next Ramadan. Let us maintain our connection with the Quran, our attention to God, our remembrance, and our presence in the scenes that the Almighty God loves His servants to be present in - whether those scenes pertain to our inner selves or to the broader Islamic world and our community - let us preserve and maintain them; and the Almighty God will bless us.

O Lord! Bestow Your mercy and blessings upon this nation and upon all the Muslim Ummah. O Lord! Grant victory to this dear nation and the Islamic Ummah over their enemies. O Lord! Increase this spiritual and heartfelt connection we have with spirituality and true spirituality day by day.

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

Say: He is God, the One. God, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent."

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace upon our master and prophet Muhammad and his pure progeny, and blessings upon the Commander of the Faithful and the pure and chaste lady, 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 al-Baqir, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja'far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, and the awaited Mahdi, blessings be upon them all, and blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers. I advise you, O servants of God, to observe piety.

I invite all the praying brothers and sisters present in this great gathering to observe piety and righteousness. What I will mention in this sermon pertains to one or two issues related to our country and our community or related to the Islamic Ummah. What concerns us, first and foremost, is the bitter and tragic incident of the earthquake that has affected some of our dear compatriots. Although it has occurred in one part of the country and affected a group of people, the sorrow is for all the people of the country. One knows and feels this, and experiences show that our people have never been indifferent to such incidents occurring in any corner of the country; in this incident, too, thanks be to God, the people have engaged, and this must continue. The incident is a bitter one; there has been much destruction; there have been casualties, as officials have reported the statistics of casualties and incidents. What is upon the shoulders of officials and the people is to assist in the duties that lie before us.

Thanks be to God, good work has been done; when one sees it up close, one observes this; from those who have been affected themselves, when one asks, they know that good work has been done; however, the work continues; the duties are heavier and larger ahead; may God willing, officials be able to completely eliminate the effects of this incident; in addition, may they turn it into a means for this region to begin a new and bright chapter in their lives; and the prosperity that is brought to that place, through the efforts of the people and the cooperation that exists, may, God willing, completely erase the sorrowful memories of this region.

One issue is the Quds Day issue. Quds Day, this movement that our great Imam initiated, and thanks be to God, this movement continues to grow better and warmer year by year, is a very deep and meaningful movement; it is not merely a rally; it is blood that flows in the veins of the Islamic Ummah on this day; despite those who wish to let the issue of Palestine and the Palestinian people be forgotten, this issue becomes more alive day by day; and it will continue to be so. Heavy responsibilities lie upon the shoulders of the officials of Islamic countries, and we hope that God guides them all to fulfill their duties and helps them to carry out these responsibilities.

Of course, the issues of the Islamic world at this juncture are unprecedented. The transformations that have occurred in the Islamic world are strange, shocking, and determinant of the path of the Islamic Ummah in the future. We hope that, God willing, as the nations of this region have been able to accomplish great things and the officials have carried out commendable actions, this trend of behavior will continue, and the enemies of the Islamic Ummah, who are increasingly complicating their schemes and entering this field with all their might and power, will not be able to overcome the determination of the Islamic Ummah; and, of course, God willing, they will not be able to overcome. A new era has begun, a new situation has emerged in the Islamic world, and this situation will gradually affect the lives of all nations of the world; "Stay until the morning of your government dawns"; God willing.

Let us strive not to err in our analyses, in understanding events. Let us know that America and Zionism are the enemies of the Islamic Ummah; the leaders of tyrannical regimes are the enemies of the Islamic Ummah. If we see them aligned in a certain direction, let us know that direction is false, that it is wrong; let us not fall into error in analysis. They never care for the Muslim nations; whatever they can, they destroy and disrupt processes. Today, the very commotions they create, although sometimes echoed by some oblivious individuals; they emphasize religious, ethnic, racial, and linguistic differences; while in Islam, these do not exist; "Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most pious among you"; all are one, all are brothers. We must all be vigilant, insightful, open our eyes, and not fall into errors of analysis.

O Lord! Through Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, lead the great movement of the Islamic Ummah to the general welfare of this Ummah. Humiliate the enemies of the Islamic Ummah.

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.

And peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.