Speech in Meeting with Officials and Executives of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Occasion of Eid al-Ghadir

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

I also extend my congratulations on this blessed and great Eid to all Muslims and truth-seekers of the world, to the noble and esteemed nation of Iran, and to you brothers and sisters present here. May God grant us the blessings of this day and the great lessons it imparts.

On the day of Ghadir, this great movement, which according to successive narrations was carried out by the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), had dimensions. Of course, one dimension was the virtue of the Commander of the Faithful. The people knew and closely observed these virtues in that great personage. The Noble Prophet, and indeed the divine will, also recognized those virtues and values as valid and based on those values, determined the guardianship and leadership after the Prophet. It became clear that the one who can assume the position of governance over Muslims must possess those values. It was not necessary for the Noble Prophet to state the virtues of the Commander of the Faithful on that day; the people knew.

'Ibn Abi al-Hadid' says: The virtues of Ali ibn Abi Talib were so clear to the people on that day that after the Prophet's demise, none of the Muhajirun and most of the Ansar doubted that the issue of caliphate would be assigned to Ali; meaning it was among the certainties in their view. In other instances, the Messenger of God himself said many things about the Commander of the Faithful.

What has been narrated from our Shia sources and also from Sunni sources is successive. Many of the virtues have been narrated in a successive manner by both Shia and Sunni; it is not exclusive to Shia. Even one of the famous ancient historians - 'Ibn Ishaq', the author of the well-known biography - says: The Prophet said to the Commander of the Faithful: If I did not fear that people would say about you what the followers of Jesus said about him, I would say something about you that wherever you pass, people would take the dust under your feet as a blessing. This narration may have been transmitted through Shia sources as well; I have not seen it. 'Ibn Abi al-Hadid' quotes from 'Ibn Ishaq'; meaning those who do not believe in the appointment of the Commander of the Faithful also have these statements about his virtues.

This is one dimension of the Ghadir event; that is, the endorsement and affirmation of these virtues and that these virtues and values lead to governance and this contractual value in the Islamic society. This dimension is very important and it becomes clear that in Islam, according to the Prophet's view and divine revelation, governance is subject to values; it is not subject to other things. This is an Islamic principle.

Another dimension in the issue and hadith of Ghadir is this matter of guardianship; that is, the expression of governance as guardianship; 'For whomever I am his master, this Ali is his master'. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) is in the position of determining the right of governance for a person, he uses the term master for him and associates his guardianship with his own. This concept inherent in guardianship is very significant. That is, Islam, minus this concept of guardianship - which is a popular concept directed towards the rights of the people and their protection and safeguarding the side of humans - does not accept any governance over the people and does not recognize any other title in the matter of governance.

The one who is the guardian and ruler of the people is not a sultan; that is, the title of governance is not considered from the aspect of his power and authority over control; it is not considered from the aspect that he can do whatever he wants; rather, from the aspect of his guardianship and leadership, and that he is the guardian of the believers or the guardian of the affairs of Muslims, this right or this job or this position is considered. The issue of governance in Islam is considered from this aspect.

If we dissect this concept of guardianship and what Islam has set as a condition and duty for the guardian and governor - which in the words of the infallible Imams in this regard, there are many learnable words, and in this letter of the Commander of the Faithful to Malik Ashtar and those great recommendations, there are many valuable concepts - we will see that the most popular form of governance is this. In human culture - that is, the culture of the world's freedom-seekers throughout history - there is nothing in the concept of guardianship that is ugly from governance. The concept of despotism or arbitrariness, deciding according to one's own will or to the detriment of the people, is absolutely not in the meaning of Islamic guardianship. Not that a person cannot do these things in the name of guardianship; no, there are devils who have done all the bad things in the world with all the good names. The intention is the teaching and lesson and the Islamic way. Of course, those who are enamored with Western and non-Islamic concepts may say things or have imaginations; but these are due to not understanding the concept of guardianship.

Guardianship in Islam arises from values; values whose existence provides immunity to both that position and the people. For example, justice in its specific sense - that is, that moral virtue - is among the conditions of guardianship. If this condition is met, guardianship is something invulnerable; because as soon as the slightest unlawful act that is outside the limits and outside the Islamic commands and prohibitions is committed by that guardian or governor, the condition of justice is removed. The slightest injustice and the slightest misconduct that is against the law removes justice. Any discrimination, any unlawful act and sin and neglect of duty, removes justice from the governor. When justice is removed, he is dismissed from that position.

In which governmental system in the world does such a form exist? In which method of public guarantee and supervision does such a method exist that contains the good of humanity and the good of society and human interests and values? Of course, deviation from standards can occur in all forms. Assuming the preservation of standards, you observe, see what a solid form Islam has prescribed.

We Muslims must experience guardianship. For centuries they did not allow it. Who did not allow it? Those same people whom governance in the style of guardianship removes from the seat of power and governance; otherwise, it is in the interest of the people. Which countries are there where if a pious, devout, God-fearing person who observes divine commands and prohibitions and acts upon good deeds and virtues is at the head of their governance, it would not be better for them than having a wine-drinking, lustful, money-loving, worldly person in power? Whatever nation and whatever religion they may have.

Guardianship means the governance of pious people, people who oppose their own desires and passions, people who act upon good deeds. This is the meaning of Islamic guardianship. Which nation and which country is there that would not want this and would not benefit from it; imagine its concept and not acknowledge it? Who are those who oppose this principle and this method? It is clear; those power-seekers who do not see the realization of those standards - that is, the realization of piety, the abandonment of desires, and indifference to worldly adornments - as practical in their existence and soul. Which of these powerful people who have taken the reins of affairs in the world today are willing to be the basis of the governance and guardianship that Islam has stated?

We have always said this and it is among the certainties of our revolution that the revolution and the Islamic Republic system is a general challenge to the non-Islamic and anti-Islamic culture that today dominates global powers and the pillars of global power are formed based on it. For this reason, they oppose Islam and this revolution and this system; because it questions the components of the political culture prevalent among the world's powerful. Our culture is a culture contrary to those cultures; as you observe the state of governance and political power and its relationship with the people and the connections between them and the people.

These things that arise from the principle of guardianship in Islam, how beneficial, radiant, beautiful, and attractive they are for humans. Anyone from anywhere in the world who looks at our country sees these things that were in the life of our great Imam, and what this nation has become accustomed to over the past ten, twelve years. This is the meaning of guardianship; and we say that if nations, regardless of the religions and beliefs that govern them, want to find the path to happiness, they must return to Islamic guardianship.

Of course, this Islamic guardianship is fully practical in an Islamic society; because guardianship is based on Islamic values - that is, Islamic justice, Islamic knowledge, and Islamic religion - but in an incomplete form, it is practical among all nations and in all societies. If they want to choose someone as a leader and ruler over society, they should not go to the one introduced by capitalists; they should go to the most pious, purest, and most indifferent people to the world; the one who does not consider power as his personal capital and does not use it for his personal gain.

This is a glimpse of the effusions of guardianship in Islam and the current democracies of the world are deprived of it. This is one of the blessings of Islam. Therefore, from the beginning of the revolution, this title of guardianship and Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist - which are two concepts; one is the concept of guardianship itself, the other is that this guardianship belongs to the jurist and religious scholar and religious scholar - was severely attacked by those who in truth could not and cannot tolerate this complete value structure. It is the same today. Fortunately, the people have recognized this path. This is one of the blessings of Ghadir and Islam and the life of the Commander of the Faithful and also the short governance of that great person.

We hope that God makes us worthy and deserving for this path and this Islamic thought and makes all of us appreciative of the concept of guardianship and, God willing, worthy of the name 'the nation of the people of guardianship'.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings