Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with Officials and Executives on the Occasion of Eid al-Ghadir

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

I also sincerely congratulate this great and blessed Eid to you, the esteemed audience, the great nation of Iran, and all Muslims and truth-seekers around the world.

In our traditions, this Eid is referred to as 'Eid Allah al-Akbar' - the greatest divine Eid. At one time, the issue is that a noble personality like the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (peace be upon him), who is unique in all aspects, was chosen to govern in a ceremony. Of course, this is an important matter and a great event, and it is fitting that for many years - even centuries - this event is celebrated. It is also common that when people have affection and belief in someone, they express joy and happiness when that person attains power and leadership. Certainly, it is significant and not a small matter that someone like the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) is appointed to the leadership of the Islamic community; however, the issue of Ghadir is beyond this.

The issue of Ghadir is not only honorable because a person like the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), who has no equal in existence, was appointed to leadership and guardianship, but there is another important aspect in Ghadir - perhaps there are several aspects, but today we want to present this aspect - which is no less important than the appointment of the Commander of the Faithful as an individual, and that is the principle of Guardianship; the special content that exists in the issue of Guardianship in Islam.

What remains over time as a continuous flow and from which human beings can learn and align their lives and future is the content that exists in the event of Ghadir. The very fact that the Almighty God issues a specific command and based on this command, the Noble Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) appoints someone as 'Wali' - and that too someone with these characteristics - is an important matter and a great lesson and a significant part of Islam. It can perhaps be said that the true foundation of Islam lies in this part of the issue. The true content of Ghadir is so important that the Quranic verse states: 'If you do not do so, then you have not conveyed His message.'

What is the truth of Ghadir and this appointment that is so significant? This issue has various dimensions. One is the matter that the administration of human affairs is a divine matter and not a human one, and it differs from all other human issues. Some may misuse this aspect and attribute many wrongdoings and misbehaviors to a connection with God. Of course, such misuse can occur with all truths of the world. Even from the issue of Prophethood, some have misused it; they claimed Prophethood and led people astray. This does not mean that we should easily pass over this aspect of such greatness. This is a point that the administration of social affairs and the path and destiny and what builds the world of humanity is something that connects to the source of divine will and divine appointment. This is one dimension of this content.

Another dimension that I wanted to emphasize a bit today is the word and content of Guardianship that was repeated in the event of Ghadir: 'For whomever I am his master, Ali is his master.' In this historical event and great appointment, the Prophet expressed governance with the term 'Guardianship.' In Arabic and other languages, for this phenomenon called governance and rulership - meaning someone or a group governing a society and commanding - various expressions have been used, each referring to a specific aspect. For example, the term governance refers to the one at the head of power, or the group at the head of power, issuing commands and the society and individuals obeying their commands. Another expression is sovereignty, which means being dominant and powerful and bringing affairs under one's control. In Persian, these expressions also exist. For example, leadership refers to one aspect of governance. Or, for example, rulership and command each refer to an aspect. In Islam, the emphasis is more on the word 'Guardianship.' Both here and in the noble verse 'Your guardian is only Allah and His Messenger,' the phenomenon of governance is expressed with the name 'Guardianship.'

Guardianship has a strange meaning. The original meaning of Guardianship is the closeness of two things to each other. Suppose when two ropes are tightly twisted together and separating them from each other is not easily possible, in Arabic, it is called 'Guardianship.' Guardianship means connection and proximity of two things in a close and firm manner. All the meanings mentioned for 'Guardianship' in the language - the meaning of love, the meaning of guardianship, and the rest of the meanings, which are seven or eight meanings in Arabic - are because in each of these, there is a kind of closeness and proximity between the two sides of Guardianship. For example, 'Guardianship' means love because the lover and the beloved have a spiritual connection and attachment to each other, and separating them from each other is not possible.

Islam expresses governance with the term 'Guardianship' and introduces the person at the head of governance as the guardian, the Wali, the master - meaning the derivatives of the word Guardianship. What does it mean? It means that in the political system of Islam, the one at the head of power and those over whom the power of governance is exercised have an inseparable connection and attachment to each other. This is the meaning of this issue. This explains the political philosophy of Islam in the matter of governance for us. Any governance that is not like this is not this Guardianship; that is, it is not the governance that Islam has envisioned. If we assume that at the head of power are those who have no connection with the people, this is not Guardianship. If there are those whose relationship with the people is one of fear and terror and not one of love and healing and attachment, this is not Guardianship. If someone comes to power through a coup, this is not Guardianship. If someone comes to power through hereditary succession - minus the true virtues and qualities that are conditions for governance - this is not Guardianship. Guardianship is when the connection of the guardian or Wali with the people over whom Guardianship is exercised is a close, sincere, loving connection, just as it exists in the case of the Prophet - meaning 'He sent among them a messenger from themselves' or 'He sent from among them': someone from among themselves was sent; meaning someone from the people is responsible for the matter of Guardianship and governance. The foundation of work in Islamic governance is this.

Of course, the criteria are preserved in their place. If someone finds this connection with the people without having those real criteria, this is still not Guardianship and does not have these standards; although it may have another dimension. So, in addition to the true meanings that exist, governance in Islam is governance of Guardianship, and Guardianship means governance, which is expressed with this delicate expression suitable to the character and dignity of humanity. In Islam, because the individuals of society and human beings are considered in the political account of Islam, in reality, everything is the people. It is the people whose character and desires and interests and everything about them are considered in the political system of Islam. Then, divine Guardianship, with such a presence of the people, gives meaning. The truth of divine Guardianship is this: connection with the people.

Therefore, you see that the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), who is the manifestation of Islamic Guardianship and the complete example of the Wali specified for the people, has never been devoid of this state of connection and attachment and cohesion with the people. Not in the period when he was practically removed from governance and the people were separated from him as a governmental connection; meaning practically governance was taken from him, the Guardianship and governance and command and rulership that in Islam is referred to as 'Guardianship' and was his right was taken from him - of course, the spiritual Guardianship, that which is assumed and exists in the Imamate of Shi'ism, is always there and is not dependent on apparent Guardianship - and not in other periods, was he devoid of connection and attachment with the people. Even at that time, the Commander of the Faithful was one of the people and among the people. He was not isolated and detached and withdrawn from the people. Even when he came to power, he was a ruler in every sense of the word, a people's ruler.

This is something that was experienced at a high level in the Islamic Republic system. The sacred system of the Islamic Republic derives its power from this very meaning. The officials and leaders of the country's affairs are, in every sense of the word, connected and attached to the people. Both emotionally, they are one with the people; meaning the emotions of the people are connected with the officials of the Islamic Republic system and they love them, and intellectually, they are connected with the people; meaning they represent the way of thinking of the Iranian nation. Of course, in every nation, there may be rare thoughts in terms of belief and religion that are contrary to the opinion of the majority of the people; but what represents the Iranian nation is manifested and appears in the country's officials. In reality, the country's officials are the official and complete manifestation of the thought of the Iranian nation. This is a very important point. The people, at all stages, feel connected and fused with the political system of the Islamic Republic. They are fused together, they are together, inseparable. The political system of Islam derives its power from this.

In this meeting, where most of you are the country's officials and are engaged in important responsibilities of the country's affairs in various places - whether in the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judiciary, and in various sections and levels of these diverse responsibilities - I want to say, my dear ones! The factor that is the true support of these responsibilities is this connection with the people. If you see that the system is truly strong in the face of external threats, it is not because the system has power tools that are higher than the material power tools of superpower countries, or a wealth, for example, of that kind, or a sophisticated weapon of that kind at its disposal. The reality is not this. But at the same time, you see that the political system of Islam is so strong and powerful that even the strongest systems in the world, when they face it, both feel that the Islamic Republic system is strong and acknowledge this fact; meaning it is not so much that it can be denied and hidden.

In these recent events, you observed and saw what kind of military mobilization they did. Such military mobilizations where the Americans and Zionists, with all their capabilities, come to the field and consider a corner of the world like Europe and decide that in any way, they will place Europe against a government and a political system, are usually crushing for governments and bring them to their knees and force them to retreat from their positions. The Americans and Zionists enter and take a government like the German government in their hands and force it to do what they want for them; that too with the connections that government had with this system. If it is a separate and isolated regime that does not have these connections with its people, such actions are deadly for it. But you see that in the Islamic Republic, the system and officials and leaders and the various sectors of its people are political and all are aware of the events. It is not that an event happens and the people remain unaware of it. All - whether the system, the people, the officials, and the various sectors - stand firm like a mountain, and these breezes or these storms do not even cause the slightest tremor.

Those who are on the opposite side feel powerless in the face of all this strength and do not know how to continue the work. They truly remain; just as they remained! Someone who does not take the threat seriously and does not pay attention to it, the threat does not affect him. They scare him with cutting relations and other issues; he does not pay attention and they see that it has no effect on him at all. What should they do with him? Those who were not very serious in this game and in this fight and were deceived, they break up and perhaps if necessary, they even apologize. Those who were in the heart of the matter - like the German government - remain in what to do with the Islamic Republic. They truly should remain; because they have wronged the Iranian nation. This is due to the blessing that this political system is not a separate and detached system from the people; it is a system of Guardianship and a system of connection. This is the characteristic of the Guardianship system.

I present this talk in two scenes and two places, with two audiences. One is with the people, which we have repeatedly said in these days, the same things we have said to you today, to the people. But one time the audience is you, the country's officials. What I want to say to you is this: my dear ones! Wherever you are responsible, you must value this, keep it, and preserve it. We must preserve this. The trust and confidence and connection and love of the people is not a one-sided movement that if the people love someone and become attached to them, no matter what you do, they have love. No; it is not like this. The love and connection of the people is a two-sided matter. It must be responded to by the officials at all levels. Of course, this response has various types and fields. Work must be done for the people. Of course, work is being done. Indeed, no fair person can deny it. In this country, the apparatus is working. This is also one of the blessings of being popular, that with reliance on the people, a lot of work and effort is being done.

One of the characteristics is that people want to have this feeling that the country's officials at various levels are trustees and trustworthy regarding the country's assets. I want to seriously ask you to be careful that this trust and this spirit of trusteeship regarding what is in our possession from the people - the public treasury and what relates to the country's public wealth - does not become disturbed. Do not let the enemy be able to advertise that a new class and a new aristocracy is forming. The enemy says such things. If something is seen that confirms this enemy's words in some way, this is serving the enemy; it should not be allowed. The enemy is the enemy and slanders. In these few years, these loudspeakers, these enemy media, have said so many hostile things against the Islamic Republic! In the field of misuse and the like, they have said so much nonsense and lies and contrary to reality that counting it is really not easy. But if the people see that in some cases, things confirm - even one case - they will believe and accept ten cases. You must pay attention to this.

In the presidential election campaigns - which is a great test for the nation - care should be taken that excessive and extravagant expenses are not incurred. Of course - fortunately - those whom we know and have entered this field are trustworthy people. We have confidence in their sincerity and purity and we know they do not want to; but it is possible that some people here and there, without the main parties wanting, may make a move in these areas that is not right and appropriate. Of course, it is not just this; in all areas and in all fields and in various sections, officials wherever they are, must ensure that this connection and attachment with the people and this bond and this trust is preserved and Guardianship in the true sense of the word - which Islam has desired - is realized. If this is present, all the enemy's weapons will be completely blunted. All the enemy's weapons, in the face of the divine and Quranic system of the Islamic Republic, are blunt. The enemy unnecessarily troubles and bothers himself. Whatever they do, with a popular system that has chosen a path and is pursuing it consciously and with will and determination, they cannot do anything.

If the Iranian nation, as it has been, thanks be to God, until now and will continue to be, God willing, maintains its valuable unity and awareness and vigilance and its strong connection and relationship with the officials, and by the grace of the Lord, always at the high levels of this system, worthy officials are engaged in service, the sacred system of the Islamic Republic will have the opportunity to strengthen the foundations of Islamic civilization in this country; rather, in all Islamic countries and Islamic societies.

We hope that the Almighty God, on this noble day, will make the sacred soul of our great Imam and the pure souls of the martyrs - those who were the openers and smoothers of this path - happy and gather them with His saints and bless all the Iranian nation, God willing, with the blessings of this noble Eid.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings