Statements at the Meeting with the People of Isfahan on the Day of Eid al-Adha

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

First of all, I welcome you dear brothers and sisters, who have traversed this long path and filled the atmosphere of the Hussainiya with your faith, emotions, and feelings on this blessed day of Eid. I also congratulate all of you present, the dear people of Isfahan, the entire nation of Iran, and all Muslims around the world on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. This occasion is indeed a very significant one. The twenty-fifth of Aban is one of the symbols of sacrifice and selflessness of the people of Isfahan, which this year coincides with Eid al-Adha.

If we pay attention to the wisdom contained in Eid al-Adha, many paths open up for us. Eid al-Adha carries a great divine appreciation for the chosen Prophet of the Almighty, Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), who made a sacrifice on that day. Beyond the sacrifice of life, in some cases, it is the sacrifice of loved ones. He was to sacrifice a beloved one with his own hands for the sake of the Lord; that beloved was a young son whom God, the Exalted, had granted him after a lifetime of waiting, in his old age; as he said: "Praise be to God who has granted me, in my old age, Ishmael and Isaac". God, the Exalted, had given these two sons to this father in his old age, after a lifetime of longing and desire; he had no hope for another child after that. The Master of Martyrs of the entire world, Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) - who himself is the embodiment of selflessness and martyrdom - recalls this incident in the noble supplication of Arafah: "And He restrained the hand of Ibrahim from slaughtering his son after his old age and the end of his life"; this is mentioned in the blessed supplication of Imam Husayn during Arafah, which the believers successfully recited yesterday.

This selflessness and this sacrifice serve as a symbol for the believers who wish to tread the path of truth, the path of elevation, the path of ascension to higher ranks. Without sacrifice, it is impossible. All the tests we undergo essentially revolve around this point; the essence of a test is the emergence of a sacrifice and a selflessness. Sometimes it is a sacrifice of life, sometimes of wealth; sometimes it is a sacrifice of a word that someone has said, wanting to stubbornly stand by that word; sometimes it is a sacrifice of loved ones; children, relatives. A test means passing through the valley of hardship. A hardship or intensity is placed before a person or a nation; passing through this hardship is the test. If one can pass through, they reach their desired destination; if they cannot - if they cannot manifest the potential embedded within themselves, if they cannot overcome their desires and pass through - they remain; this is the test. The divine test is not for God to know us, to see what weight or level we are at; the test itself is essentially a step towards the goal. For you and me who are being tested, it means that if we can pass through this intensity and hardship, we will attain a new state, a new life, a new stage. In this regard, there is no difference between a nation and an individual.

Last year, the nation of Iran passed through a test, overcame a sedition. This does not merely mean that now everyone understands that the nation of Iran is strong; rather, the more important meaning is that with this movement, with this power to overcome sedition and hardship, this nation attained a new state; a new capability emerged within it. Throughout a person's life, step by step, there are tests. If we can overcome our desires, if we can utilize our insight, if we can recognize the moment, know what is necessary, and act upon it, this creates a new level of life within us; this is an elevation, a progress. Therefore, the twenty-fifth of Aban, which is a prominent day and a symbol, has such a significance for the people of Isfahan.

I find it necessary to say a few words in this regard - the virtues of Isfahan, the virtues of the people of Isfahan - these are the identity cards of these faithful, proud, and steadfast people. The people of Isfahan buried three hundred and seventy martyrs in one day without flinching; let alone that on the same day they had deployments to the front, they supported and moved forward; this is very significant. As was mentioned, Imam praised this movement of Isfahan. In Aban 1361, when three hundred and seventy martyrs were buried in Isfahan in one day, the number of martyrs from Isfahan in that month exceeded one thousand. Over a thousand martyrs in one month! Well, who becomes a martyr? The one who is in the field, in the field of danger, who is a pioneer.

Before the revolution, Isfahan had a prominent presence in various matters, and the same goes for the revolutionary issues, and during the imposed war as well. The military units stationed in Isfahan, whether those belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; the Imam Husayn Brigade centered in Isfahan, the Najaf Brigade centered in Najafabad, the Qamar Bani Hashim Brigade, and those related to the army; the eighth base of Shikari, which was a center of great movement, and I have seen the work of that base in Isfahan up close - may God have mercy on martyr Babaei - and the artillery center in Isfahan; the collection of these points carries great significance. The result is that after the revolution, during the eight-year imposed war and after it, in the fields that were critical for the country, the people of Isfahan were among the pioneers; in the ranking of growth and development of the country, in the scientific matters of the country. Some of our critical knots in the armed forces, in scientific and research centers were untied in Isfahan. These are honors, not for self-aggrandizement; rather, they signify the realization of one's identity, the inner potential, and based on this foundation, moving forward.

During the eight-year war, everyone knows and has pointed out; the people of Isfahan worked in the front lines with these various units. Well, this is known to all. What is not known to many is the role of the unknown and unassuming individuals who have worked in the background for support over these years; women who were at home, merchants who were engaged in their trades, individuals who were active in administrative offices, and jihadists who delivered various services to the front. We have martyrs among them; those who were martyred or gave martyrs had no claims and do not have any; their names are not mentioned anywhere; but they are famous in the heavens, recognized in the highest assembly. In divine reckoning, the smallest deeds do not go unnoticed. All these aid caravans from Isfahan, these efforts, these motivations, and then the families of these martyrs. The martyrs experienced a moment of hardship and soared; they who do not suffer - "There is no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve" - the issue is about the families; fathers, mothers, spouses, children, brothers, and sisters, the bereaved; they endured, they took pride. There are families in Isfahan who lost three martyrs; families who had one son, and they gave that son; the Abrahams of the time; these are what shape the identity of a nation, these are what elevate a nation to dignity.

By sitting, eating, sleeping, relying on foreigners, and allowing desires to dominate life, no nation will reach anywhere. Those who, when the discussion of the sacred defense arises, are pessimistic; when the discussion of martyrdom arises, they scoff; when the discussion of the disabled and the selfless arises, they frown; when the discussion of scientific advancements and breaking the boundaries of science arises, they smirk mockingly; when the discussion of centrifuges for the nuclear enrichment program arises, they shake their heads and say it is impossible, these do not understand anything about the movement of a nation. Those who are raised in a corrupt upbringing and the immoral ethics of tyranny do not understand the impact of faith, movement, and jihad.

When a nation believes in jihad, it is a pioneer in all fields. Jihad is not merely taking up arms; jihad is when a person always sees themselves in the field of movement and struggle against obstacles and hindrances, feels a sense of duty, feels a sense of commitment; this is jihad; this is Islamic jihad. Jihad is sometimes with life, sometimes with wealth, sometimes with thought, sometimes with giving slogans, sometimes with presence in the streets, sometimes with presence at the ballot box; this is jihad in the way of God; and this is what nurtures a nation, gives it freshness, gives it novelty, gives it hope, and propels a nation forward.

Now, how can the struggle against this nation be possible? The anti-Islamic and anti-Islamic Revolution front that has emerged in the world wants to combat such a great phenomenon. How can they struggle? It is impossible through war - they have tried and seen - it is impossible through threats of war and military threats, it is impossible through sanctions. Those who think they can bring the nation of Iran to its knees with sanctions are beating water in a mortar. A nation that has hope, has faith, knows what it is doing, cannot be forced into retreat through threats.

To confront such a nation, they also pay attention to the point you have noted - which reflects the vigilance of you people of Isfahan: creating a rift among the nation, inciting the people against each other, creating distance between the vast masses of the country and the officials, creating suspicion, creating disputes over trivial matters. One of the most important items of enmity of the enemies against the Islamic Revolution is this; we must be vigilant.

Of course, the people of Isfahan have been vigilant. The people of Isfahan acted well in past matters. In the face of the sedition of 88, on the great day of 9 Dey, in that spontaneous popular movement, they had a brilliant performance. Everyone must be vigilant against creating rifts, creating sedition, creating distrust towards the system. Those who you see in corners and corners, without any constraints, without any consideration, accuse the Islamic system, the Islamic Republic system; whatever comes to their mouths, they say on behalf of the enemy; so that if the voice of the propaganda apparatus of the anti-Islam and Zionist front and the Americans does not reach anyone, they compensate for it and convey the same words to the people, they betray the nation; this is indeed a clear betrayal. Creating distrust among the people, towards each other, towards the officials, towards the servants, creating a despairing atmosphere is one of these methods.

Another method is to spread moral corruption in society. Everyone, especially the youth, must be very vigilant. Moral corruption, moral decline, unfortunately, is used as a tool in the service of the political goals of global arrogance; just as in many centers of the world, to undermine and destroy a nation - and of course, alongside it, to make money - they also use drugs as a tool for political purposes. Our nation, our youth, our officials must be very vigilant about these matters.

Isfahan has very prominent capacities, and it has been the same in the past; appreciate these capacities. Isfahan is a center of knowledge - religious knowledge and various sciences - it has been the same in the past, and it is the same today. Fortunately, Isfahan has a good seminary today; several reputable universities are also present there. Of course, the scientific background of Isfahan is more than this. It is worth noting that the scholars, scientists, and researchers in Isfahan should look towards the lofty horizons present in the past centuries. Once, Isfahan was a center of scientific illumination for the entire country, indeed for the entire Islamic world; you should seek such a position. Isfahan is also prominent in the field of art, in the field of fine industry and handicrafts. Each of these is a bright point. The religious and faith-based beliefs of the people of Isfahan are also the backbone of all these; this was evident in the behaviors of the people even before the revolution, but after the revolution, everything has taken on broader dimensions. Back then, I frequently traveled to Isfahan; I saw the state of the people's piety, their adherence to religious rituals. Today, however, it is tenfold, even a hundredfold of that time; but this is a tremendous backing. You must appreciate these devotions and attentions; these are the backbone of all worldly and otherworldly advancements.

When a nation possesses faith, it feels that none of its actions are wasted, lost, or in vain. By the blessing of faith, all human actions gain meaning; this faith must be preserved. Today, the nation of Iran, by divine grace, has been able to thwart various enmities. In the world, the essence of the enmity of the anti-Islam front against the Islamic Republic is the issue of the faith of this system and this republic and this nation in divine values; the materialistic leaders cannot tolerate this. The enmities arise due to adherence to divine values. This is one side of the issue.

The other side of the issue is that the progressive movement of the nation of Iran over these thirty-two years has been, thanks to divine faith and adherence to these values; maintain this adherence with great firmness. Know that this progress will continue, and by divine grace and power, those enmities will not reach any point, and the nation of Iran will be victorious in all these matters.

O Lord! Bestow Your mercy, grace, and support upon this nation and the dear people of Isfahan. Please make the sacred heart of the Awaited One pleased with us and include us in the prayers of that great one.

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