Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution in Meeting with Representatives of the Eighth Parliament

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

First of all, I extend a warm welcome to the dear brothers and sisters representing the eighth term of the Islamic Consultative Assembly! Welcome to the very sensitive and glorious arena of managing the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic. We hope that during your tenure - in these four years ahead - you can acquire the book of the righteous - "Indeed, the book of the righteous is in 'Illiyin'" - God willing, and leave behind a rich and honorable record with the noble scribes.

* Feeling a sense of duty is a principle!

What I consider to be of utmost importance in this meeting and similar meetings is that we, at this point where we are responsible, feel ourselves in the position of servitude to the Lord and in the presence of God, responsible for divine duties; this is the essence of the matter.

All differences of opinion and various reasonable motivations that each person possesses may differ from other reasonable motivations. This is like different streams entering a calm and stable sea, a safe lake; here they converge. If we can create this safe and spiritually pure environment in our work, if we can manage and provide this spiritual paradise for ourselves, the other issues are not of much importance; they do not create significant problems; the essence of the matter is here; this must be resolved.

The Islamic Republic was fundamentally established to respond to the call of the prophets, the core of which is to lead humanity to spiritual perfection, which will not be possible except under the shadow of creating a world endowed with virtues and good deeds that make life bearable and enjoyable for humans, the most fundamental of which is justice. Therefore, establishing a just society is a goal, but this goal is an intermediate one.

We want to achieve a divine just society, an Islamic society so that under this divine system we can reach perfection; we can reach a point of safety and security.

The issue of the world after death and true life - "And indeed, the Hereafter is the true life" - real life, life after passing through this stage of existence, has a significant impact on regulating our actions, behaviors, and works. The same verses that were recited now; "Say, indeed, the losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection; that is the manifest loss"; this is the real loss.

Losing wealth, losing life, losing loved ones, losing the pleasures of life are losses that befall humans in this world, but these are not the real losses. Sometimes, these things that seem to us as losses and deprivation come from losing something, a means that keeps us safe from that great loss, from that real loss. Therefore, in this material world, in this life where we are commanded to work and strive, the issues of winning and losing, advancing and falling behind, gaining reputation and losing it, becoming beloved and falling out of favor, are all secondary and peripheral issues; the essence of the matter is that real matter, which is achieved through fulfilling divine duties.

* What is obligatory for you, do it; what is forbidden for you, abandon it!

During my presidency, I asked one of the great figures whom we have always respected and believed in to give us some advice, a directive, a recommendation. What he wrote in response to me was: "Look, see what is obligatory for you, do it; what is forbidden for you, abandon it; be cautious about what is ambiguous." At first glance, this seemed like an ordinary and simple matter that everyone knows and understands; we also initially thought, well, we knew these things; but upon reflection, we realized that no, the entire point is right here; this is the essence of the matter.

Looking at the hardest tasks for a person who cannot control their desires, cannot overcome their cravings, is precisely this. They should look to see what the duty is, genuinely seek the truth of the duty. When they identify the duty, they should carry it out with courage, decisiveness, openness, satisfaction, and without fear of worldly consequences - that if I say this, if I take this position, what will so-and-so say, what position will so-and-so take, what will my future be, without these considerations - they should carry it out.

If we cannot overcome our own selves, our own desires, that is the hardest task, and it is this hardest task that can elevate us to the highest peaks and summits. The essence is this; the foundation is this.

* The Parliament is the preparer of the software for the movement of the country

Sometimes a person is teaching in a school; like me, a seminary student who is either studying or teaching in a classroom, or in a university, or in a workshop, or managing a company, or leading a mosque, which is a kind of responsibility on one's shoulders; sometimes this is the case, and sometimes a person finds themselves in a very sensitive position of legislation for a country and a nation.

As we mentioned, the law you are drafting is essentially the software for the great movement of this country; a country, a nation, seventy million people, which in itself is a very serious and significant matter, wherever it may be in the world, with whatever kind of people it may have, is a heavy responsibility, but in our circumstances, the matter is above these; the issue is that this country of yours, this revolution of yours, this republic of yours, has opened a new path before humanity today; these are not mere compliments; these are the depth and essence of the thought upon which the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic were founded.

Look at today's world - look around the world, look at the economic systems - it is not based on the salvation of humanity; this is something that today does not need proof and reasoning. Look at the lofty peaks of today's civilization or the well-known democracies of today and see what the disputes there are about; on what basis and upon whose heads and what things do the systems revolve; how much do they value humanity, the dignity of humanity, for humanity as humanity, and how much do they care; how much do the rights of nations matter to them, and can they reduce their own rights in violation of the rights of others and prevent violations of the rights of others. See how much these words are the axis of movement and activity and thought of people in the world; there is no news of these matters.

Imam once said that some are waiting for the world to be filled with oppression and injustice for the Imam of the Age to come; then he said the world is already filled with oppression and injustice, do you not see what is happening in the world? Do you not see what is happening to nations? Do you not see how humanity is being treated? Do you not see how justice is completely isolated? Daily examples of this oppression and injustice are observed by humans everywhere in the world. The Islamic Republic is a loud and clear cry based on a thought that has risen against this massive, savage, and blind movement; this is such a matter.

* Our challenge with the dominant system of the world does not mean that we now take up arms and fight the systems of the world!

Sometimes we hear from some voices - which is true - that we have a challenge and an issue with the dominant system of the world; this is a reality. The nature of Islam is this; "So whoever disbelieves in Taghut (the tyrant) and believes in Allah has certainly grasped the firmest handhold." This is the meaning of Islam. It means that faith in Allah alone is not enough; disbelief in Taghut is a prerequisite for the correctness and acceptance of faith in Allah. What does disbelief in Taghut mean? It means these existing systems of domination in the world.

This does not mean that the Islamic Republic of Iran has taken up arms to go here and there, to fight the systems of the world; no, that is very naive. The discussion is about presenting a new thought, a new path before humanity; like the invitation of the prophets. The invitation of the prophets is like this; "Those who convey the messages of Allah."

The essence of the matter in the invitation of the prophets is to convey; to deliver. This "delivering" has various ways, one of the best ways is to establish a collection based on this thought that can gather the clear signs of this thought within itself and raise it high before the world; this is the work that the Islamic Republic seeks to do.

We want to establish a just Islamic system based on Islamic thoughts, raise it high, and show it to the world. There is no need for military campaigns to be carried out or to confront various systems with military movements in different ways; it is absolutely unnecessary. It is enough to show this.

You see, the day Imam raised this loud cry, how deeply this cry penetrated into the hearts of Muslim and non-Muslim nations in many cases and gained supporters that no propaganda from our side - written and spoken - could convey this message to the world; could transfer it to hearts. The nature of this cry, the nature of this expression and this presentation is such that it attracts hearts, and this is what we want.

Then, in this great task, that is, forming such a system with these characteristics, various forces are involved; the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judiciary, and the legislative branch, as we mentioned, is the preparer of the software for this great movement; see how important this matter is. The issue is not that we have now opposed someone in a certain city like ourselves and we campaigned and they campaigned and we eventually overcame them and came into this parliament, into this space, onto this chair. The matter is much higher than this.

A person who enters this arena accepts a responsibility that is a divine responsibility and a profound responsibility. It is a true responsibility; that is, "You will surely be questioned on that Day about the blessings." You have a responsibility. This is the essence of what I want to convey to dear brothers and sisters, and we ask God to grant you success. In order for this meaning to be realized, we have presented recommendations in the message we sent to you, which are based on the experiences of these long years with various parliaments and representatives. In our view, the few points mentioned there are fundamental points, and I will now present some of them to the extent that you do not get tired and bear with me.

* The Guardianship belongs to God; the foundation of religious democracy is this!

One point we should clarify as a foundational issue is that this matter of representation from the people in Islamic thought has very deep roots. The issue of this representation is not about following the common customs of the world, and since there are elections in the world, there is democracy, we also do this so that we do not lag behind the world; like some of these countries that you see create a facade of democracy, form something called a parliament that has no reality, or even those places that have elections, it is the same; our intellectual basis is not of that kind. We have a clear foundation. In Islamic thought, the Guardianship belongs to God; that is, no one has authority over another; that Zayd, who is a servant, should tell Amr, who is you, that you must act as I say; no, we do not have this in Islam.

No one has authority over another; the Guardianship belongs to God. If God Almighty specified a channel for this Guardianship and clarified it, this channel becomes the divine and accepted channel that God Almighty has specified; it has been specified in Islam.

Law and execution must be in accordance with divine criteria and divine regulations; that is, it must conform to Islamic rulings or specified rulings or the generalities and what has been known and understood from Islam, and it must not be in opposition. Those who are executors also have specifications and characteristics; they must be just, not corrupt - characteristics that are embodied in our constitution - and the constitution itself is the executive form and the passageway towards what divine Guardianship outlines for us.

Well, the issue of minority and majority is also a necessity; although we do not have anything in Islam that prioritizes the majority over the minority when opinions differ, it is something that is inevitably necessary that arises in various human matters. When five people decide on something, if three people agree on a matter that relates to the fate of the five, the two should logically submit; this is also a clear rational matter that Islam has approved and endorsed.

Therefore, the Guardianship you have today - legislation, Guardianship - is a divine Guardianship; it has roots in divine Guardianship; it has arisen and emerged from divine Guardianship. This religious democracy that we speak of means this; that is, the representative of the Islamic Consultative Assembly has acquired a Guardianship through the channels specified in the constitution for the implementation of divine Guardianship, which has become an obligation. Therefore, what is approved in the Islamic Consultative Assembly is obligatory for me personally and generally, and I must act according to it. This foundation is an Islamic foundation.

In the view of those who are distant from this Islamic foundation, when you look at the matter, you see a lot of contradictions and conflicts. One day when the people's votes favor a certain group, the people's votes gain importance, the republic gains importance. "And if they have the right, they come to it submissively"; if the right is given to them, they accept the right, and if one day the perspective of those who have the right, that is, the people who want to submit this Guardianship to a person according to what is specified in the constitution derived from the Book and the Sunnah, is contrary to their opinion, then the name of these public votes, the name of this republic, becomes populism; mob rule! And a detailed explanation is given about the incorrectness of public opinion, which sometimes you see in writings from a certain writer of the third or fourth century of Islam to a certain Muslim writer up to our time; Bertrand Russell and I do not know Gustav Le Bon write about the dangers of public opinion and the dominance of the masses that someone said that public opinion is fundamentally wrong; it is a mistake! That is, it completely turns back. "And when they are invited to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them, a faction of them turns away. And if they have the right, they come to it submissively"; if they say come and act according to the criteria of the Book and the Sunnah - the same foundation I mentioned - they turn away, but if it is in their favor, then they acknowledge it; they accept it! Then the Quran says: "Is there a disease in their hearts, or have they doubted, or are they afraid that Allah and His Messenger will wrong them?"; they have a disease. The disease in the terminology of the Quran - "Is there a disease in their hearts" - means the same carnal desires that place human will under their control; this is different from hypocrisy. "Is there a disease in their hearts" is a different issue from the issue of hypocrisy, which, of course, in some cases leads to hypocrisy as well. "Is there a disease in their hearts, or have they doubted"; or do they fear that Allah and His Messenger will wrong them? Now why do you not accept the essence of the right and the word of the right? Islamic thought does not have these words. Islamic thought is based on a solid foundation, arising from the Guardianship of Allah, with a specific method and formulated in the constitution of the Islamic Republic that God Almighty has given humans the right to entrust a right to someone, to say, "Sir! You come and do these things for us"; and the people also give this right in their votes in the parliament, in the presidency, in those things that are dependent on the votes of the people, to individuals. Therefore, the foundation of religious democracy is this; that is, a genuine and profound foundation that is truly believed in.

* Friends should spend a lot of time on law and oversight!

What seems to me to be very important is that friends should spend a lot of time on law and oversight - which are the two fundamental duties of the parliament. The law must be comprehensive, it must be complete, it must be enduring, it must be expert-reviewed, it must be a solution to the problems of people's lives. We do not say that a law that solves a short-term problem is unnecessary; yes, there are some laws that solve a short-term problem, and there is no alternative, this law must be enacted - we have such laws - but the nature of most laws is that they should be enduring, adaptable to various conditions, useful, clear, transparent, and not subject to interpretation; within the framework of the limits and authorities that the constitution has defined for the Islamic Consultative Assembly; if there is a discussion regarding these authorities and limits, this discussion should take place outside the parliament and in an environment between the branches. We have seen and encountered cases where the parliament considered it part of its rights, while the executive branch did not consider it part of the parliament's rights. Very well, there is a solution to this. We have both a constitution, and the constitution itself has specified the interpreter of the constitution, and we have legal experts and scholars; they should sit down and clarify these matters. Within this framework, the law must be issued and enduring, one of the importance of the law is that the law does not change every day with various consequences; that is, the legislator should consider the peace of mind of its audience, which is the people. Someone wants to take action, someone wants to invest, someone wants to undertake a movement, someone wants to choose a line of work for themselves, they should be assured that this law is not one that comes today and changes tomorrow with another motivation.

* The law should not be influenced by the influence of this or that

The law should not be influenced by the influence of this or that. We have heard in legislative assemblies around the world - perhaps there have been some cases among ourselves as well, we cannot say it has not happened at all - that sometimes, in order to secure the interests of someone or a few people, a law has been hurriedly passed in one of the assemblies of the world, and then when that purpose has been achieved, shortly after - a few months - that law has been repealed! We have had such cases.

Great care must be taken that the law is not influenced by influential individuals. The reason it is said that in the Islamic Republic it is good for honorable representatives not to accept financial assistance from certain centers with ulterior motives in their campaigns and electoral activities is because, after all, helping with ulterior motives brings about these kinds of problems. The member of parliament must greatly value this independence that the constitution has given him, which God has given him; this power of decision-making and choice is very important; it is a significant matter, and it cannot be traded for small things.

* Oversight of the parliament is very necessary

Regarding oversight, I have mentioned that the oversight of the parliament is very necessary; now either with these oversight tools like the Court of Audit and such things, or directly by the representatives; like questions and reminders and these things that are the tools of oversight of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; this is very necessary and very important, but this tool should not become a means for opposing two forces with each other, and know - of course, you all know, this does not need to be said - that there are many whose ambition is to create disputes and conflicts between the branches of the country, between the decision-making currents in the country. Creating a rift and breach in the unified fabric of the overall command of the country - that is, this collection of three branches that command and govern the affairs of the country - is one of the great ambitions that for years the enemies of the Islamic Republic have pursued this plan to strike and defeat the Islamic Republic. Of course, sometimes they openly say this; like the day you remember that they explicitly raised the issue of dual sovereignty, while others said, a number of them here parroted them inside. The essence of the matter was from external elements, and inside, out of negligence - it must be said that the greatest thing was negligence - they repeated those things. Sometimes they do not say it, they do not express it; like now that they do not explicitly state this meaning, but the goal is this. We observe in these foreign reports, reports related to security and intelligence services, the activities that are taking place in some political elite circles around the world - that reports are received - we clearly see the traces of this; based on creating discord, you must not allow it.

* The Seventh Parliament truly and fairly worked to prevent discord between the government and the parliament

One of the things for which I must truly thank the brothers of the Seventh Parliament, especially Mr. Haddad Adel - now what is reflected outside may sometimes be different, but we were in the essence of the matters and heard the words from this side and that side and saw the efforts - is that truly a lot of effort was made in the Seventh Parliament to prevent discord between the government and the parliament; there was indeed effort and work.

Now some media and political commentators make unfair remarks, but the truth of the matter is; this is what we saw and observed. Of course, efforts were made from both sides - both from the parliament and from the government - to ensure cooperation. Some did not want and do not want. You must emphasize this a lot; you must emphasize cooperation with the government as a principle. The government belongs to you; it is yours; the work you want to do is tied to the executive branch and the government. Honestly, the government is a hardworking government. I have seen fewer periods after the revolution until today that have had this much effort and concentrated activity; with good intentions. Now sometimes there are different opinions in various fields; in political matters, in economic matters, and these different opinions should be tried to be brought closer in an environment free from noise, free from uproar and tumult, free from propaganda.

Truly, short-term seminars, two-day, one-day, intensive, concentrated between the essential officials of the parliament and the government can be held to find common points, and in the areas where there are differences, "Everyone acts according to their own disposition"; there is no problem. I mentioned that these various turbulent currents, when they enter that calm and safe lake of divine remembrance and fulfilling duties, those tumultuous waves will disappear, and everyone will harmonize.

Another point that I find necessary to convey to the brothers - in that message I sent to friends, I emphasized this point - is that the gentlemen and ladies representatives should strive to remain connected to the people. Being connected to the people is not just that one should visit the election area once in a while. Of course, that is very necessary; one must go, visit, meet the people, and should not be disconnected from the people; there is no doubt about that; but it is not just that!

* Material motivations are attractive, they are dangerous. Money is a dangerous thing, my dear ones!

We should not help create a new class, a new privileged class in the Islamic Republic. We must not allow this to happen. This cannot be achieved by decree and command; it is achievable with the heart, with faith, with motivation. Sometimes a person enters a field, enters it pure, but may, God forbid, not come out of it pure. Material motivations are attractive, they are dangerous. Money is a dangerous thing, my dear ones!

Look, Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) in that prayer for the border guards in Sahifa Sajjadiyya, which he prays for the border guards and soldiers and fighters at the front, among his prayers is: "O Lord! Remove the memory of wealth from their hearts." This expression "fitna"; inciting fitna, is only used in this prayer regarding wealth; "wealth is fitna." Wealth is inciting fitna. Fitna is not always in the social sphere; worse than that, fitna is in the hearts of humans. If you open the way to attachment to money and life and to ceremonies and to prestige and to glory, it truly has no limits. And the essence of the matter, as I mentioned, is self-care. Self-cultivation and self-care are the foundation of all these works that can, God willing, guide us all, and God Almighty must help.

* Definitely read the Quran; every day, even if little, even if one page a day

One must seek help from God Almighty, must cry out, must turn to the Quran and prayer and supplication. One of the recommendations I have sometimes given to the friends in the parliament, to the officials of the government as well, is that do not let the recitation of the Quran be removed from your lives. Definitely read the Quran; every day, even if little, even if one page a day; with contemplation and precision. Our insistence is that friends should not lose their connection with the Quran. Do not settle for the ten minutes that are spent reading the Quran at the beginning of the parliament.

Although now a good tradition has been established in the Seventh Parliament that the translation of the Quran is also read, which is a useful and commendable act, but do not settle for that. The Quran is a lesson; the Quran is a sermon; we all need sermons. Sermon does not mean that something that a person does not know is always told to them; sometimes there are things that we know, but in hearing there is an effect that is not in knowing; we must hear, and the Quran makes us hear. "A sermon from your Lord." The expression of sermon and admonition is repeatedly used in the Quran. The Quran is a sermon.

And supplication! Supplication is also very important, and in my opinion, Sahifa Sajjadiyya is one of our best spiritual treasures, if we can utilize it. With these supplications from Sahifa Sajjadiyya, each of which is a chapter, each of which has a special world, a sea, and teaches knowledge to humans, softens the heart, teaches humility, be familiar with it.

We hope, God willing, that God Almighty helps you. This period - as we mentioned - is a short period; today it started, and before you know it, it will be over. These four years - like all of life, it is the same - is a short period and passes quickly. Blessed are those who utilize this period for their future, for their record of deeds and their record of actions, God willing. I apologize for the length of our speech. God willing, you have not become tired.

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