Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Meeting with Eulogists on the Occasion of the Birth of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her)

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

First, we congratulate you on this great day and this joyous occasion, and we welcome you dear brothers - the reciters, eulogists, speakers, and poets in praise and commendation of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) - and we hope that your efforts, warm breaths, and pure feelings will be accepted and regarded by the Lady of the World and the Hereafter - Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her).

These invocations hold great value. This gem of love for the Ahl al-Bayt, especially Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), who is cherished among all this magnificent family, is of immense worth. Truly, the day of the birth of this great lady - who is the pearl of prophethood and guardianship - is a great celebration for the Shi'ah, the lovers, and the spiritual and physical children of this great lady.

One of the gentlemen mentioned that the enemies of Islam and Muslims have soured this sweet day with the events in Iraq and Najaf, and this is true. May God's curse be upon these arrogant, oppressive, hypocritical, deceitful, and greedy powers who do not care at all for the dignity of the people, the beliefs of the people, the rights of the people, the independence of countries, or the honor of nations. If someone thinks that by flattering, getting close, and submitting to them, they can achieve something, they are mistaken. The remedy for them is only through steadfastness and striking with the sharp sword of the logic of truth and resolute determination; the solution to their issues is only through strong will, strong logic, and strong fists; today they are helpless in the face of these matters. What is choking them on this soft and tender morsel in Iraq is the faith and will of a group of helpless and oppressed people. The Iraqis have neither money, nor weapons, nor international support; but with determination, faith, and steadfastness, they have not allowed them to swallow this soft morsel as they had hoped. I have repeatedly said, and I will say again: the Americans are at a dead end. If they advance, they will be struck; if they retreat, they will be struck; whatever they continue will be a source of blows for them; even retreating will be a source of blows; they are caught in a predicament. A wolf caught in a trap may frighten some with its cries, or injure someone who approaches it; but it is trapped. We hope that God will lessen the evil of these powers from the Islamic world, and grant the Muslim nation of Iraq and the Shi'ah in every corner of the world, and all the Muslim and faithful nations, the success to implement that noble will which the Quran has asked of us.

Regarding the status of the pure and chaste lady (peace be upon her), our words and speech cannot express it; it cannot be described; her description is beyond the limits of our usual expressions; however, through the language of art, we can somewhat bring minds closer. This is why I emphasize poetry and Islamic songs. With the wings of art, we can bring minds closer, but in truth, we cannot reach a description of them. Of course, those who purify their hearts and actions, cleanse their bodies and souls, adopt piety and chastity as their practice, and educate themselves, can see; however, they too cannot describe it, but pure hearts and the eyes of their hearts can somewhat see the sacred lights of the Ahl al-Bayt, including the great lady (peace be upon her), and understand their ranks. We have signs. The saying attributed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that "Her father is her sacrifice" is a sign in itself. The narration states that when Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) entered the house of the Prophet, or wherever the Prophet was sitting, "he stood up for her" - he would rise to her - this is a sign; these are signs of greatness. The fact that all of the Islamic world from that day until today - whether Shi'ah or Sunni, it makes no difference - regard this great lady with eyes of greatness and majesty, is also one of those signs. It is impossible for all rational people, scholars, and thinkers with various schools and beliefs throughout the history of a nation and people to unanimously praise and commend a center. This is nothing but the indescribable greatness of that center; this itself is a sign. All of this greatness pertains to a young lady of eighteen years; a young girl! The most age attributed to Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) according to various histories ranges from eighteen to twenty-two years. From the respect that Amir al-Mu'minin had for her, and from the respect that has come in the narrations and words of all the Imams (peace be upon them) about Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), one understands the immense greatness and admiration that the words of the Imams express towards Fatimah al-Zahra. Each of the Imams is a roaring river that has irrigated and enriched the realm of knowledge and human potential, and all of these streams flow from this spring; the bubbling spring of Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her). The narrations of the truthful ones (peace be upon them), the greatness of Imam Reza and Musa ibn Ja'far, and the lofty status of Imam al-Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him), are all streams of that everlasting Kawsar; that bubbling spring; the blessings of Fatimah al-Zahra are these.

We have sought to present this great lady as a model among ourselves. A young woman, a young girl, whose life is an ordinary life; her clothing is the clothing of the poor; her work at home is managing the children and the household, and she is the housekeeper of this small home, while within her is a mountain of knowledge and a vast sea of science and wisdom.

The Quran mentions four women who are models; two models of the righteous and two models of the wicked. "God has set forth the example of those who disbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot"; the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. "They were under two of Our righteous servants, but they betrayed them"; these two female examples are for the disbelievers throughout history. When the Almighty God wants to introduce the disbelievers - the examples of disbelief and ingratitude to God's blessings - He mentions two women instead of Pharaoh and Nimrod and others; the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot, who had the doors of divine mercy open to them and all the means for their ascension and elevation were prepared, and two prophets, one of whom was a prophet like Noah and Lot, were their husbands living in their homes, and the proof was complete upon them; but these two women did not appreciate these blessings and "they betrayed them"; this betrayal is not necessarily sexual betrayal; it is ideological betrayal; it is doctrinal betrayal; they deviated from the path. Despite their husbands being prophets and having high status, they were of no help to these women; "they did not avail them against God at all." The Almighty God does not have any favoritism or friendship with anyone. If He shows love and mercy to someone, it is with calculation; it is not arbitrary; God is not a relative of anyone. Even though their husbands were prophets, these prophet husbands could not save these two women from the wrath of God; they became examples of the disbelievers throughout history.

In contrast, the Almighty God mentions two women as examples of the believers: "And God has set forth the example of those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she said, 'My Lord, build for me a house with You in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his work'"; one is the wife of Pharaoh and the other is Lady Maryam: "And Mary, the daughter of Imran." The first woman was not captivated by Pharaoh's palace; the woman raised in the Pharaoh's court, who is the wife of Pharaoh and whose parents and family were likely among the tyrants, lived in comfort, luxury, and apparent honor; but the faith of Moses captured her heart and influenced her; she believed in Moses. When she believed and recognized the path, she set aside all that comfort and luxury, and the magnificent palace held no attraction for her; she said, "My Lord, build for me a house with You in Paradise"; I prefer the heavenly house; the life of this world has no value. Lady Maryam also: "And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity, and We breathed into her from Our Spirit"; she kept her garment pure and clean; these are human values.

These four women are not just examples and symbols for women, but they are examples and symbols for all women and men. Those two women, despite having the doors of mercy open before them, did not walk that path and did not take advantage of it; they turned away from spirituality for trivial and insignificant things - the factors are not mentioned in the Quran, but it must be something like bad morals or a bad trait - something small attracts these weak hearts and diverts them from the path of truth, and they become symbols of the disbelievers and ungrateful people before God. But the other two women are symbols of values. For them, the attraction of spirituality and the attraction of the word of truth is so great that they turn their backs on all the comforts and apparatus of Pharaoh; this one also has purity, chastity, and nobility.

Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) possesses all these virtues together. Because "and He chose you above the women of the worlds" is about Maryam in the Quran, and the lady of the women of the worlds, in narration, also states that she was the mistress of the women of the world in her time, but Fatimah al-Zahra is the mistress of the women of the world throughout all periods of history; this is the model. Dear brothers! We need this model today.

Today, the propaganda apparatuses of the world are constantly bringing models before the eyes of generations of humanity everywhere to mislead people. Of course, the models are less attractive and unsuccessful, but they do not give up; they bring actors, writers, and flashy people without substance, and constantly display empty and meaningless figures to move people in a certain direction and lead them astray. They spend money on this, and Hollywood films and things like that that you see and hear about are often directed. Although they claim that art should be free from politics and political direction, their behavior is the opposite; it is not like that; the arrogant powers of the world have employed art, cinema, film, poetry, writing, reasoning, and philosophy for their own exploitative and imperialistic interests; this is what today’s manifestations of capitalism are; its military power is America, and its economic powers are the companies behind the American government. They use all means for modeling, while nations are left empty-handed and have no model or example to show against what they bring. We are not empty-handed; we have great women; if we want to enter the realm of the issue of women. There are great women in the history of Islam, and the peak of these greatnesses is Fatimah al-Zahra, the great lady (peace be upon her). Lady Zainab and Lady Sukayna also have astonishing stories for thoughtful, intelligent, and wise people. Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn have been referred to as "the masters of the youth of Paradise." Although they have not always been young and these two great figures have reached old age, they are still called "the masters of youth"; their youth should always be a model before the eyes of the youth of the world. The youth of the Prophet and the youth of Amir al-Mu'minin are the same.

My message to you dear brothers, the eulogists and reciters, is that you have a great responsibility in this regard. Sometimes I make recommendations. It is not that we are at a loss for how to express the greatness of Fatimah al-Zahra or that we need to resort to poetry, prose, or speech; no, rather we need that greatness. This shining and radiant sun benefits all beings in the world, and now a corner of its sunlight has fallen into our home; we must see how we can benefit from it. That sun is much higher; now we can sit for hours discussing the description of this sun - which we do not even know what it is and our minds cannot reach it - talk, write poetry, recite; but we do not sit under this sunlight to warm our bodies, grow our physical beings, and strengthen and secure our lives; this is not wise; the status of this great lady and these great figures is very high.

May God have mercy on those who brought the current of Shi'ism to our country and acquainted us with these truths; if it had not been for them, it would have been very difficult. May God's mercy be upon those swords of the tongue and pens and the swords of various fields that were able to clarify these truths for us and set us on this path to see and understand; otherwise, these clear reasons are evident to many, but they do not understand and do not comprehend; because prejudices do not allow it. We have found this fortune, and we must thank God day and night for the fortune of being acquainted with the guardianship of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), which is a remarkable blessing.

You see today your youth - both your daughters and your sons - and your community suffering from the lack of which knowledge and being harmed; suffering from the lack of which constructive moral element, find that moral element in the existence of Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) and in the virtues of that great lady and these sacred beings, and convey and express it through the language of poetry - which is the language of art. See what lessons we need from the Ahl al-Bayt in our political and social lives, extract it from the lives of these great figures and especially this great lady, and express it through the language of poetry; these are necessary and important, otherwise merely praising - which sometimes the words of that praise are ambiguous and neither the listener understands what the result of this praise is nor sometimes the speaker themselves! - is not enough. We must express our devotion, and this expression of devotion is our perfection; "the praiser of the sun is the praiser of himself"; but we should not stop at this. We must see what lesson we can learn from these great figures today. The preacher has a duty, the artist has a duty, the filmmaker has a duty, the operators of the cinema of the country have a duty, the operators of the television of the country have a duty, the speakers have a duty, and the eulogists have a duty; I want to say that you should reclaim your duty alongside these heavy responsibilities that rest on all of us; this is my recommendation to my dear brothers, which I always request and share with them.

Today we are a country whose people, thanks to the blood and uprising of Imam Husayn and the spirit of Husayni, were able to rise and bring a corrupt, oppressive, and vile regime to its knees and establish a popular government with an Islamic spirit and character - our spirit is Islamic; however, I cannot say that our actions are completely Islamic; they are relatively Islamic, which God willing should become more Islamic day by day - which itself is an insult to all the powers of the world; the very existence of the Islamic Republic is an insult to America, even if you do not say a word of "Death to America"; the mere existence of this is a kind of defiance to all the powers that oppose spirituality, virtue, independence, and the dignity of nations. Today, everyone has a duty to rid this system of its deficiencies and weaknesses and to strengthen and enhance the elements of spiritual and material power within it. If we need unity, if we need knowledge, if we need cooperation, if we need economic or political effort, if we need the spirit of martyrdom and bravery, and if we need many things, each person must bring these into society to the extent of their ability.

The front of propaganda is a vast front that includes art, education, science, religion, universities, seminaries, the Ministry of Culture and Guidance, and the media, of which a part has been entrusted to the eulogists - these brothers who were in the front lines during the war and defense, well remember my words - and it is as if this vast section has been entrusted to this army or this headquarters, and a piece of it has been placed on our shoulders; we must fulfill this well so that others who have succeeded in their own sections can collectively achieve victory; the eulogists must pay attention to this matter; otherwise, in reciting elegies, lamentations, and dirges, if we put a little effort and taste into it, we can incorporate all these lofty concepts, and of course, all of these can be made empty and hollow and only be superficial. This matter can be in the mourning, in the elegy, in the chest-beating, and in the praise and lamentation; so that only a heart burns and a tear falls, without any benefit being derived; even on the day of celebration, it can be the same. The great responsibility of the eulogist community is that their content should be rich and meaningful and should be managed correctly; both in mourning and in praise, and both in sorrow and in celebration. The content must come in various forms and in different frameworks.

We hope that the Almighty God grants us all the success to correctly recognize our duties and act according to those duties. God willing, this blessed holiday be a happy occasion for all of you.

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