Statements in the Last Meeting with the President and the Cabinet on the Fifth of Ramadan 1434

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

Today’s session was very good; dear friends and esteemed officials expressed part of their efforts through statistics and methods of work. Well, this Ramadan session that we hold every year with government officials, members of the cabinet, the esteemed President, and their deputies, is not usually for receiving reports; we typically mention a piece of advice, a sentence from Nahj al-Balagha (Peak of Eloquence) to bless ourselves with the words of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him).

This year, I insisted - I suggested to the President - that friends speak and report; because these are the last days of this government, and it is a suitable time to present a report on the collection of works done in this government - of course as a representation, as a sample. We would like these statements made here today to reach our dear people; both the elites and those who are experts and familiar should be informed - because many of the things that are said, friends do not know; we sometimes see that they do not have sufficient and adequate information - and the general public should also be informed and know; although some of the works are in front of their eyes. Of course, the opponents and those who are uninformed - some biased foreign media, and sometimes some inside - deny some of the things that are right in front of their eyes. I mean, work has been done, it is visible, everyone sees it, it has been reflected, and they want to deny it. We do not care that some may not have an optimistic, friendly, or fair view; ultimately, these things must be said and recorded in the public space of the country; these are very important.

What I must convey to friends today, first and foremost, is God’s strength; God willing, may you not be weary. You have worked for eight years, you have made efforts, good works have been accomplished, you have shown endurance in the hardships of round-the-clock work; it has been seen, felt, and everyone understood that the esteemed President and his colleagues in the government had a very high and rapid volume of work compared to all other periods; this is a prominent point that should not be overlooked. All those who want to judge about governments, about cabinets, about presidents - whether in their own minds or in the public view - and give an opinion, it is good to pay attention to this point: the high volume of work and tireless effort and the avoidance of comforts and privileges that officials in the world usually have; they rest, go for recreation, receive privileges; not wanting, not seeing, not asking for these is a great privilege that this government, thanks be to God, enjoyed.

Another point that I have noted about this government over these eight years and have referred to it many times is that this government, thanks be to God, was able to uphold the slogans of the revolution and take pride in them and present them in society. One of the important tasks that the anti-revolutionary front - whether our revolution or other revolutions - has had throughout history and across the world has been to try to diminish the values of the revolution. This does not stop here; first, they diminish the values, gradually they erase them; if they find the opportunity, they turn them into counter-values; this is a common practice in the world; we observe this in the history of revolutions worldwide; and in the revolutions that we have seen and learned about during our long lives, we have observed this. The opposing front of the revolution and the anti-revolution will never forget the slogans of the revolution; they know that in this confrontation, in this rivalry, what was able to make the revolutionary front victorious and force the anti-revolutionary front to defeat was primarily these slogans; the more profound, attractive, and real the slogans were, and the more meaningful and tangible they were for the people, the more they helped the progress of the revolution. They try to gradually erase these slogans, diminish them.

In our country and revolution, the enemy started this work; of course, they did not succeed; we thank God. The enemy could not diminish and then erase the slogans of the revolution. In my opinion, a major part of this is related to the vigilance of our esteemed Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified). What the esteemed Imam left among us from his statements, his words, his writings is clear, firm; it is not ambiguous that someone would not understand them. The last words of the Imam are also his will. I have always advised officials and those who have had an important task in various governments to refer to the Imam's will. The Imam's will is the essence of the values that the Imam sought; these are what the Imam left behind, kept alive. Therefore, these values cannot be distorted, cannot be changed. Yes, ignoring these is something that is possible for those who want to ignore them.

This government presented these slogans, highlighted them, took pride in them; in international forums, it did not feel shame from revolutionary motivations and from revolutionary goals and from revolutionary methods; this was a very significant achievement.

What you did for God, the Almighty has recorded them in your record of deeds, and the honorable scribes have kept them, and undoubtedly they will benefit you. What you have done, whether I and others see it, know it, and thank you, or do not see it, do not know it, and do not thank you, "Indeed, God is All-Aware and Grateful"; God knows - He is All-Aware - and He is grateful. We hope, God willing, that the Almighty God grants you success.

The work that you must strive for is to not abandon the thread of service. All efforts are not limited to a certain ministry or a certain responsibility in the government; no, the scene of the country is a scene of effort, a scene of work, a scene of activity; and this work can be done in two ways: with attention to revolutionary goals, and without attention to revolutionary goals. Whether you are present in the next government and in future governments or not, the work you do and the responsibility you take on - which naturally, people like you, capable and efficient managers, will not remain without responsibility in any sector - strive to carry it out with attention to the goals of the revolution and with a focus on the objectives of the revolution, God willing. The Almighty God will reward you, and we will also thank you to the extent of our ability.

As is our usual practice - now there is no time, and the opportunity is limited - I will read a sentence from Nahj al-Balagha for you: "And know that your Imam is on a path that has a long distance and great hardship." This is part of the advice of Amir al-Mu'minin to Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (peace be upon him). In fact, it must be said that a will is the most sincere word that anyone speaks; because it is a time when a person is no longer present in the material world, and material interests are either absent or at least weak; therefore, the most sincere words are said in a will; especially when the addressee of the will is the dearest individuals to a person; a person's child, especially a child like Imam Hasan, the beloved son of Amir al-Mu'minin - who is undoubtedly the most beloved person in the heart and eyes of that great man - is the addressee of this will. Of course, Amir al-Mu'minin has said that this will is not exclusive to you; it belongs to everyone; however, the main addressee is Imam Hasan. Therefore, this is the essence of the words and teachings and thoughts of Amir al-Mu'minin. Of course, the statements of Amir al-Mu'minin, every word of it, every sentence of it is wisdom; it is not exclusive to this will. The depths and profundity of the words of Amir al-Mu'minin are truly beyond our understanding; people like us are not capable of reaching that depth; we can only utilize something. We have seen that the higher their wisdom, the greater their thoughts, and the deeper their intellectual depth, the more they could grasp points from these words. Nahj al-Balagha is such a thing. Now, this in Nahj al-Balagha is the will of Amir al-Mu'minin.

He says: Know that there is a path before you that has a very long distance and great hardship. This path that is before you - the path to the reward of deeds and reaching the Day of Judgment - is a long path. "And you will not be able to do without good preparation"; in such a path, you must move with utmost desire - "preparation" means desire, seeking, effort accompanied by will and intention - you have no choice but to pursue the work seriously. This is not a path that one can take lightly. Yes, we are negligent, we take the work lightly; but this light-heartedness in work is due to negligence. Let us understand what the reality of the matter is, and where we are going, and where our eternal destiny will be realized and materialized; if we pay attention to this, we will take it seriously. Therefore, you see in the noble supplication of Kumayl - which is also from Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) - you notice: "And grant me seriousness in Your fear"; he prays, asking the Almighty God that our fear of the Lord be a serious fear; not from the surface of the heart and these fleeting feelings arising from the circumstances of life; in the true sense of the word, a person should feel fear in front of the Lord.

"Estimate your provisions for the journey with a light burden." Now you must pass through this hard and long path that leads to the Day of Judgment; you are passing towards the Day of Judgment through the middle of the world, you must pass through this material passage with all the requirements of this material world, with all the characteristics that a person naturally has in this material environment and space; therefore, the work you must do to make that end easy and desirable for you is: "Estimate your provisions for the journey"; measure how much provisions you need to reach your destination - that is, assess how much work you need to do to go. This is the first part.

The second part: "with a light burden"; also lighten your load. These are two pieces of guidance and advice that Amir al-Mu'minin gives. First, know what you need to pass through this path. In response to what we need, he himself stated: avoiding the forbidden and performing the obligatory. That is, the necessary amount, and as doctors say, the necessary dose of provisions you need to pass through this path is precisely these obligations; if you perform these obligations, you will have the necessary amount of provisions. The more you do and add to these obligations, the more opportunities you will have, and the more you will benefit. However, the amount of obligations that are obligatory upon us is the minimum need we have to pass through this path. The same goes for the forbidden. That is, avoiding the forbidden is the minimum avoidance of the harms that may arise for us on this path. Therefore, if we avoid the forbidden and perform the obligatory, this will make the desired flight possible and available for you and me; nothing more is needed. Some people are looking for certain characteristics; they want to find someone, receive a mention from them, learn a discipline from them. These are not necessary; the religious discipline is clear. If we perform these prayers correctly, on time, fulfilling their pillars, and with attention, or if we fast correctly - these obligations and duties that are at our disposal - these will enable a person to soar.

And I tell you; if we perform this minimum, it will itself become a ground for attracting divine lights in abundance. That is, this minimum that is necessary for us, its only art is not that it will enable us to pass through this path; rather, its other art is that it will prepare our ground for attracting more divine light and divine grace. When a person performs the obligatory prayer well, he will naturally develop a desire for the supererogatory prayers. When a person avoids lying, backbiting, speaking without knowledge, slander, corruption, misappropriating others' property, and betrayal of trust, this itself will prepare the heart for receiving divine guidance and knowledge; it will advance us. This is the first recommendation.

The second recommendation is also that he said: "with a light burden"; lighten your load. We have taken heavy burdens upon ourselves, we hope, God willing, that the Almighty God grants us the ability to carry these burdens. If you can carry these burdens and safely reach your destination, there will be great rewards. That is, these heavy responsibilities, while they create many concerns for a person, if performed well, will have great virtue.

We hope, God willing, that the Almighty God grants all of you success and support and that you always serve Islam and the revolution.

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