Statements in Meeting with Officials and Servants of Hajj

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

We sincerely ask the Almighty God to bestow His blessings upon your efforts and that this endeavor, which God willing is performed with sincerity and devotion to God, leads to the results that exist in your hearts and aspirations; namely, the realization of a true Islamic Hajj that is pleasing to the pure spirit of the Last of the Prophets (peace be upon him and his family).

The obligation of Hajj is an opportunity that the Almighty God has granted us. It is an opportunity for the individual Muslim, an opportunity for the great Islamic Ummah, and today it is an opportunity for the Islamic Republic system, which has raised the banner of the sovereignty of Islam and Islamic law. We must all take advantage of this opportunity.

For the individual, the opportunity of Hajj is a chance to enter the boundless realm of spirituality; we pull ourselves out from the midst of our ordinary lives, with all their impurities and shortcomings, and we go to the space of purity, spirituality, and nearness to God, engaging in voluntary asceticism. From the moment you enter this ceremony, you prohibit certain things that are permissible in your ordinary life; this is Ihram (the state of consecration). Ihram is the prohibition of things that are customary and permissible in ordinary life, many of which are sources of negligence, and some are sources of decline.

All means of ostentation and material pride are taken from us; starting with clothing. Rank, status, and fine garments are all set aside, and everyone wears the same attire. Do not look in the mirror, as it is a manifestation of selfishness and vanity. Do not use pleasant scents, as they are tools for showing off. Do not seek shelter from the sun or rain while in motion, as it is a symbol of comfort-seeking and ease-seeking. If you pass by a place that has a foul odor, do not hold your nose; and likewise for the other acts of Ihram; prohibiting things that are sources of comfort and sources of carnal desires, forbidden sexual desires, during this time; whether they are sources of pride or sources of discrimination. All of these are removed.

Then entering the space of the House of God and the Sacred Mosque and experiencing the grandeur and magnificence that exists in simplicity and lack of adornment, with your eyes, with your hands, with your entire being. Grandeur, magnificence, but not of the material kind, adorned with gold and jewels; of another kind that is even indescribable for ordinary people. Then entering this roaring torrent, moving around a center, while remembering, praying, crying, humbling oneself, and speaking with the Almighty God. Then the Sa'i (the ritual walking between Safa and Marwah) is the same, the standing at Arafat and Mash'ar is the same, the rituals of the days of Mina are the same. This is Hajj.

Friends have pointed out that I have recommended comfort for the pilgrims. Yes, it is evident; but this comfort does not mean indulgence. I have always told the friends organizing Hajj over the years that this comfort is for the sake of this devotion and attachment and turning towards God. Make it so that people can find ease, have no worries, and can perform this obligation in the best possible manner; that is the goal. Otherwise, animalistic comfort, eating and sleeping, eating more and better, no; these are not my preferences, that we pursue such things in Hajj.

Hajj is not a recreational trip; Hajj is a spiritual journey. It is a journey to God with both body and soul; both. The journey to God for those on the path is not a physical journey, it is a heart and soul journey. Here, for all of us, this journey to God involves both body and soul. Now, if we take the body there but not the heart; that is not acceptable. Or God forbid, some people, due to the repetition of this blessing - who have repeatedly been granted the opportunity to perform Hajj, to see the House of God, to visit - gradually find Hajj to be indifferent and unimportant, and they can no longer instill that inner revolution within themselves and find it within themselves. This is not good.

May God's mercy be upon the late Sheikh Mohammad Bahari - it seems that a commemorative gathering is to be held in his honor during these days - who in one of his writings says that prayer and remembrance, and perhaps prayer, when repeated without attention, brings hardness to the heart! We pray, but it is a prayer that leads to hardness. Why? Because we do not have presence of heart during prayer, we are not attentive. Thus, this prayer is either with attention, which brings tenderness, closeness, and purity; or it is a prayer without attention, which, according to him, leads to hardness of heart.

Hajj is the same. These acts must be performed with attention and presence. "A limited number of days" (Quran 2:184), "known" (Quran 22:28) - the total days of Hajj and Umrah - are just a few days. This limited opportunity of Hajj is a practical training and experience; it means a person sees that life can be lived this way. One can live without pride and without indifference to material pleasures. Not that we should live our entire lives in a state of Ihram; that is not the point; no, from the good provisions that the Almighty God has made lawful for you, you must benefit; but becoming attached, becoming restless, thinking that life is only about these pleasures and material desires and these baseless and misplaced whims must be broken so that we understand that a season of life, a part of the day, hours of the night can be dedicated to this state of turning towards God and this state of purity. You practice this there, you learn it; the pilgrim learns that this can be done. See what a great opportunity it is.

You, the organizers of Hajj, must ensure that this vast multitude of people who come to Hajj with you, or are there - coming from other countries - become aware of this aspect of Hajj, recognize this opportunity, and be encouraged to seize this opportunity. One of the most important tasks of those involved in Hajj - whether the head of the caravan, the spiritual leader of Hajj, or the management of various sections; cultural, non-cultural - is this. This feeling that it is an opportunity, that it has been granted, and that it does not always come, is for everyone. How many individuals wish for just one of your days there; but they do not have the opportunity. In the world, there are many who yearn for Hajj. Now that it has been provided for you, consider this opportunity valuable. This is an individual opportunity, and based on it, the duty of the Hajj officials and servants is defined. This is the first opportunity.

The second opportunity is for the Islamic Ummah; for the Islamic Ummah, with its diversity of ethnicities and races, regions of the world, cultures, habits, and preferences, is naturally exposed to fractures and separations. Because the Almighty God did not bring Islam for a specific race, for a specific culture, for a specific region of the world; He brought it for all of humanity. All of humanity is different in terms of color, language, habits, preferences, and historical and geographical environments. Therefore, the background of differences exists within the Islamic Ummah. This difference must not manifest, it must not be realized and actualized. Hajj is that great opportunity for the Islamic Ummah to heal itself after natural separations and sometimes artificial and imposed separations.

Hajj is an opportunity for the Islamic Ummah. In this vast multitude that participates in Hajj every year, consider a decade; see how many millions of people from Africa, Asia, Europe, and all regions of the world - men, women, educated, less educated, with various preferences - participate. If the call for Islamic unity, "And do not be divided" (Quran 3:103) dominates this assembly, see what a great event occurs. All these sources of division will fade away. One is Sunni, one is Shia; among the Shia, there are different sects, among the Sunnis, there are different sects; different jurisprudences, different religions, different habits that naturally lead to separation. All of these are gathered by this kind hand of Hajj, bringing them closer together, compressing them.

Now, let me make a side note here. How cruel it is for someone to turn this means of unity into a tool for division and separation. This is a message to all. This is not just a message to that extremist Salafi who stands in Medina and insults your sanctities; it is a message to all. Hajj officials - caravan leaders, spiritual leaders of Hajj - must be careful not to turn this means of unity into a tool for division and not fill hearts with animosity and pain. I will not enumerate the things that can become a means of separation; think for yourselves, see what it is that fills the heart of a Shia with animosity towards his non-Shia Muslim brother; what fills the heart of a Sunni with hatred towards his Shia Muslim brother; see what these are, cast them aside, and do not allow Hajj, which is a means of healing, a means of unity, a means of unifying hearts, intentions, and resolves in the Islamic world, to be turned into a means of separation and a means of creating animosity. Recognizing this issue and its manifestations requires great vigilance and great care. These are not jokes.

The third opportunity is for the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic is oppressed. I must tell you - I have been saying this for years - the Islamic Republic is a system that encompasses all the pillars of spiritual power; it is powerful, but it is a powerful oppressed one. These two do not contradict each other. It is oppressed for various reasons; one of them is that the enemies of the Islamic Republic, in order to prevent the thoughts and ideals of the Islamic Republic from spreading among the vast Muslim community, have attributed all sorts of lies to the Islamic Republic; from ideological and intellectual lies to sectarian, political, and executive lies. They do this, they say this, they think that, they act like this, they act like that. For thirty years, they have been weaving lies against us. You who are the Hajj officials, you who are filled with belief and faith in the Islamic Republic, what is your primary duty at Hajj alongside this Muslim brother who is exposed to these propaganda? Clarification. Clarify the Islamic teachings and the teachings of the Islamic system. The Islamic Republic is an "Islamic" republic. The majority of the people of Iran are Shia, but our system is one that includes both Shia and Sunni. The reason is that both during the revolution, after the victory of the revolution, and during the imposed war, our Sunni brothers inside, as well as a vast multitude of Muslims around the world who are Sunni, supported us, defended us, stood for the Islamic Republic, and many were martyred. This is the Islamic Republic.

In Islamic countries, whether in Africa, Asia, or all regions of the world, even in the heart of the country that has shown the most enmity towards us - namely the United States of America - there are Muslims who are not Shia, but their hearts are filled with love for the Islamic Republic, love for the Imam, and love for this great nation of determination and will; because the republic is an Islamic republic. They distort this; they turn it around and want to falsely label the Islamic Republic as an enemy of Islamic sects. Go clarify these matters. Our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world should know that this place belongs to them; they should know that what has been done here is what every Muslim yearns for. Which Muslim in the world does not want the Quran to prevail? Here, the Quran has prevailed; here, the Sharia has prevailed.

Today, in the Islamic world, who does not have their heart bleed from the dominance and influence of foreigners and infidels in Islamic countries? Their hearts bleed, and they cannot speak; they are not allowed to speak. The Islamic Republic is that great and global pulpit of freedom that raises the voice of their hearts and the broken cries in their throats here with a loud voice.

The arrogant powers oppose it for this reason. The enmity of America towards us is because of this. We are voicing the hearts of the Muslim nations. The Muslim nations are not just these few corrupt governments. The Muslim nations are filled with resentment against the influence of America, against the interference of America, against the arrogance of America, against the arrogance of global arrogance - whether America or others - their hearts are filled; their hearts bleed; but their hands cannot reach. These truths are being expressed here at all levels of government from top to bottom. These are very clear and beautiful realities of the Islamic Republic; convey these so that the Islamic world and the Muslim nations understand them; so they know. Of course, this clarification should not be limited to a few elites, for example, students who, due to various international public relations, access these things; rather, the general public should know; they should understand. These are opportunities for clarification for the Islamic Republic system.

Of course, I do not believe that we should fix our exterior while neglecting our interior; no. I firmly believe that our first duty and command is to reform ourselves; both within our hearts and souls, and within our country.

We must also reform our country. Our nation is a faithful, determined, and willing nation; it is a prepared nation, a sincere nation; but in various corners, there are individuals, movements, and groups under various names of political elites and others that disturb the atmosphere of society, empty the atmosphere of society of purity and sincerity, and cause the people to suffer from mental confusion and doubt.

This nation is the one that brought this great revolution to victory, laid the foundations of this strong and magnificent system, and has preserved it with power for thirty years. This is such a nation, this is such a faith, this is such a resolute determination.

These achievements do not come easily. Until a nation is self-sacrificing, until a nation is determined and resolute, these things do not come to pass. Let us not question the very foundation of the system because of enmity with Zayd and Amr and this government and that government and these and those officials; let us not blacken the picture! This is what some political elites unfortunately do.

The atmosphere of propaganda in the country, the media atmosphere in the country, the political propaganda atmosphere in the country is by no means a pleasing one. We must learn from Islam for our actions, for our behaviors, for our positions, and we must know that the survival of the Islamic system, the divine blessings, and the divine mercy will continue as long as we remain committed and bound. God has no kinship with us. I have repeatedly stated that the Children of Israel are those whom the Almighty God repeatedly says in the Quran: "Remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I have preferred you over the worlds" (Quran 2:47). God preferred the Children of Israel over the worlds; but these very Children of Israel, because they became spoiled, did not recognize the value of God's blessing and were ungrateful, "Become apes, despised" (Quran 2:65), "And humiliation and poverty were imposed upon them" (Quran 2:61); they were transformed into this.

When will divine mercy come upon us? When we are careful and vigilant about ourselves; vigilant about our speech, vigilant about our actions, vigilant about our propaganda. This atmosphere of lawlessness in speech, in statements against the government, against whom for ulterior motives, these are not things that the Almighty God will easily overlook. At that time, some make mistakes, and the Almighty God says, "And beware of a trial that will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively" (Quran 8:25); yes, it is like this. Some injustices, some actions have consequences that affect everyone, not just the wrongdoer; as a result of the behavior of some who commit injustice in their speech, in their actions, in their judgments. We must be careful about these matters.

Hajj should be a lesson for us; both for the pilgrim who goes to Hajj, and for us who observe and pray and hope that they perform a complete and accepted Hajj, God willing. May God grant us all the success to make the utmost use of the lessons of Hajj.

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