Message on the Occasion of the Great Hajj Congress

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings be upon Muhammad and his pure family.

Greetings and peace to you, fortunate ones, who have responded to the Quranic call and have come to the hospitality of God's house. The first point is to appreciate this great blessing and to strive towards its goals by reflecting on the individual, social, spiritual, and international dimensions of this unparalleled obligation, and to seek assistance from the Merciful and Powerful Host. I, in solidarity and in voice with you, ask the Forgiving and Gracious Lord to complete His blessing upon you and, having granted you the opportunity for the pilgrimage, also grant you the ability to perform a complete Hajj, and then, with His gracious acceptance, send you back to your homeland with full hands and complete well-being; God willing.

In this precious opportunity of these profound and unique rituals, in addition to the spiritual and moral purification and renewal, which is the highest and most fundamental achievement of Hajj, attention to the issues of the Islamic world and a broad and comprehensive view of the most important and prioritized topics related to the Islamic Ummah is among the foremost duties and etiquettes of pilgrims.

Today, among these important and prioritized topics is the issue of the unity of Muslims and the resolution of the divisive knots among the sections of the Islamic Ummah. Hajj is a manifestation of unity and solidarity and a center of brotherhood and cooperation. During Hajj, everyone should learn the lesson of focusing on commonalities and resolving differences. The wicked hands of colonial policies have long had the agenda of sowing discord to achieve their nefarious goals, but today, thanks to Islamic awakening, Muslim nations have rightly recognized the enmity of the front of global arrogance and Zionism and have taken a stand against it. The policy of sowing discord among Muslims has intensified. The cunning enemy seeks to divert the motivations for resistance and struggle among Muslims by igniting the fires of civil wars among them, placing the true enemies, the Zionist regime and the agents of arrogance, in a safe haven. The establishment of Takfiri terrorist groups and similar entities in the countries of the West Asia region is a result of this treacherous policy. This is a warning to all of us to consider the issue of Muslim unity as a top priority in our national and international duties today.

Another important issue is the matter of Palestine. With 65 years having passed since the establishment of the usurping Zionist regime and the various ups and downs in this important and sensitive issue, especially with the bloody events of recent years, two truths have become clear to all: First, the Zionist regime and its criminal supporters recognize no limits or boundaries in cruelty, savagery, and trampling all human and moral standards. They deem any crime, genocide, destruction, killing of children and women, and any oppression and injustice permissible and even take pride in it. The heartbreaking scenes of the recent fifty-day war in Gaza are the latest examples of these historical crimes, which have indeed been repeated many times over the past half-century.

The second truth is that this savagery and these calamities have not been able to fulfill the goals of the leaders and supporters of the usurping regime. Contrary to the foolish wish for power and stability that wicked politicians have harbored for the Zionist regime, this regime is getting closer to dissolution and destruction day by day. The fifty-day resistance of besieged and defenseless Gaza against all the might brought to bear by the Zionist regime, and ultimately, the failure and retreat of that regime and its submission to the conditions of resistance, is a clear exhibition of this weakness and incapacity. This means that the Palestinian nation should be more hopeful than ever; the fighters of Jihad and Hamas should increase their efforts, determination, and resolve; the West Bank should pursue the path of everlasting glory with greater strength and resilience; Muslim nations should demand real and serious support for Palestine from their governments; and Muslim governments should sincerely take steps in this direction.

The third important and prioritized issue is the insightful perspective that the devoted activists of the Islamic world must have regarding the distinction between pure Muhammadan Islam and American Islam, and they should guard themselves and others against the confusion and error between these two. Our great Imam (may his soul be sanctified) was the first to strive to distinguish these two concepts and introduced it into the political vocabulary of the Islamic world. Pure Islam is the Islam of purity and spirituality, the Islam of piety and democracy, the Islam of "strong against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves." American Islam is the one that cloaks itself in the garb of Islam while serving foreign interests and opposing the Islamic Ummah. An Islam that fuels the fire of discord among Muslims, relies on the enemies of God instead of trusting in God's promise, fights against a Muslim brother instead of against Zionism and arrogance, and allies with the arrogant America against its own nation or other nations is not Islam; it is a dangerous and lethal hypocrisy that every sincere Muslim must combat.

A discerning and profound perspective clarifies these truths and important issues in the reality of the Islamic world for every seeker of truth and unequivocally defines the duty and obligation of the day. Hajj and its rituals and symbols provide a precious opportunity for acquiring this insight, and I hope that you fortunate pilgrims fully benefit from this divine blessing. I entrust all of you to the Great God and ask Him to accept your efforts.

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

Sayyid Ali Khamenei

5th of Dhul-Hijjah 1435 corresponding to 8th of Mehr 1393