Statements in Meeting with Officials and Organizers of Hajj and a Group of Pilgrims to the Sacred House of God

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and virtuous family, especially the Remaining One of God among the inhabitants of the earth.

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters; what fortunate and blessed pilgrims who this year will behold the Kaaba and the shrine of the noble Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) and the Imams of Baqi, and what organizers of this great national and popular movement. I sincerely thank those involved in the execution of Hajj; their efforts are truly valuable, and holding a glorious and spiritually sound Hajj in accordance with the desired Islamic regulations is indeed a great blessing, a significant part of which is your responsibility. May God accept it from you, God willing, and keep you safe.

Much has been said about Hajj; the elders and others have spoken, and we have also presented some points, but there is more to discuss and debate regarding Hajj; as it has been narrated in a tradition from the infallible Imam (peace be upon him) that a narrator said to him that we have been asking you about Hajj for years, and you keep presenting new insights, and the Imam confirms and provides appropriate responses.

What I want to convey today is that Hajj is a multi-layered, multi-dimensional, and profound obligation; both its spiritual and material aspects have various dimensions. However, in my humble opinion, there are two prominent points in Hajj: one relates to the inner self of the human being, the essence of the human, the spirit of the human — which produces knowledge, understanding, and determination — and the other relates to social life.

The point that pertains to the inner self, the essence of the human, and the cultivation of correct determination and will in the human is the issue of "remembrance". In Hajj, remembrance is a very important element. Look from the beginning to the end of Hajj, from the Ihram and the preliminaries of Ihram to the performance of Umrah, then the Ihram of Hajj, then standing at Arafat and the other rituals of Hajj, it is all filled with remembrance and the mention of God. Thus, in the Holy Quran, in multiple instances regarding Hajj, there is a command to remember; among these verses are: "So when you depart from Arafat, remember God at the Sacred Place" (Quran 2:198), "And remember God during the appointed days" (Quran 2:203), "So remember God as you remember your fathers" (Quran 2:200), "And mention the name of God upon them while they are standing in rows" (Quran 22:36); it is all remembrance; from head to toe; whether in Tawaf, in Sa'i, in the prayer of Tawaf, in the standing at Arafat, in Mash'ar, or in the rituals of Mina. Hajj is filled with remembrance, with attention to God. This remembrance is the source of life; that is the important part. When we have the remembrance of God in our hearts and the fear of God, due to the remembrance of God, casts a shadow over our hearts, this will have an impact on our life’s journey, on our will, on our determination, and on our major decision-making. A nation that needs to undertake fundamental and great tasks must have its individuals familiar with the remembrance of God.

We sometimes advise our respected and dear pilgrims to think about what can only be found in that land while in Mecca and Medina, not to think about those things that are available everywhere; markets are everywhere, beautiful and eye-catching goods are everywhere; what is not found everywhere is the Kaaba, the Sacred Mosque, Tawaf, the visitation of the pure grave of the Prophet; this is only there; during these few days you are there, appreciate this; recognize its value. Our emphasis on this is because if we are mindful, if we remember God, "So remember God abundantly, perhaps you will be successful" (Quran 8:45), success follows remembrance. Success is not only spiritual and moral salvation; success means achievement, means reaching goals and objectives in all endeavors; these stem from remembrance; this is a fundamental element of Hajj, which pertains to the inner self of the human but shapes human life.

However, what pertains to the social environment is the issue of "unity", the issue of integrity, the issue of seeing one another as one, the issue of connection with all Muslims; this is a very important matter in Hajj. We have repeatedly stated that God Almighty, through Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), did not invite only a specific group, but all people to Hajj: "And proclaim to the people the Hajj" (Quran 22:27); He says to the people, all people, all of humanity, invite them to Hajj. The divine invitation to all people within a specified few days, in a specific place, every year, what does it mean? It means that the divine will — the legislative divine will — has decreed that all Muslims come closer together, recognize one another, think together, and make decisions together; the great void of our time is: "to make decisions together". They should gather in one place so that this gathering has a desirable outcome for the Islamic world, indeed for humanity; this is what we seek. Of course, the prerequisite is understanding, transcending nationalities, and overcoming sectarian and religious divisions. There are various sects in Islam that come together, all in one way, all in one dress, all in one movement, all gathering at one point [in Hajj]; this is a divine gathering, this is an Islamic gathering, this is the prominent and clear political aspect of Hajj. These two points exist in Hajj: both the point of "remembrance" and the point of "Islamic unity and solidarity". Now, of course, in the Quran, in the words of the noble Messenger of Islam and the great figures of Islam, the issue of avoiding division is not limited to Hajj; "And hold fast to the rope of God all together and do not become divided" (Quran 3:103) and numerous verses of the Quran prohibit Muslims from division and enmity with one another and similar matters. Well, now these are the two prominent points of Hajj.

I would like to point out that when speaking of Hajj, the blessed name of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) must not be forgotten. The Quran provides us with many lessons from Prophet Abraham, which it narrates. One of them is this invitation to Hajj: "And proclaim to the people the Hajj"; and the command to the people that "And take from the standing place of Abraham a place of prayer" (Quran 2:125); where he stood, pray there, make that a place of prayer. Or "We commanded Abraham and Ishmael to purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who are in I'tikaf and those who bow and prostrate" (Quran 2:125). From this purification that they were commanded, one feels that there were problems in this place before Abraham, which this great man not only raised the foundations of the House but also purified it from the impurities that are not very clear and precise in our history and narrations. Based on this, I say that this year’s Hajj is a "Hajj of disavowal", according to the teachings that Prophet Abraham has given us. Of course, since the beginning of the revolution, disavowal has existed; from the beginning of the revolution, disavowal has been present in Hajj, it has been ongoing, and it must remain; however, particularly this year’s Hajj is a Hajj of disavowal.

The events that are currently occurring in Gaza and this strange and great incident, the unveiling of the bloodthirsty face of a group arising from Western civilization, these are matters that are not specific to today and these days; they will remain in history. What is happening today in Gaza and Palestine, these savage attacks and the rabid dog of Zionism and the bloodthirsty elements of Zionism on one side, and the suffering and yet resistance of the Muslim people of Gaza on the other side, each is a significant sign in history, a marker in history, that will remain. You see that even today, the reflection of this incident in non-Muslim societies is an astonishing and unprecedented event. This incident that is currently happening in universities in America and some other countries (12), has no precedent; if anyone had claimed that such a thing could happen one day, no one would have believed it; no one would have guessed that such an event would occur! This indicates that these are significant markers.

Well, what is our duty? To learn from Prophet Abraham. You observe that Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) is among the compassionate prophets. Prophets are not all the same in terms of moral characteristics. Prophet Abraham was very compassionate; for example, when the angels intend to go to punish the people of Lot, Prophet Abraham argues with them, asking if they could show mercy to them. "He argues with us concerning the people of Lot" (Quran 11:74); he wants to intercede with the divine angels, to plead for mercy for them; this is such a being — in some other prophets, the situation is different; now I want to mention Prophet Abraham — or in this noble verse of Surah Ibrahim, it says: "So whoever follows me, indeed he is of me; and whoever disobeys me, indeed You are Forgiving and Merciful" (Quran 14:36); those who follow me, very well, they are my followers; but he does not say, "O Lord! Correct those who do not listen to me, guide them, or punish them"; he says: "Indeed You are Forgiving and Merciful"; forgive them, grant them mercy; he has such a compassionate and kind heart. Regarding non-Muslims who do not oppose Islam, in Surah Mumtahana, after what is narrated from Prophet Abraham, these verses follow, which also relate to Prophet Abraham: "God does not forbid you from those who do not fight you in religion and do not expel you from your homes, from being righteous to them and acting justly towards them; indeed, God loves those who act justly" (Quran 60:8); meaning if they are not of your religion but do not oppose you, treat them with justice, treat them fairly, do good to them; that is, with non-Muslims who do not oppose you, do not harm you.

This is the character of Abraham; with the sinner, he behaves in one way, with the non-Muslim in another way. [However] see how this same Abraham behaves towards another group: "Indeed, there is for you a good example in Abraham and those with him when they said to their people, 'Indeed, we disavow you and what you worship besides God; we have disbelieved in you, and enmity and hatred have appeared between us and you forever until you believe in God alone'" (Quran 60:4); see, with a group — the hostile, aggressive group — he behaves like this! The same compassionate and kind Abraham who intercedes for the people of Lot, seeks forgiveness for sinners, and believes that kindness should be shown to non-believers who do not oppose, this same Abraham stands firmly in one place and declares disavowal: "Indeed, we disavow you; enmity and hatred have appeared between us and you"; who are these? They are those who are hostile. Now, in the same verse of Surah Mumtahana, following the verse I read earlier — which also relates to the mindset of Prophet Abraham — it says: "Indeed, God forbids you from those who fight you in religion and expel you from your homes and support others in expelling you, from taking them as allies" (Quran 60:9); you have no right to establish relations with those who kill you, fight you, expel you from your homes, or support those who expel you; you have no right! There must be enmity between you; the same [thing] that Abraham said: "Enmity and hatred have appeared between us and you.

Well, today who is it that is hostile to Muslims, fights them, kills them — their women, their men, their children — and expels them from their homes? Who is it? Is there a clearer description of the Zionist enemy in the Quran? It is not only the Zionist enemy: "And they support others in expelling you"; who supports him? If it were not for American support, would the Zionist regime have the power and audacity to behave so savagely with the Muslim people, with women, men, and children, in that limited environment? One cannot deal with this enemy with kindness; one cannot treat them gently; whether it is the direct perpetrator of the killing, or the accomplice to the killing and supporter of the killing, or the one who destroys homes, or the one who supports the destroyer of homes: "And whoever takes them as allies, they are the wrongdoers" (Quran 60:9); if someone extends a hand of friendship to them, they are an oppressor, a wrongdoer; indeed, the curse of God is upon the oppressors" (Quran 11:18). This is the text of the Quran, the verses of the Quran. Therefore, this year, disavowal is more pronounced than ever. This year’s Hajj is a Hajj of disavowal.

The faithful pilgrims — whether Iranian or non-Iranian; from wherever they are — must be able to convey this Quranic logic to the entire Islamic world. Today, Palestine needs this; it needs the support of the Islamic world. Yes, the Islamic Republic will not wait for this or that, nor will it remain waiting, but if the strong hands of Muslim nations and governments come together and support, the impact will be much greater; this state of the Palestinian people's suffering will not continue like this; this is a duty.

Regarding the situation of the respected pilgrims, we thank those who, whether the mission, the organization — each in their role — and the other relevant agencies concerning the health, security, transportation, and other matters of the pilgrims are making efforts; and we emphasize that they should plan as much as they can for the comfort of Iranian pilgrims and to conduct a blessed and accepted Hajj; this planning is necessary. Well, thanks be to God, good work has been done and is being done, but in order to fill the gap between what we are doing today and what we expect to achieve, we must plan, God Almighty will help you, God willing. We ask God for His favors, mercy, and forgiveness for our great Imam, for our martyrs, and for our deceased.

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