Speech at the Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque in Ilam

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, thanks be to God for His knowledge after His forbearance, thanks be to God for His forbearance after His knowledge, and for His forgiveness after His power, and for His patience in His anger while He is capable of what He wills. Peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abul-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure, immaculate, chosen, guiding, rightly guided, and infallible family.

First, it is necessary to sincerely thank you, the dear, fighting, self-sacrificing, faithful, and honest people of Ilam province and the city of Ilam, for your sacrifices during the imposed war and even before that, for your patience and revolutionary steadfastness, for your awareness of the country's issues, and for your sincerity and loyalty to the revolution and the Islamic Republic system.

It was an opportunity for me to have the honor of visiting you dear people during these days. Throughout the war, we always had good memories of you. Both you and the entire Iranian nation should be grateful to God for making your struggles effective, for honoring you and the Iranian nation, and for elevating Islam and the Islamic Revolution in the world. This was only due to your sacrifices and struggles.

Today, by the blessing of the Iranian nation's sacrifices, other nations have awakened, and Muslim nations have become aware. The sacred flame and revolutionary spirit that Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) instilled in this country, to which you responded and stood firm, has today warmed the hearts of Muslims around the world and attracted them. Thanks be to God, the revolution has succeeded in its initial goals, which include stabilizing the Islamic Republic system, moving seriously towards Islam, achieving complete Quranic governance, awakening the world's Muslims, and humiliating the arrogant powers. These were the first steps, and with your struggles, these steps reached their goals.

The next goals are also ahead of the Iranian nation, which again require struggle, effort, unity, sincerity, and cooperation. God willing, with divine grace and with unity, coordination, seriousness, effort, and struggle, you dear Iranian Islamic nation, behind the sincere and self-sacrificing officials of the country, must overcome all the problems imposed by the enemies of Islam and Iran on this nation, as well as the results and consequences of these problems, and by God's grace, they will be overcome. God willing, Islamic Iran must become a complete example of a prosperous and proud country and society with signs of material and spiritual progress. Today, the officials of the Islamic Republic are striving in this path, and the nation has supported them and will continue to support them.

You dear people, just as you were able to overcome the hardships of war, those bombings, and the pressures of the enemy with reliance on God and achieve victory, you will also, God willing, pass through this stage with revolutionary patience and steadfastness and achieve victory. Know that none of these arrogant and oppressive powers of the world can push the Iranian nation back from this path. The Iranian nation has become a strong and seasoned nation. By adhering to Islam and under the grace of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and with unity of word, God willing, divine favors and the prayers of Imam Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him) and the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) will be upon you dear nation.

We wanted to have a meeting with you brothers, sisters, and dear people of Ilam who have made so many struggles. Thanks be to God, today this opportunity was achieved. We hope that both you and all the people of Iran and the officials and all of us, God willing, with reliance on God, can fulfill our Islamic duties and what God has asked of us. If this happens, know that no power will prevail over you, and you will overcome all the obstacles in your path, and God willing, the Almighty will grant material welfare and spiritual perfection to a distinguished and chosen nation like the people of Islamic Iran.

May God, God willing, gather your dear martyrs with their saints. May God, God willing, include the disabled, the freed, the families of the martyrs, and all of you in His favors and mercy. May God, God willing, bring good news to the families of our missing. May God always include this nation and country in the prayers of Imam Mahdi (may our souls be sacrificed for him). May God guide and support all of us in His path and include you in His boundless favors.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings