Full Text of the Supreme Leader's Statements at the Beginning of the Advanced Jurisprudence Class

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

And peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and his pure family, and God's curse be upon all their enemies.

First, as is our custom, let us read a hadith, so that, God willing, we may be blessed by the knowledge of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them).

I quote the Prophet's advice to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him): "O Ali, one of the levels of certainty is that you do not please anyone by the displeasure of God, and do not praise anyone for what God has granted you." Do not consider anyone else as the bestower of the blessings that God has granted you, and do not praise them for that blessing. "And do not blame anyone for what God has not given you." Do not attribute the fault of what God has withheld from you to others, and do not criticize anyone for what God has not given you. "For sustenance cannot be drawn by greed and the greedy." No greed from any greedy person can attract sustenance towards them. "And it cannot be repelled by the dislike of the disliker." Just as the dislike of any disliker cannot prevent sustenance from reaching someone. "Indeed, God, by His wisdom and grace" - wisdom may mean divine wisdom and management - "has placed joy and happiness in certainty and contentment." Joy means delight, happiness, comfort, and peace. God Almighty has placed the peace of life and joy in certainty and contentment. If a person emerges from doubt and hesitation, and from spiritual instability and dissatisfaction with all the events of their life, and reaches the station of contentment, God Almighty will grant them joy and happiness - that is, peace. "And He has placed worry and sorrow in doubt and displeasure." Conversely, God Almighty has placed worry, sorrow, and similar feelings in doubt - that is, the opposite of certainty, a state of hesitation and uncertainty - and displeasure - that is, being angry with all events. Such a person, if God grants them a blessing, is angry that why it was not more; if God assigns them a misfortune, they are angry that why it has befallen them! To attain joy and happiness, one must seek certainty and contentment: in this market, if there is profit, the dervish is content. O God, make me a bestower of dervishness and contentment. Of course, the intended dervish is not the conventional one.

Today, before we begin our jurisprudential discussion, on the occasion of the start of our educational session and the beginning of the educational sessions in Qom and other seminaries, it seems appropriate to say a few words about issues related to the seminary and matters concerning us students - what seems to be of importance.

It appears that as the importance of religion in the world increases, the importance of seminaries also grows. Today, religion is at the center of global attention. Today, for politicians, thinkers, specialists in social sciences, and many masses of people - especially the youth - in many parts of the world and specifically in Islamic countries, the religion of interest is the noble Islam and the sacred Islamic laws. Certainly, a significant part of the phenomenon that has emerged contrary to expectations and against the natural course of global events in the past one or two decades is related to the victory of religion and Islam in this country and the establishment of the Islamic system. Therefore, today studies on religion around the world are not separate from the political aspect of religion; they do not view religion as detached from its political influence, and positions are based on this; just as the hearts that have turned towards religion - like the youth and the newly emerging generations of the Islamic world and some other regions of the world - do not seek a religion detached from political and social presence.

Today, we are almost at the center of this global attention. It can be said that Islam, and specifically the Islamic Republic, is at the center of this attention. You may hear or be aware that specialized and scientific seminars with various orientations are being held around the world - especially in countries that do not have a friendly relationship with Islam and the Islamic Republic - to examine this phenomenon. This indicates the significance of such a matter.

Today, as those who are affiliated with the seminaries, given this global phenomenon, we must think about our scientific behavior in Islamic discussions and lay the groundwork for a new movement and initiative. When we observe that the knowledge upon which this political movement has arisen - that is, Islamic knowledge, Islamic sciences, Islamic theology, Islamic jurisprudence - is today so much in the attention of scientific and political circles worldwide, we must be more thoughtful; we must pay more attention and reassess the importance of our work as religious scholars and experts in religion.

Today is not a day when we can speak in the name of religion and from the language of religion with something weak, or outline a goal that we cannot extract from Islamic knowledge, or remain indifferent to what is part of religious goals and important jurisprudential or theological issues. There is no need for us to pursue this new path with anything other than scientific zeal. If we have the same scholarly inclination towards Islamic discussions - aside from belief, faith, duty, and religious responsibility - as any scholar has towards what is of scientific interest to them, this scholarly zeal and this sense of belonging and attachment to what we are doing scientific work for and what we have scientific belief in, should be sufficient.

Undoubtedly, the center of this attention and scientific research is the seminaries. It is not that those who are outside the seminaries do not have the right to think about Islamic issues; the discussion is not about rights; it is about the fact that the necessary tools and means for this research are not available outside the seminaries. Anyone has the right to become a doctor; however, to become a doctor, one must attend medical school. We cannot pursue knowledge in a place where there are no teachers, knowledge, laboratories, and experts. The place for understanding religion, for contemplation in religion, for scientific inquiry into religious issues at the level of specialization is the seminaries. Of course, anyone may have some knowledge at a lower level than specialization; however, to become specialized, one must go to the seminaries and seek out the scientific specialists and learn from them.

The seminary must also be responsive. Today, the importance of seminaries is not only in their ability and duty to propagate religion - which is indeed one of the important and major responsibilities - but the importance is even greater than that; at least equivalent to the importance of propagation, is the importance of scientific and technical education and the foundations and teachings of religion; whether in jurisprudence, theology, philosophy, or other sciences that need to be placed in the next tier. Therefore, the importance of seminaries and the importance of religious scholars and teachers of religious sciences and the importance of the work and effort that students of religious sciences put in is increasing day by day. Of course, in this regard, regarding which discussions should be considered fundamental in the seminaries, we have repeatedly expressed our views; now we will say: the main fields in the seminaries, in order, are first jurisprudence; second theology; and then philosophy. Jurisprudence is the backbone of the seminaries; theology is among the foundations of the seminaries; philosophy is among the essential requirements of the seminaries. Good and effective teachers and interested and inquisitive students must learn these three sciences, and the seminaries must be active, vibrant, and dynamic in this regard. At the same time, we cannot be satisfied with these; these are the main skills; alongside these, there are other sciences that must be learned: one must be familiar with exegesis; the science of principles, which alongside jurisprudence, is preserved as a necessary introduction. One must be familiar with various sciences such as hadith and the science of narrators and what pertains to the preliminaries of understanding the Book and the Sunnah. In addition to these, one must be familiar with the techniques of propagating religion.

Today, propagating religion is a scientific field. The communication sciences that are being worked on and pursued in universities around the world are, in fact, the methods of propagative communication. We have traditional methods for communicating with our audiences that are also good methods; however, they are by no means sufficient. I do not want to recommend that students go take a course in communication sciences; rather, I want to strongly recommend that the main directors and planners of the seminary, considering the results of communication sciences, plan their work and provide some of the discussions from these sciences that are needed by the seminary at various levels to those who need them - especially those who are planning and working in the field of propagation.

Familiarity with the intellectual currents of the world is among the necessary and essential topics in the seminaries; without it, we cannot be assured that what we decide and act upon for propagation will be appropriate. If we do not select our audiences and do not know them and do not understand the prevailing intellectual currents around them, we may say something that does not resonate with their minds and is not within their understanding; that is, we have done a futile act! Audiences must be recognized and selected. There are those who can connect with specific audiences; others can connect with different audiences. The audience must be selected; the management bodies of the seminary must be active, vibrant, and plan in these areas. The audiences and their inquiries and the prevailing intellectual currents around them must be understood. Today, new discussions and fresh arguments are being raised in the world; some of them also have scientific or quasi-scientific foundations. Whoever wants to propagate religion, express the view of religion, or, in other words, defend religion - it is not always defense; sometimes it is clarification - must know what these intellectual currents and new arguments in the world are. This understanding is necessary for our seminaries.

Of course, students must also know the living languages of the world, and knowing at least one living language among the existing languages of the world is among the necessities for students of religious sciences. This must also be promoted in the seminaries. Fortunately, students are mostly young and have a high capacity for language acquisition; this work must, God willing, be promoted in the seminaries.

The discussion of spirituality and sanctity is also an important topic. The main difference between us and others who claim something in the world lies in this sacred goal. We want to strive for God, for the religion of God, for the pleasure of God, and for the exaltation of the Word of God. From the time we start studying until the time we propagate, until the time we teach, until the time we take on a position in the seminary or outside the seminary, our efforts and activities - whether political, social, or scientific - must have this as our goal. This is what can make us successful and our words pleasant and effective; we must consider this as a necessity for ourselves.

Of course, today, as I speak to you, a lot of work has been done in the seminaries - especially the blessed seminary of Qom - in all these areas mentioned. The distance between today and a few years ago is a significant one; there are ethics classes, good exegesis classes, good philosophy classes, propagation, theology, and specialized scientific journals. These things that we have recommended and expressed as aspirations are gradually coming to fruition. This is also evidence that what we express as aspirations is not a naive and unattainable wish; without much investment, without much effort, with the determination of a few who want to strive, all these works are practical; as you can see today in Qom - primarily - and in some other seminaries, these have been realized. All the great works that we think are necessary for the seminary are feasible and achievable; provided that you and I have the determination.

And peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.