Sermons of Friday Prayer in Tehran at the Shrine of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified)

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. We praise Him, seek His assistance, rely on Him, ask for His forgiveness, and turn to Him in repentance. We send blessings and peace upon His beloved, His chosen one, the best of His creation, the guardian of His secrets, and the messenger of His revelations, our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the infallible guides, especially the Awaited One of God among the people. And send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the callers to God.

I advise you, O servants of God, and myself, to be conscious of God.

I recommend all dear brothers and sisters who are present for prayer to observe piety; for the Almighty God says: "O you who have believed, fear God and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys God and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment." Piety must be observed in our actions, in our speech, and even in our thoughts; that is, we must be careful in our behavior, in our deeds, and in our words, not to transgress even a little from the pleasure of God and the truth. I hope that the Almighty God grants this humble servant the success to speak today based on this fundamental Qur'anic principle - that is, to speak based on piety.

These days are the days of the birth anniversary of the great lady, Fatimah al-Zahra, the lady of the two worlds, the mistress of the women of the worlds (peace be upon her). Let us seek assistance from the heavenly spirit of this pure servant of God, and God willing, we will hold this Friday prayer, which marks the twenty-first anniversary of the passing of the late Imam (may God’s mercy be upon him), with respect and reverence for this great sign of God. We must preserve and promote the blessed and everlasting memory of our great Imam, just as our nation has preserved it in the best way in their hearts, in their tongues, and in their lives over these twenty-one years.

Today, I will speak about the great Imam in the first sermon; looking at the Imam from the perspective of a criterion. This perspective is important because the main challenge of all major social transformations - including revolutions - is to safeguard the fundamental orientations of this revolution or transformation. This is the most important challenge of any significant social transformation that has goals and moves towards those goals. This orientation must be preserved. If the orientation towards the goals in a revolution or social movement is not safeguarded and maintained, that revolution will turn against itself; it will act in the opposite direction of its own goals. Thus, you see in the Qur'an, in Surah Hud, the Almighty God commands His Prophet: "So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, and those who have repented with you. And do not transgress; indeed, He is Seeing of what you do." The Prophet is commanded to be steadfast. Steadfastness means persistence; continuing on the right path; moving in the correct direction. The opposite of this straight movement in this noble verse is transgression; "And do not transgress." Transgression means rebellion; deviating from the path. God commands the Prophet: both you - personally - and those who are with you, continue this path correctly and do not deviate; "Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do." The late Allameh Tabatabai (may his soul be sanctified) in his Tafsir al-Mizan states: the tone of this verse is one of severity; there is no sign of mercy in this verse. It addresses the Prophet himself; "of the individuals of the Prophet by mention." Primarily, it addresses the Prophet himself: "So remain steadfast." Therefore, this verse is such that the Prophet Muhammad said about Surah Hud: "Surah Hud has made me old"; this is because of this verse. It is narrated that the part of Surah Hud that the Prophet says "made me old" is this noble verse; due to the severity that exists in this verse. While in another part of the Qur'an it also states: "So invite [to the faith] and remain steadfast as you have been commanded," but the title "So remain steadfast as you have been commanded, and those who have repented with you, and do not transgress" - do not deviate, do not turn back from the path - is a harsh address directed at the Prophet himself. This address shakes the heart of the Prophet. This is because changing orientations and deviating from the main path - which is the original identity of every revolution based on those orientations, and in fact, the essence of revolutions is these main orientations - completely alters the path and prevents that revolution from reaching its goals. The importance of this matter is that changing orientations is gradual, imperceptible; it is not the case that from the very beginning, this change in orientation occurs with 180 degrees; it begins with very small angles; the longer it continues, the greater the distance between the original path - which is the straight path - and this deviation becomes day by day. This is one direction.

The other direction is that those who seek to change the identity of the revolution usually do not come forward with an official flag and sign; they do not act in such a way that it becomes clear that they are opposing this movement; sometimes, even under the pretext of supporting the revolutionary movement, they take some actions, make some statements, and create angles; the revolution completely deviates from its orientation and becomes detached.

To prevent this incorrect orientation and deviation from occurring, certain criteria are needed. There must be indicators along the way. If these indicators exist, are clear, and are visible to the people, deviation will not occur; if someone works towards deviation, they will be recognized by the masses; but if there are no indicators, then a serious danger will arise.

Well, what is the indicator in our revolution? This is very important. For thirty years, we have been moving in the direction of this revolution. Our nation has shown insight, courage, and truly and justly demonstrated merit. You have been advancing this revolution for thirty years; however, danger exists. The enemy of the revolution, the enemy of the Imam does not remain idle; they strive to undermine this revolution. How? By deviating the path of the revolution. Therefore, it is necessary for us to have indicators.

I say that the best indicators are the Imam and the line of the Imam. The Imam is the best indicator for us. If this analogy, despite all the distance that exists, seems appropriate, it is not a problem to liken him to the sacred existence of the Prophet, as the Qur'an states: "There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day." The Prophet himself is an exemplar; his behavior, his actions, his ethics. Or in another noble verse, it states: "There has certainly been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him"; here, the companions of Abraham are also mentioned so that no one says that the Prophet was infallible or that Abraham was infallible, and we cannot follow them; no, "There has certainly been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him when they said to their people, 'Indeed, we disassociate from you and from what you worship besides Allah. We have denied you.'" Until the end of the noble verse.

In regard to the great Imam, who is a student of this school and a follower of the path of these great prophets, the same meaning applies. The Imam himself is the most prominent indicator; the behavior of the Imam, the words of the Imam. Fortunately, the statements of the Imam are accessible, documented. The will of the Imam clearly elucidates all that is in the mind of the Imam for the future of the revolution. We must not allow these indicators to be misrepresented, hidden, or forgotten. If we misrepresent these indicators, if we present them incorrectly, it is as if we have lost a compass on a path, or the compass has malfunctioned. Imagine in a maritime route or in a desert where there is no road, if a person's compass is damaged and malfunctions; the person remains bewildered. If the views of the Imam are poorly articulated, poorly represented, it is as if the compass has malfunctioned, the path is lost; everyone speaks according to their own whims. The ill-wishers also take advantage of this opportunity, interpreting the path in such a way that the nation falls into error.

The positions of the Imam must be articulated clearly and explicitly - just as he said, just as he wrote - this is the criterion of the path of the Imam, the line of the Imam, and the straight path of the revolution. If someone explicitly states that they do not accept the Imam - this is another discussion - very well, the followers of the Imam and the supporters of the Imam have a clear stance with someone who explicitly says they do not accept the Imam; however, if the revolution is to advance along the line of the Imam, with the finger of the Imam pointing, it must be clear, evident, and the positions of our great Imam must be accurately articulated.

We must not, for the sake of pleasing this or that, deny or conceal some of the true positions of the Imam. Some think - and this is a mistaken thought - that in order for the Imam to gain more followers, those who oppose the Imam should also become interested in the Imam, we must conceal or downplay some of the Imam's explicit positions; no, the identity of the Imam, his personality, is based on those positions that he expressed with the clearest statements, the most explicit words and phrases. It was these that shook the world. It was these explicit positions that made the masses enthusiastic about the Iranian nation and many followers of the Iranian nation. This great global movement that you see today in various corners of the Islamic world was initiated through this.

The Imam must be brought explicitly into the arena. His positions against global arrogance, his positions against reactionaries, his positions against Western liberal democracy, his positions against hypocrites and duplicitous individuals must be stated clearly. Those who were influenced by that great personality saw these positions and submitted. It is not acceptable that because Zayd and Amr like the Imam, we conceal or obscure the positions of the Imam or downplay those things that seem harsh to us. Some in a certain period - which we remember; our youth - in order for Islam to gain more enthusiasts and supporters, downplayed some Islamic rulings, ignored them; they denied and concealed the ruling of retribution, the ruling of jihad, the ruling of hijab, saying these are not from Islam, retribution is not from Islam, jihad is not from Islam, so that a certain orientalist or a certain enemy of Islamic principles would like Islam! This is wrong. Islam must be presented in its entirety.

The Imam minus the line of the Imam is not the Imam that the Iranian nation risked their lives for, sent their children to the jaws of death, did not spare their lives and wealth, and created the greatest movement of the contemporary century in this part of the world. The Imam minus the line of the Imam is an Imam without identity. Denying the identity of the Imam is not serving the Imam. The foundations of the Imam were clear foundations. These foundations - if someone does not want to flatter or be polite - are reflected in the words of the Imam, in the statements of the Imam, in the letters of the Imam, and especially in the will of the Imam - which is a summary of all those positions. These intellectual foundations are what created that immense and overwhelming wave against the plundering of the West and the unilateralism of America in the world. Do you think that when various American presidents traveled to any of these Asian and Middle Eastern countries, even in some European countries, people gathered and shouted against them, this was always the case? No, this was the movement of the Imam, the exposure of the Imam, the positioning of the Imam that disgraced global arrogance, disgraced Zionism, and revived the spirit of resistance in nations, especially in Islamic societies.

It is misguided to deny the positions of the Imam. This misguided thinking is unfortunately sometimes carried out by those who were once promoters of the thoughts of the Imam or followers of the Imam. Now, for whatever reason, the paths become crooked, the goals become lost, some return; after years of speaking and acting for the Imam and these goals, they stand against these goals and these foundations and say those words!

Well, the line of the Imam has components. The most important of what can be said regarding the line of the Imam and the path of the Imam are several points that I will mention. And especially to the youth, I say: go read the will of the Imam. The Imam who shook the world is reflected in this will, in these works and statements.

The first and foremost point in the foundations of the Imam and the views of the Imam is the issue of pure Muhammadan Islam; that is, Islam that is against oppression, Islam that seeks justice, Islam that is a fighter, Islam that supports the deprived, Islam that defends the rights of the downtrodden and the oppressed. In contrast to this Islam, the Imam introduced the term "American Islam" into our political culture. American Islam means ceremonial Islam, Islam that is indifferent to oppression, to greed, Islam that is indifferent to encroachments on the rights of the oppressed, Islam that aids the oppressors, Islam that aids the powerful, Islam that compromises with all of these. This is the Islam that the Imam named: American Islam.

The thought of pure Islam was the constant thought of our great Imam; it was not specific to the era of the Islamic Republic; however, the realization of pure Islam was only possible with the governance of Islam and the establishment of an Islamic system. If the political system of the country is not based on Islamic law and Islamic thought, it is impossible for Islam to engage in real and true struggle against the oppressors of the world, against the oppressors of a society. Therefore, the Imam considered the protection and preservation of the Islamic Republic to be the most important of obligations. The most important obligation, not just one of the important obligations. The most obligatory of obligations is the preservation of the Islamic Republic; because the preservation of Islam - in the true sense of the word - is dependent on the preservation of the Islamic political system. Without a political system, it is impossible.

The Imam viewed the Islamic Republic as the manifestation of the governance of Islam. For this reason, the Imam pursued the Islamic Republic, made tremendous efforts for it, and stood firmly and resolutely for the Islamic Republic. The Imam was not seeking personal power; the Imam was not seeking to gain power for himself. The issue of the Imam was the issue of Islam; therefore, he stood for the Islamic Republic. This new model was presented to the world by the Imam; that is, the model of the Islamic Republic.

The most fundamental issue in the Islamic Republic is the struggle against the oppressive and power-seeking regimes of the world that manifest themselves in various forms. A dictatorial and power-seeking government is not just the government of kings; this is one type of dictatorial government. At that time, there were leftist dictatorships, which were one-party dictatorships in countries; they did whatever they wanted with the masses; no one was accountable to the people. In reality, the people were imprisoned by a limited minority. This is also a type of dictatorship. Another type of dictatorship is the dictatorship of the capitalists that manifests itself in seemingly democratic systems - liberal democracies. This is also a type of dictatorship, but a very clever and indirect dictatorship; in reality, it is the dictatorship of the capitalists and the owners of great wealth.

The Imam established the Islamic Republic in opposition to these human tyrants; he made Islam - which, at the heart of Islam, relies on the people and the will of the people - the main criterion of this system. Therefore, the Islamic Republic is both a republic, meaning it relies on the votes of the people; and it is Islamic, meaning it relies on divine law. This is a new model; this is one of the major indicators in the line of the Imam. Anyone who thinks contrary to this regarding the governance of the Islamic Republic is contrary to the thought of the Imam; they should not claim to be a follower of the Imam while holding this thought; no, the thought of the Imam is this. This is the clearest line of the thoughts of the Imam.

Another indicator in the program of the Imam and the line of the Imam and the straight path of the Imam is the issue of the attraction and repulsion of the Imam. Great individuals have a wide and expansive attraction and repulsion. Everyone has attraction and repulsion. With your behavior, you can endear one person to yourself and alienate another; this is attraction and repulsion. However, great individuals have an attraction that creates a wide spectrum; their repulsion also creates a vast spectrum. The attraction and repulsion of the Imam is remarkable.

What was the basis and criterion of the attraction and repulsion of the Imam was again the school, Islam; just as Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) says in the supplication of Sahifa Sajjadiya - the supplication for entering the month of Ramadan - to the Almighty God. We have repeatedly stated that the supplications of Imam Sajjad are truly among the greatest treasures of Islamic knowledge. In these supplications, there are teachings that one cannot obtain from narrations and narrative works; these are explicitly stated in the supplications. In the forty-fourth supplication of Sahifa Sajjadiya - which is the supplication for entering the month of Ramadan and which Imam Sajjad would recite - the Imam requests certain things from the Almighty God for the month of Ramadan; among the things he requests is: "And that we may be at peace with those who oppose us"; O Lord! We ask You to make peace with all our enemies, to adopt peace and moderation. Then he immediately states: "Except for the enemy with whom I have opposed for You, for You, for he is the enemy whom we will never make peace with and our hearts will not be reconciled with him."

The Imam was like this; he had no personal enmity with anyone. If there were personal grievances, the Imam would overlook them; however, enmity for the sake of the school was very serious for the Imam. The same Imam who, from the very beginning of the movement in 1962, opened his arms to the masses, accepting people from every tribe, from every group and sect, with open arms, this same Imam in the early revolution rejected a number of groups. He explicitly rejected the communists. For many of us who were involved in the struggle in the early revolution, this action of the Imam was astonishing. In the early days of the revolution, the Imam explicitly positioned himself against the communists and distanced them from himself. He showed decisiveness against the liberal-minded individuals and those enamored with Western systems and culture; he distanced them from himself, separated them from himself; he did not show any hesitation or consideration. He rejected the reactionaries - those who were unwilling to accept divine truths and the Qur'anic spirit of Islamic rulings and to accept the great transformation. The Imam repeatedly condemned the reactionaries with harsh and bitter expressions, distancing them from himself. The Imam did not hesitate in distancing himself from individuals who did not fall within the framework of his Islamic thoughts and foundations; while he had no personal enmity with them.

You observe in the will of the Imam; the Imam addresses the communists who had committed crimes inside and fled abroad. Observe the tone of the Imam. He tells them: come back to the country and endure the punishment that the law and justice impose on you, and be punished. That is, come and endure execution or imprisonment or other punishments, so that you can save yourselves from divine punishment and divine wrath. He speaks to them compassionately. He says: if you do not even have the courage to accept your punishment, at least where you are, change your path, repent; do not oppose the Iranian nation, the Islamic system, the Islamic movement; do not be the foot soldiers for the powerful and the oppressors.

The Imam has no personal quarrel; however, within the framework of the school, he applies his attraction and repulsion with complete decisiveness. This is a major indicator of the life of the Imam and the school of the Imam. Affection and repudiation in the political arena must also be governed by Islamic and religious thought and foundations; here too, one must set the criterion and standard; to see what the Almighty God wants from him.

With this method that the Imam adopted and which was reflected in his words and actions, one cannot consider oneself in the line of the Imam, a follower of the Imam, while defining oneself alongside those who explicitly raise the banner of opposition to the Imam and Islam. It is not acceptable that America and England and the CIA and Mossad and the monarchists and the Mojahedin agree on one axis, gather around one axis, and then that axis claims that I am the line of the Imam! This is not acceptable, this is not acceptable.

One cannot form alliances with just anyone. We must see what positions the enemies of the Imam take against us. If we see that our positions are such that the arrogant America, the usurping Zionists, the mercenaries of various powers, the opponents and adversaries of the Imam and Islam and the revolution praise us, respect us, we must doubt our positions; we must know that we are not on the right and straight path. This is the criterion, this is a standard. The Imam also repeatedly emphasized this. The Imam said - this exists in the writings of the Imam, in the definitive documents of the Imam's statements - that if we are praised, we should know that we are traitors. This is very important.

Those who come to act directly against the Imam, position themselves regarding the issue of Palestine on Quds Day in such a way, in the day of Ashura create that disgrace, then we express solidarity with those who are explicitly opposed to the foundations of the Imam and the movement of the Imam, define ourselves alongside them and praise them, or remain silent in front of them; while at the same time saying we are followers of the Imam! This is impossible, this is not acceptable. The nation also understands this well. The nation sees this, knows this, recognizes this, understands this.

Another important indicator in the conduct of the Imam and the line of the Imam that is very important is the issue of spiritual and divine calculations. In his decision-making, in his strategies, the Imam placed spiritual calculations at the forefront. What does this mean? It means that for every action one intends to take, the primary goal should be to gain the pleasure of God; it should not be to achieve victory, it should not be to seize power, it should not be to gain prestige before Zayd and Amr. The primary goal should be the pleasure of God. This is one. Then, one must also have confidence and trust in God's promise. When a person’s goal is the pleasure of God, and they have confidence in God's promise, then despair has no meaning, fear has no meaning, negligence has no meaning, arrogance has no meaning.

The Imam, when he was alone, did not succumb to fear, did not succumb to despair; when all the Iranian nation shouted his name in unison, and even other nations loved him and expressed this, he did not become arrogant. When Khorramshahr was lost to the Iraqi aggressors, the Imam did not become despondent; when our warriors bravely and selflessly recaptured Khorramshahr, the Imam did not become arrogant; he said, "Khorramshahr was liberated by God"; meaning we are nothing. In all the various events during the leadership of that great man, the Imam was like this. When he was alone, he did not fear; when dominance and power were with him, he did not become arrogant; he did not become negligent either. This is trust in God. When it was the pleasure of God, this is the case.

One must trust in God's promise. The Almighty God in Surah "Indeed, We have opened" states: "And He will punish the hypocrite men and hypocrite women and the polytheists and polytheists who think ill of Allah"; one of the characteristics of the hypocrite and the polytheist is that they have ill thoughts about God, they do not accept God's promise, they do not believe it. That God says: "And indeed, Allah will support those who support Him," a believer accepts this with all their being; the hypocrite does not accept this. God says: "Upon them is the circle of evil, and the wrath of Allah is upon them and He has cursed them and prepared for them Hell, and wretched is the destination." Those who have ill thoughts about God, their situation is like this.

The Imam had confidence in God's promise. We strive for God, we take steps for God, we bring all our efforts to the field; the result will be realized by the Almighty God - as He has promised. We work for duty; however, the Almighty God will grant us the best result for this duty. This is one of the characteristics of the conduct of the Imam and the line of the Imam. The path of the revolution, the straight path of the revolution is this.

One of the things that existed in this context was the remarkable observance of the Imam's piety in all matters. Piety in personal matters is one thing; piety in social and political matters and public matters is much more difficult, much more important, and much more impactful. What do we say about our friends, about our enemies? Here, piety has an effect. We may disagree with someone, be enemies; how do you judge them? If your judgment about someone you oppose and are enemies with is different from what actually exists, this is a transgression from the path of piety. The noble verse that I mentioned at the beginning, I repeat: "O you who have believed, fear God and speak words of appropriate justice." Speaking appropriately means speaking firmly and correctly; we should speak like this. I want to say to our dear youth, the revolutionary and faithful youth who speak, write, and act; be sure to observe this. It should not be that opposition to someone leads us to transgress from the path of truth, to exceed, to commit injustice; no, injustice should not be done. No one should be wronged.

Let me recount a memory of the Imam. One night we were in the presence of the Imam. I asked him what his opinion was about a certain person - I do not want to name names; one of the well-known figures in the world of Islam in our recent history, whom everyone has heard of, everyone knows - the Imam reflected for a moment and said: I do not know him. Then he made a disparaging remark about that person. That was the end of it. The next day or the day after - I do not remember exactly - I had a matter to discuss with the Imam, so I went to see him. As soon as I entered the room and sat down, before I could bring up my matter, he said regarding that person you asked about the other night, "I do not know him." That is, he erased that disparaging remark he had made after "I do not know him." You see, this is very important. That disparaging remark was neither an insult nor a curse nor a slander; fortunately, I have completely forgotten what that remark was; that is, either it was a spiritual alteration on his part, or my poor memory; I do not know what it was, but I remember that it was a disparaging remark. He said that one night, two days later or one day later, he erased it; he said: no, I do not know him. You see, these are exemplars; "There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern."

Regarding Zayd whom you do not accept, there are two ways to speak: one way that is entirely in accordance with the truth, and another way that contains a mixture of injustice. The second is bad; one must avoid it. Just as what is true, is true, and you can explain it in the court of divine justice, you can say it, not more. This is one of the main lines of the movement of the Imam and the line of the Imam that we must remember.

Another of the main lines of the Imam's line is the role of the people; both in elections, where the Imam truly made a tremendous movement, and in non-election matters, in various social issues. In no revolution during the era of revolutions - which was the first half of the twentieth century, the era of various revolutions in the East and West of the world - is there a precedent for a public referendum to choose the style of governance and the governing system to be held two months after the victory of the revolution; however, thanks to the Imam, this happened in Iran. Not even a year had passed since the revolution when the constitution was drafted and approved. In those early months when the constitution had not yet been drafted and there was a delay, I remember one day the Imam summoned us, we went to Qom - at that time he was still in Qom - and with a displeased demeanor, he said that the constitution should be drafted sooner. At that time, the elections for the Assembly of Experts were held, and the people elected the Experts to draft the constitution; then, when the constitution was drafted, it was put to a public vote; there was a referendum, and the people chose the constitution. Then the presidential and parliamentary elections were held. Even during the most difficult times of the war when Tehran was under bombardment by the enemy, elections were not suspended; not even to this day has there been a single day when elections in Iran have been delayed. Which democracy in the world can you find? Revolutions aside; in no democracy, with such precision, are the votes of the people cast into the ballot boxes on time. This is the line of the Imam.

In non-electoral matters as well, the people have repeatedly been the focus of the Imam's attention, and the Imam has clearly pointed to their role; sometimes he has explicitly stated: if the officials do not carry out the tasks they are supposed to, the people themselves will intervene and carry them out.

Another clear point in the line of the Imam is the global nature of the movement. The Imam considered the movement to be global and introduced this revolution as belonging to all Muslim nations, and even non-Muslims. The Imam had no qualms about this. This is different from interfering in the affairs of countries, which we do not do; this is different from exporting the revolution in the style of yesterday's colonizers, which we do not do, we are not of that nature; this means that the sweet scent of this merciful phenomenon should spread in the world, nations should understand what their duties are, and Muslim nations should know what their identity is and where it lies. One example of this global perspective is the Imam's position on Palestine. The Imam explicitly stated: Israel is a cancerous tumor. Well, what do they do with a cancerous tumor? Other than removing the tumor, what remedy can be found for it? The Imam did not consider anyone. The logic of the Imam was this. This statement is not a slogan; it is a logical statement. Palestine is a historical country. Throughout history, there has been a country called Palestine. A group, with the support of the oppressive powers of the world, has come and, in the most heinous and severe manner, expelled this nation from this country; they killed, exiled, tortured, insulted, expelled this nation - today several million Palestinian refugees live in neighboring countries of occupied Palestine and in other countries; most of them live in camps - they have effectively erased the country from the geographical scene, completely eliminated the nation, imposed a fictitious and new geographical unit in its place and named it Israel. See what logic demands? The statement we have regarding the issue of Palestine is not a slogan; it is a completely logical statement.

A number of powerful individuals, at the head of whom was England, later joined by America, and followed by Western countries, have come and said that the country of Palestine and the Palestinian nation must be erased so that in its place, a country called Israel and a fictitious nation called the nation of Israel can be established. This is one statement; another statement in opposition to it is the Imam's statement; he says: no, this fictitious and imposed unit must be eliminated; in its place, the original nation and the original country and the original geographical unit must come to power. Between these two statements, which one is logical? The statement that relies on bayonets and oppression and seeks to completely erase a historical political system, a geographical unit with thousands of years of history from the geographical scene, is this logical or the statement that says no, this original geographical unit must remain, that fictitious and imposed unit must be eliminated? This is what the Imam said. This is the most logical statement that can be made regarding the usurping Israel and the issue of Palestine. The Imam said this; he stated it explicitly. Now, if someone expresses this statement even in a hint, some who claim to be in the line of the Imam say, why was this statement made?! Well, this is the statement of the Imam; this is the logic of the Imam; this is the correct logic; all the nations of the world, all the free people of the world, the neutral nations must accept and embrace this statement. This is correct. This is the position of the Imam.

One last point I want to mention. You dear brothers and sisters endured in the heat; may God willing reward you. Another fundamental point regarding the line of the Imam and the path of the Imam is that the Imam repeatedly stated that judgments about individuals must be based on the current state of individuals. The past of individuals is not considered. The past is relevant when the current state is not known. One clings to that past and says: well, they were like this before, so they must still be like this now. If the current state of individuals is in stark contrast to that past, then that past is no longer relevant. This was the judgment that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) made regarding Talha and Zubair. You must know that Talha and Zubair were not insignificant individuals. Zubair has a brilliant history that few of the companions of Imam Ali had. After the ascension of Abu Bakr, in those early days, several companions stood up at the pulpit of Abu Bakr, expressed opposition, and said: the right is not with you; the right is with Ali ibn Abi Talib. The names of these individuals are recorded in history. These are not things that only Shia narrate; no, this is mentioned in all historical books. One of those individuals who stood up at the pulpit of Abu Bakr and defended the right of Imam Ali was Zubair. This is Zubair's history. Between that day and the day Zubair drew his sword against Imam Ali, there is a gap of twenty-five years. Now, Sunni brothers defend Talha and Zubair, saying their ijtihad led them to this conclusion; very well, whatever. We are not in a position to discuss what their status will be before God; however, what did Imam Ali do with them? He fought them. Imam Ali marched from Medina towards Kufa and Basra to fight Talha and Zubair. This means that those past records were erased, completely finished. The Imam's criterion was this; his standard was this.

Some were on the plane with the Imam from Paris and came to Iran; however, during the time of the Imam, due to treachery, they were executed! Some had connections with the Imam from the time he was in Najaf and later when he went to Paris, and in the early revolution, they were also considered by the Imam; however, later their behavior, their positions caused the Imam to reject them, to distance them from himself. The standard is the current state that I have. If, God forbid, the commanding self and the devil lead me astray, the judgment will be different. The foundation of the Islamic system is this, and the Imam acted this way.

There are other lines that can be expressed regarding the path of the Imam and the line of the Imam. What has been presented is the most important and impactful. It is good for brothers, youth, thinkers, researchers, students to reflect on these foundations, to work on these. The text should not remain as it is; these texts should be properly explained and elucidated.

Everyone, especially our dear youth, should know that what has happened after the passing of the Imam until today, from hostilities, sabotage, whatever they have done, of every kind they have carried out, has not been able to create even a slight tremor or shake in the foundations of this system; rather, on the contrary, every blow that the enemy has directed at the Islamic Republic has resulted in greater consolidation of the Islamic Republic; just like the eight years of imposed war. For eight years, all the political, military, and financial powers of the world stood behind the Ba'athist regime of Iraq and fought against the Islamic Iran, bringing all their capabilities to the field to defeat or weaken the Islamic Republic; what was the result? When these eight years ended, the world, with complete astonishment, witnessed the rise of the Islamic Republic with a defensive and military power far stronger and greater than at the time of the war. The power of the Islamic Republic rose in the world after the war to such an extent that it dazzled the eyes. Today is the same. Whatever happens that the enemies plan, simple-hearted and naive individuals may accompany the enemies in any way, with the steadfastness of the Iranian nation, the result will be the further strengthening of the Islamic Republic.

You saw that a sedition arose, actions were taken, efforts were made, America defended the seditionists, England defended them, Western powers defended them, the Mojahedin defended them, the monarchists defended them; what was the result? The result was that in the face of all this ominous alliance and agreement, our dear people, our great nation on the ninth of Dey, on the twenty-second of Bahman, showed such magnificence that astonished the world. Iran today, the youth today, the educated today, the Iranians today, have such a situation that whatever plot the enemy prepares against the Islamic Republic, with divine assistance, they will thwart the plot. However, be mindful; we must observe piety. What strengthens us is piety; what makes us invulnerable is piety; what gives us hope to continue this path until we reach lofty goals is piety.

O Lord! Grant piety to all of us, to all the individuals of this nation through Muhammad and the family of Muhammad. O Lord! Bring hearts closer together. O Lord! Day by day, highlight the axis of the line of the Imam and the true identity of this revolution among our nation. O Lord! Make the sacred heart of the Awaited One pleased and satisfied with us; make the pure souls of the martyrs pleased with us; make the pure spirit of our great Imam pleased with us.

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

By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

Second Sermon

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad and the pure family, especially upon Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and the pure lady, and upon Hasan and Husayn, the masters of the youth of Paradise, and upon Ali ibn Husayn, Zain al-Abidin, and Muhammad ibn Ali, the one who is the scholar of the first and the last, and upon Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq and Musa ibn Ja'far al-Kazim, and upon Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha and Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad, and upon Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi and Hasan ibn Ali al-Zaki al-Askari, and upon the Awaited Mahdi, may God's blessings be upon them all.

And send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers.

I again invite and recommend all brothers and sisters to observe divine piety. Today, the Islamic world, indeed the entire world, is witnessing great transformations that indicate changes in global equations. The attention of the Iranian nation to these transformations is significant from this perspective.

One issue is the issue of Palestine, the issue of Gaza, and - especially in recent times - the issue of the attack on the convoy that was moving to aid and break the siege of Gaza, which was attacked by the treacherous and cruel Zionists. What has been particularly focused on in the issue of Palestine in recent years or months is one issue: the Judaization of Palestine. The policy of the Zionist regime is to gradually eliminate all Islamic traces from the region of Palestine and the West Bank - which they themselves acknowledge is an occupied area; and the world accepts this, and there are numerous UN resolutions supporting this - and to Judaize this region. The illegal and oppressive settlement constructions, the destruction of people's homes, the manipulation of the city of Hebron and the city of Jerusalem with the aim of Judaization, are intended to cut off the roots of Islam from the land of Palestine in their delusion. This is one point, which is very important, and the Islamic world must stand against this issue with all its might and prevent this great crime.

Another issue is the oppressive siege of Gaza, which has lasted three years; a very savage, cruel, and brutal act, and astonishingly supported and endorsed by America and England and the Western powers that constantly repeat their claims of defending human rights. For three years, they have besieged one and a half million people; they do not allow medicine to go in, they do not allow food to go in, they disrupt their drinking water, they disrupt their electricity supply, they obstruct the arrival of cement and construction materials to repair the destruction of the war - this convoy that was going was carrying a large portion of cement, so that people could repair their destroyed homes - in addition to intermittently bombarding them, they also kill people, including innocent children and women. This is the movement of the Zionist regime.

The organizations claiming to defend human rights stand by and watch. The Western powers not only watch but also support. Unfortunately, many countries that should defend - that is, some Arab countries, some Islamic countries - have remained completely silent; if we do not say that they have even engaged in treacherous behaviors behind the scenes. The situation is very strange.

This recent action that the Zionists took - that is, they attacked these several ships that were carrying supplies to Gaza, to break this siege in the open sea, not in their own shores and territorial waters - must be considered from two aspects:

One is the savage nature of the Zionists, which the world must understand. The world must understand. The Zionists claim that we entered these ships for inspection or to say do not approach Gaza - which, of course, is a blatant lie! They went to attack, they plotted the attack, their objectives are clear - even if they had gone for admonition, they acted against all international regulations. A ship is moving in international waters; the maximum action you could take was to prevent them from entering your ports. Why did you go in the middle of the sea, attacked them, killed many, injured many, and captured many? Why? It is a savage nature. This is what the Islamic Republic has been shouting for thirty years, and the duplicitous and hypocritical Westerners have ignored and overlooked this. Today, the whole world has seen how savage they are.

The second point that must be at the center of attention regarding this issue is that the Zionists made a grave mistake in their calculations. They made a big mistake. This mistake has repeatedly occurred in recent years. They attacked Lebanon, they made a mistake; they attacked Gaza, they made a mistake; they attacked these ships, they made a mistake. These mistakes, one after another, indicate that the usurping Zionist regime is approaching its ultimate demise - that is, its downfall and annihilation.

Another important event that our nation should pay attention to its significance, and this event has meaning, is the occurrence that took place at the lengthy gathering related to the NPT in New York. They had formed this gathering so that the arrogant powers could, thanks to this gathering, further restrict the nations that have not yet accessed nuclear energy, and increase the obstacles in their way. Of course, they wished and had planned that in this conference, especially against the Islamic Republic, they would openly express their animosity. Contrary to what they wanted, the opposite occurred. This gathering lasted almost a month. Instead of being able to advance their objectives and further restrict countries like the Islamic Republic, the outcome of this lengthy conference was that the powers were obliged by 189 countries to destroy their nuclear weapons; to prevent the continuation of the production of these weapons; the right to access peaceful nuclear power by other countries was recognized, and the Zionist regime - whose advocates were actively supporting it in this conference - was condemned to join the NPT; exactly the opposite of what they wanted. This is not a small incident; this indicates that the arrogant and haughty power of America and other arrogant powers and their followers in the world no longer have a leading voice. Today, America is no longer in a position to effectively intervene in international policies. The Islamic Republic, with its thirty-year steadfastness, has been able to create a situation in global public opinion where not only nations but even governments - that is, 189 governments - stand against America and make decisions and vote against it. These are among the divine tidings to the great Iranian nation.

There are other issues that have been noted to be mentioned; however, time has passed. We hope that the Lord of the worlds will include all of you, the believing brothers and sisters, and all the dear people of Iran in His attentions and increase the successive victories of this nation day by day.

O Lord! With Your grace and kindness and attention, bring the hearts of the Muslim nations closer together; make the Islamic Ummah united and powerful; elevate the Iranian nation; remove the afflictions from this nation.