Statements of the Supreme Leader in Friday Prayers in Tehran

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. I praise Him, seek His help, ask for His forgiveness, and rely on Him. I send blessings and peace upon His beloved, His chosen one, the best of His creation, the guardian of His secrets, and the one who conveys His messages, the bearer of mercy and the herald of punishment. Our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the oppressed and infallible ones, especially Abu Abdullah al-Husayn (peace be upon him) and especially the Awaited One on the earth. I advise you, O servants of God, to be God-conscious. I invite and recommend all of you dear ones, brothers and sisters who are praying, to God-consciousness. First and last, it is piety, and the main recommendation is to take provision from piety. If we discuss anything, it is to strengthen the essence of piety within ourselves, among the people, and the listeners of Friday prayers, God willing. Today, in the first sermon, I will discuss the events of Ashura. Although much has been said on this subject, and we have also made remarks; however, the more we examine the aspects and dimensions of this great, impactful, and eternal event, the more new dimensions and clarifications of that event become apparent, shedding light on our lives. In discussions related to Ashura, there are three main topics: The first is the discussion of the causes and motivations behind Imam Husayn's (peace be upon him) uprising, why Imam Husayn rose; that is, the religious, scientific, and political analysis of this uprising. In this regard, we have previously made detailed remarks; scholars and elders have also made good discussions. We will not enter into that discussion today. The second discussion is the lessons of Ashura, which is a living, eternal, and always relevant topic, not limited to a specific time. The lesson of Ashura is the lesson of sacrifice, faith, courage, and solidarity, and the lesson of rising for God and the lesson of love and affection. One of the lessons of Ashura is this great and significant revolution that you, the Iranian nation, have carried out behind the time of Husayn and the son of Abu Abdullah al-Husayn (peace be upon him). This itself was one of the lessons of Ashura. In this regard, I will not discuss anything today. The third discussion is about the lessons of Ashura, which we raised a few years ago, that Ashura has not only lessons but also lessons to be learned. The discussion of the lessons of Ashura is particularly relevant when Islam has governance. At the very least, we can say that the main part of this discussion is specific to this time; that is, our time and our country, so that we can take lessons. We presented the issue in this way: how did the Islamic community, centered around the great Prophet, with the people's love for him, their deep faith in him, that community full of religious fervor and enthusiasm, and the rulings that I will discuss later, how did this community, made and shaped by the same people, even some of those who had seen the Prophet closely, after fifty years, reach the point where they gathered and killed the son of this Prophet in the most horrific manner?! What could be more of a deviation, a regression, a return to the past than this?! Zainab al-Kubra (peace be upon her) delivered that great sermon in the market of Kufa fundamentally on this axis: "O people of Kufa, O people of treachery and betrayal, do you weep?!" When the people of Kufa saw the blessed head of Imam Husayn on the spear and saw the daughter of Ali as a captive and felt the tragedy up close, they began to wail and cry. She said: "Do you weep?!"; you are crying?! "Then your tears will not cease, nor will your moaning be quieted." Then she said: "Your example is like that of a woman who unraveled her yarn after it had been spun; you take your faith as a means of trade among yourselves." This is the return; the return to the past and regression. You are like a woman who spins wool or cotton; after the threads are ready, she starts to unravel them and turn them back into cotton! You have, in fact, turned your threads into cotton. This is the return. This is a lesson. Every Islamic community is at risk of this. Our dear Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) had the great honor that a nation could act upon the words of that Prophet. Can the character of non-Prophet and non-infallible individuals be compared to that great character? He created that community, and that end followed him. Does every Islamic community have the same fate? If they take lessons, no; if they do not take lessons, yes. The lessons of Ashura are here. We, the people of this time, thanks be to God, have found the opportunity, by the grace of the Lord, to once again follow that path and revive the name of Islam in the world and raise the flag of Islam and the Quran. This honor has been bestowed upon you, the nation. This nation has stood firm and strong in this path until today, nearly twenty years after its revolution. However, if you do not pay attention, if we are not careful, if we do not keep ourselves as we should in this path, that fate may come to pass. The lesson of Ashura is here. Now I want to discuss a topic that I raised a few years ago and, thanks be to God, I have seen that scholars have discussed it, researched it, given speeches about it, and written about it. Of course, a complete discussion on this matter is not the topic of Friday prayers; because it is lengthy, and God willing, if I have life and find the opportunity, I will discuss this topic in detail with its specifics in a session other than Friday prayers. Today, I want to make a brief overview of this issue, and if God grants me success, I will actually condense a book into the form of a sermon and present it to you. First, the event must be understood in its magnitude, so that we can seek its causes. No one should say that the event of Ashura was, after all, a massacre and a few people were killed. Just as we all read in the Ziyarat Ashura: "Indeed, the calamity was great and the tragedy was immense." The calamity is very great. The event is very significant. The tragedy is very shocking and unparalleled. To clarify how significant this event is, I will briefly mention three short periods from the life of Imam Abu Abdullah al-Husayn (peace be upon him). You see this personality that one recognizes in these three periods; can one guess that his actions would lead to the point where on the day of Ashura, a number of the nation of his grandfather would besiege him and in this horrific situation, massacre him and all his companions and family, and take their women captive? These three periods are: the first is the period of the life of the Prophet Akram. The second is the period of his youth, that is, the twenty-five years until the government of Amir al-Mu'minin. The third is the period of twenty years of hiatus after the martyrdom of Amir al-Mu'minin until the event of Karbala. In the lifetime of the Prophet Akram, Imam Husayn is the beloved child of the Prophet. The Prophet Akram has a daughter named Fatimah, and all the Muslim people of that day know that the Prophet said: "Indeed, God is angry with the one who angers Fatimah"; if someone makes Fatimah angry, they have made God angry. "And He is pleased with the one who pleases her"; if someone pleases her, they have pleased God. See how great this daughter is that the Prophet Akram speaks of her in front of the people and in public like this. This is not an ordinary matter. The Prophet Akram has given this daughter in the Islamic community to someone who is of the highest honor; that is, Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). He is young, brave, noble, the most faithful, the most experienced, the most courageous, and present in all fields. He is the one by whose sword Islam is defended; wherever everyone else falters, this young man steps forward, opens the knots, and breaks the deadlocks. This beloved son-in-law, whose popularity is not due to kinship but due to the greatness of his character, is the beloved husband of the Prophet. A child has been born from them, and he is Husayn ibn Ali. Of course, all these words also apply to Imam Hasan (peace be upon him); however, my discussion now is about Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), the dearest of the Prophet's dears; someone whom the leader of the Islamic world, the ruler of the Islamic community, and the beloved of all people embraces and takes to the mosque. Everyone knows that this child is the beloved of this beloved one. He is on the pulpit giving a sermon when this child stumbles and falls to the ground. The Prophet comes down from the pulpit, takes him in his arms, and comforts him. See; this is the matter. The Prophet said about Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, who were six or seven years old: "They are the masters of the youth of Paradise." These two are still children; they are not yet young men; but the Prophet says they are the masters of the youth of Paradise. This means that even at the age of six or seven, they are at the level of a young man; they understand, comprehend, act, take initiative, show manners, and nobility flows through their entire being. If someone had said that this child would be killed by the nation of this Prophet without any crime or offense, it would have been unbelievable for the people; just as the Prophet said and cried, and everyone was astonished, saying: how could this be?! The second period is the twenty-five years after the Prophet's passing until the government of Amir al-Mu'minin. The young Husayn is blossoming, knowledgeable, and brave. He participates in battles, engages in significant matters, and everyone recognizes him for his greatness; when the names of the benefactors are mentioned, all eyes turn to him. In every virtue, among the Muslims of Medina and Mecca, wherever the wave of Islam has gone, he shines like the sun. Everyone respects him. The rulers of the time respect him and his brother, and they honor and exalt him, bringing his name to greatness. He is the exemplary young man of the era, respected by all. If someone had said that this young man would be killed by these same people, no one would have believed it. The third period is the period after the martyrdom of Amir al-Mu'minin; that is, the period of the alienation of the Ahl al-Bayt. Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (peace be upon them) are still in Medina. Twenty years after this period, Imam Husayn, as the spiritual leader of all Muslims, the great mufti of all Muslims, is respected by all Muslims, a place of entry and study for all, a place of attachment and intercession for all those who want to express their devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt, has lived in Medina. A beloved, great, noble, dignified, and knowledgeable personality. He writes a letter to Muawiyah; a letter that if anyone wrote to any ruler, the punishment would be death. Muawiyah, with all his grandeur, receives this letter, reads it, endures it, and says nothing. If at that time someone had said that this noble, respected, dear, dignified man - who embodies Islam and the Quran in the eyes of every observer - might be killed by this same nation of the Quran and Islam - and in that manner - no one would have imagined; yet this unbelievable, strange, and astonishing event occurred. Who did it? Those who came to serve him and even offered their greetings and sincerity. What does this mean? It means that the Islamic community, over these fifty years, has been emptied of spirituality and the truth of Islam. Its appearance is Islamic; however, its essence has become hollow. The danger is here. The prayers are established, the congregational prayers are held, the people are called Muslims, and some are supporters of the Ahl al-Bayt! Of course, let me tell you that in all of the Islamic world, the Ahl al-Bayt were accepted; they are still accepted today, and no one doubts it. The love for the Ahl al-Bayt is universal in the entire Islamic world; it is still the same today. Even now, wherever you go in the Islamic world, people love the Ahl al-Bayt. The mosque attributed to Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) and another mosque in Cairo attributed to Lady Zainab are filled with visitors and crowds. People go to visit the grave, kiss it, and seek intercession. Just a year or two ago, a new book - not an old one; because there are many in the old books - was brought to me, which discusses the meaning of the Ahl al-Bayt. One of the current writers from Hijaz has researched and proven in this book that the Ahl al-Bayt are Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn. Now, we Shiites, these words are part of our essence; however, that non-Shiite Muslim brother has written and published this. This book exists, and I have it, and surely thousands of copies of it have been printed and distributed. Therefore, the Ahl al-Bayt are respected; they were highly respected that day as well; but at the same time, when the community became hollow and empty, this event occurs. Now, where is the lesson? The lesson is here: what should we do so that the community does not become like that? We must understand what happened there that led the community to this point. This is the detailed discussion that I want to present in brief. First, as an introduction, I would like to say: the Prophet Akram established a system whose main lines were several things. Among these main lines, I found four things to be paramount: first, clear and unambiguous knowledge; knowledge of the religion, knowledge of the rulings, knowledge of the community, knowledge of the duties, knowledge of God, knowledge of the Prophet, knowledge of nature. It was this knowledge that led to science and learning, bringing the Islamic community to the peak of scientific civilization in the fourth century AH. The Prophet did not allow ambiguity to exist. In this regard, there are amazing verses from the Quran that there is no time to mention now. Wherever ambiguity arose, a verse was revealed to clarify it. The second main line was absolute and uncompromising justice. Justice in judgment, justice in public and not private entitlements - the facilities that belong to all people and must be distributed among them justly - justice in the implementation of divine limits, justice in positions and responsibilities, and accountability. Of course, justice is different from equality; let it not be misunderstood. Sometimes equality is injustice. Justice means placing everything in its rightful place and giving everyone their due. That absolute and uncompromising justice was present. In the time of the Prophet, no one in the Islamic community was outside the framework of justice. Third, complete and unshared servitude to the Lord; that is, servitude to God in individual actions, servitude in prayer that must be intended for closeness, to servitude in building the community, in the system of governance, in the system of people's lives, and in the social relations among people based on servitude to God, which also has extensive details and explanations. Fourth, passionate love and affection. This is also one of the main characteristics of the Islamic community; love for God, God's love for people; "He loves them and they love Him," "Indeed, God loves those who repent and loves those who purify themselves," "Say, if you love God, follow me, and God will love you." Love, affection, love for the spouse, which is recommended to kiss the child; it is recommended to show affection to the child; it is recommended to love and show affection to the spouse; it is recommended to love the Muslim brothers and have affection for them; love for the Prophet, love for the Ahl al-Bayt; "except for the love of kin." The Prophet outlined these lines and built the community based on these lines. The Prophet governed this way for ten years. Of course, it is clear that educating people is a gradual process; it is not instantaneous. The Prophet, throughout these ten years, worked to ensure that these foundations were established and firm and took root; however, these ten years were very little time to transform a people who had been raised in opposition to these characteristics. The ignorant community was the opposite of these four points; the people had no knowledge, lived in confusion and ignorance, had no servitude; there was tyranny, rebellion, and no justice; it was all oppression, all discrimination - which Amir al-Mu'minin has in Nahj al-Balagha in his depiction of the oppression and discrimination of the age of ignorance, which is truly a work of art; "In the turmoil, they were trampled by their heels and crushed by their feet" - there was no love; they buried their daughters alive, killed someone from a certain tribe without any crime - "You killed one from our tribe, so we must kill one from yours!" - whether the killer was guilty or innocent; it was absolute cruelty, absolute ruthlessness, and absolute lack of love and affection. A people raised in that atmosphere can be trained over ten years, made human, made Muslim; but it cannot be deeply instilled in their hearts; especially to the extent that they can influence others in the same way. People were gradually becoming Muslim. They were people who had not seen the Prophet. They were people who had not experienced those ten years. This issue of "Wilayah" that Shiites believe in takes shape here. Wilayah, divine appointment and succession, originates here; for the continuity of that education, otherwise it is clear that this Wilayah is not like the wills that are customary in the world, where everyone bequeaths to their own son when they die. This is the matter that after the Prophet, his programs must continue. Now we do not want to enter into theological discussions. I want to speak about history and analyze a bit of history, and most of it you analyze. This discussion belongs to everyone; it is not solely specific to Shiites. This discussion belongs to Shiites, Sunnis, and all Islamic sects. Everyone must pay attention to this discussion; because this discussion is important for all. And now, what happened after the Prophet's passing? How did the Islamic community revert from that state to this state in fifty years? This is the main issue, which the text of history must also be looked at here. Of course, the foundation that the Prophet laid was not one that would soon collapse; hence, in the early years after the Prophet's passing, when you look, everything - except for the issue of Wilayah - is in its place: there is good justice, good remembrance, good servitude. If someone looks at the overall composition of the Islamic community in those early years, they see that apparently nothing has regressed. Of course, sometimes things arose; however, the appearances show the foundation and groundwork laid by the Prophet. But this situation does not last. As time passes, the Islamic community gradually moves towards weakness and emptiness. You see, there is a point in Surah Al-Fatiha that I have repeatedly mentioned in various sessions. When a person addresses the Lord of the worlds, saying "Guide us on the straight path" - guide us to the straight path - then this straight path is defined: "The path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your grace"; the path of those whom You have granted blessings. God has granted blessings to many; He has granted blessings to the Children of Israel as well: "O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you." The divine blessing is not exclusive to the prophets, the righteous, and the martyrs: "And those are with those whom Allah has bestowed favor upon, from the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous." They have also been granted blessings; but the Children of Israel have also been granted blessings. Those who have been granted blessings are of two kinds: One group are those who, when they receive the divine blessing, do not allow the Almighty God to become angry with them and do not allow themselves to go astray. These are the ones you say, "O God, guide us on their path." "Not of those who have evoked [Your] anger" is an attribute for "those upon whom You have bestowed favor"; the attribute of "those" is that they are "not of those who have evoked [Your] anger and not of the astray"; those who have been granted blessings but have become angry; or have gone astray. Of course, in our narrations, it is stated that "those who have evoked [Your] anger" refers to the Jews, which is a specific example; because the Jews, until the time of Jesus, consciously and deliberately fought against Moses and his successors. "The astray" refers to the Christians; because the Christians went astray. The state of Christianity was such that from the beginning they went astray - or at least the majority of them were like this - but the Muslim people received blessings. This blessing was heading towards "those who have evoked [Your] anger" and "the astray"; hence, when Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) was martyred, it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: "When Husayn (peace be upon him) was killed, the anger of God towards the people intensified"; when Husayn (peace be upon him) was killed, God's anger towards the people intensified. He is infallible. Therefore, the community that was blessed by God is heading towards anger; this trajectory must be observed. It is very important, very difficult, and requires careful consideration. Now I will just bring a few examples. The elite and the masses each developed a situation. Now, the elite who went astray may be "those who have evoked [Your] anger"; the masses may be "the astray." Of course, in history books, there are plenty of examples. From here on, I will quote from the history of Ibn Athir; I will not quote from Shiite sources; I will not even quote from the sources of Sunni historians whose narrations are doubted by the Sunnis themselves - like Ibn Qutaybah - I will set aside all of them. When one looks at Ibn Athir's "Kamil al-Tawarikh," one feels that his book has Umayyad and Ottoman biases. Of course, I suspect that he may have had some considerations. He is neither Shiite nor has any inclination towards Shi'ism; he is someone who probably has Umayyad and Ottoman inclinations as well. All that I will quote from now on is from Ibn Athir. A few examples of the elite: how did the elite in these fifty years reach this point? When I examine, I see that all four of those things have shaken: both servitude, both knowledge, both justice, and both love. I will present these few examples, which are historical facts. "Sa'id ibn al-Aas" was one of the Banu Umayyah and a relative of Uthman. After "Walid ibn 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt" - the same one you saw in the series about Imam Ali; the same incident of killing the sorcerer in his presence - "Sa'id ibn al-Aas" came to power to reform his actions. In his assembly, someone said, "How generous is Talhah?"; "Talhah ibn Abdullah," how generous and giving he is? He must have given money to someone or shown kindness to some people that he knew. "Sa'id said, 'Whoever has a property like the large estate of Nashastaj deserves to be generous.'" There was a very large estate called "Nashastaj" near Kufa - perhaps our starch comes from this word - there were fertile lands near Kufa, and this large estate belonged to Talhah, a companion of the Prophet in Medina. Sa'id ibn al-Aas said: "By God, if I had something like it, I would provide you with a prosperous life"; it is nothing that you say he is generous! Now compare this with the asceticism of the Prophet's time and the asceticism of the early years after the Prophet's passing and see how the elders and leaders and companions lived in those few years and how they viewed the world. Now, after ten or fifteen years, the situation has reached this point. The next example is the famous "Abu Musa al-Ash'ari," the governor of Basra; the same Abu Musa known for arbitration. The people wanted to go to jihad, and he went up on the pulpit and urged the people to jihad. He spoke highly of the virtue of jihad and sacrifice. Many people did not have horses to ride; everyone had to ride their own horse and go. To encourage the foot soldiers, he spoke about the virtue of foot jihad; how virtuous it is, how this and that! His mouth and breath were so warm in this speech that some of those who had horses said, "We will also go on foot; what is a horse!" They rushed to their horses and said, "You horses deprive us of great rewards; we want to go to war on foot to gain these rewards!" There were some who were a bit more reflective; they said, "Let us wait, let us not rush, let us see how the governor who spoke like this about foot jihad comes out; let us see if he acts like his words or not; then we will decide whether to go on foot or mounted." This is Ibn Athir's exact wording. He says: When Abu Musa came out of his palace, "He brought out his valuables from his palace on forty mules"; the valuable items he had with him were carried on forty mules as he went to the battlefield! There were no banks at that time, and governments did not have credit. One day, he saw in the middle of the battlefield that he received news from the caliph that you have been dismissed from the governorship of Basra. He could no longer come back and take all these valuables from inside the palace; they would not let him. Wherever he went, he had to take them with him. He took forty mules of his valuables, which he loaded and took with him to the battlefield! "When he came out, the people took hold of Abu Musa's reins"; those who had dismounted came and took the reins of Abu Musa's horse. "And they said, 'Let us ride on some of this excess.'" What is all this that you are taking with you to the battlefield? We are going on foot; let us ride on your excess! "He struck the people with his whip"; he drew his whip and struck them on their heads and faces and said, "Go away, you are talking nonsense!" "They scattered around him"; they dispersed and scattered; however, they did not endure it. They went to Medina to complain to Uthman; he dismissed Abu Musa. But Abu Musa was one of the companions of the Prophet and one of the elite and one of the great men; this is his situation! The third example: "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas" became the governor of Kufa. He borrowed from the public treasury. At that time, the public treasury was not in the hands of the governor. They would appoint one person to govern and another to manage the treasury, who would directly answer to the caliph. In Kufa, the governor was "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas"; the head of the treasury was "Abdullah ibn Mas'ud," who was considered a very great and high-ranking companion. He borrowed a sum of money from the public treasury - now several thousand dinars, I do not know - and then did not repay it. "Abdullah ibn Mas'ud" came to demand it; he said, "Give back the money of the public treasury." "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas" said, "I do not have it." They began to argue with each other. "Hashim ibn 'Utbah ibn Abi Waqqas" - who was one of the companions of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and a very noble man - came forward and said, "It is bad; you are both companions of the Prophet, and the people are looking at you. Do not argue; go and resolve the matter somehow." "Abdullah ibn Mas'ud" saw that it was not working, so he went out. He is, after all, a trustworthy man. He went and saw some people and said, "Go and pull this wealth out of his house" - it seems that there was wealth - he informed "Sa'd"; he also sent some others and said, "Go and do not let them." Because "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas" did not repay his debt to the public treasury, a great uproar arose. Now, "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas" was one of the companions of the council; he was one of the six in the council; after a few years, his situation reached this point. Ibn Athir says: "This was the first dispute among the people of Kufa"; this was the first incident that caused a dispute among the people of Kufa; because one of the elite had advanced in materialism like this and showed a lack of self-control! Another incident: The Muslims went and conquered Africa - meaning this region of Tunisia and Morocco - and divided the spoils among the people and the soldiers. The fifth of the spoils must be sent to Medina. In Ibn Athir's history, it is stated that there was a large fifth. Of course, in the place where he mentions this, it is not there; but in another place where he discusses this conquest, it is stated that a detailed fifth was sent to Medina. When the fifth reached Medina, "Marwan ibn al-Hakam" came and said, "I will buy all of it for five hundred thousand dirhams"; they sold it to him! Five hundred thousand dirhams was not a small amount; but those goods were worth much more than this. One of the issues that later the caliph was criticized for was this incident. Of course, the caliph made excuses and said, "This is my relative; I am doing 'sila rahim' (maintaining family ties) and since his situation is not good, I want to help him!" Therefore, the elite became immersed in materialism. Another incident: "Walid ibn 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt was appointed as the governor of Kufa"; "Walid ibn 'Uqbah" - the same Walid that you know, who was the governor of Kufa - after "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas" was appointed as the governor of Kufa. He was also from the Banu Umayyah and a relative of the caliph. When he entered, everyone was astonished; what does this mean? How could this man be given governance?! Because Walid was known for both his stupidity and his corruption! This Walid is the one about whom the verse "If a disobedient person comes to you with news, verify it" was revealed. The Quran named him "disobedient"; because he brought news and some people were put in danger, and then the verse came that "If a disobedient person comes to you with news, verify it"; if a disobedient person brings news, go and investigate; do not listen to him. That disobedient one was this "Walid". This belongs to the time of the Prophet. See the criteria and values and the displacement of people! This man, who was named "disobedient" in the time of the Prophet, and the same Quran that people read every day, has now become the governor in Kufa! Both "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas" and "Abdullah ibn Mas'ud" were astonished! When "Abdullah ibn Mas'ud" laid eyes on him, he said, "I do not know whether you have become righteous after we left Medina or whether the people have become corrupt that someone like you has been sent as the emir to a city!" "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas" was also astonished; however, from a different perspective. He said, "Have you become wise after us or have we become so foolish that you have gained preference over us?!" Walid replied, "Do not blame Abu Ishaq"; do not be upset, "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas"; "All of this was not the case"; neither have we become wise, nor have you become foolish; "it is merely the kingship"; the matter is one of kingship! - the transformation of divine governance, caliphate, and guardianship into kingship is a strange story in itself - "Some people eat breakfast with him and others dine with him"; today one belongs to him, tomorrow another belongs to him; it is passed from hand to hand. "Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas" was, after all, a companion of the Prophet. This statement was very jarring for him that the matter is kingship. "Sa'd said: I see that you have made it kingship"; he said: I see that you have turned the matter of caliphate into kingship! Once, during the caliphate, Omar asked Salman: "Am I a king or a caliph?"; in your opinion, am I a king or a caliph? Salman, a great and very respected figure; one of the high-ranking companions; his opinion and judgment were very important. Therefore, Omar, during his caliphate, said this to him. "Salman replied," If you take a dirham or less or more from the land of the Muslims and place it in a place where it does not belong, "you will be a king, not a caliph"; in that case, you will be a king and no longer a caliph. He stated the criterion. In Ibn Athir's narration, it is stated that "Omar cried". It is a remarkable admonition. The matter is the matter of caliphate. Wilayah means a government that is accompanied by love, connectedness with the people, and affection towards all people; it is not just ruling and governance; but kingship does not mean that and has no concern for the people. A king is a ruler and sovereign; he does whatever he wants. These are the elite. The elite reached this point over these years. Of course, this pertains to the time of the "Rightly Guided Caliphs" who were careful, committed, and paid attention; they had experienced the Prophet for many years, and the Prophet's voice still resonated in Medina, and someone like Ali ibn Abi Talib was present in that community. After the matter moved to Sham, it went far beyond these discussions. These are just a few small examples of the elite. Of course, if someone searches in the history of Ibn Athir or in other credible histories recognized by all our Muslim brothers, there are not hundreds but thousands of examples of this kind. It is natural that when there is no justice, when there is no servitude to God, the community becomes hollow; then the minds also become corrupted. That is, in the community where the issue of wealth accumulation and attachment to worldly possessions and reliance on worldly trinkets reaches this point, in that community, someone who speaks of knowledge for the people is "K'ab al-Ahbar"; a recently converted Jew who has not even seen the Prophet! He did not convert during the time of the Prophet, nor during Abu Bakr's time; he converted during Umar's time and died during Uthman's time! Some pronounce "K'ab al-Ahbar" incorrectly; "K'ab al-Ahbar" is correct. Ahbar is the plural of Habr. Habr means a Jewish scholar. This K'ab was the pole of Jewish scholars, who came to Islam and then began to speak about Islamic issues! He was sitting in the assembly of Uthman when Abu Dharr entered; he said something that Abu Dharr became angry and said, "Are you now speaking to us about Islam and Islamic rulings?! We have heard these rulings from the Prophet ourselves. When the criteria are lost, when the values weaken, when the appearances become hollow, when materialism and love for wealth dominate those who have spent a lifetime in greatness and have spent years indifferent to the adornments of the world and have been able to raise that great flag, then in the realm of culture and knowledge, such a person becomes the authority on divine and Islamic knowledge; someone who is a recent convert and says whatever he understands, not what Islam has said; then some want to prioritize his words over those of the seasoned Muslims! This pertains to the elite. Then the masses, who follow the elite, when the elite go in one direction, they follow them. The greatest sin of distinguished and prominent individuals, if a deviation occurs from them, is that their deviation leads many people astray. When they saw the dams break, when they saw that things were flowing contrary to what the tongues say, and contrary to what is narrated from the Prophet, they also move in that direction. And now, one incident from the common people: The governor of Basra wrote to the caliph in Medina that the taxes we collect from the conquered cities, we distribute among our own people; but in Basra, it is scarce, the people have increased; do you allow us to add two cities? When the people of Kufa heard that the governor of Basra had obtained the tax of two cities for his own people from the caliph, they went to their governor. Who was their governor? "Amar ibn Yasir"; a valuable man, who stood firm like a mountain. Of course, there were some like him - those who did not waver - but they were not many. They came to Amar ibn Yasir and said, "You also ask for this for us and get two cities for us." Amar said: I will not do this. They began to attack and speak ill of Amar. They wrote a letter, and eventually, the caliph dismissed him! A similar incident happened to Abu Dharr and others. Perhaps Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was one of these individuals. When these threads are not maintained, the community becomes hollow in terms of values. The lesson is here. My dear ones! A person understands these social transformations late; one must be careful. Piety means this. Piety means that those whose sphere of governance is themselves must take care of themselves. Those whose sphere of governance is broader than themselves must take care of themselves and also take care of others. Those who are at the top must take care of themselves and also take care of the entire community so that it does not move towards materialism, towards attachment to worldly adornments, and towards selfishness. This does not mean not to develop the community; they should develop the community and create abundant wealth; but they should not seek it for themselves; that is bad. Whoever can make the Islamic community wealthy and accomplish great things has done a great deed. Those who, thanks be to God, have been able to build the country in these past few years, raise the flag of construction in this country, and accomplish great works, have done very good things; these are not materialistic pursuits. Materialism is when someone seeks for themselves; acts for themselves; begins to accumulate for themselves from the public treasury or elsewhere; that is bad. Everyone must be careful that it does not become like this. If there is no vigilance, then the community gradually becomes impoverished of values and reaches a point where only a superficial shell remains. Suddenly, a great test arises - the test of the son of Abdullah - and then this community fails in this test! They said to you, we want to give you the governance of Ray. Ray at that time was a very large and profitable city. Governance was not like the governorship today. Today, our governors are administrative agents; they receive salaries and work hard. It was not like that at that time. Whoever came to govern a city had all the income resources of that city at their disposal; they had to send a portion to the center, and the rest was at their disposal; they could do whatever they wanted; hence, it was very important for them. Then they said, if you do not go to fight Husayn ibn Ali, there will be no news of governance in Ray. Here, a valuable person does not think for a moment; he says, let them take Ray; what is Ray? Even if you give me the whole world, I will not frown at Husayn ibn Ali; I will not frown at the dear of Zahra; I will go and kill Husayn ibn Ali and his children so that you will give me Ray?! A person who is valuable is like this; but when the inside is hollow, when the community is far from values, when those main lines in the community have weakened, they stumble; now at most, they think for one night; they think very hard, and they take a night to think! If they had thought for a year, they would have made the same decision. This thinking of theirs was not valuable. They thought for one night, and finally said yes, I want the kingdom of Ray! Of course, God did not even give him that. At that time, my dear ones! The tragedy of Karbala occurs. Here, I want to say a word about the analysis of the event of Ashura and just make a reference. Someone like Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon him), who embodies values, rises to prevent this decline; because this decline was heading towards a point where nothing would remain; that if one day people wanted to live well and live as Muslims, they would have nothing in their hands. Imam Husayn stands, rises, moves, and single-handedly confronts this rapid descent. Of course, in this regard, he sacrifices his life, the lives of his loved ones, the life of Ali Asghar, the life of Ali Akbar, and the life of Abbas; but he achieves results. "And I am from Husayn"; that is, the religion of the Prophet has been revived by Husayn ibn Ali. That is one side of the coin; this is the great event and the passionate epic and the romantic story of Ashura, which truly cannot be understood except with the logic of love and with the eyes of a lover. One must look with loving eyes to understand what Husayn ibn Ali did in this almost one night and half a day, or about one day - from the afternoon of Tasu'a to the afternoon of Ashura - and what greatness he created! That is why it has remained in the world and will remain forever. They tried very hard to make the event of Ashura forgotten; but they could not. Today, I want to mention a few sentences of mourning from the martyrdom of "Ibn Tawus" - which is the book "Lahuf" - and read a few scenes from these great scenes for you dear ones. Of course, this martyrdom is a very credible martyrdom. This Sayyid ibn Tawus - who is Ali ibn Tawus - is a jurist, a mystic, a great figure, trustworthy, respected by all, a teacher of many great jurists; he himself is an eloquent and poetical personality. He wrote the first very credible and concise martyrdom. Of course, before him, there were many martyrs. Their teacher - Ibn Nama - has a martyrdom, "Sheikh Tusi" has a martyrdom, others have it too. Many martyrs were written before him; but when "Lahuf" came, almost all those martyrs were overshadowed. This martyrdom is very good; because the phrases are very well and precisely chosen. Now I will read a few sentences from these. One of these incidents is the incident of "Qasim ibn al-Husayn" going to the battlefield, which is a very strange scene. Qasim ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) is one of the young boys of Imam Husayn's household. He is a teenager who has not yet reached the age of maturity. On the night of Ashura, when Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) said that this incident would occur and everyone would be killed and said, "You go," and the companions did not accept to leave, this thirteen or fourteen-year-old teenager said: "Uncle! Will I also be martyred in the battlefield?" Imam Husayn wanted to test this teenager - in our expression - he said: "My dear! How is being killed on your palate?" He said, "Sweeter than honey"; see, this is the value orientation in the family of the Prophet. The ones raised by the Ahl al-Bayt are like this. This teenager has grown up in the arms of Imam Husayn since childhood; that is, he was about three or four years old when his father passed away, and Imam Husayn has raised this teenager; he is the educator of Imam Husayn's upbringing. Now, when the day of Ashura comes, this teenager comes to his uncle. In this martyrdom, it is narrated: "The narrator said: and a boy came out". There were narrators who wrote and recorded the incidents. A few of them narrated the events. One of them narrates and says: As we were looking, suddenly we saw a young boy coming out from the tents of Abu Abdullah: "His face was like a piece of the moon"; his face shone like a piece of the moon. "He began to fight"; he came and engaged in battle. Also, know that the details of the event of Karbala have been recorded; who struck which blow, who struck first, who stole this or that; all of these have been mentioned. The one who, for example, stole the Prophet's cloak and took it away, was later called: "He stole the cloak"! Therefore, the details have been recorded and are known; that is, the family of the Prophet and their friends did not allow this event to be lost in history. "Then Ibn Fadhl al-'Udhdi struck him on the head and split it"; the blow split the boy's head. "And the boy fell on his face"; the boy fell to the ground face down. "And he cried, O my uncle!"; his cry rose that uncle. "Then Husayn (peace be upon him) rushed as a falcon rushes". Pay attention to the characteristics and beauties of this expression! A falcon means a hunting falcon. It says that Husayn (peace be upon him) rushed to the boy. "Then he charged like an angry lion". Charged means to attack. It says he attacked like an angry lion. "He struck Ibn Fadhl with the sword"; first, he struck that killer with a sword and threw him to the ground. Some came to rescue that killer; but the Imam attacked all of them. A great battle broke out around the body of "Qasim ibn al-Husayn". They came and fought; however, the Imam pushed them back. The entire area was filled with the dust of the battlefield. The narrator says: "And the dust settled"; after a few moments, the dust settled. This scene, which is depicted, burns the heart of a person: "I saw Husayn (peace be upon him)": I looked and saw Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon him) standing over the boy. "And he was searching with his feet"; the boy was also shaking the ground with his feet; that is, he was in the process of dying and moving his feet. "And Husayn (peace be upon him) said: May those who killed you be far from God's mercy"; those who killed you are far from God's mercy. This is one scene, which is a very strange scene and shows the affection and love of Imam Husayn for this teenager, and at the same time, his sacrifice and sending this teenager to the battlefield and the spiritual greatness of this young man and the cruelty of those people who treated this young man in this way. Another scene is the scene of Ali Akbar (peace be upon him) going to the battlefield, which is one of those very dramatic and strange scenes. It is truly strange; from every aspect, it is strange. From the perspective of Imam Husayn, it is strange; from the perspective of this young man - Ali Akbar - it is strange; from the perspective of the women, especially Lady Zainab, it is strange. The narrator says this young man came to his father. First of all, Ali Akbar has been written as being eighteen to twenty-five years old; that is, at least eighteen years and at most twenty-five years. He says: "Ali ibn al-Husayn came out"; Ali ibn al-Husayn came out to fight from the tents of Imam Husayn. Again, here the narrator says: "He was the most similar of people in appearance"; this young man was among the most beautiful young men in the world; handsome, mature, brave. "He asked his father for permission to fight"; he asked his father for permission to go to war. "And he granted him permission"; the Imam granted him permission without hesitation. In the case of "Qasim ibn al-Husayn," the Imam did not grant permission at first, and after some pleading, he granted it; but when "Ali ibn al-Husayn" came, since he is his own son, as soon as he asked for permission, the Imam said, "Go." "Then he looked at him with a hopeless gaze"; he looked at this young man going to the battlefield with a hopeless gaze, knowing that he would not return. "And he let his eyes fall and cried"; he let his eyes fall and began to weep. One of the emotional characteristics of the Islamic world is this; weeping in emotional events and phenomena. You see in many incidents that the Imam cried. This weeping is not weeping of lamentation; it is the intensity of affection; because Islam nurtures this affection in individuals. The Imam began to weep. Then he said the sentence that you have all heard: "O God, bear witness"; O God, be a witness. "A young man has come out to them for battle"; a young man has come out to fight them who is "the most similar in appearance, character, and speech to Your Messenger." One point here that I want to tell you. See; Imam Husayn in his childhood was the beloved of the Prophet; he himself loved the Prophet immensely. He was six or seven years old when the Prophet passed away. The face of the Prophet remained as an indelible memory in the mind of Imam Husayn, and the love for the Prophet is in his heart. Then God Almighty gives Ali Akbar to Imam Husayn. When this young man grows a little or reaches the age of maturity, the Imam sees that his face is exactly that of the Prophet; the same face that he loved so much and was so fond of, now resembles his grandfather. He speaks, and his voice is similar to that of the Prophet. His speech is like the speech of the Prophet. His morals are like the morals of the Prophet; the same greatness, the same generosity, and the same honor. Then he says: "Whenever we missed Your Prophet, we looked at him"; whenever we missed the Prophet, we looked at this young man; but this young man also went to the battlefield. "He cried out and said, O son of Sa'd, may God cut off your kinship as you have cut off mine." Then it is narrated that he went to the battlefield and fought very bravely and defeated many of the enemy's men; then he returned and said, "I am thirsty." He went back towards the battlefield. When he expressed thirst, the Imam said to him, "My dear! Just a little longer, and you will be quenched by the hands of your grandfather, the Prophet." When Imam Husayn said this to Ali Akbar, at that last moment, Ali Akbar raised his voice and said, "O my father, peace be upon you"; my father! Farewell. "This is my grandfather, the Messenger of God, sending you greetings"; this is my grandfather, the Prophet, who sends you greetings. "And he says, hasten to come to us." These are the strange scenes of this great incident. And today is also the day of Lady Zainab (peace be upon her). That great lady has also had strange events. Lady Zainab is the one who, from the moment of Imam Husayn's martyrdom, took on this burden of trust and moved with complete authority; just as befits the daughter of Amir al-Mu'minin. They were able to immortalize Islam and preserve the religion of the people. The story of Imam Husayn saved not just a nation, not just a community; it saved an entire history. Imam Husayn, his sister Zainab, and his companions and friends saved history. Peace be upon you, O Abu Abdullah, and upon the souls that have settled in your vicinity. Peace be upon you from us, forever, as long as I remain and as long as night and day remain, and may God not make this the last of our pledges to visit you. Peace be upon Husayn and upon Ali ibn Husayn and upon the children of Husayn and upon the companions of Husayn. In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Say, He is God, One. God, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent. O Lord! We beseech You by Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, keep us steadfast on the path of Islam and the Quran. O Lord! Make our community an Islamic community, O Lord! Do not separate us from Islam. O Lord! Grant complete victory to Islam and Muslims everywhere. Defeat and crush the enemies of Islam. O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, establish the Islamic values, the bond of brotherhood, love and affection, servitude to the Lord, and complete justice among us. O Lord! Those who strive, the enemies who try to distance our community from Islam, keep them away from Your mercy. O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, make the sacred heart of the Awaited One, may our souls be sacrificed for him, pleased with us. O Lord! Grant the prayer of that great one for our nation. O Lord! Make us among the companions and supporters of that great one. O Lord! Include our dear martyrs, our dear disabled veterans, and the Imam of martyrs, may God be pleased with him, in Your mercy and grace. And peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings. 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 and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and infallible progeny. Especially Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and the pure and chaste lady, the Mistress of the Women of the Worlds, and Hasan and Husayn, the grandsons of mercy and the Imams of guidance and the masters of the youth of Paradise, and upon Ali ibn Husayn, Zain al-Abidin, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ja'far ibn Muhammad, and Musa ibn Ja'far, and Ali ibn Musa, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ali ibn Muhammad, and Hasan ibn Ali, and the Awaited Mahdi. Your proofs over Your servants and Your trusted ones in Your lands, and send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims and the protectors of the oppressed and the guides of the believers. I advise you, O servants of God, to be God-conscious. Since the time has passed, after recommending piety and maintaining and observing piety in all matters, I will only mention one point. Of course, it is necessary to thank all the brothers and sisters who across the country, during the days of mourning, held mourning ceremonies and especially held congregational prayers on the afternoon of Ashura and expressed their devotion to the family of the Prophet, honoring these days - various segments of the people, men and women, old and young - and I ask God Almighty for His mercy for all of you. The point is that as we mentioned, the enemy's propaganda against the Iranian nation peaks every now and then. It is not specific to today; the words are not new either. Perhaps for the past fifteen or sixteen years, the enemies of this nation and the enemies of this revolution have accused the Islamic Republic of the same things they accuse it of today. The difference is that back then they spoke in generalities, we analyzed and said what they meant; today they explicitly state what we analyzed back then! For many years, they said that Iran supports terrorism; we said that what they mean when they say "the Iranian government supports terrorism" is that we support the Palestinian fighters. They call this "supporting terrorism"! They label the Palestinian fighters as terrorists and call supporting them as supporting terrorism! In the past, we said this many times; now they explicitly state it and say the same! This shows that global arrogance and the news empire, when forced, shamelessly reveals the truths that they once had to hide! The enemy has expelled a nation from its home, occupied a country, established a tyrannical government, subjected the people of that land to various calamities, and inflicted various hardships upon them; when those people raise a cry and show a small reaction, they call this terrorism! Yes; if the meaning of terrorism is this, we are proud to support the Palestinian fighters; it is our duty. We defend the truth, we confront falsehood; now let the fair-minded people of the world judge. We have a homeowner and an occupier. The homeowners are the Palestinians. The occupiers are the Zionists who have settled there from all over the world - from America, from Europe, from Russia, and from other places. Those occupiers have committed a hundred crimes against these homeowners; the homeowners have resisted in some instances and struck back at them. Who are the terrorists?! Is it the one who has entered the homes of the people, killed women, killed children, and created a catastrophe in "Dier Yasin" and inflicted a thousand problems upon the people, who has settled others in the homes of these people and given the Palestinian cities to others, and now if someone breathes, they throw them into harsh prisons, is this one a terrorist, or the one who demands his own right?! This brave Palestinian Sheikh who came to Iran and is completely paralyzed - his hand is paralyzed, his leg is paralyzed, and he is a quadriplegic - has been fighting bravely for years. Despite being paralyzed, they took him to prison and tortured him! They suspected that if they hit his body, he would not feel it; so they whipped him on his face and deprived him of sleep! Are these not terrorists?! They come into Lebanon and kidnap the Lebanese fighters who oppose them and take them away. Are these not terrorists?! Then the one who cries out, two generations living under tents, in the camps, in the humble homes, outside their city and country, enduring the exile of the world, and now they have said a word or taken action, these are the terrorists! America is a supporter of the Zionists, and we are supporters of the Palestinians; which of us is a supporter of terrorism?! Let the fair-minded people of the world say. This is what they call "Iran and the Iranian government and the Iranian nation supporting terrorism"! No, sir! This means that the Iranian nation is not willing to accept the bullying that America exerts. They want to support falsehood; they want the whole world to support that falsehood and for everyone to consider it the truth, and unfortunately, many have accepted this in the world; but the Iranian nation does not accept it. The Iranian nation is brave. The Iranian nation stands firm. Do not think that this statement is the statement of one person or a group in Iran. The foolish ones say we want to propagate, we want to do this, we want to do that; because we want to fight against so-and-so - against Ali Khamenei! This is another mistake, another error in analysis! They think that these words are the words of one person; no, sir! Today in Iran, everyone says the same; our dear president says the same; the serving government says the same; the Islamic Consultative Assembly says the same; the officials of the country say the same; the scholars say the same; the masses of the nation say the same; there is no disagreement. The accusations and insults against the Iranian nation will lead nowhere. Global arrogance will not gain any advantage in this struggle. They still make mistakes. Once, in the matter of the revolution, they made a mistake, and they saw its effect; once again, in the matter of the imposed war, they made a mistake, and they saw the result; once again, in the matters after the war, they made a mistake, and they saw the result; now they are making another mistake, and they will see the result again. In this country, the flag of Islam and the flag of the revolution are raised, and the name of the Imam is alive and eternal. The values of this country for this nation, for these youths, and for these great masses are the same values that have given them dignity and made the Iranian nation noble and alive; they have illuminated their path towards the future, and God willing, they will move towards this future, and these accusations have no effect. Of course, as we mentioned, these are seasonal. Every now and then, they create a commotion for a reason; but they see that it is of no use! They stay for a while, then the devil again whispers to them! We also do our work. The Iranian nation is also busy with its movement on this path and in this direction, and God Almighty will grant it more success day by day.