Statements in Meeting with Ayatollah al-Uzma Golpayegani and Ayatollah al-Uzma Araki

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

The blessings of this holy city and the spiritual effusions that are always present here have alleviated our fatigue. Despite being somewhat occupied in recent days, I do not feel any fatigue at all. Yes, thanks be to God, this city is surrounded by blessings from all sides; and one of its greatest blessings is the presence of the esteemed Ayatollah and others like him, who are truly exceptional individuals. We pray that God, God willing, preserves him and sustains his blessings. This spiritual vitality that, thanks be to God, is present in him and his continued study is very precious.

... Yesterday, we had the opportunity to visit the Fayzieh Library; unfortunately, it is a warehouse of books! Mr. Haj Agha Mojtaba Araqi is making great efforts; however, it is truly a warehouse! One feels great regret; it is a pity that this library, with its precious manuscripts and writings of great scholars, has come to this state. Of course, a few months ago, Mr. Fazel mentioned in Tehran that they have considered a piece of land on the other side of Fayzieh; it is planned to build several floors there; we also said we have no objection. Today, after seeing this library, my determination to build an independent library became stronger. Truly, a library of this magnitude is a pity; it has a hundred thousand books, several thousand precious manuscripts; and they have become like a warehouse, filled with books. Its reading room, given the number of seminarians - more than twenty thousand seminarians in Qom - is not truly a reading room!

... I remember that in this noble seminary, when we were engaged in study and discussion here, you established the first organized and programmatic school - even before the Haqqani School; we have always mentioned this in various gatherings in Tehran; it was also discussed here in a session, and we told the gentlemen. This indicates that your noble view has always been towards order, discipline, examination, and the organized administration of seminarians. There are more than twenty thousand seminarians in this great seminary who need attention in these aspects; God willing, you will instruct the esteemed scholars and elders of the seminary to undertake these tasks. This seminary has become like a large warehouse of knowledge; as long as these are not categorized and good use is not made of them, it cannot keep pace with the needs of the time. We are currently in need of preachers in thousands of places; the seminary must provide the preachers; but the esteemed scholars do not move from the seminary, and no one leaves the seminary; some seminarians who do come, we do not want them; because they do not meet the needs!

... Examination was the first step that he took. Examination is necessary; however, it is one of a hundred tasks that must be done in the seminary. Our great scholars in the past did not really pay much attention to these issues and the needs of the day. The late Mr. Seyyed Hassan Tehami, who was a good student of the late Mirza and on par with Mr. Khoei and Mr. Milani and a well-versed scholar, said that we became ten or twelve people - mentioning Mr. Khoei, Mr. Milani, the late Seyyed Ali Madad Qaini, himself, and a few others - and after the late Mirza passed away, we went around the late Seyyed Abul Hasan for a while and said that the seminary should be organized; the seminarians should be informed of new issues and occasionally learn foreign languages; it was a time when these European ideas were just starting to spread everywhere. He said that in the first session, the late Seyyed welcomed our words; but in the second session, when we went for a conclusion, we did not reach a result! He said that between the outer and inner rooms of Seyyed, there was a small room which was his sitting room; we saw the door open and, without his cloak on his shoulders and his robe buttons undone - it was clear he had not come to sit - he entered our gathering; we stood up and respected him; he said no, I am not coming in; I just wanted you to know that these funds I give are my personal property; because I borrow first and pay the stipend; then when the funds come, I repay my debt; therefore, when this stipend is given, it is my personal property that is given, and I am not satisfied that besides jurisprudence and principles, the seminarian engages in other work and wants to receive a stipend. He said this and closed the door and left! Now, in this interval of a week or ten days, who went to serve him and what was said, one does not know.

I want to say that this issue relates to fifty or sixty years ago; but today, thanks be to God, it is not like that; today, the esteemed Ayatollah, who is at the head of the seminaries and, thanks be to God, holds a high and eminent position, believes in order and discipline in the seminary. They have a center for propaganda in London; these are new ideas and renewal in affairs. They have brought computers into their system; these are very precious. Previously, scholars had nothing to do with computers; if they were looking for a topic, they had to flip through many books; books that sometimes had no index and not even page numbers! I have the book 'Masalik' which has no page numbers! In my opinion, today, if the scholars of the seminary do not organize the seminary, they have no excuse. The scholars must use the presence, thoughts, and support of the esteemed Ayatollah and organize the seminary.

... This issue of Seyyed Abul Hasan is at a time when Marxism's influence in the world is at its peak; the same time when Sheikh Jawad Balaghi in Najaf was alone engaged in refuting the ideas of materialists and atheists. I am aware - of course, it is not personal information; it is recorded - that young seminarians in Najaf; those who even came from important scholarly families and from the family of the author of Jawahir and the like, went to Baghdad and composed poetry for the socialists! No fault lies with Seyyed Abul Hasan - he was a jurist and a mujtahid who knew his duty and acted according to it; no religious fault lies with him - the fault was with the course of affairs; affairs had developed in this way. Yes, today, truly no excuse is accepted.

... Do you not have any advice or recommendations for us? In any case, we are always waiting to hear your noble views and guidance; we consider it precious. God willing, may God grant us the success to correctly recognize our duty and responsibility and to act correctly according to it.

May you be greatly blessed, God protect you

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

We are praying for your noble existence. God willing, may God accept your pure prayers for us and the people. God willing, may God preserve your noble existence for us. We thank God that He has made us spiritually and heartfully appreciative of your existence and these great blessings that today, thanks be to God, are at the disposal of the people of Iran - you were and are a divine treasure. God willing, may your noble existence always be healthy and vibrant, and may the people benefit from the lights of your existence. We are in need of your prayers. Your saying that you pray for us truly makes us happy from the bottom of our hearts.

God protect you