Speech on the Occasion of the Birth of Lady Fatemeh Zahra (peace be upon her) in a Meeting with a Large Group of Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) Eulogists

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

We are grateful and thankful to God for granting us the opportunity and life to once again be in the presence of you dear brothers, religious speakers, and eulogists of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) on this noble day and great occasion, and to benefit from your warm breath and poetry.

The status of Fatemeh Zahra (peace be upon her) is such that the prominent minds of great human beings should contemplate in their most fundamental fields of thought, and the most eloquent and articulate speakers and poets should express those thoughts in words, and the most abundant talents and flowing creative spirits of artists and poets should convey them in the form of poetry and eloquent speech with the best voices and expressions. If this happens, perhaps the average human mind today, and we who are distant from true divine knowledge and lack the capacity to comprehend the high and sublime truths in our minds, hearts, and souls, may be able to understand and grasp a glimpse of the virtues, praises, and commendations of this great lady.

When one refers to the narrations related to Fatemeh Zahra (peace be upon her) issued by the Imams (peace be upon them), one sees that the language of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) towards this great lady is one of praise, humility, and reverence, which may surprise those who are unaware of the high status of Fatemeh Zahra (peace be upon her). From the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), who was the father and mentor of this noble lady, to the Commander of the Faithful, who was her husband, and to her children—the Imams (peace be upon them)—each has spoken about Zahra the Pure, expressing it with a language of reverence and praise. This indicates the high and indescribable status that is truly beyond the comprehension of our limited minds, and we may only grasp a droplet of its essence.

If a poet, speaker, or singer wishes to speak about this great lady, compose a poem, or recite a hymn, what are the conditions for this task? What is important for us today is this. For several years, on such a day, we have been sitting with you brothers, discussing eulogizing, poetry recitation, and speaking about the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them), and saying things that you brothers hear and accept. We do not wish to repeat what we have said again and again. Of course, this year our gathering is adorned with the presence of brothers from other cities—especially the brothers from Mashhad, who have a long history in this path and service, as well as brothers from Qom and other cities.

Brothers in this field should pay attention to the fact that eulogizing is an important matter. Eulogizing, as I have previously mentioned in this very gathering, is a continuation of the path of the prominent eulogists of the Ahlul Bayt during the oppressive Umayyad and Abbasid eras. The issue is not just about poetry recitation; rather, it is about spreading praises, virtues, and truths in a form that is understandable and impactful for all listeners. Therefore, you can see that throughout the Islamic country of that time—from the farthest reaches of Khorasan and Sistan to Yemen and Egypt and the Maghreb countries—there were Shia who spoke about the Commander of the Faithful and other Imams (peace be upon them), as well as about Fatemeh Zahra (peace be upon her), and conveyed truths to others.

Among the words of the Imams (peace be upon them) or the conduct of those great ones, you rarely find someone who has been given such special attention, except for those very prominent individuals—like Hisham ibn Hakam or Mu'min al-Taq—who were unparalleled or very rare among the Shia figures. The Imams (peace be upon them) praised and paid attention to individuals like Hisham and Mu'min al-Taq; however, those who expressed the same praises and virtues in poetry—even if what they said did not reach the pinnacle of Hisham ibn Hakam's speech—were given attention, respect, and honor. Why is this?

You see how Imam Baqir or Imam Sajjad (peace be upon them) showed affection towards Farazdaq, even though Farazdaq was not among the poets of the Ahlul Bayt. He was a court poet affiliated with the power structures and an ordinary person who had a collection of poems about the same topics and trivialities that poets of that time commonly expressed; yet, because his conscience awakened once and he expressed the truth in the face of power—in the form of poetry—you see how Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) showed affection towards him. Or other poets related to the Ahlul Bayt—like Kumayt, Dibil, and Sayyid Himyari—and others who were considered poets of the Ahlul Bayt and were fond of them, had the same status.

Many of these poets, even though they had an affinity for the Ahlul Bayt, did not dedicate all their poetry to the Ahlul Bayt. If you look at the collection of Dibil Khuzai, it is not that he praised the Ahlul Bayt from beginning to end. No, he was a poet; but his poetry was political and aligned with the thoughts, beliefs, and love for the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) and was among those connected to this family. Guardianship means joining and becoming part of the followers and supporters of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them). See how much Dibil—and likewise Kumayt and others—were respected and honored in the Shia world and during the time of the Imams (peace be upon them). Why is that?

What Dibil Khuzai expressed in the poem 'Madaris Ayat,' or what Kumayt ibn Zayd Asadi expressed in the 'Seven Hashemite Odes,' or what Sayyid Himyari (may God be pleased with him) mentioned in his poems, is not more than what other Shia were saying and conveying to each other; but why do these words gain more value in the eyes of the Imams (peace be upon them)? Because it is poetry. Gentlemen, pay attention to this point. What is the characteristic of poetry? Because the impact of poetry on the mind of the audience is greater. Sometimes a poet says a single verse that is more eloquent than several hours of speech by a skilled orator. A single verse or line of poetry remains in minds, people understand it, repeat it, and consequently, it becomes enduring.

Sometimes you see that for preserving a belief or emotional structure, a poem is more important than several books. The famous twelve stanzas of Mohtasham, which are among the old elegies and laments, even though the content in this book and these twelve stanzas is not something that others like him have not mentioned in their books; nevertheless, his poems have a special impact. Often, they are things of taste.

If the eye of time wept openly for him

Blood would flow from the top of the Karbala porch

It depicts the Karbala incident for the audience in such a way that these concepts, with all their belief, emotional, human, political, and intellectual weight, penetrate deep into the listener's soul. The importance of these poems is such.

What is this commotion among the people of the world?

What is this lamentation, mourning, and grief?

See how it draws the heart's attention with art, taste, and a special presentation. The importance of poetry is this.

The conduct of the Imams (peace be upon them) was such that they strengthened the invitation of poetry. It was not only the Imams who did this; their opponents did the same. That is, the same Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs needed poetry for their advancement and paid poets large sums to compose poetry for them. Poets would do so because money and bribes were involved. Sometimes, even some poets inclined towards the Ahlul Bayt would compose poetry for them to receive money!

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) was sitting in a gathering. Kathir Azza, one of the famous Arab poets inclined towards the Ahlul Bayt, was also present. The Imam turned to him and said, 'Did you praise Abdul Malik?' They reproached him. He tried to make excuses. He said, 'I did not say anything in praise of Abdul Malik. I did not say that you are the Imam of guidance.' The Imam smiled and said nothing. Meanwhile, Kumayt stood up from the other side of the gathering and began reciting his famous ode—in praise of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them):

For a heart enamored and captivated

Not out of passion or dreams

They too sought poetry. The caliphs paid poets to compose poetry in praise of the Umayyads or Abbasids and to assert that they were rightful. Today, they also pay and say to degrade and criticize Islam, to condemn the Ahlul Bayt, and to ruin the Shia. Now, in the world, there are dozens of mercenary writers who are talented and artistic and receive these unaccounted oil dollars and write books. I have—according to the Mashhadis—a collection of books from these cases that they have written against Islam, Shia, Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), the Islamic Republic, and us. It is propaganda; propaganda with good methods but bad content. See how important the issue is.

Now, if a eulogist can recite a good poem with good content and meaning with a good voice, see what a great service it is. In the Name of God, here is the ball and here is the field. However, the first condition is that the poem must be good. If the poem is not good, none of these virtues I mentioned will exist. Know this point. Those who have these characteristics, if they recite a poem in a suitable place with the appropriate language, form, content, and a suitable voice, see what impact it will have. Of course, this voice is a recommended and supererogatory matter of poetry; its obligation is the poem itself. That is, if the poem is accompanied by a pleasant voice, its impact is doubled; but in the structure of this work, a pleasant voice does not interfere. If there is a pleasant voice and it accompanies this poem with good content and beautiful words and with the theme that is needed, its value doubles. Certainly, a poem recited in this way is more valuable than a one-hour lecture by a knowledgeable person.

This is why we have repeatedly told the brothers in these meetings to go and find strong Persian poems in various books and select those that are suitable for conveying Islamic concepts, beliefs, ethics, or political insights, or whatever the Islamic society needs today, and read them in gatherings for this very impact. Then, you will be a 'Kumayt' and a 'Dibil.'

As I mentioned, one of the things that should be in these poems is the high Islamic concepts—such as in the matter of monotheism or prophethood. The best poems of the ancients in the matter of monotheism and prophethood are these praises that our great poets have mentioned in the prefaces of their collections and masnavis. These poems of prominent poets have strong and truly enlightening themes that one can recognize the Prophet (peace be upon him) or the Imam (peace be upon him) or Fatemeh Zahra (peace be upon her) with the content of these poems. I do not say to know them correctly, because we cannot truly know those great ones; but to the extent possible, we must strive. For example, when a poem is recited about the Commander of the Faithful, both the spiritual status of Ali (peace be upon him)—of which we have little knowledge and is hidden from our minds, thoughts, and hearts of us low and average people—and his worship, oppression, governance, justice, support for the weak, enmity with the enemy, and jihad of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) should be recognized.

About twenty years ago, we used to say these things, and many would hear them but did not understand what we were saying. We said, do not only compose poetry about the imaginary beauty marks of the Imams (peace be upon them). Composing poetry about the hair, eyebrows, eyes, and face of the Imam is not a definition. Now, whether the eyebrows of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) are arched or not, how much does it affect his personality?! Whether his hair is flowing or not, how much does it affect that we now come and in a poem we want to compose about the Commander of the Faithful, speak of his hair! Of course, now it seems to me that it has decreased. God willing, these things do not exist now. When we said why do you say these things, they were surprised and said: So what should we say? We said, speak of the life issues and practical highlights of Ali (peace be upon him). At that time, these issues were not clear to them; but how is it today? Today, it is clear to everyone.

Let us describe the life of the Commander of the Faithful so that it can be compared with his enemies in history and today. It is not a small thing that a person is a ruler and all the reins of power—the public treasury, the sword, and the influence of words—are in his hands, but his personal life is such that he tells his close companions: You cannot live this hard: 'Indeed, you cannot do that.' His food is such that a narrator from the companions of the Commander of the Faithful tells Qanbar—the servant of that Imam—why do you give this hard dry barley bread to this old man? And Qanbar replies: I do not do this, he does it himself. He is the one who puts this bread or barley flour in a bag and seals it so that no one opens it and mixes it with sugar or oil or any condiment. 'Indeed, your Imam has sufficed himself with two old garments and two pieces of bread.' This is his life. Describe this.

Those who today in the world claim to support the oppressed and the nations and freedom and human rights, how do they live? Are there not poor and needy in their societies? Are there not those who lay their heads hungry on the pillow? Say these things, express these things. Today you can well depict these. First for yourself and then for others. The jihad of the Commander of the Faithful is a significant matter. From childhood—from the age of eleven or thirteen—when he realized himself as a human being, until the end of his life, he was engaged in fighting the enemies of God and ultimately gave his life in this path. A poet can express this very well. A speaker can penetrate this very well into the minds and deep into the hearts of the people.

Preserve the emotional connection of the people with the Imams (peace be upon them), which is also partly about moral issues. Once, on an occasion, I said here that some of these ghazals—such as the ghazals of Saeb—are about moral issues, and I think I read examples of them for you at that time. This shows the importance and value of the work. A poet who composes and a eulogist and singer who recites it will have a good impact. God willing, the brothers will strive in this regard.

Thanks be to God, today we have good singers. Thank God that there are thinkers and political thinkers and those with great motivation, and in your poems and recitations that we hear and observe on some occasions, truly good things are found; but pay attention to be strict about poetry.

This gathering is not suitable for me to sit and say which verse, if it were like this, would be better or what problem it had; but this work should be done in literary gatherings. That is, the same poem you have composed and may be good—I do not make a general judgment—put it in a literary gathering and give a prize to anyone who critiques that poem and points out a valid flaw in it, so it becomes strong. Or use the good poems that others have or your good poems. Try to raise the level of these poems in this way.

Today, thanks be to God, the brothers recited poems, some of which were truly and really very good poems, and this is a very valuable thing. Of course, gradually it should be such that this position of eulogizing—which is truly a position—also finds boundaries and limits. Eulogizing the Ahlul Bayt is very high. It has both a high status and a great impact on society and the minds of the people. You must know who is a eulogist, what are the preliminaries of his eulogizing work, how much poetry he knows, how much he has memorized, and how much he can recite? These characteristics should be undertaken by a center. Now I do not know whether these customary centers should do this work or you think about it in some way. This is something that the world and the needs of today's society do not tolerate and do not accept otherwise. It must be this way. Those who officially take on this position and wear the sacred garment of praising the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) and people know them by this title must have characteristics, and there must be a center that identifies them with these characteristics and certifies them. We hope that Almighty God grants you success.

Our dear Imam—that great man of our time—had extraordinary sensitivity towards the praise of the Imams (peace be upon them). We have read the biographies of great people in books and have sometimes seen them up close; but this man was another kind of person and had a great distance from all the great people we have known, and his limit matched those of the friends of God. He was of that kind of person; not like these great people who existed in today's world and the past and were recognized as great people. Our great leader was very different from them. He was truly a great personality. He had extraordinary sensitivity in connection with reading and praising and the life of the Imams (peace be upon them) and the emotional connection and love and strengthening of this field. Someone at this level of position, who pays so much attention to this matter, indicates the greatness of this matter.

The emotion of our people and their connection with the Imams (peace be upon them) and their love, which truly makes them happy in their joy and truly sad and grieved in their mourning, is a very important thing. Preserving, strengthening, purifying, refining, directing, and guiding this is the responsibility of some of the chosen ones—including this respected series of eulogists who hold this high position.

God willing, may God grant all of you and us and the Iranian nation the success to continue this path to the end, and God willing, may He make you subject to the favors and attention of the guiding Imams (peace be upon them).

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings