Statements at the End of the Mourning Ceremony for Arbaeen of Hossein

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

Your prayers are accepted! Your supplications are accepted! Your tears, attentions, and prayers are met with divine grace and acceptance, God willing. Blessed are you, youth! Bright hearts, pure mirrors ready to attract and draw divine favors, this is the true description of you, the youth. First, I apologize for the lack of space for prayer, and after the prayer, for the inconvenience caused to you.

Each of these gatherings of supplication, from the states of devotion you have, is a connection and relationship with the everlasting spiritual light of Hossein (peace be upon him). We connect the extinguished candle of our hearts in these supplications to the radiant torch of the encompassing lights of Hossein; and it illuminates your hearts. The name of Imam Hossein, the path of Imam Hossein, attention to Imam Hossein, supplication to Hossein ibn Ali, the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him) is a guiding light. Truly, "Husayn is the lamp of guidance"; (1) Hossein is the light of guidance. You feel this guidance in your conscience, in your inner self. Anyone who sits and rises in a Hosseini gathering undoubtedly benefits spiritually from this sitting and rising; there is no doubt about this. Each of us, sitting for an hour in these gatherings, finds our hearts purer and more illuminated at the end of that hour than at the beginning. What is important is to maintain this; what is important is to preserve this illumination.

In this beautiful song that you sang at the beginning of this session, you said that this path is the path of will; yes, it is the path of will; we must move with determination, we must move with resolve. There are no shortage of attractions to create angles from this straight path. These angles have always existed, and today they are more than ever. A strong will is necessary to resist these satanic attractions. If you resist, then you will conquer the summit; and you will reach the summit of the sovereignty of God's religion, the sovereignty of truth, the sovereignty of justice, the summit of achieving the purpose and aim of human creation, which is the perfection of humanity. This task has not been accomplished since the time of the Messenger of God until today. This task is yours. You, the youth of today, can be a source of hope, and you are a source of hope. It is not a matter of "you can"; you are a source of hope. Today, each of you can be a radiant torch on the path around you and in your surrounding environment. Strive to maintain this; endeavor to persevere in this path: "So be steadfast as you have been commanded, and whoever repents with you"; (2) perseverance is important, standing firm is important, and you can do this, and God willing, by the blessing of attention and supplication to Hossein ibn Ali (peace be upon him), you will achieve it.

God willing, just as you moved with determination and strength in these great marches that have taken place today and in previous days between Najaf and Karbala and in the cities following that march, just as you walked with youthfulness in these marches, you will be able to move with the same strength in all your endeavors, in the path of spirituality, truth, and the sovereignty of monotheism, God willing. This is the hope that exists for you, the youth of today, for you, the youth of the Islamic world, and especially for you, our dear Iranian youth.

I hope that the Almighty God helps you, grants you success, and that you persevere in this path and always live a Hosseini life and remain Hosseini.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings

(1) Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 36, p. 205 (2) Surah Hud, part of verse 112; "So be steadfast as you have been commanded, and whoever repents with you [should do likewise]..."