Nowruz Message of the Supreme Leader on the Occasion of the Arrival of the Year 1374

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

O Transformer of hearts and eyes. O Director of night and day. O Changer of conditions and states. Change our state to the best of states.

I extend my congratulations on Nowruz and the arrival of the new year to all my dear compatriots and our great and noble nation, especially to the faithful and devoted men and women who have made special efforts and endured special hardships for the dignity of this country and this nation and the victory of this revolution, and to the esteemed families of the martyrs, the war-disabled, the freed captives, and their families, as well as the families of our dear and oppressed missing and captive ones.

I also extend these congratulations to other nations that respect and value Nowruz, such as the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the people of Afghanistan, the nations of the Central Asian republics, and others, as well as Iranians around the world.

This year, our celebration is mixed with great sorrow, and the shadow of the grief of losing the dear son of the late Imam (may his soul be sanctified) weighs heavily on the face of the celebration, the face of spring, and the new year. We hope that God will grant this nation, for these hardships, especially that noble family, particularly the suffering mother, the honorable wife, their dear children, and the rest of their family—sisters and others—and the families associated with the honorable household of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) His mercy, grace, patience, and assistance.

At the beginning of this talk, I must sincerely thank the great nation of Iran. In this tragic incident, the nation showed great sympathy and once again, after hundreds of times, expressed sincere devotion and loyalty to their great Imam. In the past year, in several cases, the dear Iranian nation demonstrated their presence on the scene with strength and power. Whether in the losses we suffered and the dear ones we lost, or in important social occasions throughout the year 1373—such as the marches on the 22nd of Bahman and Quds Day and other occasions, as well as in the bitter events that occurred with great losses—the nation, with their massive presence, displayed a great revolutionary and Islamic character to the world. The millions of people present in the events I mentioned, in the streets and in the view of the world's nations and global observers, demonstrated four concepts to everyone. Firstly, the political stance of the nation; secondly, the abundant emotions and loyalty of the people to Islam, the revolution, the great leader, and the nation's benefactors and servants; thirdly, the spiritual vitality of the nation—a nation that is present on the scene and shows its presence in all important societal events—and fourthly, social hope, indicating that this nation is hopeful and optimistic about the future. These four concepts—political stance, emotional loyalty, spiritual vitality, and social hope—summarize all the great gatherings that our nation displayed in the past year, especially in recent months—in the month of Ramadan, in this bitter incident, in the martyrdom of the Air Force commanders, in the passing of the great Marja Ayatollah Araki, and various other events. I want to tell our dear people that your magnificent presence in the scenes where your presence is necessary and essential is indicative and demonstrative of divine power and intervention. This is the meaning of 'O Transformer of hearts and eyes' and 'O Director of night and day.' God is the director of hearts and the guide of souls and spirits. Despite all the propaganda against Iran, Iranians, and the Islamic system, and all the events and incidents in this country by the leaders and major global propagandists, the media controlled by global arrogance and Zionism constantly bombard this nation with propaganda. Yet, when you observe and see the individuals of this nation standing proud, upright, self-reliant, and vibrant in the face of the enemy's propaganda, you realize that this is the hand of God and the intervention of the Lord in hearts and souls, and this is the neutralization of the enemy's plans through divine planning and will. This great and vital role, which is the main role in the world of existence, must be considered in all stages of our lives. All members of the nation; the country's officials and those who consider themselves to have a proper human and true Islamic status in this society and country and on this planet, must have faith in this divine will and intervention in hearts and souls and know that affairs proceed with divine power and will, and in this path, the nation and the individual who succeeds is the one who improves their relationship with Almighty God day by day and makes servitude to the Lord clearer and more transparent day by day.

The past year was a very hardworking and successful year for our country. In the political field—both globally and in relation to specific issues concerning the Iranian nation—the presence of the Iranian nation was a powerful presence, and the country's foreign policy and international relations officials, relying on this trust and support from the nation, truly and fairly accomplished great tasks. On the global stage, the Iranian nation was proud. Many of the enemy's accusations were nullified, and the enemies of the Iranian nation, the enemies of the Islamic Republic, and the enemies of the country's territorial integrity were thwarted in various ways. In the domestic scene; that is, the scene of construction and innovation and laying the foundations of a proper life system in the country in terms of economy and building the fundamental bases of the future economy, truly and fairly, great tasks were accomplished, and the country's officials and statesmen were able to perform valuable tasks. We hope that these tasks will continue and that the Iranian nation will increase its sincere relationship with the officials and its unity, coordination, and harmony in the scenes of construction, life, innovation, and activity day by day, and God willing, the country's construction process will advance.

In Nowruz of the year 73, I made two recommendations to the nation and the government and presented two slogans, two headings, one of which was 'work conscience' and the other 'social discipline.' According to my own summary, these two headings could and can accelerate and facilitate the Iranian nation's movement towards the victory and construction of a prosperous and free Islamic Iran. Of course, the country's officials and leaders of various economic and social affairs, as well as cultural officials and media managers and others, wrote about these two topics, spoke about them, and confirmed them. They also announced to us, in oral statements, in various reports, and in speeches and writings, that these two headings are truly important, and tasks were also carried out in this direction.

This year—in the dawn of the year 74—I want to say that we have been able to successfully carry out these two headings and realize these two slogans if we observe their effects externally. If in the country, production in the economic field has increased; if social, administrative, and economic affairs have become smoother and easier; if goods used by the people have become more abundant and accessible; and if tasks of this kind have been accomplished, this indicates that work conscience in our society has fully awakened. That is, in this country, the millions of work performers have a sense of work conscience and consider work a righteous act, a true duty, a worship, and a social and political responsibility, and the meaning of work conscience is precisely these points that I mentioned. To the extent that those tasks have been accomplished, work conscience has progressed. If we have made little progress in those areas, it is evident that work conscience has been somewhat realized and awakened. If, God forbid, we have not progressed at all in these areas—which, of course, is not the case—then it is evidence that work conscience has not been activated. Although, thanks be to God, we had progress in tasks last year, I must say it is not enough. Regarding social discipline, if social violations and law-breaking have decreased; if people have truly become accustomed to correct social habits and manners; if crime and delinquency have significantly decreased, then we feel that social discipline has been realized in the true sense. Of course, we had some progress and efforts were made; but not to the extent that this humble person desired and was necessary and is necessary for our society.

I say that this year, too, I want to make two recommendations. One recommendation is to keep those two slogans alive. These issues related to human and social ethics, manners, and habits are not seasonal and fleeting issues, not issues of one year or two years. Centuries have worked to bring a nation to a good or bad position; to create or inject a social habit or a bunch of social habits into a nation.

Firstly, it takes years for a bad habit to be removed and a good habit to take root in the soul of a nation. This is not the work of one month, two months, a few months, or one year. Therefore, I say that those two slogans, which were efforts to create work conscience and efforts to create social discipline among the people, within society, among the officials, among the country's agents, and among anyone engaged in work, must continue.

Those who are heralds and guardians of cultural issues should promote those issues; they should explain and clarify the issues correctly for the people. Those who are planners should plan to instill the two spirits of work conscience and social discipline in the people. Those who are workers and strivers should create these two spirits within themselves. Everyone should do this work and effort for themselves. Those who remind the people and advertise to the people should talk to the people about this. We should make work and constructive action; whether cultural action, economic action, social action, or political action, a sacred act for the one who performs it. From a simple worker, to a simple administrative officer, to a high-ranking manager, to an important and large industrial owner in the country, to a high-ranking government official, to a teacher, to a student, to a preacher and cleric, all should feel that the work they do is a worship and a good and righteous act. Everyone should perform their work with seriousness and goodness. It is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: 'May God have mercy on a person who performs a task and does it well and firmly and correctly.' Avoid patching up and leaving work to chance and not attending to work and neglecting the firmness of a task. This relates to work conscience. Regarding social discipline, it is the same that everyone should carefully observe the correct social limit that the law defines and the divine regulations and limits determine, so that life is a correct and healthy life. Keep these two slogans this year. Speakers should talk about it; writers should write about it; officials should plan for it, and all members of society should measure themselves against this criterion and observe their progress. This is the first recommendation.

The second recommendation, which is also very important for our society, is 'economic and financial discipline.' I request this from all members of the nation, the country's officials, and government agents this year. Economic and financial discipline means confronting wastefulness, extravagance, and excess. Financial wastefulness and extravagance in spending and consumption are by no means good traits. It is neither generosity nor magnanimity. It is only called 'economic and financial indiscipline.' Those who spend unnecessarily; who spend excessively and consume excessively for themselves and do not consider the community's resources in terms of economic possibilities, are people who, in my view, are economically and financially undisciplined. If such a situation continues, this nation will face difficulties. If we tell those who spend unnecessarily, why did you spend so much and why did you arrange this unnecessary and pointless party with all this wastefulness? They say we have it and we do it! Is this a sufficient reason that I have and I can spend? No; this reason is by no means a convincing reason. One should spend and consume according to need and necessity. Especially those who consume public funds. They, like those who spend their own funds without account and reckoning, are addressed by this matter and should not consume excessively. Some individuals are wealthy and have income, God willing, from lawful means—those who earn income from unlawful means are in a worse situation—these too, if they waste and indulge in unnecessary and pointless luxuries and extravagance, have committed economic and financial indiscipline. These actions are called wastefulness, and wastefulness is a reprehensible and undesirable matter. These actions disrupt others' lives psychologically. For example, you consume large amounts of foodstuffs at a certain ordinary party; while it is not necessary, and next to you and in your neighborhood, in a more distant place, even in the farthest corners of the country, there are people who have an urgent need for these foodstuffs to continue their lives and the lives of their children and loved ones. Is this action correct under such conditions? Therefore, in personal wealth and finances obtained from lawful means, wastefulness is wrong and against discipline. Those who consume government funds, even more so. I ask the officials of affairs to seriously refrain from consuming public funds in areas that do not have priority—even though it may be needed, but it is not a top priority. Refrain where the matter is between a priority need and a non-priority need. Where there is no need and no necessity, do not consume at all. Where there is a need, but there is a higher need, do not consume there either, and use this financial possibility in the higher and superior need. This is also my recommendation this year, and I hope again that the country's officials will pay attention to this issue. In other words, cultural officials should pay cultural attention, and economic, administrative, governmental, and executive officials should pay executive attention.

At the end of this talk at the beginning of the new year, I would like to recommend to some of our neighboring nations who value Nowruz to reduce the great tragedies occurring in some nations and to stop the bloodshed. Unfortunately, in this new year, it is observed that in some of our neighboring countries, including Afghanistan—where the events of this country are intensely painful and distressing for us—bloodshed and fratricide occur without any correct slogan or clear and correct goal, and it is mostly about power-seeking. The Afghan nation, the officials of that country, and the leaders of groups and parties must certainly pay attention to this point. Nations may not bring these bloody events to their attention in the short term or may not have the opportunity to protest; but in the long term, and especially in history, such incorrect methods will be recorded in the name of their perpetrators and will be a source of disgrace for them. I implore Almighty God with supplication and entreaty to bless this year for the people. God willing, may the year 1374 be a happy and good year for you, the Iranian nation; a year of goodness and blessing and a year of various economic, social, and cultural advancements; a year of great political victories; a year of your enemies' failures against you and a year of great political prosperity. We hope that, God willing, you will be included in the pure prayers of His Holiness, the Remaining Proof, His Holiness the Master of the Age, may our souls be sacrificed for him, and may God hasten the reappearance of that great one and make us among the helpers of that great one and make the soul of the late Imam happy with us and grant the soul of our recently deceased dear one a good reward from this nation and from the emotions of this nation.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings