Meeting of System Officials on the Occasion of the Birth of the Great Prophet (PBUH)

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

I congratulate this great and universal holiday to all truth-seekers and freedom-lovers of the world, to the great Islamic Ummah, to the dear and faithful nation of Iran, and to you esteemed attendees, dear brothers and sisters.

The commemoration of the birth of the Prophet is not merely a reminder of a historical event — this is the point we must always remember when facing this great event and this precious human and humane memory — but rather, it is a reliance on this glorious memory, which in truth is a repetition and review of an unforgettable lesson, primarily for the Islamic Ummah; for all individuals of the Ummah, for the distinguished and elite members of the Ummah — politicians, scholars, intellectuals — and subsequently for all of humanity. This is a repetition of a lesson, a repetition of a model, a reminder of an instructive event.

The dimensions of this event are very diverse; if someone wishes to express the aspects of the issue of the birth of the Prophet with eloquent speech — even briefly — books must be written and hours must be spoken; however, as one takes an initial look at this event, multiple lessons are learned. You observe that the Noble Prophet, with this message that encompasses all of humanity's needs for perfection, appeared in a society where none of those desired perfections existed. The Prophet was a prophet of knowledge, yet there was no knowledge in that society; the Prophet was a prophet of justice, yet there was no scent of justice in that society, and the powerful, the tyrants, the oppressive leaders dominated the lives and properties of the people. The Prophet was a prophet of ethics, tolerance, forgiveness, fairness, and love, yet in that society, these qualities were completely absent; it was a harsh, tyrannical society, devoid of ethics and spirituality, far from knowledge, attached to carnal desires, to the tribalism of ignorance, to baseless and misplaced pride. In such a rigid and difficult atmosphere, in such a barren wilderness, this sapling grew, thriving for thirteen years under these harsh conditions, culminating in the establishment of a government; forming a society based on knowledge, justice, monotheism, spirituality, ethics, and dignity. It transformed humiliation into honor; savagery into brotherhood; tribalism into tolerance and reason; ignorance into knowledge; it established a solid foundation, a robust structure upon which for centuries Muslims could dominate the pinnacle of world civilization and create heights that had no precedent in human history.

The ten years of this government did not last long either. You see that thirteen years plus ten years in the lifespan of nations is but a moment, like a fleeting hour. In such a short span, a tremendous movement arose that can be said to have divided history into two parts: the period before Islam and the period after Islam. It advanced humanity, solidified the foundations of ethics, and left unforgettable lessons for mankind; view the greatness of the birth of the Prophet from this perspective.

What guaranteed these successes, of course, are many intertwined elements; however, primarily, the steadfast and stable element that was filled with spirituality, purity, and knowledge of the Creator, and reliance on God, is the very existence of the Prophet himself. The Noble Prophet was the most knowledgeable and wisest of the people of Mecca before he reached prophethood; he was the most generous, noble, and ethical person in that region before he reached prophethood. Among those people, this distinguished human being was favored by divine grace, and this burden was placed upon him; for God had tested him. God knew His servant and understood upon whom He was placing this burden, and the Prophet stood firm. This steadfastness, this perseverance, accompanied by a deep understanding of the goal towards which he was moving and the path he was traversing, became the backbone of all the Prophet's advancements and the foundation of the flourishing of this great movement. Yes, truth is victorious, but with conditions; the condition for the victory of truth is the defense of truth. The condition for the victory of truth is standing firm on the path of truth.

When, in the initial stage of the birth of the Prophet, after three years or more — during which the invitation was secret and concealed — the Prophet had managed to convert thirty or forty people to Islam, then the divine command came: "Proclaim what you have been commanded and turn away from the polytheists. Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers"; make it public, go into the field, take the flag in hand and make it public. The Prophet came into the midst of the field and the events you have heard about occurred. The leaders and dignitaries of the Quraysh and the powerful and tyrannical figures of that society became frightened and trembled. The first thing they did was to tempt that noble man. They came to Abu Talib and said that this nephew of yours, if he desires leadership, we will give him our absolute leadership; if he desires wealth, we will give him so much wealth that he will be wealthier than all of us; if he wishes to be a king, we will choose him as our king. Tell him to abandon these words he speaks. Abu Talib, who feared for the Prophet's life and was apprehensive of their conspiracy, came to the Prophet and said that the leaders of Mecca sent this message; perhaps he advised him, recommended that he should ease up a little; why this level of steadfastness is necessary; it is not needed. The Prophet said: "O uncle! By God, if they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, I will not abandon this matter until God makes it manifest or destroys what is in it"; dear uncle! If they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, to make me abandon this goal, I swear to God I will not do it; until either God grants us victory or we all perish.

Then it is narrated that "his eyes filled with tears"; the Prophet's blessed eyes brimmed with tears and he stood up. When Abu Talib saw this faith, this steadfastness, he was moved and said: "O son of my brother, go and say what you wish"; pursue your goal. "By God, I will not exchange you for anything"; I swear to God I will not exchange you for anything. This steadfastness creates steadfastness. This perseverance of the Prophet strengthens the root of steadfastness in Abu Talib. This adherence to the goal, not fearing the enemy, not coveting what the enemy possesses, not being attached to the privileges the enemy wishes to offer in exchange for halting this path, creates steadfastness, brings about tranquility, and instills confidence in the path, in the goal, and in the God to whom this goal belongs. Thus, there were only thirty or forty people. These thirty or forty stood firm against all the difficulties, all the hardships, and day by day they increased. Day by day in Mecca, they saw what was being done to Ammar, what was being done to Bilal, how Sumayyah and Yasir were tortured and martyred; they witnessed these events, yet at the same time, they believed. The advancement of truth occurs in this manner. Merely raising the flag of truth in comfort, in safety and security does not lead to progress. Truth advances when the bearer of truth, the follower of truth, demonstrates perseverance and steadfastness in the path of advancing truth. The Quran states: "Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and those with him are severe against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves". Being severe against the disbelievers does not mean they are always at war with the disbelievers. Being severe means steadfastness, stability, not being consumed. A metal rusts, it decays, it becomes hollow, it disappears; while another metal, even after centuries, does not suffer from corrosion, rust, decay, or hollowness. Being severe means this. Severity means steadfastness. Steadfastness manifests itself in one way in the battlefield; it manifests itself in another way in the dialogue with the enemy. You see how the Prophet speaks in his battles, where it is necessary to converse with his opponent and enemy. The entirety of the Prophet's strategy is steadfastness; it is firm, without a trace of weakness.

In the Battle of the Confederates, the Prophet engaged in dialogue with the opposing parties, but what a dialogue! Read history. If it is war, it is with severity; if it is dialogue, it is with severity; if it is interaction, it is with severity; with steadfastness. This is the meaning of being severe against the disbelievers. Being merciful among themselves means that among themselves, there is softness, there is flexibility; here, there is no severity and no rigidity. Here, hearts must be given and taken. Here, one must behave with empathy.

That initial steadfastness of the birth led to an extraordinary perseverance for three years in the Valley of Abu Talib. It is no joke; three years in a valley adjacent to Mecca, without water, without vegetation, under the scorching sun. The Prophet, Abu Talib, Khadijah, all the Muslims and their families lived in this narrow gorge. The path was closed so that food would not come to them, provisions would not reach them. Sometimes during the season — according to the customs of ignorance, meaning there was no war — they could enter the city, but as soon as they wanted to trade for goods, Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, and the other leaders of Mecca had instructed their servants and children to enter into transactions whenever they wanted to buy goods, pay double the price, buy the goods themselves, and not allow them to purchase anything. They endured such a difficult situation for three years. Is this a joke? That initial steadfastness, that solid pillar of this tent, that heart relying on God creates such steadfastness in the atmosphere that individuals endure. Night until morning, children cried from hunger, and the sound of the children's cries from within the Valley of Abu Talib reached the ears of the Quraysh disbelievers, and their weak ones felt pity; but out of fear of the strong, they did not dare to help. However, the Muslim, whose child was withering before him — how many died in the Valley, how many fell ill, how many suffered from hunger — did not budge. The Commander of the Faithful said to his dear son Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah: "Mountains may shake, but you must not shake"; mountains may tremble; they may be uprooted; you must not be uprooted. This is the same advice of the Prophet; this is the same will of the Prophet. This is the path of the Islamic Ummah's rise; the birth of the Islamic Ummah is this. This is the lesson the Prophet teaches us. The birth teaches us this.

Merely sitting and saying an ayah was revealed and Gabriel came and the Prophet was appointed to prophethood and being happy about who believed and who did not believe does not solve the issue. The issue is that we must learn from this event — which is the mother of all events during the blessed life of the Prophet. All these twenty-three years are lessons. I once told some friends that the life of the Prophet must be studied millimeter by millimeter. Every moment of this life is an event; a lesson; a magnificent human manifestation; all these twenty-three years are like this. Our youth should read the history of the Prophet's life from solid and documented sources and see what happened. If you see a nation of such greatness came into existence — which today also has the best words, the best paths, the greatest lessons, the most healing remedies for humanity within this very Islamic Ummah — it came into being, expanded, and took root in this manner. Otherwise, merely having the truth on our side does not lead us forward; truth must be accompanied by steadfastness. The Commander of the Faithful — I have often quoted this sentence from that great man — said in the Battle of Siffin: "This knowledge is only carried by those who have insight and patience." This banner can only be raised by those who, first of all, have insight, who understand what the issue is, what the goal is; secondly, they must have patience. Patience means this steadfastness, this perseverance, this firmness. We must learn this from the birth of the Prophet. Our dear Imam was a drop from that abundant spring that was able to establish this great system in the world. The Imam's heart was also filled with faith in his path. Just as he said: "The Messenger believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and the believers all believed in God and His messengers and His angels." The Prophet himself was the first believer. In our revolution, the great Imam was the first believer in this path and was filled with more faith than anyone else in this path and this goal; he understood, he knew what he was doing; he understood the greatness of the work, he also understood the requirements of this work, the first requirement of which was to stand firm in this path with reliance on God. He stood firm. The youth of this nation also gained steadfastness from his steadfastness; the individuals of this people, when this spring of patience and tranquility overflowed and poured forth, they were enveloped. They also became "He it is who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they might add faith to their faith." When tranquility descends upon the hearts of people, their faith increases. Then it says: "And to God belong the armies of the heavens and the earth." What are you afraid of? The armies of the earth and the heavens belong to God. Be with God, and these armies of the earth and the heavens are yours; they are at your disposal. This is divine tradition. See, the Almighty God has created two things at once: one is this world of creation, with all its laws, with all its traditions. The other is the rules of the Sharia; the religion of the people, the guidance of people's lives. These two have been created together; they are in accordance with each other. If you act according to divine laws — that is, the legislative will of God — your life and behavior will be in accordance with the laws of creation; like a ship that moves in the direction of the wind, the wind helps it; moving in the current of water, the current of water helps it. The traditions of creation assist a person who moves in this path; however, the condition is that you must move. The Iranian nation moved, and the traditions of creation also assisted it; the natural divine laws helped it. Otherwise, who would have thought that in the most sensitive point of the world — namely the Middle East — one of the most dependent governments on global arrogance — namely the Pahlavi regime — in a society where many of its intellectuals, many of its elites, had their minds polluted for decades by Western teachings and temptations and carnal desires, suddenly the flag of Islam would be raised and this society would be invited to Islam? Who would have thought such a thing was possible? But it happened. This means that when a group, a nation moves in this path, the favorable divine winds — that is, the same traditions of creation — assist them; they advance.

The issue is not only about Iran; today the Islamic world has awakened; it has gained awareness. There was a time when it was thought that whatever the powerful, the tyrants, and the bullies of the world — now in the situation of America, in the situation of the former Soviet Union — wanted, that would be the case, and politicians had no choice but to act according to their desires. Today, this belief among nations does not exist at all; among politicians and political elites, this belief has also been greatly undermined. We must stand firm; we must show steadfastness. I tell the Iranian nation, to the followers of the birth of Muhammad (peace be upon him), that the path is this steadfastness. The Islamic Republic system, following its great Imam, has chosen this steadfastness; we have benefited from this steadfastness and have not suffered losses. All the loudspeakers of global arrogance gathered to prevent the Iranian nation, the Iranian government, and the Islamic Republic system from supporting the Palestinians with various arguments, but the Iranian nation did not accept, and we will not accept in the future; we defend the Palestinian nation.

The Palestinian nation is rightful; the truth is with them; they are oppressed. Shame on those who claim to be advocates of freedom, those who claim to support human rights, who turn a blind eye to all the oppression that has been inflicted upon this nation, yet still claim to support human rights; they do not even feel ashamed. I am astonished; in what part of the world would a fair person, if the Palestinians were a foreign minority in their own country — we do not say the owners of the country, let’s assume the Palestinians were a minority in their own land; immigrants who had come to Palestine — tolerate such oppression against them? To demolish their homes, to kill their youth, to imprison their men, to constantly threaten them, to bomb their homes, to block their provisions, to impose economic sanctions, to destroy their orchards, to disrupt their entire lives. And then Mr. Bush does not even feel ashamed, stands up and says we are committed to freedom! Is this freedom?! Shame on you! Is this supporting freedom?! To put such pressure on a nation, especially in their own home? Then the world's powerful constantly support the oppressor, the aggressor, the murderer, the terrorist, and turn a blind eye to all the atrocities inflicted upon this nation, and in the end, they come out saying, "self-talk and self-laughter," we are supporters of freedom! We support such and such.

The Iranian nation is awake; the Iranian nation understands the truth. The nature of global arrogance is that if you take one step back, it takes one step forward. No one should think that retreating in the face of global arrogance and deviating from correct positions and from the correct truth and from the correct claim will cause global arrogance to feel ashamed; to show nobility, to say, well, now they have taken a step back, we will also take a step back. Such a thing does not exist. If you take one step back, it takes one step forward; if you leave one trench empty, it will take that trench. The Islamic Ummah must view its issues in this manner. Politicians in the Islamic world must look at the events around them with this perspective. The Iranian nation stands firm; it has spoken its truth. Our word is the word of monotheism and the unity of the word. We say we should only be servants of God; we should not be servants of America; we should not be servants of the arrogant and tyrannical powers; we should not be servants of the pharaohs of the age; we should not be servants of the Abu Lahabs and Abu Jahls of this time. Who is the Abu Jahal of this time? Abu Jahal has died and gone; today, Abu Jahal exists in the world; today, Abu Lahab exists; the fire-stirrers, the ignorant fools; these exist in the world today. Find the Abu Jahals of today. The Abu Jahals of today are those who build atomic bombs, threaten the entire world, and then target a nation without reason, asking why do you want to acquire nuclear energy; which we also accept is for electricity, for peaceful uses; but because this capability gives you power, we will not allow it; this is the argument of the gentlemen. Against these bullies, against these tyrants, the ignorant, the foolish who understand neither logic nor words; like these brainless thugs who constantly look at their own muscles, measure their own power, and constantly shout; if you retreat, you lose. The Iranian nation has experienced this. For nearly thirty years, we have faced these issues; yet we have truly advanced; we have advanced on the ground. Today, the Iranian nation is not comparable to the Iranian nation of twenty years ago, and its knowledge, technology, experience, various skills, and the vast comprehensive development of its national, social, and economic aspects, its influence and power in the region, are not comparable to twenty or twenty-five years ago. This is due to this very steadfastness. This is the lesson of the birth; we must all know and understand this; we must become familiar with the history of the Prophet; we must know that on the day of the birth of the noble Prophet, today is the birth of the Islamic Ummah. Today, the Islamic Ummah must feel the birth; it must consider itself as being appointed; it must move and act consciously and insightfully; it must increase its knowledge, enhance its capabilities, and strengthen its national cohesion and international Islamic unity. And among them, the unity of the word is very important. This is the message of the Iranian nation, the message of the Islamic revolution, the message of the Islamic Republic system. And the horizon is also clear for us. With God's grace, we know what we are doing and we also know where we will reach, and we know that the way to reach that point is to move forward; not to stand still and not to retreat.

We hope that the Almighty God grants this dear nation the blessings of the Prophet's birth; that He makes the Islamic Ummah more dignified day by day; that He brings joy to the sacred heart of the Awaited Imam (may our souls be sacrificed for him); that He makes the pure soul of the martyrs and the pure soul of our dear Imam pleased with us. Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.