Statements of His Eminence on the Birth of the Noble Prophet and Imam Sadiq

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

I congratulate all the esteemed attendees, the dear nation of Iran, and the Muslims of the world on this blessed and joyous occasion, which marks the birth of the great Prophet of Islam, Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace be upon him and his family), and also the birth of Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (peace be upon him).

Certainly, the day when the dark world at the time of the Prophet's birth was illuminated by the divine light of this sacred existence should be considered the beginning of a new history for humanity. As Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) stated, on that day, due to the dominance of oppressive laws and tyrannies, the light of happiness had vanished from human societies; "and the world was devoid of light, manifesting vanity." The light of the Prophet's existence from the very beginning revealed the signs of the sovereignty of truth and the evidence of divine reasoning among the people. The wonders that occurred at the time of the birth of the Noble Prophet are, in fact, a warning to humanity and history. The fact that the palace of Khosrow was damaged at the time of this birth, or that fire temples were extinguished, has a symbolic meaning as well. The symbolic meaning of these truths and events is that with the appearance of this blessed newborn, a path will be laid before humanity, and humanity must be liberated from the darkness of illusions and oppressive systems. Who chooses this path and walks it with strength, and who turns away from it and does not benefit from its goodness, depends on the will and desire of human beings; they themselves are the ones who choose their own destiny and future; however, this path has been laid before them. Moreover, divine tradition dictates that the general movement of humanity be directed towards these lofty goals. This is something that, by necessity and naturally, human society moves towards. Just as all historical events have shown; the elevation of human knowledge and the advancement of human understanding are all in accordance with the teachings of the Noble Prophet of Islam and towards the ultimate end of this path.

Today, more than ever, people feel the need for the enlightening teachings of the Prophet of Islam. Our nation is proud that, thanks be to God, with its will, determination, steadfastness, and resistance, it has, firstly, consciously chosen this path; secondly, it has persevered and insisted on walking this path. It is a great honor for the Iranian nation to be the flagbearer of the prophetic call in all areas of life. Islam did not come merely to instill a belief in the corners of people's hearts and minds; even if that belief has no effect on their actions and lives. Islam came to transform life and correct the path of humanity. Belief in Islam is the source of human action. The laws and regulations of Islam encompass all aspects of human life - social life, individual life, political life, and economic conduct - and Islam has a program and guidance for all of them. Today, thanks be to God, the Iranian nation is proud to have placed all aspects of its life under the teachings of Islam. Of course, the reality of our lives is very far from what Islam demands of us; however, the direction of the Islamic system is towards bridging this gap, and thanks be to God, due to the blessings of the revolution and the guidance of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the diligent efforts of the Iranian nation, we have had this direction in recent years, and day by day, the Iranian nation has become more resolute on this path.

On the occasion of the magnificent scene of the presidential elections last Friday and the people's presence and their conscious entry into the arena of choice, it is necessary to sincerely thank the entire Iranian nation. Truly, our great nation, after years of turbulent times since the beginning of the revolution until today, has been able to elevate its awareness and vigilance in various areas of interest to a nation. We are very grateful to God Almighty for granting this success to our nation. Whatever the ill-wishers of this nation and this country have sought over the years to distance the people from participating in the public arenas of the country, they have not succeeded, and despite them, the people have had a widespread and honorable participation in determining the fate of the country, which is commendable to every observer. We hope that God Almighty will bestow His special favors upon this great, insightful, vigilant, faithful, and noble nation.

As we have repeatedly stated, this nation, to the best of its ability, has strived to strengthen the Islamic system and the success of its officials. Officials must also enter the arenas of work with this perspective and this sense of duty towards this nation. All those who have taken on responsibilities in this system must appreciate this nation and strive to fulfill the duties they owe to this faithful, courageous, and aware nation with all their effort and capacity. We hope that, God willing, the esteemed President - who has been elected for a second term - will utilize all his abilities in this field with the same sense of care and concern for this nation and with a precise understanding of the material and spiritual needs of the people. All those who will be present in the new government must consider themselves responsible and servants to the people and regard them as their benefactors. Indeed, the people are the benefactors of the officials. It is this presence and will of the people that has empowered this system. The people have shown that they will consciously and vigilantly be present in various arenas.

What the ill-wishers and enemies of this nation seek is to strip this motivation and faith from the people. Everyone must act against that. The enemy's effort is to dishearten the people from the Islamic system; however, the efforts of the officials of the Islamic system must be to encourage and instill hope in the people through their actions - not just their words. The enemy's effort is to weaken the foundations of faith, belief, and religious action among the people; however, officials must, on the contrary, consider themselves obligated and committed to strengthening the foundations of religious faith in people's hearts. In our country, with this vast population of youth, one of the fundamental priorities is this: all officials - primarily government officials and also others - must strive to illuminate the pure hearts of these youths with the light of Islam; to strengthen the foundations of faith in their hearts and not allow, due to bad behavior, misjudgment, poor advertising, misunderstanding of truths, misrepresentation of clear realities, and giving space to destructive thoughts, the hearts of these youths to deviate from the path of truth. This is a great responsibility upon us.

Deepening the faith of the people and providing spiritual and moral guidance to individuals in a society is the primary duty of the officials. "Indeed, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, a warner, and a caller to God by His permission and a shining lamp"; this is the duty of the Prophet; the same Prophet whose birthday is today. We want to follow that same path. "He it is who has sent among the unlettered a messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom"; purification and teaching are among the primary duties of the Prophet. In Islamic societies, officials must follow that same path; they must teach and educate; they must strengthen and solidify religious faith in minds. This is among our duties; this is our gratitude to this nation; this is our thankfulness to God Almighty for granting us these great blessings - this popular presence. These hearts are in God's hands. The attention, acceptance, presence, determination, will, and enthusiasm of the people are great divine blessings that have been bestowed upon us. We must express our gratitude for these. The gratitude for this blessing is this: in the path of reforming the affairs of life and strengthening the religious faith of the people, we must exert all our efforts.

I hope that God Almighty grants all officials - especially the esteemed President and other first-rate officials of the country - the success to fulfill, God willing, the heavy duties and great tasks that lie upon them in the best manner. We ask God Almighty to guide us all and grant us success and assistance, and God willing, may the attentions of the Master of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him) and the answered prayers of that great one encompass us.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.