Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with State Officials on the Occasion of the Prophet Muhammad's Mission

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

I also extend my congratulations on this blessed and great Eid to all Muslims of the world, to the great nation of Iran, and to you, esteemed attendees, as well as to all the free people of the world - even if they are non-Muslims - who can appreciate the value of Islam's message and the Prophet's mission for humanity.

If we consider the events in human history - events that occur for humanity - the mission of the prophets as the most important and influential among all these events in the destiny of humanity - which indeed it is - the mission of the Seal of the Prophets, peace be upon him and his family, stands at the pinnacle of all major and minor events in human history.

No event, such as great revolutions, the deaths and lives of nations, the emergence of great individuals, the disappearance of great individuals, and the emergence of various schools of thought, holds as much importance for humanity as the missions of the prophets; just as today you see, the most enduring forms of human thought and mind are those shaped by religions, and this will remain so forever. Even though today many people in the world do not directly place themselves under the light of the Prophet's mission - that is, non-Muslims - they too have benefited from the blessings of this mission until now.

Undoubtedly, human knowledge and civilization, good morals among humans, good habits, and many such things, even if they do not appear to be directly connected to religions, are fundamentally rooted in religions and divine knowledge, with the mission of the noble Prophet of Islam at their head; yet all humanity - even more so in the future - will benefit from these blessings. Therefore, the greatest, most important, and most prominent event in human history is this mission.

It is appropriate for Muslims to think more about this event. We cannot deny the troubles of the Islamic world and ignore them. We cannot underestimate the weaknesses that Islamic societies are suffering from today.

There was a time when an experience occurred in this world, and that was the complete governance of Islam - during the sacred existence of the Prophet and a limited period of the early era - over human life. Those blessings led to the point where the Islamic nation was able to create the greatest nations at a certain time, and it kindled such a torch of knowledge, civilization, culture, ethics, and unforgettable lessons that humanity still benefits from its light and rays; even during the era of ignorance that prevailed over the world at that time!

Well, this is an experience. The further we have moved away from Islam and paid less attention to the message of the mission, life has become more difficult for us Muslims - in different periods.

The message of the mission can be sought in the Quran, in its prominent sections. I will point out two parts of this great message to see how important it is for us Muslims and how it sets a program and path before us:

One message is mentioned in verses of the Quran, including this verse which states: "In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book We have sent down to you so that you may bring people out of darkness into light." The message of coming out of darkness and entering into light.

Light and darkness are not things that can be mistaken for humans in various aspects. Islam and the message of the mission take humans out of the darkness of ignorance, the darkness of bad habits, bad morals, the seditions among human beings, the superstitions that dominate human minds, and divert them from the straight path, the darkness of oppression and rebellion - all these are darknesses - and guide and direct them to the light that is opposite to it.

This theme is repeated in several verses of the Quran; meaning a transformation in human life, socially, in terms of goals, and individually; in every aspect.

Another prominent point is the issue of ethics and the purification of souls, which is also emphasized in verses of the Quran and is present in the well-known prophetic hadith among all Islamic sects that "I was sent to perfect noble morals." See; in a society where morals - good morals and noble ethics - are prevalent, where people enjoy good morals - forgiveness, brotherhood, benevolence, justice, knowledge, and truth-seeking - where fairness prevails among them, where vile traits do not dominate and prevail among them, what a paradise they will live in!

Today, humanity suffers from these very things. Today's troubles of the human world, the troubles arising from political rebellions in the world and tyrants, trace back to moral roots. The troubles of the masses of people also often trace back to their ignorance. Islam removes these.

Muslims must cherish these messages. We in the Islamic Republic have achieved this success - which is a very great success - to once again create and shape society based on Islamic laws, knowledge, and instructions and guide it. This is a rare success that the Almighty God has granted us.

Of course, we do not claim that we have been able to fully realize the model of Islam; this is a very big claim, and we are far from it. We are still far from the human and society that Islam demands and introduces as an example and ideal; but, thanks be to God, our distance from the common human forms that have fallen away from God's religion - their social forms and systems - is also very great.

We have been able to move in the path of Islam and in the direction of Islam, to establish Islamic laws in society and implement them to the extent of our ability and capacity in life. We have been able to introduce Islamic values as superior values in the Islamic Republic. We have been able to spread the word of God among the people and turn hearts towards God; that is, the revolution has done this, individuals cannot attribute these things to themselves. Our revolution - by God's grace - has accomplished such a great task in our system. We have achieved this success. We must continue this path with seriousness because we have seen its effects to this extent, and the Almighty God has given us dignity.

Our country and nation were humiliated, backward, people were unaware of their rights, statesmen had no relationship with the people, and the ruling system of the country had no personality in front of the powerful of the world. It was pure subservience and following, divine knowledge had no importance for the people - in their minds and views - education and upbringing were not based on Islam, weakness, humiliation, poverty, and inability were imposed on our country from all sides - during the rule of tyrants - and had tormented our nation!

The Almighty God, by the blessing of Islam, by the blessing of attention to the spirituality of Islam and attention to the political message of Islam, saved us from those sufferings; that is, the mission was not for a group of people to keep a belief in their minds and perform personal acts, while the social system is under the rule of the enemies of God and the adversaries of God! The mission came to shape people's lives.

Thanks be to God, this was accomplished in the social system of Islam; our nation also observed its effects and tasted its sweet fruits.

Today, we must move towards changing ourselves towards the models that Islam has determined; changing ourselves as individuals, and everyone should start with themselves. It is true that the government has heavy responsibilities towards the people regarding education and upbringing; but these responsibilities do not negate that we - the officials and members who have each taken on a responsibility - should also work on ourselves as individuals.

We must reform ourselves, correct our morals, bring ourselves closer to God in terms of our inner selves, strive personally as individuals, recite the verses of God to our hearts, and bring our hearts closer to God. This is our duty. This will help us to perform the duty we have alongside the people and society in the best way, and all individuals, apart from the social duties that are incumbent upon everyone and no one is free from social duty, should consider individual, personal, and moral duty as an important duty for themselves.

I feel that we need to work on ethics, purification, and refinement, on our souls and the souls of others. The spiritual renewal of the Islamic system and the Muslim nation of Iran requires this great struggle, and this is also one of the important messages of the mission.

We hope that the Almighty God will grant us the favor to, by the blessing of adherence and resorting to the grace of the Lord and using the noble verses of the Quran and the words of the Prophet and the Imams, peace be upon them, make our living environment and the environment of the country more ethical, spiritual, and filled with sincerity and intimacy, and to provide that essential means by which Islam has been able to achieve its successes - which is human development - both for ourselves and, God willing, with precise planning for the youth of the country, for all the people of the country. God willing, we can continue this path with more strength and vigor.

May God, by the blessing of this day, by the blessing of the mission and the sacred spirit of the Prophet, grant all the people of our country, all the faithful people, and all the Muslims of the world the blessings of the Holy Quran and the blessings of the mission.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings