Statements of the Supreme Leader on the First Day of the Blessed Month of Ramadan

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad and his pure family. And may God's curse be upon all their enemies. The Wise God said: "The month of Ramadan in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs of guidance and criterion."

Among the actions that a fasting person must avoid, and which is the clearest example of fasting, is eating and drinking, even if what is consumed is very little. As soon as it is considered eating, if done intentionally, the fast is invalidated. There are some things that are not considered eating, but all the religious authorities have ruled that they also invalidate the fast, like nutritional serums that enter the body. This is not considered eating in the conventional sense, but it invalidates the fast. Even strengthening injections that are injected into the vein or muscle invalidate the fast. Although there is no issue with non-strengthening injections that are not related to strengthening, vitamins, or creating nutritional reserves, some have exercised caution. Swallowing saliva is not problematic; however, if you put a toothbrush in your mouth and it becomes soaked with saliva, then you take it out and put it back in your mouth and swallow that saliva, this also invalidates the fast. The issue of eating and drinking is a precise matter. The clearest example of fasting is abstaining from eating and drinking. Although there are other cases, God willing, the gentlemen will explain them throughout the month.

The month of Ramadan is a good opportunity for self-purification. We are the raw material that, if we work on ourselves and can transform this raw material into higher forms, we have accomplished the necessary task in life. This is the purpose of life. Woe to those who do not work on themselves in terms of knowledge and action and leave this world as they entered it, with the addition of decay, waste, and corruption that occur throughout life. A believer must constantly work on themselves; constantly. Do not think that "constantly" is too much or impossible; no. It is possible and not too much. If someone is vigilant about themselves, avoids prohibited actions and actions that are contrary, and pursues the path of God with seriousness, they will succeed. This is the same constant self-purification, and the program of Islam is compatible with this constant self-purification. The five daily prayers, saying "You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help," bowing, prostrating, and glorifying and praising God Almighty, what are they for? They are for the person to be constantly engaged in self-purification. However, there are many distractions, and we are all preoccupied. The preoccupations of life, livelihood, personal matters, family and children, and various distractions prevent us from reaching ourselves as we should. Therefore, the month of Ramadan, which God Almighty has designated, is a valuable opportunity. Do not miss this month. My point is that if we cannot be in a state of vigilance and self-construction constantly, at least we should consider the month of Ramadan valuable. The conditions are also prepared in the month of Ramadan. One of the greatest conditions is the fast you observe. This is one of the greatest divine successes. What does success mean? Success means that God Almighty brings something suitable for a person. By making fasting obligatory, God Almighty has created a suitable environment for you and me to reach ourselves a little in this month. Fasting is a great blessing. The stomach is empty, and the struggle with the self exists to some extent during the day from various aspects: you do not eat or drink what you like, and you forbid many of your desires for a few hours. This is a struggle with the self; a struggle with desires, and the struggle with desires is at the forefront of all good deeds and self-purifications.

The month of Ramadan is a very good environment, and God Almighty has given this opportunity to you and me to find such a possibility for self-purification in this month. In addition to the fact that the hours of this month are very blessed and God Almighty has naturally made these moments and hours this way, they are very valuable hours. One unit of your prayer, one word of "Subhan Allah" you say, a small charity you give, and a small act of kindness you do in this month have several times more merit than the same actions done outside of Ramadan. This is a very good opportunity. It is a good environment for a person to reach themselves in this month. Like a doctor facing a patient who is afflicted with multiple diseases - diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bone pain, rheumatism, stomach ulcers, and in short, various diseases - a skilled doctor who knows his diseases and knows how to treat them, what does he do with this patient? First, he tries to list his diseases on paper and see what diseases he is afflicted with. If the doctor does not recognize some of his diseases and prescribes medicine for one disease that is incompatible with another disease, instead of curing him, he may also afflict the poor man with other diseases! For example, he does not know that the patient has a stomach ulcer; then he prescribes aspirin to treat his rheumatism! Well, aspirin is a treatment for rheumatism, but it is very harmful for a stomach ulcer. If the doctor does not recognize this disease and does not know that the patient also has this disease, instead of curing him, he may also afflict the poor man with stomach bleeding. So first, he must look carefully; find the diseases compassionately and write them down; then see which is more important, which is more urgent, and which is more fundamental. Suppose someone has a stomach problem, any medicine given to him cannot be absorbed well. Or if he has a bad intestine, any nutritious food given to him cannot be used. The way is to first find the disease that has the most negative impact from other diseases and if it is cured, its positive impact is greater.

Become your own doctor, dear brother! No one can recognize their own diseases like themselves. There are some diseases in a person that if, for example, you tell me "you have this disease," I get angry and dislike it. They say: "Sir, you are a jealous man." Who can tolerate being told "jealous"? He says: "You are jealous yourself! Why do you insult? Why do you say nonsense?" We are not ready to accept it from others. But when we refer to ourselves, we see yes; unfortunately, we have these diseases. You can deceive anyone; hide from anyone, but you cannot hide from yourself! So the best person who can diagnose our disease is ourselves. Bring it on paper! Write: "Jealousy." Write: "Miserliness." Write: "Ill-will towards others. When someone reaches goodness, we become upset!" Write: "Laziness in work." Write: "Pessimism towards the righteous and good people." Write: "Neglect of duties." Write: "Love for oneself. We have a strong love for ourselves."

If our diseases are these, bring them on paper. Ramadan is an opportunity to eliminate these diseases one by one, as much as possible. If we do not eliminate them, these diseases will become fatal; spiritual and real destruction. Physical destruction is nothing! If there is a fatal disease in us or it is suspected, how anxious do we become? We cannot sleep at night. We find the best doctors, we say: "What if this lump in my body, in my hand, under my skin, is cancer!" We are terrified at the thought. What is the end? The end is death. If not now, it is a year later, two years later, ten years later. As Nizami Ganjavi said: "If you live a hundred years or one day / You must leave this delightful palace." We are not staying. A few days, a little here, a little there, it will end. Physical destruction is this, and we fear it so much. Spiritual destruction means being eternally afflicted with divine disgrace and punishment. It means being deprived of all the blessings and joys and illuminations that God has determined and decreed for you and me in eternal life. A person looks at the Day of Judgment and sees that God Almighty gives high ranks to some of His servants - the same people we associate with and see in the streets and neighborhoods; to a colleague, to a friend from school days, or to a companion - for some actions and struggles they had in this world, He takes them to paradise; keeps them away from punishment and saves them from the obstacles of the Day of Judgment, and we, because of laziness; because of not reaching ourselves and because of a moment of negligence, are deprived of all of them! That is when regret grips a person: "And warn them of the Day of Regret when the matter is decided." The work is done and regret is of no use. This is spiritual destruction.

Brothers and sisters! If we do not reach ourselves, it is misery; it is disgrace; it is deprivation; it is falling from God's grace; it is staying away from spiritual ranks and remaining destitute of God's eternal blessings. So we must reach ourselves. Ramadan is a good opportunity. Fortunately, ethical books are available. But what one understands from the whole and what is important is that a person can control and restrain their desires. This is the essence of the matter.

One of the characteristics that is very important to pay attention to for self-purification and perhaps has a priority aspect is "sincerity." Sincerity means doing the work purely and not doing it mixed. Sometimes someone does not worship and sometimes they worship; but mixed and impure. This is also like that. Pure worship and pure action mean that it is for God. Among people, unfortunately, it is very common to speak about their good deeds and say. It seems they are not aware that good deeds should not be spoken of and said that we want to do this or we do these things. Of course, there are exceptions in some places. In some places, some actions must be done openly. In narrations about charity, it is said that "secret charity" has this reward and "public charity" has this reward. Or, for example, group worship is done in front of people and must be done; and this is among the symbols of God. But many acts of worship or most acts of worship, those relationships between oneself and God - remembrance, attention, supplication, supererogatory prayers, night vigil, early rising, benevolence, and good deeds - should remain between oneself and God. Beware of doing something for others to see! An action done for the attention of others is worse than not doing it; because not doing an action means a person does not do something. An action done to attract others' attention to oneself is as if it was not done. Of course, its worse aspect is that it is a polytheistic act and this polytheistic act is forbidden and distancing. Therefore, all of us, wherever we are and in whatever position we are, must strive to do the work purely. If the work is done for God and the intention is pure for God, the usual problems observed in works will not occur. We sacrifice real interests for the words of this and that when we want to do the work for this and that. When a person wants to do the work for God, they only look to see what their duty is. They do not look to see if someone likes it or dislikes it; if they gain reputation with someone or lose reputation with another. Today in the Islamic Republic, in all affairs, work for God is prevalent and ongoing. Anyone in this country and this system, whatever work they do, can do it for God and gain spiritual reward and benefit from it and make themselves proud before God.

I have noted a narration about sincerity that I will read to you. It is narrated from the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: "Indeed, every right has a reality." Everything has a reality and a spirit and a meaning and a reality. "And a servant does not reach the reality of sincerity." A servant does not reach the reality of sincerity and that true meaning of sincerity "until he does not like to be praised for anything he does for God." (This is very difficult; this is one of those very high levels) unless he does not like people to praise him for any of the things he does for God. For example, someone does not do the work for others: he prays for the sake of God, completes the Quran, does a good deed, gives charity and help, and struggles for God. But he likes people to say: "How good a person he is." He did not do his work for people. He did the work for God and it is finished; but he likes the praise of people and that people speak well of him. He says this is not the high level of sincerity. The high level of sincerity is that he does not like this either. He has nothing to do with people! Whether they know or not, whether they like it or not. He looks to see what God has asked of him and does exactly that.

I observed this trait and this spirit in Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), in many instances. In many instances, I had seen this characteristic in him. He did not care whether someone liked it or not. He performed his duty. When the burden is heavy; when the work is great; when the work is dangerous, sincerity is more useful. Like today when the situation of the Islamic Republic is like this. If we exercise sincerity, we become sincere servants; sincere for God, in action and intention. But beyond a sincere servant, there are sincere servants. The late Seyyed Bahr al-Uloom (may God's mercy be upon him), in a treatise attributed to him on spiritual journey, distinguishes between sincere and sincere. He says a sincere person is someone who does an action only for God and has nothing to do with others. But a sincere person is someone who dedicates all of their existence purely and sincerely for God. All of their being is only for God. This is a very high level that is truly out of reach. But in my opinion, in this era, especially young people and those who are in fields of action and struggle and jihad, can reach this level as well. Of course, for people like us, it is difficult and very challenging. We are very far! But young people, especially faithful and pure young people, with their bright and pure hearts, can reach here. Of course, the mentioned treatise is attributed to the late Bahr al-Uloom and it is not certain that it belongs to him. Then he says: God Almighty has given three promises to these sincere ones; three great privileges. One is that He said: "Indeed, they will be brought forth except the sincere servants of God." That is, on the Day of Judgment, all people will be present in the gathering and will be subject to divine reckoning, except the sincere servants who are exempt. Because every atom of their actions and breaths and movements was for God, they are exempt from entering this realm of the universal gathering and being questioned.

The second privilege is that He says: "And you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do except the sincere servants of God." All people receive a reward commensurate with the work they have done, except the sincere servants of God. Their work and reward are not commensurate. Whatever their work is, their reward is infinite; because this existence belongs to God, is for God, and is entirely in the service of divine goals. He has made all of his existence pure for God.

I saw a narration - although I do not have time to look at the chain of these narrations and I do not know how its chain is - whose content was that God Almighty says: "If I give the whole world to a sincere or sincere servant, his right has not been fulfilled." Therefore, his reward is not commensurate with the action he performs. One of his prayers is equivalent to thousands of prayers that the good servants of God perform.

The third privilege, which is above all these, is that "Glory be to God above what they describe except the sincere servants of God." That is, God Almighty is above what His servants describe, except for what the sincere servants describe. That is, they can fulfill the right of divine description. Other servants are less and smaller than this; and whatever they say about the Lord of the worlds "We have not known You as You deserve to be known." The attributes of God from the tongues of humans are incomplete and inadequate; except from the sincere servants. They can describe God Almighty as He truly is. And therefore, if a person familiarizes themselves with the supplications that are transmitted from the Imams, peace be upon them, and connects with them, there is hope that they have been able to supplicate with God Almighty correctly and speak with Him as is worthy of the divine. Incidentally, Ramadan is the month of supplication. Do not forget the supplications. The supplications transmitted in Ramadan are one of those blessings and opportunities that should be considered valuable. This supplication of Abu Hamza, this supplication of Iftitah, this supplication of Jawshan, and the rest of the supplications that are transmitted in the days and nights and dawns and other specific hours and times in Ramadan are truly among the great divine blessings. Consider the opportunity valuable.

It occurred to me to also make this recommendation that the thirty-four units of supererogatory prayers that are transmitted for the daily and nightly prayers are very valuable. Ramadan is a good opportunity. We are mostly not people of supererogatory prayers. But when Ramadan comes, what is the harm? What work is better than praying with a fasting mouth? There are four units of noon prayer, before these four units, there are eight units of supererogatory prayers; four two-unit prayers. There are four units of afternoon prayer and before these four units, there are eight units of supererogatory afternoon prayer. Perform these supererogatory prayers. Also, the supererogatory prayers of Maghrib, which are more important than these; and also the supererogatory prayers of the night, which are eleven units. Also, the supererogatory prayer of the morning, which is two units. There are those who find it difficult to wake up for the night prayer before the morning call to prayer during the usual days of the year. But in these nights, they naturally and inevitably wake up. This is a divine success. Why not take advantage of this success? God willing, consider the opportunities of Ramadan valuable.

I will also make a few supplications, say Amen: We ask You, O God, and we call upon You, by Your great, greatest, most honored, most glorious, most generous name, O Allah! O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, make us appreciative of this month.

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, make us successful in the actions You have designated for the believers in this month.

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, we beseech You, include Your satisfaction upon us in this month. Include Your forgiveness and pardon upon us.

O Lord! Bring us closer to Your guardian, Imam Mahdi, may our souls be sacrificed for him, with our actions in this month. Please the sacred heart of that great one with us. Make us successful in good deeds - which this month is a good opportunity for these deeds.

O Lord! Elevate Islam and Muslims. Reform all the affairs of Muslims. Cut off the evil of the enemies and disbelievers from the lands and nations of Islam, especially in these regions where they commit much oppression and injustice.

O Lord! Conclude the problems to the benefit of Muslims. Make the Islamic Republic enduring and blessed until the appearance of the Imam of the Age, may our souls be sacrificed for him. Bestow Your blessings upon our people.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings