Speech on the Occasion of Teacher's Day Meeting with the Minister of Education and Exemplary Teachers from Across the Country

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

Dear brothers and sisters, and exemplary teachers of the country! Welcome. As a gesture of respect to the status of teachers and all teachers in the country, we have arranged this intimate meeting with you, brothers and sisters, today. Today, everyone must intensify the sense of respect for teachers in the cultural atmosphere of society and in the minds of the people more than ever; because true respect and honoring of teachers leave very positive effects on the culture of society and education.

Of course, honoring may require various attentions from different aspects - which are also necessary in their own right - but they are not the essence of honoring. The essence of honoring is that in the social environment, everyone feels that they respect their teacher and other teachers sincerely and spiritually and hold them in high regard. This is the greatest encouragement for education; the same thing that exists in Islam. In Islam, there is respect for the teacher. Who in society does not have a teacher? This Islamic ruling is so that the market of education is thriving, not stagnant. Teachers throughout the country truly and justly need this.

In Islamic culture and teachings, you have observed how much respect for the teacher is recommended, and the student considers themselves small before the teacher and humbles themselves to them. This humility is desirable; although you know that in Islam, no human should humble and demean themselves before another human; but this is an exception. Humility towards parents is also an exception. A person must humble themselves before their parents; "And lower to them the wing of humility" (Quran 17:24): humble yourself before your father and mother. While a Muslim should not be humiliated before anyone, parents are an exception; the teacher is the same.

There are narrations that when you walk with a teacher, if it is a dark night, you should walk ahead of the teacher, so that if there is a pit on the way, you fall and your teacher remains safe. This shows the spirit of respectful behavior towards the teacher. If this spirit spreads in society and everyone feels humble before their teacher, the environment for teachers will become suitable; and if teachers are content in society, education will flourish. Respect means this.

Of course, we mentioned that alongside this, there are other material and spiritual matters; but the main issue is that this must be done. Unfortunately, in the culture imported from the material world, the opposite exists and is not observed at all. That is, in the cultures we adopted from Europeans, there is no respect for the teacher. We do not say they have written in their books to disrespect teachers; but the habit and training of respecting the teacher is not foreseen in Western culture!

Once, in a gathering, we mentioned that for many years and centuries, in the Islamic environment, teachers always received respect and honor from their students; but a few decades after European culture entered the country and religion was separated from science in academic environments, it happened that professors were killed by their students for half a grade or for some inappropriate behavior in class! This is the same European culture.

Fortunately, today there is a return to the same Islamic authenticity. You teachers must also value yourselves; that is, give importance to being a teacher. Being a teacher is an honor; above many things. That someone takes pride in being a teacher and values being a teacher and strives for education is one of the greatest values of our Islamic system.

We hope that God Almighty will help and grant success, so that this education system in our country becomes more colorful and widespread day by day, and God willing, the Ministry of Education will bring its efforts to a point where there is truly no educational gap left anywhere in the country. We have witnessed many efforts in recent years; however, we still need additional efforts. The good youth of this country must, as much as possible, enter the field of education and, along with the previous generation - who themselves educated them - eradicate illiteracy, lack of culture, and lack of education in this country. We have suffered many damages during the years of European educational influence, which can only be compensated with long-term struggle.

May God, God willing, grant you success and help you to fulfill these great duties. I truly send greetings to the honorable officials of the Ministry of Education and the honorable Minister - Mr. Najafi - who work hard and make efforts, and I thank them for these efforts. Once again, I welcome the brothers and sisters who have come from different parts of the country.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings