Full Text of the Friday Prayer Sermons in Tehran Led by the Supreme Leader

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. We praise Him, seek His help, believe in Him, rely on Him, ask for His forgiveness, and turn to Him in repentance. We send blessings and peace upon His beloved, chosen one among His creation, our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the Awaited Imam on earth. And send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers.

I advise all dear brothers and sisters who are gathered for prayer, and myself, to observe piety and God-consciousness, to fear God, to remember His commandments and prohibitions, and to feel the presence of His will and power in every moment of life. Today marks twenty years since the establishment of Friday prayers in Tehran. We ask God for the elevation of the ranks of our great Imam - the wise sage of this time and era - and also for the late Ayatollah Taleghani, who led the first sermons and prayers. We ask the Almighty for reward and recompense for all those who have worked diligently in this blessed path over these twenty years.

Since Friday prayers are based on the gathering of people and on piety and the recommendation of piety, I dedicate the first sermon today specifically to a few hadiths - as the best admonition comes from the words of the friends of God - so that, God willing, on this great and memorable anniversary, we can benefit from the advice of the Imams of guidance and make it a provision for our journey. In the second sermon, we will address some issues that have arisen for our nation in the past two or three weeks, and I will convey what is necessary to convey.

In a hadith narrated from Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him), it is stated: "O son of Adam! You will remain in goodness as long as you have an admonisher from within yourself." O son of Adam! Your condition, your situation, your time, and your path will be good as long as you have an admonisher from within yourself. Someone from within you advises you; your heart, your mind, your conscience, your faith admonishes you. The admonition of others is beneficial; however, it is more beneficial for a person to admonish themselves: "As long as you have an admonisher from within yourself and as long as your concern is for self-accountability." Let us not abandon ourselves; let us hold ourselves accountable. Why did we say this? Why did we do that? Why did we take or give this money? Let us account for ourselves. Self-accountability can be more precise than the accountability of others because a person cannot hide anything from themselves. "And as long as the fear of God is your motto and sorrow is your cloak," as long as the fear of God is your motto and caution and being wary of divine punishment is your cloak, you will be in goodness. This means to be cautious of the Almighty and to fear Him; to include divine punishment and wrath in your calculations and to be careful that no slip occurs from you that would cause the Almighty to become angry with you. If you observe these few things; that is, admonish yourself and hold yourself accountable and be wary of God's punishment and fear His wrath, you will be in goodness. Your worldly affairs will be good, your hereafter will be good, your morals will be good, the clarity of your life will be good; there will be no insecurity or lack of clarity among you, and life will be sweet. "O son of Adam! You are dead and will be resurrected and held accountable before God, the Almighty; prepare an answer for that day." O son of Adam! One day you will be raised from the dust and held accountable before the Lord (the Almighty) and you will be questioned. That day is for all of us. You and I, with these feelings and with this capacity, will one day be raised from the dust; the Almighty will gather us on the Day of Resurrection and will question us. "Prepare an answer for that day."

Another hadith from Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) states: "The believer sits to learn." The believer, wherever they sit, seeks to learn and acquire knowledge. "And remains silent to be safe." Wherever they remain silent, it is because they see danger or a problem in speaking regarding their religion. "They do not disclose the trust to friends." What is entrusted to them as a secret and trust, they do not disclose even to their friends. "And they do not conceal testimony for the distant." If someone needs their testimony to establish their right, they do not conceal their testimony, even if that person is far from them. "And they do not do anything from the truth for show." They do not perform any good deed out of ostentation. "And they do not abandon it out of shyness." They do not abandon any good deed out of shyness. Some say: Sir! Why did you not pray or perform your recommended prayers or your prayers on time in such and such a place? They say we were shy! No; do not abandon any good deed out of shyness. They will say he is showing off? Let them say. They will say he is trying to ingratiate himself? Let them say. If a statement is true and if an action is good, do not abandon it for the sake of others' considerations. "Indeed, the pure one fears what they say." Another characteristic of the believer is that if they are praised and commended, they tremble at what has been said. "And they seek forgiveness from God for what they do not know." They seek forgiveness from God for the bad deeds that the one praising them does not know about. "And the ignorance of those who are ignorant does not harm them." If others do not know their good deeds, it does not harm them; they do not care. They have done a good deed, even if others do not know.

My dear ones; especially dear youth! Strive to learn and act upon these teachings. Build yourselves with these words and these instructions. A nation and a country adorned with such faithful youth and such refined individuals will not lag behind in any field; their world and hereafter will be prosperous.

Here, I would like to refer to the flood that has occurred in Mazandaran. This flood is a great calamity for the people of this province. Dozens of our dear people have been killed in this incident; some are injured and a large number have become homeless; that is, their crops have been lost, their lands have been lost, their shops have been lost, their living supplies have been lost. We have sent respected gentlemen there; they went and saw the situation up close; they came back and reported to me; it is truly sorrowful and painful; it has been a devastating flood. Then, floods have also occurred in Golestan province and parts of Khorasan province and in some other areas. Of course, the government and the Red Crescent, in their duties, must act with greater speed and do whatever is necessary more quickly; however, my address is to you, dear people across the country: Help and cooperate; it is a great calamity. Your sympathy, solidarity, and cooperation with the government in aiding these dear ones carry great reward and is a tremendous duty.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful By time. Indeed, man is in loss. Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds and advise one another to truth and advise one another to patience.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. And blessings and peace be upon our master and prophet and beloved of our hearts, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially upon Amir al-Mu'minin and the pure Siddiqa Fatimah al-Zahra, the Lady of the Women of the Worlds, and upon Hasan and Husayn, the masters of the youth of Paradise, and upon Ali ibn Husayn, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja'far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja'far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hasan ibn Ali, and the Awaited Mahdi. Your proofs upon Your servants and Your trusted ones in Your lands, and send blessings upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers. I advise you, O servants of God, and myself, to observe piety to God.

I recommend all dear brothers and sisters who are gathered for prayer to observe piety, and in this sermon, the branch of piety I am concerned with is vigilance, attention, thoughtfulness, and contemplation. The events that occurred in the past two or three weeks were significant and noteworthy, although with your powerful and glorious presence - the powerful and magnificent presence of the Iranian nation - a strong blow was dealt to the conspirators, and although the responsible agencies have done their jobs well, these kinds of events must be properly understood, and the people - who are intelligently and courageously ready to defend the truth and reality - must clearly make their decisions for the future; at any moment, there is a possibility of conspiracy and sedition. Therefore, with the passage of two or three weeks from these events and the clarification of new aspects of these issues, perhaps it is time to take a general and widespread look at this matter from all sides and angles.

The most dangerous of these incidents is an event that is a sedition. Sedition means a murky incident where a person cannot understand who is a friend and who is an enemy and who has entered the field with ulterior motives and from where they are being provoked. Seditions must be extinguished with enlightenment. Wherever there is enlightenment, the instigator of sedition will be curtailed. Wherever there is aimless talk, aimless action, aimless shooting, and aimless accusations, the instigator of sedition becomes happy; because the scene becomes chaotic. Therefore, our dear people, who have shown their true vigilance in various matters over the past twenty years, must also analyze the issues in this case with vigilance. Now, what I can convey to you dear ones in this sermon, I will convey:

For some time, it has been felt that the main centers of enmity against our nation are waiting for events in Iran; this meaning was clear in their words. Last year, the head of the CIA in a report prepared for themselves stated: In 1999 - that is, this current Christian year - we expect events in Iran that are unprecedented in the past twenty years - that is, since the beginning of the revolution until now! In fact, with this language, they were indicating that they were aware of things behind the scenes. Some of these exiles who collaborate with the enemy and have sought refuge in America have made similar statements. One of these exiled affiliates - as reported in the news - said that we will go to Iran next year! These sweet dreams without interpretation that they always see! Therefore, it was clear that the Zionists, the Americans, and the main centers of power were thinking about events in Iran and that events were supposed to occur.

Of course, it was assumed that there were also some grounds for such events; for example, the country's oil revenues suddenly dropped to less than half or about a third. The economic problems of the government and the shortage of national revenues pose a danger for any country and can pave the way for certain things. On the other hand, some foreign journalists came to Iran for various events and ceremonies and interviewed individuals who were similar to themselves and reported things from them. It was reported that: Yes; a certain woman, or a certain young man, or a certain man in a certain place in Tehran told us that we have become disillusioned with Islam; we have become disillusioned with the Islamic government! They thought that grounds were being prepared. Now, it is worth complaining that the headlines of some newspapers also gave them hope for such things; they thought that the people had turned away from Islam! There were attractions for them; for them to think and plot and carry out actions and nurture thoughts!

Over the past year or year and a half, events occurred that a wise and thoughtful person, when looking at these events, cannot believe that these events are unrelated. Each of them occurred at a certain time; however, a person who is thoughtful and contemplative about the events feels that there is a connection between them, and I have noted some of these here and will present them:

On one hand, a psychological warfare network against Iran and the Islamic system has been created at the level of global propaganda. Besides the usual radios that constantly spoke against the Islamic system - like Radio America, the Zionist regime's radio, and the British radio - the Americans created a special radio to attack the Islamic system and named it "Radio Liberty"! They allocated a large budget for this radio; they announced that they had set aside one hundred million dollars, or something around that, for this radio! They also made great efforts; they struggled with that European country that did not accept this radio to be based there and pressured them until they forced them to have a broadcasting center in Europe; then they explicitly stated - this is not analysis - that this radio's goal is to confront a certain line in Iran; we want to fight against this line! Those who were running the radio said this and expressed it, and it was recorded; I myself heard it. You see, one of the things that can always torment a nation, a country, a person, and a family is the spreading of rumors. In the past, how did they spread rumors? One person, five people, ten people would infiltrate the people and spread rumors; but now rumor spreading is done through radio. A radio fabricates or distorts news; it magnifies a small thing; it conceals an important matter; this becomes rumor spreading. For about a year, a year and a half ago, they began a very extensive rumor spreading against the Islamic system. Of course, over the past twenty years, there has always been rumor spreading; however, what has occurred during this period has been much more extensive.

On the other hand, they encouraged the snakes that had crawled into holes to come out and speak! Those who should actually be called political losers - worse than bankrupts - who had been slapped and beaten by the Iranian nation and had crawled back into their holes, they encouraged and provoked these individuals to enter the political arena and express their existence. This was another phenomenon that initially surprised a person as to how these individuals came out.

On the other hand, through wicked and ill-intentioned intermediaries, they began to sow discord among internal political currents. Of course, the currents and lines of political thought have differences of opinion; they do not harbor animosity and hatred towards each other. There were intermediaries who began this work; one could specifically understand their objectives. In external propaganda and in the actions being carried out, one could understand that they intended to incite each faction against the other; to make it seem to each faction of the internal country that the real enemy is not outside these borders; the real enemy is right here, and that is the opposing faction! They stoked the flames of factional disputes.

On the other hand, shocking events occurred that had no precedent; like the suspicious murders that were very strange. Suddenly these murders occurred one after another, which worried both the people and the officials, created a sense of insecurity, and weakened the Ministry of Intelligence - which is the center of security defense for the system and the country and the nation. You saw what a huge uproar was raised! Truly, fortunate are those who do not listen to these radios; their nerves are completely at ease and they are free from hearing false and deceitful words. Those who listened and those who were brought these words saw what foreign voices and radios said and how they used these events inappropriately; that later, when they delved into the depth and roots of the issues, they saw that foreign hands and unclean fingers were directly involved in this work.

Some violence also occurred inside: in a certain place, a group attacked and beat a crowd, which was immediately broadcasted on radios and in some communication channels aligned with the enemies, suddenly spreading that: Yes; these are from the system, these are related to the system - they were creating confusion in the minds of the people - this was also a type of incident.

On the other hand, they spread rumors of discord among the first-class officials of the country; that there is a power struggle and they are fighting and clashing! We see that those politicians in various countries of the world have such power struggles and political clashes that they do not refrain from any crime against each other; however, in our country - especially among the officials - thanks be to God, there is absolutely none of these things; but they created a rumor that: Yes; a power struggle has broken out among the officials of Iran! This was another phenomenon that surprised a person as to where these words came from and what motive and incentive they had for this work.

On the other hand, they gradually questioned and struck all the agencies that could prevent a sedition from breaking out. For example, they accused the Revolutionary Guards. They targeted the judiciary in one way, the Basij in another way, the police in another way, and the media in another way to turn them against the people, so that when the day comes for their presence and they are needed, the people would no longer trust them!

On the other hand, they strengthened the espionage networks inside the country; that earlier this year, a dangerous espionage network composed of some Jews and non-Jewish Iranians was discovered. Of course, they said nothing for one or two months; even though from the very first moment they understood that the members of the mentioned network had been arrested! They later said that we had understood from the very first moment; which must be said, if you were not connected, how did you understand?! How is it that the Iranian nation did not yet know that the spies had been caught, but American and Zionist officials said from the very first day we knew? But to avoid making their work harder, they did not say anything? From the very first day, they understood that these spies had been caught; but later, when they saw that their intermediaries' pressures had no effect, they began to create a fuss about why you arrested thirteen Jews! The heads of European and American countries spoke on the phone about the thirteen spies who had been arrested in Iran! Does this not indicate the importance of the issue for them?

You see; these are strange events. Over the course of a year, a year and a half, these events occurred one after another. When an incident occurred, it seemingly had no connection to another incident; however, when a thoughtful person looks at the totality of these events, they realize that these are not unrelated. On one hand, they were ruining the mental grounds of the people, on another hand, they were preoccupying the internal elites with side issues, on another hand, they were creating distance between the people and the system, and on another hand, they were employing their spies. Recently, in the course of these events, one of the American officials expressed regret and said: We do not have an embassy in Iran to have proper oversight over the events there! It became clear what the insistence of these individuals has been during this time to establish relations, and why they want an embassy in Tehran! It becomes evident that they wanted that embassy to be operated by these spies and their ilk! When a person places this collection of events alongside the statement of the head of the CIA, who said: "In 1999, a major incident is expected to occur in Iran," then it becomes clear that these events are not spontaneous, accidental, or the work of four idle individuals here and there; these were planned.

Now, if we assume that these events were guided by behind-the-scenes hands - which is honestly a close assumption - it is natural that they were waiting for a spark to occur within the country. They thought that since the economic situation of the people is not good, the people would be dissatisfied with the system and hopeless of the government, thus they would not support the system; and that the Revolutionary Guards and the police would not be able to do much; and that the Ministry of Intelligence would be paralyzed, so they would ignite a spark and explode a powder keg in Iran! They thought that at the very least, the result would be that the public and social security of the people would be disrupted. This was the minimum benefit that the enemy would achieve. For example, the very riots on Tuesday and Wednesday of that week - the twenty-first and twenty-second of Tir - when some came to the streets, set fires, broke shops, looted banks, and caused destruction - if it had not been controlled by the strong hands of the Islamic system and if the people had not performed that great movement and stopped it, you would see what would have happened in the country throughout the year! Every few days, in Tehran, in a certain street, in a certain corner, in a certain neighborhood, or in a certain city, such incidents would have to occur. The people would be sitting in their shops, in their offices, in their homes, and their children in their schools, and these incidents would have to occur regularly; the security of the people would be disrupted, and the people would become weary. This was the goal and plan.

That I told the Iranian nation on Tuesday of that week that the goal of these individuals is "national security," that day the fires had not yet started. The day I made that statement, the street riots had not yet begun, and they had not yet ignited these destructions and fires; but it was clear that the goal was to destroy "the security of the country." That is, when the people send their children out of the house to go to school, they should not be assured that they will reach school; if they send their youth to Tehran University or to a university in a certain city, they should not be assured that they will receive a letter next week; their place of business, their workplace, their living place should be deprived of security and peace; this was the plan. They were waiting for a spark for these matters to begin. What was the spark? The very bitter incident of the university dormitory.

Of course, I still do not have a definitive conclusion about the incident of the university dormitory as to what it was. Although we know what happened; but what it was, where it came from, and how it happened, is still not clear to us. Whoever it was and whatever it was, it was a very bitter incident, and it is very hard for a person to believe that this incident occurred accidentally; I mean, with the introductions I have given, a person's mind goes to a thousand places. A person cannot believe that the incident was an ordinary and spontaneous one; they suspect that this incident was orchestrated. However, in this case, the target and the scapegoat of the incident were a number of innocent student youths who truly break one's heart. These youths came to me. The night that these injured and wounded students from the university dormitory came to me, no matter how hard I tried to divert my mind from these brothers, I could not. A person could not distance themselves from the bitterness of this incident. These were noble and good youths, and truly faithful, sincere, and passionate individuals who were mostly from other cities - Isfahan, Khorasan, Yazd, etc. - although some were from Tehran. A group of these youths came, and I saw them up close. Truly, one's heart burns that the enemy's hands can be so reckless and so bold in committing crimes that if this incident is considered an incident that was planned and intentionally brought about, they would select individuals from the best elements of a country - young and student; especially these kinds of students! They thought that the spark was ignited this way. However, their calculations went wrong; which I will now explain where the enemy's mistakes in calculations were. When I say this mistake in their calculations, I know that they cannot correct these mistakes; that is, there is no way. Not that I say where you made a mistake so that they can go correct their mistake; no. The enemy cannot extricate itself from this contradiction and from this mistaken position.

Of course, their beginning was one that gave them hope. A number of students became upset and angry about the incident at the university dormitory. Tehran University is the hub of the country's universities; it is the hope of all. The youths became angry; they came and wanted to take advantage of the anger of these youths; they entered the ranks of these youths and transformed the slogans from student slogans to anti-system slogans; then they dragged the matter to the streets and the events that you have heard and know occurred. They thought they had advanced the work; however, the police entered with strength. Although they received a blow on that first day - a blow to their dignity - but honestly, the police came to the field well. It was expected that after that first blow - the blow to their dignity - the police would not be able to defend at all; however, they honestly came to the field and defended well. Then, when the Basij - the main and immense force of the Iranian nation - organized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps entered, they decisively crushed the enemy, like crumpling a piece of paper. The next day, the nation spontaneously came to the streets and held a truly enthusiastic and massive demonstration that foreign hands tried to downplay. In whose eyes would they downplay it? In the eyes of people in other countries. They may succeed in portraying the incident differently; however, the people who saw what happened in Tehran, in Isfahan, in Shiraz, in Mashhad, in Tabriz, in various cities, and everywhere, can they change the truth in the eyes of these people?

Their first miscalculation was a miscalculation about the Iranian nation. They thought that the Iranian nation had severed ties with Islam and the revolution and the Imam. They did not understand that this nation is the same nation that, with its immense power, was able to remove a corrupt system that the Americans and others had surrounded with seven fortifications from within this country and destroy it. This nation is the same nation that, during the American coup of February 1979, under the command of the Imam, came to the streets and finished the work in a few hours. This nation is the same nation that, in repelling the American coup in this country in 1980, in the field and in the scene, showed such presence that it cut off all hopes. This nation is the same nation that, for eight long years, fought a war in which all the existing material powers of the world supported the opposing side, with its presence in the scene, with this Basij, with these students, with these youths, with these workers, with these villagers, and with these urban dwellers, was able to finish against them. This nation is the same nation that, throughout these twenty years, whenever the enemy's conspiracy has overstepped its bounds in any form, has entered the scene with its overwhelming presence in the streets and in demonstrations and gatherings, like a river that comes and cleanses and destroys the debris. This is the same nation; this is the same youth; this is the same generation. This new generation that has emerged today is the generation of Islam. Their mistake in calculation was that they thought the Iranian nation had turned away from Islam; no. They understood that the Iranian nation is committed to Islam; committed to the revolution; continuously connected to the system; appreciates this powerful and righteous system and is determined to solve its problems with steadfastness.

This nation is no longer willing to submit to America; this nation is no longer willing to accept a regime like some other nations that must seek permission from America for its small and large affairs; if it wants to establish relations with a government or wants to cut its relations, it must seek permission; if it wants to manufacture weapons, it must seek permission. A few days ago, we read in the news about a country that sought permission from America to increase the range of a certain weapon from a certain amount to a certain amount! The Iranian nation sees these things in the world and is no longer willing to live this way. The Iranian nation has tasted independence and the flavor of freedom and dignity; the Iranian nation has tasted not being dominated by foreigners; therefore, it will no longer submit. Thus, their first mistake in their calculations was that they misjudged the Iranian nation.

Their second mistake was a miscalculation of our students. They said: I say to myself and I laugh! They themselves said it, and they enjoyed it that the students are opposed to the system and do not accept Islam! Which students? Yes; it is possible that four of your servants and mercenaries are in a corner and their sons or daughters are students - although it is not certain that this is the case; but now assuming that four individuals were found - but the mass of students are faithful, vigilant, mature, and aware. You saw that although their feelings were hurt - the incident at the university dormitory truly angered and upset the students - as soon as they saw that the enemy wanted to take advantage, they declared and said we are not with them. Our students are our children; they are not your children; they are the children of this family. Even if the child is mischievous, when they see the enemy attacking the house, they will step forward. Even those mischievous ones sometimes step forward better! The child of the family showed themselves in the sacred defense. You see how many students from Tehran University and other universities went to the front; how many students were martyred. The first group that formed the Revolutionary Guards were mostly these students. The first group that formed the Jihad for Reconstruction were these students. Now, the important scientific works of the system are being carried out practically and experimentally by these students in the laboratories of the universities. What did you think about our students?!

Their third mistake was regarding the unity of the officials. They thought that the rumors they had spread would materialize; like the madman who wanted to distance the children from himself, falsely said that there is a party somewhere! Then when the children began to leave, he happily went along; he said maybe there was a party after all! They themselves create the rumor, and they themselves believe that there is discord among the officials. No, sir! There is no discord among the officials. The very Wednesday afternoon that it was deemed necessary for the first-class officials of the country to have a meeting with me, there, the respected heads of the three branches, the respected head of the Expediency Council, the respected ministers of intelligence, interior, and others, when they spoke, I noticed that they all said the same thing; they all wanted the same thing; they all sought one matter and one goal. This is how the officials of the country are. Where did you go; what mistake are you making! They sit down, weave, sew, and based on that, they issue judgments for everyone.

I now say and I know that the Iranian nation knows and is pleased with my repetition, and I know that the enemy also knows and is upset with my repetition; but everyone should know that the positions of the heads of the country - especially the respected President - in these matters were positions that were one hundred percent approved and supported by me. I firmly defend and support the officials of the country; I defend and support the heads of the three branches. I firmly support the President himself. If I have any objections or criticisms regarding the performance of some parts of the government, I will tell the President, and I know and am confident that he will follow up. Our matters are like this. The enemy understood something else and in a different way.

Their fourth mistake was a miscalculation of the internal political factions. They misunderstood. They saw that the factions and lines of political thought sometimes clash; however, they assumed it would be otherwise. They thought that in these matters, these two factions or two or three factions would stand against each other and would fight like a cow and a fish! They made a mistake here as well. They saw that in the rally on Thursday, all factions announced that they would accompany the massive march of the people and would participate; they could not believe this. Here, there was no longer a left or right. I do not even like the terms left and right; but now they sometimes say left and right! All those who are present announced that they would participate in the massive march of the people, and they did. This was another mistake of theirs.

Their fifth mistake was that they miscalculated the forces that worked for them! They were sitting there and thought that their mercenary agents had been able to create a strong, cohesive network of thugs and ruffians, so that when these thugs and ruffians came to the streets, no one could stop them! They made a mistake here as well; they did not realize that the money they had given to their mercenaries, as usual, was mostly spent on their own pleasures! They had overestimated their dependent forces. They did not realize that with a presence of the Basij and a popular presence, all of these would again crawl back into their holes like insects. They had confused the present situation with the events of 28 Mordad 1953; because on that day, the same ruffians and thugs and knife-wielders came to the streets and took everything for themselves. After they finished the work, then the Shah's army came and entered! They thought that it was the same this time; they had not considered the Basij and the people and the thoughts of these revolutionary forces.

Their sixth mistake was regarding the operational agencies. They did not think that the police, or the Ministry of Intelligence, or various officials who are responsible for different sectors could enter so decisively. As I mentioned, they thought that there was no breath left for these individuals! Their mistakes were in calculations, and the Almighty caused them to suffer bitter failure and defeat due to their errors.

Of course, the foreign agencies acted hastily; they became happy too soon and announced their positions too quickly. Those who constantly talk about human rights introduced the thugs who were breaking windows in the streets, looting banks, and setting fire to people's cars or institutions as the Iranian nation and reformist forces! It became clear what they mean by "reform!" The Iranian nation that came on Thursday was not taken into account! Those whom the people rose against were introduced as the nation! They made a mistake. If they had held their tongues for a day or two and not spoken, they would not have faced this embarrassment later! Most of them spoke. Even that American statesman who said, "I do not want to say anything that would harm the forces opposing the system" could not restrain himself! Ultimately, he spoke and showed his defense of the rioting forces! Zionist agents in various parliaments in Europe and non-European countries, as well as some neighboring countries, could not refrain from commenting.

My dear ones; the great Iranian nation! O manifestation of the greatness and power of Islam in this era! O youth! O men and women! O faithful hearts! O warm souls! See God's hand in this incident. It is a mistake if anyone thinks that the Iranian nation that came to the field, or the faithful forces that appeared so powerfully, did so because of the words of such and such; no, who are such and such; who are I and those like me? This is the will and hand of God's power; this is the same hand of power and greatness that, despite all enmities, has been advancing this nation, this system, and this revolution for twenty years. It will continue to advance; it will continue to defend this nation; it will continue to suppress the enemies; but you and I must learn a lesson. Any nation that learns from events will be victorious and successful.

Here, I have noted a few points as lessons to convey and conclude my lengthy speech. The lessons of this incident are numerous and are for everyone:

The first lesson should be taken by our enemies. They should not strike the anvil; they should not confront Islam; they should not confront a system that relies on the millions of the nation; it is of no use.

The second lesson is for the entire nation. Our dear nation should recognize the enemies - which it does - and know that our main weapon, our superior weapon, and our ultimate weapon is faith, unity, and vigilance. Preserve your faith, maintain your unity, and keep your vigilance. If this is the case, no enemy can harm you.

The third lesson is for the officials. Officials should appreciate this nation. They should make the resolution of this nation's problems their true and permanent goal. Whatever efforts they make, if they double their efforts, it is warranted. These people are so valuable and so noble that a person should dedicate all their existence for them. Dear officials - the government, the parliament, the judiciary, the armed forces, all of them - do whatever you can to serve these people and work for them. These people are very valuable and very noble. Know that this system, relying on these people, is more solid and stronger than any mountain.

The fourth lesson is for the students. Dear students! See that the enemy is incorporating the student element into their calculations. Of course, they have been doing this for some time; but now the enemy wants to practically play with the student element. Your vigilance, your awareness, your faith, and your attention must thwart the enemy. Do whatever you can to act as an aware and vigilant person. The country belongs to you. We are the ones who will leave; it is your generation that will take this country. The fathers and previous generation were able to free this country from the clutches of foreign plunderers - primarily Americans. They are still struggling, clawing, and trying! It is you who must equip yourselves and safeguard your country. Do not let this country, these resources, this immense power, and this sensitive region fall into the hands of the enemy. Prepare yourselves.

The fifth lesson is for the political lines. I view political lines from one perspective. Names do not matter to me; minds, hearts, and actions matter to me. Whoever shows more interest in Islam and values, in the Imam, in national interests, and in the destiny of this country is dearer to me; regardless of which line they belong to; regardless of which group they belong to; regardless of which political current they belong to. Strive to align yourselves with these criteria. The nation demands this from you. The nation wants Islam. The nation wants its Islamic sovereignty and power. Do not trust the enemy and its agents. It is a bad state of affairs to see that within political lines, they behave antagonistically towards their opposing line; but leave their borders open to the enemy! I do not approve of this; the nation does not approve of this; I can boldly say that God does not approve of this either.

It is said that there are "insiders" and "outsiders." Now do we have insiders and outsiders or not? If we want to account for the nation, no; all individuals of the nation are insiders. But in political currents, yes; we have insider currents and outsider currents. Who is an insider? An insider is one whose heart beats for Islam; whose heart beats for the revolution; who has reverence for the Imam; who truly respects the people - not in a pretentious way. Who is an outsider? An outsider is one who takes orders from foreigners; whose heart beats for foreigners; whose heart beats for the return of America. An outsider is one who has been thinking about establishing friendly relations with America since the early days of the revolution. They insulted the Imam; but expressed affection for America! They were not upset when someone insulted the Imam; but if someone insulted the enemies beyond the borders or their accomplices, they would be upset! These are strangers. What their names are, whatever they may be; who they are, it does not concern us that I should mention anyone's name in the Friday sermon. Whoever is like this is a stranger, and may God protect us from having such individuals. This is the responsibility of the responsible agencies of the country to be vigilant. The security agencies - the Ministry of Intelligence and the Ministry of Interior - the police, the Revolutionary Guards, and others must be vigilant. The fact that some well-wishers have grievances against some media is from this aspect; otherwise, no one opposes free media. The philosophy of this revolution is freedom - freedom of expression and freedom of thought - but it should not be such that the words, demands, analyses, and orientations of the enemy are prioritized over all other words; that they become the principle and criterion. Whoever becomes friends with the enemy cannot be trusted by other friends.

Political groups and currents should come together and work together. They should not harbor suspicion, accusations, insults towards each other, or enmity towards each other. Now they say that we have political differences! I do not know how much they really have foundational political differences. Even if they have differences in economic and political matters - if their differences are not just emotional - very well; let them compete within the scope of those differences; there is no problem; but let them not turn these competitions into enmity, hostility, and animosity towards each other. See that the enemy is standing here; see that the enemy is waiting for an opportunity; see that they are calculating on the war of factions against each other.

O Lord! Do not withhold Your mercy and grace from this nation; send down Your support upon this nation. O Lord! For the sake of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, make what we have said and what we have heard for You and in Your way; elevate the ranks of our dear and precious martyrs day by day - for we have everything we have from them, and today a number of the pure bodies of these martyrs will be buried after the prayer - and unite them with the martyrs of Karbala and the martyrs of early Islam. Send our greetings from this gathering and from the depths of our hearts to the pure and sacred presence of our Master, the Awaited Imam, may our souls be sacrificed for him; make the sacred heart of that great one pleased with us; make the prayer of that great one encompass us.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Say, He is God, the One. God, the Eternal. He neither begets nor is born. And there is none comparable to Him.