Tehran Friday Prayers Sermon

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, ask for His forgiveness, and seek His guidance. We rely on Him and send blessings and peace upon His beloved, His chosen one, the best of His creation, the keeper of His secrets, and the conveyor of His messages, our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen family, the guides and the rightly guided, especially the remainder of God on earth. Blessings be upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers. God, the Wise, has said in His Book: "There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful." (Quran 9:128)

I invite and recommend all dear brothers and sisters who are performing the prayer to observe piety and righteousness. I advise all the youth to appreciate the unique opportunity of youth, to maintain chastity and purity, and to strive and work during this unique and brilliant period of human life. I recommend and invite all men and women to honesty and truthfulness, as the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) defined the true sign of a believer as keeping trusts and speaking truthfully. I advise all speakers and writers to observe piety and divine and Islamic interests and to preserve the rights of the people when speaking and writing. I recommend myself and all of you to avoid and distance from carnal desires and to choose the path of God in the crossroads of life. I hope that the Almighty God, by the blessing of the Noble Messenger and the Greatest Prophet—whose birth coincides with these days—grants us all the success to follow his path, conduct, and goals.

The discussion I will present today in the first sermon is a brief and general look at the conduct of the Messenger of God. First, I must congratulate all of you, the Iranian nation, and all Muslim nations on the blessed birth of that great figure and his esteemed grandson, Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him). The point I wish to discuss today regarding the life of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) is that the Prophet of Islam, in order for Islamic values and ethics to fully settle in society and blend with the spirit, beliefs, and lives of the people, infused the living environment with Islamic values.

At times, someone may command or recommend that, for example, people should have good character, forgiveness, patience, and perseverance in the path of God, and not commit injustice, and pursue the establishment of justice and fairness. This involves giving recommendations and instructions and teaching, which is certainly necessary, and the Prophet of Islam also taught—"He teaches them"—and imparted knowledge and life lessons to the people. However, at times, the matter goes beyond teaching; the teacher acts and behaves in a way that this Islamic ethic and duty becomes a permanent color in society, confronting people's false beliefs, fighting against ignorant feelings and the remnants of non-Islamic ethics, and confronting them, shocking society and the people, and at appropriate times and with appropriate methods, making the environment of society and people's living space completely blend with this good trait and method.

If a society wants to grow and develop correct Islamic ethics within itself, it needs this method. Perhaps in several verses of the Quran where "He purifies them" is mentioned after "He teaches them" or before it, the meaning of purification in these verses is this very matter; that is, cleansing and purifying and refining the people, like a doctor who does not just tell his patient to do this and not do that, but places him in a special place and gives him what he needs and takes away what is harmful to him. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) pursued such a situation and method throughout the twenty-three years of his prophethood, especially in the ten years he lived in Medina, during the period of Islamic governance and the establishment of the Islamic government.

I have prepared a few examples and samples to present. This is very important for us today in the Islamic system, both for the general public and especially for officials and those who deal with a group and have a collection of people looking at their mouths and listening to their words. We must pay attention that if we want to remove and cleanse the remnants and residues of the ethics of the era of tyranny—which are very harmful for our growth and elevation—from ourselves, there is no choice but to act with courage and decisiveness in our lives according to these methods of the Noble Prophet.

One example relates to creating a healthy environment free from ignorant prejudices in people's living space. You know that all nations are like this, and except for individuals who have reached a very high level of knowledge, their situation is such that in many cases, prejudices, grudges, diseases, and the like govern their lives and prevent them from acting justly and rightly, making the environment unhealthy.

This environment must be made healthy. To create a healthy environment and foster goodwill among people, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) not only gave recommendations but also implemented methods. Especially in that era, this issue was very important because the ignorant Arabs had many grudges and suspicions towards each other and many tribal and familial prejudices, and the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) had to remove these from the hearts of the believers and purify and illuminate their hearts towards each other.

A narration from the Noble Prophet is quoted, saying: "Let none of you convey to me anything about my companions, for I like to come out to you with a clear heart." (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 16, p. 231) People would come to the Prophet and speak ill of each other, saying things about one another, sometimes true and sometimes false. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) told the people: Let no one tell me anything about my companions. Do not constantly come to me and speak ill of each other. I wish to appear among the people and go among my companions with a clear heart, meaning with a pure and clean heart and without any prior suspicion or ill-feeling towards the Muslims.

This is a saying from the Prophet and an instruction regarding Muslims in relation to him. See how much this behavior of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) helps Muslims feel that in an Islamic society and environment, they should interact with individuals without suspicion and with goodwill. In the narrations, we have that when governance is with evil and corruption, be suspicious of everything; but when governance is with good and righteousness in society, abandon suspicions, have goodwill towards each other, accept each other's words with an open mind and listen, do not see each other's bad deeds, and observe each other's good deeds.

Among Muslims, it was customary to come to the Prophet and whisper things in his ear, speaking secretly and confidentially, which led to the revelation of a verse prohibiting people from whispering to the Prophet because it created suspicion among other Muslims.

In this context, the memory and incident that is very important and which I have often reviewed in my mind and referred to the verses of this incident in the Quran is the incident of "Ifk." In the blessed Surah An-Nur, several verses relate to this incident. The incident of "Ifk" is briefly that one of the Prophet's wives was left behind from the caravan in one of the battles. The Prophet had taken that wife to the battlefield, and when they were returning, they did not see her. For whatever reason, either that lady had fallen asleep or had gone to fulfill a need. The Muslims came and suddenly realized that the Prophet's wife was not among them. A man from the Muslims found her and brought her to Medina.

Now, which of the Prophet's wives was this woman, there is a difference between Sunni and Shia. Shia narrations say it was "Maria the Copt," while Sunnis say it was "Aisha." This is a misleading discussion in our time to say which of the Prophet's wives it was. The issue is not about determining which wife of the Prophet was involved in this incident. The matter is something else; it is a very important social and ethical instruction.

After this lady returned to Medina, some idle and frivolous individuals spread a whisper among the people about where this lady was and why she was left behind and who was the person who brought her. Without explicitly stating and directing a specific accusation, they spread a whisper and rumor among the people.

The issue is not that this lady was the Prophet's wife and should be respected; in the Quranic verses, the issue is something else. The verses of Surah An-Nur regarding "Ifk"—meaning this false statement that the hypocrites and ill-wishers and unhealthy individuals spread and circulated in society—show extreme sensitivity and several consecutive verses, with a very harsh tone, address the Muslims, stating why when you heard this rumor, you did not show severity towards the speaker of it—this is inferred from the verses—and why you did not decisively reject this rumor.

In this verse, the phrase "Why did not" is used twice. Those familiar with Arabic literature know that "Why did not" is used when one wants to reprimand their audience with complete intensity and complete rebuke, saying: Why did you not do this? "Why did not the believing men and believing women, when you heard it, think well of one another and say, 'This is an obvious falsehood'?" (Quran 24:12) Why, when you Muslims (believing men and women) heard this rumor, did you not show goodwill towards each other and decisively say that this is a lie? In another place, it says: "And why did you not, when you heard it, say, 'It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You; this is a great slander'?" (Quran 24:16) Why, when you heard this rumor, did you not say that we have no right to repeat this rumor? This is a great slander.

Then at the end of these verses, it says: "God warns you against ever returning to the likes of it, if you should be believers." (Quran 24:17) Meaning God admonishes and advises you never to go near such rumors again and that such an incident should never occur in the Islamic society again, if you are believers. Meaning the condition of faith is this.

As I mentioned, the issue is not that this person was the Prophet's wife. Even if she was not the Prophet's wife, the same reprimand and obligation existed for the believers. Therefore, in Islam, it is such that if someone accuses another of certain specific accusations, if they cannot prove it with four just witnesses, the accuser themselves is condemned to be punished. It is not that you can just throw a word into the air and disturb minds and worry and upset hearts, and if you can prove it, you have proven it, and if you cannot, you just hold your head up and go your way! No, if you cannot prove some of the accusations that result in punishment for the criminal, you yourself must be punished for making this accusation.

In my opinion, this is a great incident in the history of Islam and the time of the Prophet, which uprooted the spreading of rumors about individuals' personal matters—which leads to suspicion and ill-feeling towards each other and makes the environment unhealthy—in the Islamic environment. Islam is like this. So, one of the actions of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was to create an environment filled with kindness and love so that all people would show affection towards each other and look at each other with goodwill and optimism. Today, our duty is the same.

Another example of the Prophet's effort to create an environment was to remove enmities and grudges from people's hearts. In the previous case, it was about creating goodwill and a healthy environment; but in this case, the matter is beyond that. Meaning Muslims in the Islamic society should move beyond indifference towards each other. It is not commendable in Islam for Muslims to have nothing to do with each other and for everyone to have a separate world and not care about other Muslims. One of the chapters of the life of the Noble Prophet was to transform this environment of indifference into an environment of love, cooperation, and brotherhood, creating a cooperative community with each other. This is something we need in our system today.

Muslims should interact with each other with love and compassion and without a trace of indifference. It is not that if you see a Muslim afflicted by an incident, you pass by indifferently. No, cooperation, empathy, compassion, and mutual love among Muslims were one of the great works of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him). That great figure, as long as he was present and within his capacity, did not allow Muslims in the Islamic society to have even a single case of hatred and enmity towards anyone. Meaning the Prophet, with his wisdom and patience, truly created a sweet and healthy environment and a space filled with love.

It is narrated that a Bedouin Arab—who knew nothing of civilization, urban life, and the usual manners and ethics of life—came to Medina with the same harshness of desert life and met the Prophet. The Prophet was among his companions—either in the mosque or in a passageway. He asked the Prophet for something, and the Prophet helped him, perhaps giving him money, food, or clothing. After giving this to him, the Prophet asked him: Are you satisfied now? Have I done you a favor? Are you pleased? The man, due to the same harshness of desert life and frankness and lack of formality that such people have, because apparently these kindnesses were not enough for him, said: No, you have done nothing, and you have not shown any kindness, and this was nothing that you gave me!

Naturally, such a harsh encounter with the Prophet was something unpleasant and heavy in the hearts of the companions. Everyone became angry. A few people around the Prophet wanted to say something to this Arab with anger and rage and show a reaction; but the Prophet said: No, do not bother him, I will solve the matter with him. They left the group and took this Bedouin to the house. It seems that the Prophet did not have anything there to give him; otherwise, he would have given him more. They took him to the house and gave him additional things—perhaps food or clothing or money. Then they asked him: Are you satisfied now? He said: Yes. The man was ashamed in front of the Prophet's kindness and patience and expressed satisfaction.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him: You said things in front of my companions a few moments ago that made their hearts bitter towards you. Would you like to go and say the same things you said to me and express your satisfaction in front of them? He said: Yes, I am ready. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) took this Arab either that night or the next day among his companions and said: This Arab brother of ours thinks he is satisfied with us; if you are satisfied, say so. He then began to praise the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: Yes, I am happy and satisfied, and—for example—I am very grateful to the Noble Prophet because he showed me kindness. He said these words and left.

After he left, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) turned to his companions and said: The example of this Bedouin is like that of a camel that has run away from a herd being shepherded and is running into the desert. You, my friends, to catch this camel and bring it back to me, attack and chase it from all sides. This movement of yours increases its flight and fear and makes it more difficult to catch it. I did not let you drive it further away from our group than it had already fled. With kindness and caress, I went after it and brought it back to our herd and group. This is the method of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The Noble Prophet, in no way, wants there to be any hatred, grudges, and enmity in the living environment of the Islamic society and among Muslims. He strived to create love and intimacy among the people. Even when the circle of Islam expanded and the Noble Prophet conquered Mecca, he forgave the people of that city. The people of Mecca were the same ones who had expelled the Prophet from their city. The Prophet had endured thirteen years of hardship and suffering from the people of Mecca. Then they had fought several wars with him and had killed many Muslims, and conversely, Muslims had also killed many of them. If they were to host the victorious army of the Messenger of God with the same situation, reconciliation between them would not have been possible for many years. Therefore, as soon as the Prophet entered Mecca, he made a public announcement: "You are free." Meaning I have forgiven and freed all of you. He forgave the Quraysh, and it was over.

One of the actions that the Prophet perhaps did in the first months of entering Medina was to establish a bond of brotherhood among Muslims; meaning he made Muslims brothers with each other. When we say we are brothers, in Islam, it is not just a formality; it means that Muslims truly have the right of brotherhood towards each other and are indebted to each other, just as brothers are indebted to each other and must fulfill mutual rights towards each other. The Prophet implemented this.

He made Muslims brothers two by two and did not consider the classes and families of these people and the aristocracy of the aristocrats of Medina and Quraysh. He made a black slave a brother with a great person and a freedman a brother with a well-known son of Bani Hashim or Quraysh. In any case, this brotherhood had various dimensions, one of the most important of which was that Muslims should feel brotherhood towards each other.

I will give another example to show how the Prophet (peace be upon him) infused the society with Islamic values. In Islam—apart from beliefs and political inclinations and lines and other matters—it is the spirit of loyalty and gratitude and recognizing the efforts and services of individuals that is important and very effective in the health of society, and the Prophet practically emphasized it a lot. He did not just suffice with words and, for example, say to have loyalty to covenants and gratitude towards each other; rather, he created this environment in practice.

In a hadith, I saw that a delegation from Najashi—the king of Abyssinia—came to the Noble Prophet in Medina, probably to bring a message, as is common and customary between governments. Najashi was the king in the country of Abyssinia and, like many other kings and rulers around the world at that time, was Christian and non-Muslim; but when the Abyssinian delegation came, they saw that the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself stood up and began to host this delegation. The companions said: O Messenger of God! We are here, allow us to host. He said: No, when the Muslims migrated to Abyssinia, their king showed great respect and honor to the Muslims; I want to reciprocate. This is gratitude.

Therefore, you see that the Noble Prophet during his lifetime, although he had many wars with the infidels of Quraysh and waged several wars against the Eastern Roman Empire—which at that time included the region of the Levant and Palestine—and participated in the battles of Yarmouk, Mu'tah, and Tabuk and was engaged in jihad and conquests and territorial expansion to those points; but he never launched a military campaign towards Abyssinia and did not go in that direction.

It was not that every king who did not accept Islamic faith, the Prophet would wage war against him. No, loyalty and gratitude and reciprocating the kindnesses of Najashi remained until the time of the Islamic government and when the Prophet became the head of the Islamic system. There are many such examples in the life of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) that if we want to mention each of these cases, it would be lengthy.

I will also mention another case: During the Islamic government, a woman came to see the Prophet in Medina. The companions saw that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) showed great affection towards this woman, asked about her and her family's well-being, and treated her with utmost sincerity and kindness. After the woman left, the Prophet, to dispel the companions' surprise, said that this woman used to visit our house during the time of Khadijah (the period of oppression and hardship in Mecca). Probably at a time when everyone had besieged the Prophet's companions and did not come to visit Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her)—the honored wife of the Prophet—this lady used to visit Khadijah. This narration does not state that this woman had become a Muslim. No, probably this woman was still not a Muslim, but merely because she had such a characteristic in the past and had shown such sincerity and affection, the Noble Prophet years later observed this gratitude.

Another example is the issue of creating an environment of work and effort in society, which the Noble Prophet did not suffice with just instructing people to work and strive. He, through various methods, revived the spirit of work and effort in the people, and sometimes if he saw a young person who was idle, he would say: "Indeed, God does not love a young person who wastes his life and spends it in idleness." (Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, Ibn Abi al-Hadid, vol. 17, p. 146)

In a narration, it is mentioned that when the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a young person who "pleased him" and he was pleased with his physique and health and youth, he would ask him two questions: Have you married, and do you have a job or not? If that young person said I have not married and I do not have a job, the Prophet would say: "He has fallen from my eyes." This young person has fallen from my eyes. He, through such methods and encounters, made people aware of the importance of work and effort.

Once, a few people came to the Noble Prophet and praised a person, saying: O Messenger of God! We traveled with this man, and he was a very good and pious and God-fearing man, constantly worshiping. In every place we stopped, from the moment we dismounted until we mounted again, he was engaged in prayer and remembrance and Quran and such things. When they made these praises, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked them with surprise: Then who did his work? Someone who, when dismounting from the mount, is constantly engaged in prayer and Quran, who cooked his food? Who unloaded and loaded his belongings? Who did his work? They replied: O Messenger of God! We, with great pleasure, did all his work. The Prophet said: "All of you are better than him." All of you are better than him. The fact that he did not do his own work and left it to you and was himself engaged in worship does not make him a good man. You are the good ones who work and strive and even take on the work of another.

Through such methods, the living environment in the Islamic society becomes filled with interest in work and life effort. All the cases I mentioned are relevant and needed today. All Muslim people in Iran and the Islamic society must feel a duty towards the fate of the country and its reconstruction. No one should forget the goal of building the Islamic society in the work they do, even if the work you do is for your own life. All people have the right to work for their livelihood and life and to secure their personal and family future; but in this effort and work you do, the issue of building the country must also be considered. Meaning if the work you do is good for you but harmful to Iran and bad and obstructive for the country's reconstruction, your work is undesirable and incorrect.

Everyone must feel that they have a duty towards the fate of society; they must seek and find that duty. In their personal work—whether cultural work, administrative work, commercial work, technical work, big or small work—everyone's feeling should be that this house must be built by the owners of the house, meaning all the people, and the government is the manager and supervisor of this house, which must plan and determine the work and duty of each group and class so that people know what their duty is and perform it.

All individuals have a duty to make the environment healthy; an environment where love prevails over hostility. This is very important in Islam. A human being is a combination of love and hatred. Both the feeling of love and the feeling of hatred and enmity exist within you. This is natural for every human being, that a spirit of love and a spirit of enmity and hatred exist within him. Islam has determined the duty of these and said that your spirit of enmity and hatred is specific to the enemies of God and the Islamic system and the people. See who those who are enemies of God and His Messenger and the Islamic society and the Muslim nation are; direct your enmity towards them so that the rest of your being is love and affection towards all members of society.

Try to love everyone. This is an Islamic duty and teaching. This is not a bad thing. For enmity, one should not find an excuse and exclude and discard anyone from the list of love for any reason. No, the environment of the Islamic society is one of intimacy, even with someone you do not know.

Similarly, the spirit of suspicion and mistrust towards individuals in the Islamic system must be eliminated. Suspicion belongs to the non-Islamic system. When evil and oppression prevail and rule; when in society, non-God holds the reins of affairs; we have a narration that goodwill is naivety, and every phenomenon should be viewed with doubt and suspicion. But when the dominance is with truth, governance belongs to God and His servants, and the path is the straight path of religion, here suspicions must be set aside and goodwill must be had; unless something is proven to a person. This is the Islamic duty.

The Islamic environment and society must be filled with these characteristics, and this is the work that the Noble Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family), through his methods and teachings and presence among the people and interesting initiatives in each case—as briefly mentioned—did.

I hope God grants us success and we can follow this path. In this regard, I will make a few prayers so that, God willing, they will be considered and favored by God:

O Lord! Make our path the path of Your Noble Prophet. Make our hearts kind to each other. Make us "severe" against our enemies. Make us "merciful" among Your servants. O Lord! Grant us the success to implement Islam and establish Islamic and prophetic and Alawite justice. O Lord! From this great gathering of ours and from the good deeds that emanate from the Muslim people, send a gift to the pure soul of our great and late Imam.

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

By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other 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 upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen family, especially Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and the truthful and pure lady, the mistress of the women of the worlds, and Hasan and Husayn, the two grandsons of mercy and the two Imams of guidance, and Ali ibn al-Husayn, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ja'far ibn Muhammad, and Musa ibn Ja'far, and Ali ibn Musa, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ali ibn Muhammad, and Hasan ibn Ali, and the remaining proof, the guided one, Your proofs over Your servants and Your trustees in Your lands. Blessings be upon the leaders of the Muslims, the protectors of the oppressed, and the guides of the believers. O God, forgive the believing men and women, the Muslim men and women, the living among them and the dead.

In the second sermon, I wish to briefly discuss the global events and the arrogant currents in the world that continue, as they have for the past ten or eleven years, against the direction of the revolution and Islam and Muslims. Of course, there are events that remind us of those memories and events today, and I do not want to delve into these details. In general, look at the world and observe the method of global arrogance and America in dealing with Muslim nations, especially the nations of the Middle East, the ongoing issues in Lebanon, and the conspiracy against these oppressed and Muslim people.

In the past few weeks, you have seen how the great powers of the world have joined hands to determine the fate of Lebanon—exactly against the interests of the people and the oppressed and downtrodden Muslim majority of that country. Also, consider the handling of the Palestinian issue and the betrayal committed by some Arab leaders and powerful figures of Arab countries, in collaboration with some leaders associated with Palestine, which is also within this framework. Inside the occupied territories, the oppressed Palestinian Muslims, including young people, women, and men, are fighting with their bodies and lives, and the powerful show no human conscience towards this oppressed Palestinian community.

You observe the state of the world as it relates to us Muslims, you hear the news, you see the pressure on Muslim groups in the world, you observe the dependency of reactionary and puppet governments that work against the interests of their countries, and you see how the public opinion of the world remains silent in the face of these blatant injustices. This is something hard and unbearable or difficult to endure.

When America announces that it considers itself entitled to pursue criminals convicted in its courts anywhere in the world—meaning a general capitulation for all countries of the world—the public opinion of the world does not show the necessary movement; whereas when this statement was announced, the nations of Europe, Asia, and Africa should have taken a stance against this bullying decision; but they do not and did not.

You see that in response to the inhumane and wrong statements of that country's president, who considers supporting the oppressed people of South Africa an irresponsible act, no reaction is shown in the world. Meaning the power of the powerful and the arrogant has made the world a world mixed with inhumanity and oppression. Of course, the nations are heartbroken; there is no doubt about that. Nations around the world are ready to confront these bullying acts—not that they are not—but they need hope, guidance, and leadership from an example to see that it is possible to stand against global arrogance.

Today, this example is Islamic Iran. Wherever you look in the world, the government that stands bravely and decisively against the bullying and arrogance that emerges from the powerful is the Islamic Republic. Besides the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation, we do not know of any nation that stands united against the bullying of the world's bullies. Of course, this is due to Islam; the pure Islam that our people have felt with all their being, believed in, and, thanks be to God, have acted upon to a large extent. Islam has given you people and your officials the power, courage, and audacity to stand against bullying.

Today, when an incident occurs in the world—such as the events in the Middle East, Lebanon, and Palestine—and a nation or person is oppressed and an injustice occurs somewhere, and a wrong and bullying statement is made from someone's mouth, if we want to protest and take a stance and consider that action necessary and our duty, no political consideration or fear of any power prevents us from taking a stance.

Some other countries are surprised at how it is possible for a government and a country not to fear and consider the dominant powers of the world? Today, thanks be to God, this example exists in the world. Even on the day when the East and the West had joined hands against us and during the war and before it, they acted in unison against us, and almost the entire world stood in a military line against us, even on that day we showed the world that we are not afraid of anyone and we are strong. This belongs to the Islamic Republic and is specific to our country. Other nations of the world also understand this.

Today, Muslims in Arab and Islamic countries and Africa and Europe, thanks be to God, have gained courage and show their Islamic identity to the rest of the people. You people are an example in the eyes of these nations and these scattered Muslims around the world. Until now, they did not think it was possible to stand against these powers with an Islamic slogan; but now they have seen that this nation stood firm and succeeded and advanced; therefore, they too have been encouraged.

This is a great secret that global arrogance is trying to either defeat the Iranian nation in some way to show other nations that a resistant nation like Iran was also defeated and create this bitter experience for the nations, or to bring the Iranian nation to compromise so that again they can tell the nations of the world that a resistant, passionate, and heroic nation like Iran was ultimately forced to come to terms and compromise with us.

Thanks be to God, until today, such a thing has not happened, and it will not happen after this either. As long as we are here, as long as this nation exists, as long as the warm spirit and breath of our dear and late Imam is alive in our memories and in this revolutionary atmosphere, such a thing will not occur. In short, it must be said that today the government and nation of Iran and our Islamic country are in a position where pressures, threats, and bullying have so far had no effect on this point, and the nations of the world, having seen and understood this steadfastness and resistance, have their hopes here.

Today, a great duty is upon us. Today, we are obliged to fulfill this great divine duty—meaning giving hope to the people of the world: "So that you may be witnesses over the people." (Quran 2:143) You are the exemplary witnesses that other nations and the people of the world look to. We must correctly understand the great duty that is upon us today. Our main task is to preserve this point of hope in the hearts of Muslim nations. Just as in the past ten or eleven years, the Iranian nation has always been in a position where the eyes and hearts of the nations are bright and hopeful towards it, from now on, our method and quality of action and words and statements must be such that this hope remains in the hearts of the oppressed and fear remains in the hearts of the enemies.

The enemies of the Iranian nation have tried to make the nation pessimistic and hopeless about the future. You have heard over the past few years that whenever an incident has occurred, foreign radios have started broadcasting. Some said: Iran's matter is over! Some said: In three months or six months, there will be no trace of the Islamic Republic left! Some said: This experiment also failed! On every occasion, foreign radios have tried to convey that the Iranian nation is hopeless and pessimistic about its future. They have tried to suggest that the officials of the Islamic Republic could not organize things and build the country. These propaganda efforts have been ongoing for several years. What is this propaganda for?

The expectation from all people, especially those who are elites and whose words and methods influence the minds and actions of the people, is to act exactly opposite to what the enemy wants. The enemy wants to make the people pessimistic and hopeless about their future. The enemy wants to suggest that the officials of the Islamic Republic and the managers of this country cannot, with their will and planning, build and reconstruct this country. The enemy wants to say that the Islamic system is incapable of meeting the needs of the people. The enemy wants to say that the people of Iran are not optimistic about their officials and do not trust them. The enemy wants to say that there is a gap between the people and the officials, and this gap is widening day by day. The enemy conveys and spreads these things. The enemy wants to sow seeds of doubt and mistrust and pessimism in society through propaganda, radios, writings, articles, magazines, and the statements of uninformed and unaware individuals who are influenced by global propaganda and speak.

Our people feel the realities and see that the realities are exactly the opposite of what the enemy wants to convey and make people believe. People see that the officials have a place in the hearts of the people and show them affection. During the life of Imam (may his soul be sanctified), the propaganda was also focused on saying that the people had separated from the Imam! Of course, when our people referred to their inner selves and hearts, they saw that they were full of love for the Imam.

This sense of trust that people have towards the officials is a very valuable thing. The enemy's propaganda tries to take this sense of trust away from the people; whereas this sense of trust has been effective for our nation and revolution throughout the post-revolutionary period and even before its victory. With this spirit of trust, the people moved, repelled the enemy's aggression, and saved the country.

When they were told that the enemy intends to destroy the Islamic Republic with military aggression, the people accepted and went to the battlefield and defended the existence of the Islamic Republic and the integrity of the country. Over time, it became clear what the matter was. Everyone understood that the enemy's intention in organizing this attack and military aggression was to destroy the Islamic Republic. The issue was not a border issue and a dispute between two neighbors.

This trust has saved the country. This trust, during the blessed life of our dear Imam, gave the officials the courage and audacity to work. During the time of the great Imam, you saw how much he emphasized the support of the people for the officials. It was not that the Imam did not know and see the weaknesses that existed in the apparatuses. The Imam (may his soul be sanctified) perhaps observed the weaknesses more accurately and better than many individuals. The weaknesses that existed in the governmental apparatuses and the judiciary and various sections of the vast administration of the country were not hidden from the Imam; but despite this, the Imam's emphasis was that the people must cooperate with the officials and stand behind the country's managers so that those managers can address these weaknesses.

Today is the same. Today, there are three points that I recommend to you brothers and sisters and the entire Iranian nation:

One is that you should not lose your spirit of optimism and hope for the future. Know that this optimism and hope is justified. You are that good tree of which it is said: "Its root is firm and its branches are in the sky, giving its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord." (Quran 14:24-25) Why should we not be optimistic about the future? A brave, courageous, powerful, united, hardworking, intelligent, and talented nation, residing on a land full of God's blessings, why should it not be hopeful and optimistic about the future? While we have passed and endured difficult days. If anyone were to be pessimistic and hopeless, it should have been in those days.

By the blessing of the guidance of our great leader and Imam, we have passed through very dangerous passages. With strength and power, we continue the path and build the country and increase our power in terms of economy, military, politics, and great cultural capability, and we will progress day by day in society. We are Muslims, the Quran is in our hands, and our hearts are attached to Islam and the Quran. The Quran has said: "You are the best nation produced for mankind." (Quran 3:110) We must be the best. We must move forward and we will. We have passed through dark and gloomy nights, and we will pass through the pieces of the cloud of sedition at any time by holding on to God and the Quran.

Why should we not be hopeful? Every single individual must keep hope for the future and optimism about it in their hearts, despite the enemy's desire; because the enemy wants to kill hope in hearts. He knows that your hope is his greatest enemy. If you become hopeless, the enemy will breathe a sigh of relief and his work will become easy; therefore, he wants to dominate hopelessness over the people.

The second point I recommend to every single individual is not to lose your sense of trust in the country's officials. Today, we see the best in charge of affairs. No one should think that if these were not there and someone else was, what would happen. This is not the case at all. All groups and collections and social types have come to the scene of the test in these eleven years. Today, those who have taken on the responsibilities—which are very heavy—are worthy and righteous individuals who can be trusted.

Everyone is obliged to solidify this spirit of trust in their hearts. No one is allowed to take this spirit of trust away from the people and shake their hearts. It is a wrong and non-revolutionary and non-Islamic act for some to sit here and there and, without feeling responsible, shake the people's trust in the officials. People must have confidence in the driver who drives and moves this train or bus forward, to give him the opportunity and help him bring this caravan to its destination. If the spirit of distrust prevails, he cannot work, and they cannot help.

As I mentioned in the previous sermon, the environment of the Islamic society in the early era, thanks to the teachings of the Prophet (peace be upon him), was an environment of mutual trust and confidence. Today is the same; especially those who are in various platforms and speak and write. They must try more than others to strengthen this spirit of trust in hearts. They must not weaken and shake it.

The third point I recommend to all individuals is not to let the feeling of revolutionary zeal and duty towards the revolution weaken and subside in your hearts. Just as someone defends their family and honor and dignity, defend the revolution and its values and achievements in the same way.

Men and women, old and young, in any job you are in and in any corner of this country you live in—it does not matter—know that this revolution was not easily achieved. Hearts were eaten, blood was shed, and great divine help was bestowed upon these people to achieve this great achievement. It is not that we and the people sit and watch as some plunder the values of the revolution or insult them and belittle them. No, the revolutionary values and achievements of the revolution and the Islamic environment of society are the honor of all our people, and we defend them with zeal and with all our power and must do so.

The enemy should not be able to rot this revolution from within by promoting a culture of corruption—any kind of corruption, whether related to sexual desires, financial corruption, or various types of moral and practical corruption. Each of you, men and women, must, like that brave and zealous young person who stands in front of his house and family and possessions and defends them, defend your revolution and Islam and officials and achievements and Islamic faith and stand against those who attack it.

Certainly, divine help and grace will be with us, and the pure soul of our dear Imam and the sacred and holy spirits of the guiding Imams and the Noble Prophet of Islam and the pure prayers of the holy existence of the Awaited Imam (may God hasten his reappearance and may our souls be sacrificed for him) will help our nation in this path.

Peace be upon all Muslims in all parts of the world. These days coincide with the anniversary of the birth of the Greatest Prophet and the Most Noble Messenger of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) and also the anniversary of the birth of his son, Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (peace be upon him and his forefathers), the bearer of his message and the worker in his path, and from here I congratulate all Muslims in the world and ask God Almighty for their success in emulating the Noble Messenger and moving towards his lofty goals. For he (peace be upon him and his family) was a manifestation of Islam, and therefore knowing him and loving him and honoring his memory leads to the greatness of Islam, and from here we have seen the enemies of Islam, whether those from the Middle Ages, the era of the Crusader writers working to distort the image of the Prophet of Islam or those in our time leading the cultural attack against Islam, directing insults openly at the personality of the Messenger of God, and also what we see in the writings of orientalists and their pseudo-scientific studies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We have seen all of them working to distort the true image of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) with the aim of striking Islam itself. This, and on the other hand, we Muslims must, in order to truly know Islam, truly know the Messenger. We see this duty as a confirmed obligation even in our time, where Islamic knowledge is expanding, and we feel a great void in its field, and here I point to some examples in this regard:

Firstly: We have noticed for a long time, especially with the entry of colonialism into Islamic countries, that huge amounts of money are spent and great efforts are made to establish the idea of separating religion from politics for Muslims, until it became an accepted idea in many Islamic societies and among large groups of individuals and even among some religious scholars, while contemplating the life of the Noble Prophet and knowing him clarifies that he (peace be upon him and his family) was striving in all stages of prophethood and with all seriousness to establish and maintain the Islamic system and that he spent half of his prophetic life as a leader and manager of the affairs of the Islamic state, which clearly proves the falsehood of the idea of separating religion from politics after political striving in his life formed the continuous line and the original axis of all forms of striving, and through knowing this truth, a wide door of Islamic knowledge opens before everyone.

Secondly: It has also been observed for a long time that many of those with power and influence in Islamic societies consider only their narrow interests in their political relations, just as the rest of the politicians in the world do, without considering the hostile positions taken by the parties of the relationship towards Islam, and from here we find today many governments in Islamic countries establishing friendly relations with America and Israel and other countries known for their conspiracy against Islam. They do not define their relationship with them except by narrow political interests.

This is while the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) during his government in Medina acted completely opposite to this. He dealt harshly and with enmity with groups and forces hostile to Islam, just as he dealt gently with those non-Islamic and non-hostile forces. He fought the infidel Quraysh and worked to decisively eliminate the Jews, tightened the noose on the hypocrites who were the bases of the external enemy, and led a campaign directed towards the lands of the Romans who intended to interfere in the affairs of the Muslims, and in return, he honored the messengers of the non-Muslim king of Abyssinia and mentioned that king well and also did not prepare a campaign against the infidel state in the east of the Islamic lands because it did not intend to attack the Islamic state. This prophetic behavior is precisely what the Noble Quran commanded when it said: "God does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes—from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, God loves those who act justly. God only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion—forbidding you to take them as allies. And whoever takes them as allies, then it is those who are the wrongdoers." (Quran 60:8-9)

Thirdly: We also observe the line of presidents, we observe the presidents and leaders in Islamic countries who do not care about religious matters, and if their interests sometimes require them to order their people to be religious, they only suffice with some appearances and claims, and how many kings and presidents in Islamic countries today live lives of great sins such as drinking alcohol, consuming usury, gambling, and the like openly without fearing the blame of a blamer after they have continuously made their people understand that it is not necessary for leaders to act according to the Sharia, and we have not heard from the scholars of the countries and the preachers of the sultans, despite their knowledge of these sins being committed, anyone objecting to them and preventing them from committing them. This naturally leads to the spread of moral corruption, while the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was the most devout and ascetic and the most observant of the Sharia. He, as the ruler, saw himself obligated to observe the standards of truth more than the rest of the Muslims, and this is the logic of Islam that doubles the obligation of this on the leaders of Muslims and their leaders.

Yes, knowing the life of the Prophet from this aspect leads to greater knowledge of Islam and exposes the reality of those who claim it, and in summary, Muslims today need more than ever to know the life of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) so that the veils of distortion woven by ignorance and the conspiratorial goals of anti-Islamic policies are torn apart. The Noble Prophet must be a standard by which a Muslim individual measures himself and others, and the society that the Prophet strove to build must be a standard for the Islamic society at all times. The Messenger strove to establish justice under an Islamic system as a supreme goal, so the Islamic world must strive to achieve perfection and human ascension. This meaning becomes clear to us if we study the life of the Noble Prophet and discover the duties imposed on us by this lofty goal through knowing the great deeds and words of the Prophet. It is not enough for Muslims to love the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and believe in his message alone, but they must follow him and walk in his path exactly towards the goal he aimed for, for he is the one who opens the path of jihad for this nation and clarifies its responsibilities, and here we say that the nation must not follow except those who align with this goal, and as for those who do not align with it, they are either among the heedless or in the depths of the devils.

I hope that Muslims in the world pay full attention and regain their strength and reliance and work to save their Islamic society from this predicament and deprivation that threatens their world and their hereafter, and I ask God for forgiveness for me and for you.

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

Say, "He is God, [who is] One, God, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent."

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings