Tehran Friday Prayers Sermons

First 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, believe in Him, and rely on Him. We send blessings and peace upon His beloved, His chosen one, the best of His creation, our master and prophet, Abul-Qasim Muhammad, and upon his pure, immaculate, chosen, guided, and infallible family, especially the remaining proof 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: "Indeed, in the Messenger of God, you have a good example for whoever has hope in God and the Last Day and remembers God often."

I advise all dear brothers and sisters who are performing the prayer to observe piety and righteousness and to follow the clear path that the Noble Prophet of Islam and all the divine prophets and saints (peace be upon them) have placed before humanity. Remember God and keep Him in mind in all your actions, words, behaviors, and even thoughts and reflections.

Today is the birthday of the Noble Prophet of Islam, the great savior of humanity, the teacher of mankind, and the bearer of the banner of human salvation, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace be upon him and his family), and also the birthday of his son, the Imam of the Shia and the proof of God for Muslims and all the people of the earth, Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him). I extend my congratulations on this blessed day and these two births to all of you, brothers and sisters, to the great nation of Iran, and to all Muslims.

I dedicate the first sermon to recounting some aspects of the life of the Noble Prophet. God Almighty has commanded us Muslims to follow the Prophet. This following encompasses all aspects of life. The Prophet was a model not only in his words but also in his actions, in his way of life, in his interactions with people and family, in his dealings with friends, in his transactions with enemies and strangers, in his behavior with the weak and the strong, in everything. Our Islamic society will only be a complete Islamic society when it aligns itself with the behavior of the Prophet. If it is not possible to act exactly like the Prophet—which it is not—at least there should be a resemblance to that great figure; the opposite of the Prophet's way of life should not dominate our lives; we should move in that direction.

In three important scenes of life, I will present brief statements from that great figure. Of course, extensive books have been written on this subject, and the discussion is longer and more detailed than can be covered in speeches of this kind. From each field, we should pick a flower, so that the memory of that great figure remains alive in our minds.

The first scene from the Prophet's life was the scene of invitation and jihad. The important task of the Prophet of God was to invite to truth and reality and to strive in the path of this invitation. In the face of the dark world of his time, the Noble Prophet was not disturbed. Whether it was the day when he was alone in Mecca, or a small group of Muslims surrounded him, and in front of him were the arrogant leaders of the Arabs, the chiefs of Quraysh, and the tyrants with harsh manners and powerful hands, or the general public who had no share of knowledge, he was not afraid; he spoke his truth, repeated it, explained it, clarified it, endured insults, bore hardships and sufferings, until he was able to convert a large number to Islam; and when he established the Islamic government and took power as the head of this government. Even then, there were various enemies and opponents against the Prophet; whether it was the armed Arab groups—savages scattered in the deserts of Hijaz and Yamama, everywhere, who needed to be reformed by the invitation of Islam and resisted it—or the great kings of the world at that time—the two superpowers of that day, namely Iran and the Roman Empire—to whom the Prophet wrote letters, debated, spoke, launched military campaigns, endured hardships, fell into economic siege, and the situation reached a point where the people of Medina sometimes could not find bread to eat for two or three days. Numerous threats surrounded the Prophet from all sides. Some people became worried, some wavered, some complained, some encouraged the Prophet to be lenient and compromise; but the Prophet did not falter for a moment in this scene of invitation and jihad and advanced the Islamic society with strength, bringing it to the peak of honor and power; and it was that same system and society that, thanks to the Prophet's steadfastness in the fields of battle and invitation, was able to become the world's leading power in later years.

The second scene from the Prophet's life was his behavior with people. He never forgot the people's manners and kindness and striving to establish justice among them; he lived like the people and among the people; he associated with them; he befriended and socialized with slaves and the lower classes of society; he ate with them; he sat with them; he showed affection and kindness to them; power did not change him; national wealth did not alter him; his behavior did not change during times of hardship and when hardships were removed; in all circumstances, he was with the people and from the people; he was kind to the people and sought justice for them.

During the Battle of the Trench, when the Muslims in Medina were almost surrounded from all sides and food was not reaching Medina and the people's provisions were exhausted, to the extent that sometimes no one could find food to eat for two or three days, even then the Noble Prophet participated in digging the trench against the enemy and endured hunger like the people.

It is narrated that Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) had managed to obtain some flour for Hasan and Husayn—who were young children—and had baked a small amount of bread. She could not bear to leave her father hungry. She took a piece of that bread she had baked for the children to her father. The Prophet asked: "My daughter! Where did you get this?" She replied: "It is for the children." The Prophet took a bite and ate it. According to the narration—which I believe has a reliable chain of transmission—the Prophet said: "I have not eaten anything for three days!" Therefore, he was like the people and with the people, showing kindness and patience with them; whether in this state or in the period when hardships were removed, Mecca was conquered, enemies were subdued, and everyone was in their place.

After the conquest of Ta'if, many spoils came into the hands of the Prophet, and he distributed them among the Muslims. Some Muslims had firm faith, and they stood aside; some were new Muslims and tribes around Mecca and Ta'if, who rushed to the Prophet and demanded spoils; they harassed the Prophet, surrounded him; the Prophet gave, and they took; but they still wanted more! It reached a point where even the cloak on the Prophet's shoulders fell into the hands of these rough and harsh new Arab Muslims! Even here, at the height of honor and power, the Prophet continued to treat people with the same kindness, patience, and good humor; he raised his voice with good manners and said: "O people! Return my cloak to me!" This was the Prophet's way of interacting with people.

The Prophet associated with slaves and ate with them. He was sitting on the ground and eating with a group of poor people. A Bedouin woman passed by and asked in astonishment: "O Messenger of God! Do you eat like the servants?" The Prophet smiled and said: "Woe to you! Who is more of a servant than I am?"

He wore simple clothes. He ate whatever food was available and prepared for him; he did not demand special food; he did not reject any food as undesirable. Throughout human history, these characteristics are unparalleled. Despite socializing, he maintained the utmost cleanliness and purity, both outwardly and spiritually, as Abdullah ibn Umar said: "I have not seen anyone more generous, more helpful, more courageous, or more radiant than the Messenger of God." This was the Prophet's behavior with people; human interaction, good interaction, interaction like the people themselves, without arrogance, without grandeur. Although the Prophet had a divine and natural awe, and in his presence, people would lose their composure, he was gentle and good-natured with people. When he was sitting in a gathering, it was not recognized that he was the Prophet and the leader and the great figure of that gathering. His social and military management was at the highest level, and he oversaw all affairs. Of course, the society was small; it was Medina and the surrounding areas, and later Mecca and one or two other cities; but he was attentive to the people's affairs and was organized and orderly. In that primitive society, he introduced management, office, accounting, and the system of reward and punishment among the people. This was also the Prophet's social life, which should be a model and example for all of us—both for the country's officials and for the general public.

Finally, the third scene from the Prophet's life was his remembrance and worship of God. Despite his position and status and greatness, the Prophet did not neglect his worship; he would cry and pray and seek forgiveness in the middle of the night. Umm Salama once saw that the Prophet was not there; she went and found him praying and shedding tears and seeking forgiveness, saying: "O God, do not leave me to myself for the blink of an eye." Umm Salama began to cry. The Prophet returned from his prayer and asked: "What are you doing here?" She replied: "O Messenger of God! You, whom God Almighty holds so dear and has forgiven your sins—'that God may forgive you your past and future sins'—why do you cry and say, 'O God, do not leave us to ourselves'?" He replied: "What will keep me if I become heedless of God?" This is a lesson for us. On the day of honor, on the day of humiliation, on the day of hardship, on the day of ease, on the day when the enemy surrounds a person, on the day when the enemy imposes itself with all its greatness on the eyes and existence of a person, and in all situations, remembering God, not forgetting God, relying on God, asking from God; this is the great lesson of the Prophet to us.

God Almighty was mindful of the Prophet in all scenes, and the Noble Messenger sought help from God in all scenes, asked from God, and did not fear anyone other than God. The main secret of the Prophet's servitude to God is this; not considering any power in opposition to God, not fearing it, not cutting off God's path for the sake of others' desires. Our society, by learning from this prophetic morality, should transform into an Islamic society.

The revolution is not for some to leave and others to come; the revolution is for values to change in society; for the value and worth of a person to be in servitude to God; for a person to be a servant of God, to work for God, to fear God, not to fear anyone other than God, to ask from God, to work and strive in God's path, to reflect on God's signs, to understand the world correctly, to commit to reforming global and human corruption and to start with oneself; each of us should start with ourselves.

O Lord! We swear by the sanctity of the Prophet's position, bring about a deep and Islamic transformation within us and in our hearts and souls. O Lord! Make us worthy of the name of the Prophet's community. O Lord! Make our Imam of the time, who is the Prophet's successor and God's proof in our time, pleased with us. O Lord! Always keep us proud in the field of jihad and resistance.

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

By the 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.

Second Sermon

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, Abul-Qasim Muhammad, and upon Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and upon the truthful, pure lady, the leader of the women of the worlds, and upon Hasan and Husayn, the two grandsons of mercy and the two Imams of guidance, and upon Ali ibn 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 successor, the Mahdi, 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. I advise you, servants of God, to observe piety.

Today, two important and influential issues in the state of our society and country are presented to us as two memories and two reminders: one is the commemoration of the years of sacred defense against the imposed war, and the other is the commemoration of Unity Week, about each of which I will briefly speak. Before that, we remember the martyrs whose names we usually honor in these days—Martyr Hashemi Nejad, the dedicated and self-sacrificing scholar; and the dear commanders who were martyred in these days—and we honor their esteemed memory.

Regarding the sacred defense, what our nation must reflect upon after the difficult period of the eight-year war is who initiated this war, why it was initiated, and why it did not succeed. These are three fundamental points.

First question: Who initiated the war? It cannot be said that Iraq alone initiated the war. All the evidence from the beginning showed that global arrogance was behind Iraq; they provided military support; they supported it in terms of propaganda and placed the Security Council at the service of the aggressor. Despite the fact that a war of such importance occurred in this sensitive region, days passed without the United Nations showing any reaction; this is not normal. In Iraq's attack on Kuwait, the Security Council took a stance within a few hours; but in Iraq's attack on Iran, while Iraqi tanks were advancing, the Security Council remained silent and watched; only after thousands of kilometers had been occupied did the Security Council say a word, which was not even a condemnation of the aggression; it did not blame Iraq for the aggression and starting the war; it told both sides to stop fighting and ceasefire! In fact, it was to stabilize Iraq in our occupied territories. Of course, we did not accept it and rejected that resolution.

The Security Council, because it was in the hands of the great powers and they were behind the Iraqi regime, never took a completely and one hundred percent fair stance on the war until the end; until finally, after much effort and with great efforts from all sides, Resolution 598 was issued by the Security Council.

The East and the West were behind Iraq. Almost all of Europe helped Iraq. During the war, we said these things based on speculation, evidence indicated it; but in the last one or two years, definitive evidence has emerged; everyone admitted it, and one by one, the documents came out; American aid, NATO aid, Soviet aid was known from the beginning. The Eastern Bloc, the same Eastern European countries that are now suffering these calamities, provided the greatest service to the Iraqi regime throughout the war; the regional reactionaries are in their own place. Therefore, the Iraqi regime did not initiate the war alone—the Iraqi regime was an agent—the war was initiated by the entire arrogant world and those who followed it; this is clear today and does not require much discussion.

Second question: Why did they initiate the war? This is also clear: they initiated the war to destroy the Islamic system or force it to surrender; it made no difference to them. They wanted either the Islamic Republic to collapse due to occupation and the difficulties of war, or if it did not collapse, as most countries that suffer these calamities eventually turn to a powerful one and extend their hand to them, perhaps the Iranian nation and the great Imam of this nation would also be forced to surrender to the enemies, extend their hand and say, very well, we are surrendering; do not let Iraq crush us so much. Without a doubt, this was their goal; but this wish remained in their hearts.

If Iran had surrendered to America, the war would have ended quickly. Of course, the calamity of American domination is a hundred times harder than the calamity of war. The calamity of foreign domination is heavier and harder for a nation than any kind of war with any loss. Today, see how they treat the Iraqi regime. As soon as they dominated, as soon as surrender took place, global arrogance knows no bounds. It is from the people's resistance that they take account and are forced to respect boundaries. Any nation that shows the slightest sign of surrender to global arrogance loses; it loses very heavily. Their goal was to force the Islamic Republic to surrender; but they could not.

After eight years of war, we do not need to swear and testify that we have won the war. What is victory in war? If an enemy with that volume of power and material greatness attacks a nation, fights against it for eight years, but after eight years everything is like the first day; not a step of this nation's land is in the hands of another, this nation has not accepted the slightest imposition from the enemy, is this not the victory of this nation? Our nation, with its youth, with its warriors, with its army and the Revolutionary Guards and the people's Basij, with its brave tribes, with its people in the streets and markets, with its self-sacrificing families, with its aware and intelligent women and men, with the unparalleled courage and faith and reliance of its great leader, was able to stand against America and Europe and the Soviet Union of that day and the empire of the East and West and after eight years force all of them to admit the victory of the Iranian nation and their own defeat.

And the third question: How was this victory achieved? Dear brothers and sisters across the country! How did you achieve victory? Was it not your faith, your reliance on God, your decision to stand against the enemies of God, your unity—which they could not break by any means—the heroic sacrifice of your youth; young people who, despite their youth, gave up the pleasures of the world and did not succumb to temptations; and the parents who gave up their youth and did not succumb to the temptation of love and affection for their children; and the disregard for worldly adornments and looking towards the high goal—namely the honor of Islam and Muslims—did the victory of the Iranian nation have any other factor? If Iran, on the day when the enemy attacked from all sides, had turned to the East or the West, to America, to Europe, to the Soviet Union, would it have still been victorious? They would not have allowed it to be victorious. The war would have ended, but without victory and without honor; they would have resumed their domination over this nation.

Dear brothers and sisters! Almost thirteen years have passed since the victory of the revolution and the uprooting of American domination from this country; but America and global arrogance are still thinking of returning their domination to this nation in any way they can. Know that the enemies of God are not satisfied with your Islam and faith and unity; they are not satisfied with you standing behind the country's officials, behind the Quran and Islam, behind the signs and banners of religion. The enemy does not like this kind of life. You have disrupted the arrogant culture in the world. Today, things have become difficult for arrogance.

This "new world order" that arrogance speaks of is a statement with very treacherous and malicious intentions behind it. What does the new world order mean? It means the bipolar system of the world has ended, the East-West conflicts have ended; yes, they have ended; but should the result of the end of the East-West conflict be the absolute and increasing power of America over weak nations?! Should Islamists and freedom seekers in any part of the world no longer have the right to breathe?! Should the issue of Palestine be resolved at the cost of selling Palestine and selling the Palestinians?! Is this the meaning of the new world order?! America wants this. The Islamic nation, due to the awakening that has resulted from the revolution and your resistance in the war, will not surrender to this demand of America and arrogance.

Of course, the war had many losses; the enemy knew this; today they also know. The loss of war is not only at the moment when a cannonball or bomb or missile hits a place. This impact causes destruction. This loss exists until this destruction can be repaired.

We had eight years of war. For many years, all of you, the nation, must move behind the government, and the statesmen must work with all their strength and effort and with all sincerity, and the national wealth of this country must be spent on reconstruction, so that we can compensate for these losses and destructions. The destruction of war is not easily removed.

Do you know at what cost the Second World War ended for Europe and Japan and other countries? Do you know how many years it took for them to free themselves from this burden? While the wealth of America and other places was behind them and at their disposal.

We want to stand on our own feet. We want to build the country ourselves. We want our own effort, will, and money to build this country. The country's dedicated officials are working hard. With proper planning and determination and with the help of the nation, they will be able, God willing, to compensate for these destructions; of course, it will take some time. The war was hard, and the reconstruction period is also hard; this is also part of the hardship of the war period. Today, your struggle is in the path of reconstruction and effort to maintain unity.

Unity Week is the unity among the Islamic Ummah. The enemy wants there to be conflict among Islamic sects; especially after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the enemy has wanted to create separation between revolutionary and Islamic Iran and other nations. They wish that in the Islamic world it would be said: "These are Shia, and their revolution is a Shia revolution and has nothing to do with us Sunnis!" From the beginning of the revolution, the Iranian nation has said yes, we are Shia and followers of the Prophet's family; but this revolution is an Islamic revolution based on the Quran, based on monotheism, based on pure and unadulterated Islam, based on unity and brotherhood among all Muslims. This is what our nation said from the beginning, and our Imam also shouted and expressed this.

Do not let this unity be damaged. Other Muslim nations in other countries should not let mercenary writers and pen-holders write against the Iranian nation and the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic and spread slander and defamation; they are doing this. Our own writers should be vigilant and not give the enemy an excuse to widen this gap. The radio and television, the media, newspapers, book writers, all should be careful not to give the enemy an excuse to create division among Muslims. We said that Muslim brothers, wherever they are and whatever their sect, should be brothers and fight against arrogance—which is against Islam and monotheism and the Quran—in the path of Islam and monotheism and the Quran.

The very bitter issue of these days for us is the issue of Palestine. They intend to trade and sell Palestine. This so-called international conference is, in fact, a conference in line with the wishes of the Zionists; however, Muslims, especially some Palestinian leaders, have shown so much weakness that now even the Zionists are being coy! They say we will participate in this conference on such and such conditions. What condition?! A proud Muslim cannot participate in a conference where it is planned to sell the Palestinian nation and the Palestinian country to the enemy; rather, a proud Muslim cannot sit idly by. I will read this message, which I have prepared in Arabic for Muslim brothers and sisters around the world:

Peace be upon the sons of our Islamic Ummah, men and women, everywhere. The Palestinian issue has represented a tragedy for Muslims and the peak of their pains and the bitterest incident in their modern history for half a century until now. However, after the ominous Balfour Declaration, which was the first step in displacing the Palestinians, Palestine and its people have not faced a more dangerous conspiracy than the one being woven today by America, supported by some other countries, and backed by the silence and cooperation of some Arab regional countries.

The plan prepared for Palestine now is to liquidate the issue and sell the entire Islamic land of Palestine to the criminal Zionist usurpers, and this is a grave danger threatening Muslims and a comprehensive disaster that, God forbid, if realized, will befall them. From an Islamic perspective, accepting and tolerating what is being planned in the conference related to Palestine is religiously forbidden and contrary to the sacred Sharia.

Politically, this incident represents the greatest insult to Muslim nations and governments and the widest door for penetration into Islamic countries and tampering with their destinies, and the most heinous disdain for the dignity of all advocates of truth and liberation, and the ugliest prelude to suppressing all manifestations of awakening and vigilance in the Middle East region and throughout the Islamic world. It is, therefore, a prelude to realizing the Zionist occupation's intentions to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. From a human and moral perspective, it is a mockery of all the martyrs and fighters who have sacrificed their lives and wealth for Palestine over the past half-century and an injustice to all the displaced families who have suffered for two generations in camps and witnessed the usurpation of their beloved land and home by the Zionist usurpers.

It is a decree for the slaughter and torture of thousands of Palestinian youth in the future, a violation of the honor of thousands of patient Palestinian women in the future, and a presentation of poverty, misery, disease, and homelessness to a displaced nation.

With all this, which zealous Muslim from the rulers or the people can allow himself to support the American conference related to Palestine or participate in it or submit to its results? These are all betrayals of the Palestinian people, betrayals of the Palestinian cause, and betrayals of Islam. Silence in the face of this great disaster is also participation in this betrayal.

If America and its assistants think that with such conferences and decisions, they will be able to extinguish the sacred Islamic uprising in Palestine, they are completely mistaken. And if some Arab politicians, whether Palestinian or non-Palestinian, imagine that the Palestinian people and their nations will forgive them for participating in this conspiracy, they are very wrong.

Palestine belongs to the Palestinian people and is part of the Islamic land. The usurping entity must be dissolved, and this is the inevitable fate of Palestine, which will be realized sooner or later, and God is predominant over His affair, but most people do not know.

And I do not miss, dear brothers and sisters, to congratulate the entire Islamic Ummah on the anniversary of the birth of the chosen one (peace and blessings be upon him) and the anniversary of the birth of his grandson, Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), asking God Almighty to make this fragrant anniversary a source of inspiration that increases Muslims' determination to achieve their unity, honor, and dignity.

Servants of God, fear God and strive and endeavor and prepare and be ready and take provisions in the house of provisions and ask forgiveness from God for me and for you.

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

When the victory of God has come and the conquest, and you see the people entering into the religion of God in multitudes, then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.