Statements After Planting a Tree on the Eve of Tree-Planting Day

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and may God's blessings be upon His Prophet and the pure family of the Prophet.

We are grateful to God for granting us the opportunity to join those who are engaged in this blessed movement across the country during tree-planting days, and to plant a tree ourselves. I have spoken extensively about environmental issues, and others have as well; today I would like to say a few words regarding the current issue in the country, namely the widespread illness that exists.

Previously, I sincerely thanked the doctors, nurses, and healthcare teams; I must once again express my gratitude to all these dear ones. Truly, in these days, we have witnessed examples that serve as lessons for all of us and, thanks be to God, demonstrate the sense of responsibility and human and religious commitment of our healthcare teams in the country. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare personnel are truly engaged in jihad in the way of God; the work they are doing today is jihad in the way of God and holds great value. I must also thank the families of these dear ones—their spouses, children, and parents who endure this hardship—some of these individuals do not return home for consecutive days and nights and are busy working; they are essentially working around the clock, and their families endure and wait, for which I am deeply grateful.

I feel it is necessary to pray for the patients who are either in hospitals or at home; I pray for all of them to receive health from the Almighty God; and I ask for mercy and forgiveness for the deceased and patience, tranquility, and peace for their survivors, and I extend my condolences to them.

I have a few requests from our dear people; one request is that they do not violate the recommendations and guidelines of the responsible authorities; regarding prevention, maintaining cleanliness of hands and face and living environments, and avoiding contamination, the instructions given by the specialized and expert teams must be followed. Certainly, anything that contributes to the health of society and prevents the spread of this illness is a good deed; conversely, anything that aids in the spread of this illness is a bad deed. The Almighty God has obligated us to feel responsible for our own health and the health of others, the health of the people; therefore, the first recommendation is that we consider it an obligation to fully adhere to the regulations specified by the authorities and act accordingly.

The next recommendation, which is very important, is to turn to God and seek divine assistance; this is a necessary matter, and the Holy Quran instructs us: "Say, 'What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication'"; in another place: "And turn to your Lord and submit to Him"; in yet another place: "And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear"; and there are numerous instances in the Quran that instruct us to raise our hands in supplication to the Almighty God in the face of various events—whether they are natural disasters of this kind or other events that occur for the country, for the nation, or for ourselves. Now, sometimes things are mentioned that, for example, we should recite a certain action or prayer; I do not have a specific recommendation in this regard. Prayer means that we speak to the Almighty God and ask Him. I am very hopeful, especially regarding the pure and sincere hearts of the youth, and the faithful and pious individuals who can truly avert great calamities with their prayers. This calamity does not seem to us to be such a great calamity; there have been and are greater calamities, and we have observed instances in our country. They can, through prayer, supplication, and seeking intercession from the Imams (peace be upon them) and asking for help from those great figures and turning to the Imams (peace be upon them) and to the noble Prophet of Islam, resolve many problems; this is also my next recommendation. Now, if one wants to recommend something specific, I recommend the seventh prayer of Sahifa Sajjadiyya, which is also in Mafatih; this prayer: "O You by Whom the knots of hardships are untied, and O You by Whom the sharpness of difficulties is broken"; this prayer is very good, it has a beautiful meaning, and they should recite this prayer with attention to its meaning and ask the Almighty God with these beautiful words. This is one matter.

The next point is that we request and urge all the institutions of the country to cooperate with the Ministry of Health, which is at the forefront in this regard, with a sense of responsibility and to provide all facilities at their disposal. Of course, we have also asked the armed forces and the institutions related to our office to also make all their facilities available to the people. This incident has not only occurred in our country; you know and have heard that this incident is present in many countries around the world today; the difference is that in many countries, they conceal it and do not disclose it; our officials have, with sincerity and honesty, communicated transparently from the very first day, informing the people, which was a good thing. In some places, they do not disclose it, but we know, we are aware that in some places it is much more severe and widespread than in our country. We also pray for those afflicted in other countries and ask that God, God willing, assist them.

And the last point is that this issue is a transient matter, it is not something extraordinary; such events occur in the country. Of course, I do not want to downplay the issue too much, but let us not exaggerate it either. It is a matter that has arisen, it has been a while—God willing, it will not last long—this will exist for the country, and then it will pass. The experiences we gain in this regard and the activities that the people and institutions undertake, in fact, constitute a general exercise in this area, which can be a significant achievement. If we have these achievements, calamities will turn into blessings for us, threats will turn into opportunities; fortunately, I have heard that there is much cooperation and affection among the people in this regard. For instance, consider that a shopkeeper has placed a water tap and cleaning supplies outside his shop on the street so that passersby can wash their hands if they wish—this is very important. Or a certain nurse has postponed her wedding to be able to attend to this work; or some people are making financial contributions collectively; these are all very good deeds. This is, in fact, a general exercise of the people and the relevant institutions, and we hope that it will yield good results for our country, and that the time of complete health for this nation will be near, God willing.

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