Statements in Meeting with Various Segments of the People, National and Military Officials, and Ambassadors of Islamic Countries

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

I congratulate this great Eid, the pinnacle of all human festivals, to the great Islamic Ummah, to the dear nation of Iran, to you esteemed attendees of this assembly, especially to the guests and supporters of Islamic unity who are present in this session, and to the ambassadors of Islamic countries.

This year in our country has been recognized as the year of the Greatest Prophet, and today is the day of his mission. The Prophet himself, according to a well-known and widely transmitted hadith, said: "I was sent to perfect moral virtues." The mission arose in the world with this goal, that moral excellences and spiritual virtues of humanity become universal and reach perfection.

No one who does not possess the highest moral virtues will be entrusted with this great and serious mission; thus, at the beginning of the mission, God Almighty addresses the Prophet: "Indeed, you are upon a great moral character." The Prophet's formation, to become a vessel that God Almighty deems suitable for His revelation, relates to before the mission; thus, it is narrated that the Prophet, who engaged in trade in his youth and earned substantial income from it, gave all of it as charity for the sake of God, distributing it among the needy. During this period, which was the late stage of the Prophet's development and before the revelation, a time when he had not yet become a Prophet, he would ascend Mount Hira and contemplate the divine verses; he would look at the sky, the stars, the earth, and the creatures living on it with various emotions and different ways of life. In all of these, he saw the divine signs, and day by day, his humility before the Truth, his heart's reverence towards divine commands and will increased, and the sprouts of good morals grew more and more within him. It is narrated that: "He was the wisest and the most honorable of people"; before the mission, the Prophet, by observing the divine signs, became increasingly enriched until he reached the age of forty. "When he completed forty years, God Almighty looked at his heart and found it to be the best, the most honorable, the most obedient, and the most humble of hearts"; his heart at forty was the most luminous, the most humble, and the most capacious heart for receiving the divine message. "The gates of heaven were opened, and Muhammad looked at them." When he reached this stage of spirituality, sanctity, and the pinnacle of perfection, then God Almighty opened the doors of heaven and the realms of the unseen to him; his eyes were opened to the spiritual and unseen worlds. "And the angels were permitted to descend, and Muhammad saw them"; he saw the angels, they spoke to him; he heard their words until Gabriel the trustworthy descended upon him and said: "Read"; the beginning of the mission.

This unparalleled divine creature, this perfect human who had reached this level of perfection before the revelation of divine guidance, from the very first moment of his mission began a comprehensive and arduous jihad that lasted for twenty-three years in utmost difficulty. His jihad was within himself, against a people who had no understanding of the truth, and against that absolute dark atmosphere, which Amir al-Mu'minin (the Commander of the Faithful) states in Nahj al-Balagha: "In trials, they were trampled by its hooves and crushed by its claws." From all sides, tribulations pressed the people: worldly desires, lust, oppression and transgression, moral vices deeply rooted in the existence of humans, and the hands of the powerful who reached out to the weak without any obstacle or restraint. This transgression existed not only in Mecca and the Arabian Peninsula but also in the greatest civilizations of that day; namely, in the great Roman Empire and in the Persian Empire. Look at history; the dark pages of history encompassed the entire life of humanity. The struggle against this immense power and the relentless and unimaginable effort began from the very first hours of the mission and the endurance of divine revelation for the Prophet, and the divine revelation continuously descended like pure water reaching a fertile land, nourishing the sacred heart of that great man and empowering him, and he exerted all his strength to bring this world to the brink of a great transformation; and he succeeded.

The first cells of the Islamic Ummah were established in those difficult days of Mecca by the capable hands of the Prophet; strong pillars upon which the structure of the Islamic Ummah must be built; the first believers, the first to embrace faith, the first who had the knowledge, courage, and luminosity to understand the meaning of the Prophet's message and to commit their hearts to him. "So whoever Allah wills to guide, He opens his heart to Islam." The hearts that were prepared and the doors of hearts opened towards these divine teachings and divine commandments were built by the capable hands of the Prophet, these minds were illuminated, and these wills became stronger day by day; and hardships arose during the Meccan period for that small number of believers - who were increasing day by day - that are unimaginable for you and me. In an atmosphere where all values were of the age of ignorance, where false pride, wrongful zeal, deep enmity, cruelty, harshness, oppression, and lust were intertwined and pressed upon the lives of people - and amidst these hard and impenetrable stones - these green saplings emerged. "And indeed, the wild tree is the hardest of wood and the strongest of fuel," as Amir al-Mu'minin says, this is it. No storm could shake these greens, these saplings, and these trees that grew and took root from between the rocks. Thirteen years passed, and then based on these strong foundations, the structure of the Islamic society, the civil and prophetic society, was built upon these foundations. Ten years of nation-building also took place. This nation-building was not just politics; part of it was politics. A major part of it was the education of each individual: "He it is who sent among the unlettered a Messenger from them, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom." "Purifying them"; each heart was placed under the Prophet's education. The Prophet instilled knowledge and science into each mind and intellect. "And teaching them the Book and wisdom." Wisdom is a higher level. It was not just that he taught them laws and regulations; he taught them wisdom. He opened their eyes to the truths of the world. For ten years, the Prophet moved in this manner and with this method. On one side, politics, the administration of the government, the defense of the Islamic society's existence, the expansion of the scope of Islam, opening the way for groups outside Medina to gradually and one by one enter the radiant realm of Islam and Islamic teachings, and on the other side, the education of each individual. Dear brothers and sisters! These two cannot be separated.

Some regarded Islam as merely an individual matter and separated politics from Islam. This is something that is promoted today in many Islamic societies and in the teachings of the aggressive, arrogant, colonial West, which states: Islam is separate from politics! They separated politics from Islam; while the noble Prophet of Islam, at the beginning of the migration, when he was able to free himself from the difficulties of Mecca, the first thing he did was politics. The establishment of the Islamic society, the formation of the Islamic government, the establishment of the Islamic system, the formation of the Islamic army, letters to the great politicians of the world, entering the vast political arena of that day, is politics. How can Islam be separated from politics?! How can politics be interpreted and shaped by a guiding hand other than the guidance of Islam?! "Those who have made the Quran into pieces"; some tear the Quran apart. "They believe in part and disbelieve in part"; they believe in the worship of the Quran; but do not believe in the politics of the Quran! "And indeed, We sent Our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the balance that the people may maintain [justice]." What is justice? Justice means establishing social justice in society. Who can accomplish this? The formation of a society accompanied by justice and equity is a political task; it is the work of the managers of a country. This is the goal of the prophets. Not only our Prophet, but also Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and all the divine prophets came for politics and to establish an Islamic system. Then some, out of sanctimoniousness, gather their robes and say: We have nothing to do with politics! Is religion separate from politics?! Then the wicked Western propaganda constantly stirs this notion that: separate religion from politics; separate religion from government. If we are Muslims, religion and government are intertwined; not like two things that are connected. Religion and government are one thing.

In Islam, religion and government stem from one source and one origin, and that is divine revelation. This is the Quran and Islam. Some on one side separate politics from Islam, and some on the other side regard Islam as merely politics and political maneuvering. They overlook ethics, spirituality, love, virtue, and dignity, which are the greatest goals of our Prophet's mission. This too is "those who have made the Quran into pieces"; this too is "we believe in part and disbelieve in part." Reducing Islam to shiny and dazzling political phrases, being oblivious to the humility of hearts, to remembrance, to purity, to spirituality, to kneeling before God, to seeking God, to relying on God, to shedding tears before the greatness of the Lord, to seeking divine mercy, to patience, forbearance, generosity, and brotherhood, and overlooking these in favor of merely clinging to politics in the name of Islam, has the same deviation; there is no difference.

"Purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom." It is both purification and education. The realm of religious education encompasses both our hearts and our minds, as well as our hands and arms. "O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh with them"; in the face of the enemy, in the face of the aggressor, in the face of one who prevents the spread of the lights of spirituality and revelation, a strong hand is necessary. "And We sent down iron, in which is strong material and benefits for the people." With an iron hand, with an unbreakable and unyielding will, one must confront these. These are the remedies for the pains of today's Islamic Ummah. Today, the Islamic Ummah needs an Islamic government in the true sense of the word. An Islamic government means that government which addresses the hearts of people and nations; which addresses their minds and knowledge and scientific progress; which addresses their strong hands and arms; which administers correct politics among them. This is what the Islamic Ummah needs today.

The Islamic Ummah has been disrupted since the day it separated religion from government, and ethics from the management of society. The day when kings, in the name of the caliphate - in Baghdad and in Syria and in this corner and that corner of the world - raised the banner of Islam, but under the banner of Islam, they brought in their carnal desires, lusts, interests, arrogance, and royal pride, engaging in hoarding wealth and focusing on their treasuries, the grounds for the decline of the Islamic world were prepared. Although the movement of the noble Prophet of Islam and his great companions and his fighting and struggling companions rapidly advanced Islam - which was the impact of the Prophet's hand that propelled the political and scientific movement of Islam forward for centuries - at the same time, in the courts, in the ruling families, seeds of weakness, decline, corruption, and hypocrisy were being sown. Those seeds grew and brought the Islamic Ummah to its knees, and we felt the consequences after several centuries with our own flesh and bones. We, the Islamic nations, who suffered from colonialism and the dominance of enemies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, fell behind in the caravan of knowledge, our enemies grew stronger, and we became weaker day by day - they drained our blood and became empowered, while we weakened - and it reached a point where the fate of the Islamic Ummah, the fate of the Muslim nations in the Middle East in particular, fell into the hands of oppressive and unjust rulers; the British at one time, then handed over their legacy to the great contemporary devil; namely, the regime of the United States of America. In any case, they took advantage of the weakness of the Islamic world.

Today, regarding the issues of the Islamic world, the Americans speak as if they are owners! Look at the speech of the President of the United States; regarding Lebanon, regarding Palestine, regarding Iraq, regarding Syria, regarding Iran, regarding other countries, he speaks as if the deeds of these lands are in his pocket and he is their owner! Why should they have this opportunity? Why should they have this audacity?

The prosperity of the idol temple is from our ruin The population of disbelief is from our disarray

We are the ones who have not strengthened ourselves; we are the ones who have not brought our power to the field. We are very powerful; we have great capability. Look at the people and Hezbollah of Lebanon; a country that seemed to the Americans and Israelis to be the weakest link in the Middle East, how it was able to bring the nose of the Zionist regime to the ground. When we use our power, it is like this. When we give the field, when the managers of countries hesitate, when politicians, office holders, and media owners think of their personal interests, then nations are trampled underfoot; the power of nations does not come to the field.

God's mercy be upon our great Imam who awakened our nation and brought the power of our nation to the field. We were the same; we too would have been trampled underfoot. In this city of Tehran, the greatest immoralities were committed, and no one frowned; in this city of Tehran, the most hostile enemies of Islam came and lived as if they were in their own home, with complete security! They took the wealth of this country, took the oil, hindered progress, imposed their treacherous and oppressive plans on this nation, and the managers of the country; namely, Mohammad Reza Shah and his entourage, stood with their hands on their chests before them; hands on their inner chest. Of course, there was apparently a show of strength, but they took permission from them. In this city of Tehran, the Iranian court would ask the American and British ambassadors for advice on whether to do this or not; these are part of our documents and exist today. Unfortunately, in many Islamic countries, the same issues exist today. This capable nation, this intelligent nation, this nation with a great historical background, this nation that today shines in the fields of science, jihad, technology, and politics, was being trampled underfoot. The Imam brought the nation to the scene; he trusted the people, and the people showed themselves. When he trusted the people, the people also trusted him. Here, the point that was the center of hope for disbelief became the banner of pure Muhammadan Islam, and day by day, God willing, the Iranian nation will advance on this path. Those who thought that by distancing themselves from the source of the revolution and with the absence of our great Imam and his passing, the people would distance themselves from the values, have gone astray; they have made a mistake and see that they have made a mistake. We are attached to these values; we consider Islamic values as the source of our national dignity; we believe that these values will lead to the growth of talents in our nation. By the grace of Islam, with the help and power of God, we will be able to ascend the peaks of knowledge with a speed greater than the usual and conventional speed and conquer these peaks. We will overcome the weakness that has been imposed on us for many years and will strengthen ourselves.

It is clear that global arrogance is not pleased; it is clear that the powerful want to prevent this movement with uproar, with demagoguery, with propaganda, with political pressure; but they cannot. We stand firm; this nation stands firm, and the Muslim nations have awakened. Today, the hearts of the Muslim nations are filled with hatred for the Zionists and some Americans. Today, throughout the Middle East and North Africa and Asia, Islamic countries and youth are eager to express their Islamic identity. This is something that has sprouted in the nations.

One day they thought that we wanted to export our revolution to other countries; just as the Soviets once wanted to export their revolution and did so through coups and conspiracies. Our great Imam drew a line over this false notion. Now the spirit of Islam has awakened in the Muslim nations, and the Muslim nations, Muslim intellectuals, healthy and independent Muslim politicians, and university youth have opened their eyes to Islam and feel eager; they feel their Islamic identity and seek their dignity in this path. The Americans are powerless and cannot do anything against the nations.

We extend our hands in supplication to the Lord and say: O Lord! We have embarked on this path for Your command, for obeying Your command; we have not entered this path for the world; not for money, not for adornments, not for power. Our great Imam came pure and left pure. The officials of the country saw their leader in this way and move in this path, and our nation is more sincere, more virtuous, and has a firmer resolve than us. We have entered this path. The divine promise is that: "Indeed, Allah defends those who believe." The divine promise is true. "And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice." The statement of the Almighty Lord and the sacred essence of God is in complete truth. God Almighty defends the believers; of course, the believer who enters the field; otherwise, the believer who lies down in his corner, what will he defend? The believer who enters the field, the believer who brings his existence, his being, his will, his capable hand, his active mind to the field for the sake of God - whether in the field of science, in the field of economy, in the field of politics, or on the day when necessary, in the field of jihad - God defends this believer and these believers, and God Almighty has defended the Iranian nation until today. Global arrogance has been trying for twenty-seven years with all its might to uproot this tree; but the day this tree's roots had not yet spread, it could not, and today, thanks be to God, the roots of this tree have spread across the horizons of the earth, and whoever opposes with divine will will certainly face the blow of divine tradition.

We ask the Almighty God to keep us steadfast on the straight path; to make us followers of the truth and acting upon the truth; to make the sacred heart of the Master of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him) pleased and satisfied with us; and to unite the pure souls of the martyrs and the spirit of our dear Imam with the souls of His saints.

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