In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful,
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; peace and greetings upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate, pure, and chosen household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
Welcome, dear brothers and sisters, and honorable families of our beloved martyrs. Without exaggeration, the survival of the Revolution, the security, and progress of the country, in every area, are owed to the patience and resistance of the honorable families of martyrs -- because of the dear martyrs' blood. These days are very suitable for this meeting: these days are marked by the martyrdom of the Imam of the Pious (a.s.). This great personality is the greatest martyr not only in the history of Islam but also throughout the history of humanity.
There is an epithet that has been used for Hazrat Aba-Abdullah al-Hussein, the Master of Martyrs: “Tharallah” -- which means someone whose blood is the money of God. This is what “Tharallah” means. His blood is valuable and the value of blood, from such dear personalities, is so heavy that only Allah the Exalted can repay them. The same epithet has been used for the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.). You say in your prayers: “[Greetings be upon you] tharallah and you son of him who is tharallah.” The latter refers to the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.): he too enjoys the same greatness. These terms and epithets make it clear what magnificence this great martyr – who was martyred during the mihrab and martyred on the path of the truth, steadfastness, and resistance – enjoys.
These days are the days of prayer, supplication, reliance on God and the like. One of the means to gain reliance on and closeness to God is paying attention to the pure souls of our martyrs. If we want to rely on God and supplicate before His and if we want our prayers to be answered at these nights – whether they be during the Nights of Qadr or all nights of Ramadan, each of which is an astonishing event and story – we should ask these exalted souls to intercede on our behalf. We should make them our interceders, and our dear martyrs are among these exalted souls. The families of martyrs – including fathers, mothers, children, wives and other relatives – have the opportunity to ask of the souls of their beloved martyred family members to help them gain closeness to God: this is because their hearts are attached to their martyrs.
The families of martyrs are very dear. I have always said that our martyrs are on the front lines of defending values, the Revolution, Islam, and the Holy Quran that their families – including the fathers, the mothers, the wives and the children – are immediately behind them: this valuable aspect must be appreciated. The impact that martyrdom exerts on Islam and on Muslims are not few in number. After the passage of 35 years, the 7th of Tir, which led to the martyrdom of several dear personalities on that day, continues to inspire: a group of evil and cruel terrorists, inside the country, attacked and assassinated a great number of people; the victims were among the foundations of Iran; thus, terrorists deprived the country of their existence. Then, they [the terrorists] ran away and threw themselves into the arms of those whose claims of fighting against terrorism has been heard throughout the world--such countries [e.g. the USA] received them with arms wide open.
European governments, let alone Asian governments and reactionary systems in the region--they are not worth mentioning--have made extravagant claims about fighting against terrorism and supporting human rights: they have made these claims loudly, and they consider themselves as the main voice on this matter. However, they have no answer if they are asked, “Why did you open your arms to receive the murderers who killed our people? Why did you offer refuge to them? Why did you not give them to the Islamic Republic so that it metes out divine punishment on them?”
It is a big scandal for Western and European governments, and for America: it is a historical event; this is a very important matter; this matter cannot be ignored easily; history will not allow us to forget this event; this is one side of an issue. Another side of this issue is related to the terrorists themselves: they are individuals who entered the scene of revolutionary activities with the excuse of defending “the people”; some of them even did so in the name of defending Islam; they logged this scandal and disaster in on their performance sheet. And after that, they [groups like MKO] went and asked Saddam to grant them asylum. The very same people who claimed to be fighting against the USA left Iran and sought out asylum from Saddam. Today, too, they are living under the umbrella of America’s protection, in Iraq and parts of Europe where they were transferred. The event that took place on the 7th of Tir in1360 was so astonishing that there are instructive lessons to gain from that event.
The event that took place on the 7th of Tir in1360 was so astonishing that there are instructive lessons to gain from that event; of course, we have not worked enough in this direction. Mr. Shahidi pointed out that they are working on developing some projects within the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, but our responsibility is not only to show respect for their families and to praise them: this is not the only responsibility. You should revive the event [7th of Tir] and keep it alive; once more, it was the people and their revolutionary spirit that kept such events alive. We do not even have one movie about that great event. We do not have one work of art about the 7th of Tir: one that can clarify the truth to the point that it becomes clear who and what those who were martyred represented, who Shahid Beheshti was and who and what those sincere, religious, and self-sacrificing ministers -- who entered the arena with all their power, whom we were living among, and whom we knew up close – were. We do not have one work of art, one cinematic movie, one play or one good novel about that event! These are tasks that we have not yet carried out and that we should carry out in the future. Now, that portion [part of speech] was related to the martyrs of the 7th of Tir.
As for the martyrs of the Sacred Defense Era, well, certain tasks have been carried out in this regard, but whatever has been done is not enough. Thousands of martyrs in different circumstances, from different cities, and at different ages – ranging from fourteen-year-old to seventy-year-old individuals – entered this arena and turned that war into a successful one. They broke the monopoly of the formal forces during Holy Defensive War. Whatever task that the people carry out, behind and alongside the formal forces, and in a motivated manner will move forward.
Today, too, we offer the same advice to government officials in all sectors – whether in the field of the economy or in other areas. This happened in the war: the people went and put themselves up to that astonishing test; this is not a laughing matter. We have only heard certain opinions about the war; you should read up on books that contain more details of those operations. You should read about the individuals in the war, ranging from the main bases in the arena of war -- which belonged to the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps -- to the lower levels: the level of battalions, companies, and platoons. The biographies of each of these young, brave men are a lesson for us. The behavior, statements, and moves of each and every youth who was martyred are a gate towards a world of understanding. --This will make us vigilant and wise.
Today, we are more involved with issues of martyrs who defended the Ahl ul Bayt (a.s.) shrines: their courageous acts are astonishing stories that will go down in history. During the time of war, we used to encourage youth to go and fight in the arena of war; they would answer our call. Whenever Imam (r.a.) delivered a speech in this regard, a large group of youth would go and join in on the front lines; but we do not encourage them today. Nonetheless, notice that the determination of these youth from Iran, Afghanistan, and other countries, is so strong and their faith is so pure that they leave their young wives, their infant children, and their comfortable lives to some foreign country, on foreign soil, to fight and become martyred in the way of God. --Is this a minor incident? Each and every step in the history of the Islamic Revolution has witnessed such determining wonders: these are wondrous events.
I should mention that this event has three dimensions: one is the patience, motivation, and faith of the martyrs themselves. Another dimension is the patience and endurance of their families. The young wives of martyrs could do something to prevent their husbands from going to war; their parents could also prevent them from going: they showed patience and endurance during the time of their departure and during a time when their pure bodies were returned to them and afterward. And the third dimension is the event itself which is a historiography of the Islamic Revolution. This is what the Revolution and the Islamic Republic are: it's the motives, faiths, mental capabilities, determination and willpower of the people that have created the Islamic Republic. So, can the Islamic Republic be underestimated? What do the enemies think of the Islamic Republic? The Islamic Republic is a strong body with so much power and capability: it is these qualities that have formed the Islamic Republic.
Of course, there is some weakness in some corner of the country. There are weak-willed and irresolute individuals who become addicted, corrupted, or suffer from many other problems: this exists in all societies. What is important is that a society benefits from preserving foundations which can help it move forward, which can protect it in the face of various events and which can preserve it like a rock. These solid foundations are our martyrs, their families, these self-sacrificing individuals and these disabled war veterans. They are our solid foundations. This is why the Islamic Republic has managed to overcome various challenges.
Dear brothers and sisters, I have perhaps said this so many times, in different ways, but I would like to repeat it again: whenever we relied on the Revolution and the revolutionary spirit, we moved forward; whenever we compromised our values, ignored the Revolution, eliminated the principles of the Revolution and justified this course of action, whenever we mumbled and minced our words to please the elements of arrogance – who are the main enemies of Islam and the Islamic Republic – we fell behind: this is the truth of the matter. The path of progress for an Islamic Iran is to revive the spirit of the Revolution and the spirit of jihad.
There are different areas meant for jihad; of course, all the arenas of jihad involve some danger. Look at the nuclear martyrs. They worked in the arena of science, but they became the target of the enemy; this is jihad: “Allah has granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit at home,” [The Holy Quran, 4: 95]. --This is why Allah the Exalted considers those who engage in jihad as superior to others. How long will we live in this world? This world has existed billions of years before our arrival, and it will continue to exist for billions of years after our departure. Out of these billions of years, only a short span of years belong to you and I [seventy or eighty on average]; therefore, we should benefit from our opportunities during this period of time; we should prepare ourselves for the real life that is ahead of us: “But verily the home in the hereafter, that is life indeed,” [The Holy Quran, 29: 64].
During this period of time, some people engage in jihad, and they achieve lofty positions because of it. Through jihad, not only do people build up their life in the hereafter, but they also create and strengthen the world of others: this part was related to jihad. Now, this part is related to martyrs: “Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord. They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah. And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them in their bliss, the martyrs' glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have done they grieve,” [The Holy Quran, 3: 169-170].
The matter can be described like this: this is God’s word; this is God’s glad tidings; he says that martyrs are alive, that they are with God, that they have received divine blessings and rewards, and they are happy and joyous. They are letting us know that if we take this path, there will be no worries, fear, or sorrow: “That on them is no fear.” -- This is the path they are on. Martyrs took the right path, and they moved forward in a right manner.
Of course, you, families of martyrs', endured many difficulties and felt deep sorrow, and you have the right to feel like this. It is very difficult to lose your loved one: it does not matter if he was your husband, your son, your son-in-law or your brother; this is very difficult for relatives, but you should know that they are very happy. They are living under the shade of divine blessings; we should adopt such an outlook while staring our arrogant enemies in the face; the enemies are unaware of this truth: they cannot comprehend this strength in their calculations. You have heard about asymmetric wars. An asymmetric war is a war in which one side enjoys certain resources, while the other side does not have such resources; their war tactics, their resources, and sometimes even their sources of power are unknown to the other side: this is an asymmetric war. They do not know what power lies in one's faith in God and belief in jihad. Of course, they see the results of it, but they cannot analyze it. That is why they resort to insane measures. The issue of DAESH, the issue of these takfiri terrorists, and other such issues are all examples of such crazed measures.
In fact, they created these terrorists in order to defeat the Islamic Republic; Iraq was just an introductory step; Shaam [Syria and Levant] was also an introductory step: they were introductory steps towards exerting their influence on our country. However, our power in the country caused them to be defeated there as well. A person who goes from Iran to Iraq, and to Syria, in order to stand up against these takfiri orientations, in the name of defending the Ahl ul Bayt’s (a.s.) shrines, is, in fact, defending his own city. Of course, they do so for the sake of God, but this is the truth of the matter: this is an act of defending Iran and the Islamic community.
This type of defense is not particular to Shias: takfiri elements do not differentiate between Shias and Sunnis: they strike Sunnis as well. We have so many Sunni ulama in our country – such as the late Sheikh ul-Islam in Sanandaj, the late Hussein-Bor in Baluchistan, and other such ulama – who were assassinated by these takfiri elements: terrorists shed their blood in a despicable manner. Terrorists do not differentiate between Shias and Sunnis: they strike anyone who is with the Revolution and anyone who is against arrogance and opposed to the USA; but, they refer to this as a "war between Shia and Sunni."
Let's take a look at Bahrain. The conflict in Bahrain has nothing to do with some war between Shia and Sunni; rather, the conflict stems from the fact that a tyrannical, arrogant, and selfish minority rules over a great majority. A small minority is ruling over 70, 80 percent of the people in Bahrain. Today, too, they are harassing Sheikh Isa Qassim, who is a mujahid scholar: this displays their foolishness! Sheikh Isa Qassim is a person who would have prevented the harsh and armed moves of the people as long as he could speak to them: he would, surely, have prevented them from doing so. Bahraini rulers do not understand who they have confronted: they do not understand that attacking Sheikh Isa Qassem means removing a barrier that stands in the way of the enthusiastic and valorous youth of Bahrain. If these youth strike and attack the ruling system, they will not be able to silence them in any other way! When I say that their calculations are wrong, this is one example: this is a miscalculation which results from a failure to understand the condition of society, the people, and their faith.
The right path is the path of Islam; the right path is on of reliance on God; the right path is that of reliance on divine power; the right path is the path of faith: these are all ventures down the right path. The people can remove all obstacles in their way with faith, with jihad, and with firm determination. Thankfully, today, we have many pious, Mujahid, and active individuals both in our country and in other countries. As you've witnessed, today, people from different countries are resisting and standing up against the attacks launched by American and Israeli mercenaries, despite the fact that they are not in their own countries – they are far from their own countries.
Dear brothers and sisters, you should appreciate the value of these nights and hours. You should pray for yourselves and ask God, in a beseeching manner, to answer your prayers; you should ask Him to answer the prayers of other people as well. In these nights – nights like last night, like tomorrow night, and like the 23rd night – many voices will be raised in supplication throughout the world of Islam and in every place where the people believe in this concept: “Many voices and cries will be raised towards you with words of various kinds." [Iqbal al-A’mal, Vol.1, page 346]. In these nights, voices will be raised everywhere, and many tears will be shed. They pray for themselves and for others. One of your prayers should be to ask Allah the Exalted to answer the prayers of those believers who pray during these nights.
Prayers should be recited in an attentive manner. I would like to add that some of the gatherings, wherein prayers are recited, are really sweet and lovely. In such gatherings, the reciter does not recite duas [supplications] only for the sake of the listeners: he recites them for himself as well. Some reciters are like this: they, themselves, are touched by duas. When a reciter feels that he is speaking to God, that he is present before the God of the worlds, and when he feels the dua, the audience will feel it as well. There are also some cases – which are very few, in number, of course – in which the reciter recites duas in an inattentive manner. Sometimes, we see some of these reciters on TV; they only sing certain things; they do not pay attention at all: they do not feel the duas at all. When they do not feel the duas, their audience will not feel them either. They cannot come to shedding a single tear nor can they move their audience to tears; they cannot touch the hearts of their listeners because their own hearts have not been touched: duas should not be recited like this.
Praying is a way of speaking to Allah the Exalted: as our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) said, “Praying is an ascending Quran.” --This means that praying is a way of communicating with God. When you read the Holy Quran, it is God Who is speaking to you. However, when you pray, it is you who are speaking to God. When you read the Holy Quran, this is a descending Quran. In other words, it is Allah, the Exalted, Who is speaking to you and clarifying the truth for you: it has been descended from above. And when you pray, it is you who are speaking to God. During prayer, it is your voice which will ascend into the heavens. If you pray well enough, your prayers will be heard: “And hear my prayers when I say them for you and hear my voice when I call you.” --This is a prayer that we read in Dua Sha’baniyyah. In this prayer, we ask God to listen to our prayers. There is one manner of praying which is not heard by God. We read in one dua: “I seek refuge in You from a self which cannot be satiated, from a heart which does not show humility and from a prayer which is not heard.”
We say to God that we seek refuge in You from a prayer which is not heard. In other words, Allah the Exalted does not pay any attention to such prayers. “And from a daily prayer which does not bring me any benefit.” Well, “Daily prayers help every pious individual to get close to God," [al-Kafi, Vol. 3, page 265]. Daily prayers should help us get closer to God; if they do not help us get closer to Him, then they are of no value. Of course, this does not mean that we should not say them any longer. We should not say to ourselves: “Now that they do not bring me any benefit, I will not say prayers any longer.” You should say prayers fully and complete your duty. However, you should do something to turn your daily prayers into beneficial prayers; you should say them in an attentive manner and with your hearts in the act of prayers.
This opportunity to fast is an extremely valuable opportunity for you: it can soften your hearts to a great extent; it can make them humble with the result that you can speak to God: duas [supplications] should be read like this too. The duas that are particular to dawns of Ramadan, to the Nights of Qadr, and to all nights in general--not only these nights--are valuable. Apart from the teachings that exist, in these duas, the feeling of humility that we gain from them is very valuable in itself.
I hope that Allah the Exalted associates all of our dear martyrs--including the martyrs of the 7th of Tir, the nuclear martyrs, the martyrs of the Sacred Defense Era, the martyrs who defended the Ahl ul Bayt (a.s.) shrines, the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution, from the first day to the last, and the martyrs who were martyred on the path of carrying out their responsibilities--with the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), God willing. I hope that He will bestow substantial rewards upon you, families of martyrs, and on the great families of martyrdom throughout the country. I hope that he will bestow patience, tranquility, and peace on your hearts, God willing.
Greetings upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings,
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