Question: The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described Martyr Nasrallah, after his martyrdom, as being in the "height of honor" and characterized his path and spirit as undeniably more glorious than ever. What do you think underlies the characterization that was made by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, particularly given that many in the Western world perceived the assassination of the Martyr as a "defeat and an end," while some in the Islamic world associated it with despair and hopelessness?
H. Babaei: If we want to truly grasp the secret and depth of the matter, we should review the verses related to honor in the Quran, because almost all the overarching and wise positions of the Supreme Leader are backed by Quranic foundations. Therefore, examining the verses pertaining to this matter is very important.
For example, where the Almighty God says in the relevant verse: "Those who take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers — do they seek honor with them? [If so,] indeed all honor belongs to Allah" (Quran 4:139). This theme is repeated in numerous verses of the Quran, indicating that honor does not exist among non-believers or in anything that is not divine. Anyone who desires honor, pride, and a social, or even global and civilizational status must align and organize their relationship with God. The closer they draw to God, the more surely that divine dignity will extend to them as well. This is a key point: honor arises from the connection and relationship that one establishes with God. It requires resisting everything that is non-divine in life — be it oppressive rulers, the global system of dominance, and the system of inequitable relations prevailing in the world — even if one is killed in the process, that divine honor will encompass them.
However, the reality is that there exists a rift between us and the Western world in the standards of life and death, the standards of defeat and victory, the standards of human dignity, and the standards of human honor. The notion that we think of a person who resists oppression and is martyred as defeated, while a person who, for any reason, does not resist and surrenders is victorious arises because it seems that through submission to US demands, they achieve economic stability, avoid sanctions, and are able to pursue development plans and various projects within their own country.
This is a completely secular perception, meaning it is worldly and perhaps even materialistic, in the sense that we essentially seek happiness, prosperity, and hope entirely within the realm of the tangible and perceptible world. However, in reality, the literature of Islam essentially bases the criteria and standards for being cherished, for possessing dignity, for life, and even for the value of living or dying, on human values. The teachings of our great figures, such as Imam Ali (pbuh), regarding the meanings of humiliation and honor, and the essence of life and death, essentially convey that your death is in living with humiliation, while your life and existence is in dying with honor. This philosophy is in fact the concepts of life and death in Islamic literature, especially in the world of Resistance.
And therefore, what has truly left the audience — our civilizational adversary in the Western world — perplexed is precisely this point: the world of Resistance does not consider death a defeat for itself, nor does it view mere living as an absolute victory. Rather, it is duty-oriented and task-driven. If it succeeds, it is victorious, and if it dies and becomes a martyr, it is still victorious. This paradoxical duality, which seems contradictory, is difficult to comprehend in the Western world, where human existence has largely been reduced to material life. [However], because of the very philosophy of life and death, this paradox is completely meaningful in the world of resistance. Ironically, it is this very characteristic that leaves the enemies of the world of Resistance helpless. They are unable to bring a nation to its knees when the belief in this principle is deeply ingrained in their minds and souls.
Question: In the continuation of this part of his message on the occasion of the funeral of martyrs Nasrallah and Safieddine, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution predicts that "his [Martyr Nasrallah’s] spirit and path will shine more gloriously each day, illuminating the way for those who follow him." What is the logic and basis for this continuity and dynamism? How can one possess such a profound level of "impact," "life," "power," and "guidance" even after martyrdom and the loss of the material body?
H. Babaei: We need to examine how the spirit and path of Martyr Nasrallah, Martyr Soleimani, and the great martyrs of the Resistance continues to endure, with their followers entering the realm of Resistance with greater seriousness, depth, and effectiveness. We can explore this relationship throughout history and assess the current status of the martyrs of the Resistance, especially the Resistance that arose in relation to Palestine. Is it in a state of decline or at its peak? It seems that experience and history demonstrate that, essentially, the assassinations of leaders and the martyrdom of the Resistance’s martyrs and its noble figures have not weakened the Resistance but rather have invigorated it and fueled its passion.
The children who today have managed to survive in the refugee camps under Israeli bombardments will be the future leaders of the Resistance. There is a point of stubbornness and historical obstinacy in the Western world that does not want to accept this historical truth: that by killing Palestinians, it cannot eliminate the Palestinian cause, the cause of Resistance, or the aspirations of freedom-seeking and independence-seeking countries.
But the next point that needs to be explored from a knowledge-related perspective is the reality of the martyr’s blood. In fact, there are numerous themes in the Quranic verses where God says: "Do not suppose those who were slain in the way of Allah to be dead; no, they are living and provided for near their Lord" (3:169). Do not consider those who are killed in the path of God dead; they are alive, though you do not perceive it. In the same verse, it is stated that they are alive and receive sustenance near their Lord. In another place, "near their Lord" is not mentioned. It states: "No, they are living, but you are not aware" (2:154), which essentially means that they are indeed alive, yet you do not realize it.
This perception of the martyr being alive is one of the very important points. Firstly, the world of Resistance’s understanding of a martyr is based on Quranic logic and rests on the premise that the martyr is alive. In fact, the martyr’s state of being alive is not only evident in the hereafter, where they have a lofty and enviable existence, but they are also alive in this world.
The concept of the martyrs being alive can be discussed on several levels and from various perspectives. However, if we wish to address the Leader of the Islamic Revolution’s interpretation regarding Martyr Nasrallah — that "his spirit and his path will shine more gloriously each day, illuminating the way for those who follow him" — within the limited time and space available [in this interview], we must focus on the matter of distinguished martyrs or the "community of martyrs." This refers to a community of martyrs whose blood is, in effect, monumental blood.
Now, I interpret it as "the blood of God." At one time, the blood of God manifests itself in the blood of Hussain ibn Ali or in the blood of Ali ibn Abi Talib. At another time, the blood of God reveals itself among the followers of Hussain ibn Ali. That is, the blood that has been shed on the scale of a nation — like the blood of Martyr Nasrallah, the blood of Qasem Soleimani, and like that of the great martyrs, commanders who were martyred on a grand scale, at the level of an Ummah, by a significant enemy such as Israel and America. Since this blood is monumental, since this thar [blood] is tharallah [the blood of God], its impact endures on the scale of God Himself.
Essentially, here the blood of the martyr, or the monumental blood of the martyr, is in fact the light of God, and "Allah will perfect His light" (Quran 61:8). God will complete and perfect His light. He will not allow this light of His to be extinguished by others or by the criminals in the world. "They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light" (Quran 61:8).
So, this is the next point: the more the blood of our great figures is shed upon the earth, the greater the impact it leaves on society. The most significant example of this can be seen in the blood of Hussain ibn Ali (pbuh). After all, if the Islamic world and the Muslim community were going to lose hope, retreat, fall into despair, and practically concede the way, whose martyrdom could have been greater or more significant than that of Imam Hussain (pbuh), Aba Abdallah, the Master of the Martyrs? Naturally, when an Imam of the stature of Imam Hussain (pbuh) is martyred, one would expect despair to become more widespread and that light in history to be extinguished forever. But why didn’t that happen? Why did it endure? Its endurance is, in fact, due to the divine light present in figures like Aba Abdallah al-Hussain ibn Ali and his followers who were martyred on this path.
May God’s greetings and mercy be upon you.
(The views expressed in this interview are interviewee’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Khamenei.ir.)
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