In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
The relationship between Shia and Imam Mahdi (a.s.) is a permanent relationship.
I would like to congratulate you dear brothers and sisters, the great Iranian nation, all Muslims of the world and all oppressed people across the world on the auspicious birthday anniversary of the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance).
The heartfelt relationship between all faithful people with the Imam of the Age (a.s.) is one of the blessings which shows our people's faith in Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). We believe in the existence of Imam Mahdi (a.s.). We believe that somebody will come and fill the world with justice. We are also familiar with Imam Mahdi (a.s.), and we know his name, his parents, his date of birth, the characteristics of this occultation, his close companions and even certain signs of his reappearance. Although we do not see him in our daily life, we know his situation.
The relationship between Shia Muslims who have this belief and Imam Mahdi (a.s.) is a permanent relationship. It is very good and even necessary for each of us to preserve this relationship in our hearts by remembering him and speaking to him. According to the narrations which we have - and some of these narrations have been preserved in writing and are most probably quoted from an infallible Imam - this heartfelt and spiritual relationship between the people and the Imam of the Age (a.s.) is good and even necessary, and it has certain positive effects. This is because the relationship keeps one hopeful about his reappearance.
One aspect of waiting is confidence and hope in the future.
Waiting is one of the most auspicious human qualities: waiting for the world to be enlightened by the light of justice. Allah the Exalted will help the Imam of the Age (a.s.) fill the entire world with justice. We should wait for such a day. We must not let demons and the oppression of taghuts of the world put out the light of hope in our hearts. We should keep waiting. Waiting is a wonderful thing, and it has different dimensions. One dimension of waiting is having confidence and hope in the future and refusing to give up hope. It is the spirit of waiting which teaches human beings to struggle for benevolence and goodness. In the absence of hope, fighting would be meaningless. And if one did not have confidence in the future, waiting would be meaningless. Genuine waiting is accompanied by hope and confidence. You wait for somebody who you trust will come, and waiting for somebody who you believe will not come is not genuine waiting. Having confidence is a requirement for waiting, and both waiting and confidence are accompanied by hope. Today this hope is necessary for all nations and all people of the world.
Modern times are one of the darkest and most bitter eras of human history.
There have been certain dark eras in the history of humanity. But there is no doubt that modern times are one of the darkest eras of human history and one of the most bitter eras for the people of the world. There is no doubt in this regard. And this is due to the increasing domination of satanic powers of the world over human life.
Everything will be clear to you if you just take a look at the situation of the world. Global powers have carved up the world between themselves, and they have been spreading their domination over different parts of the world on a daily basis. For example, today the satanic US government is interfering in the affairs of other nations more than ever before. They are interfering in all major affairs of other nations, and their interference is not limited to economic issues. They interfere in cultural and political affairs of other countries. They interfere in how other country should be run and in selecting the managers of other countries. Those who are blissfully ignorant of the situation in different societies can live a happy life. But the world is truly gloomy for intellectuals and those who know what the satanic powers are doing with their life and destiny. The world is no more than a prison to such people. "To such a degree that the earth seemed constrained to them." [The Holy Quran, 9: 118] It is a fact that many people live like this in different parts of the world. If hearts cherish hope for better times, it will be possible to put up a fight. And if hope dies, the struggle for goodness will die too.
The victory of the Islamic Revolution is the most important source of hope.
Today we are witness to the awakening of the nations of the world. This is another fact. With the advancement of the means of communication and industrial facilities, the arrogant powers have further increased their domination over the affairs of other nations. But it is God's will that nations awaken, and today we see that nations are awakening day by day, and this is because of the hope they have in the future.
Hope is awakening nations of the world. Undoubtedly the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the establishment of a populist government - which was neither eastern nor western - and promoting the policy of resistance against the arrogant powers have been the most important source of hope for nations of the world over the past 10 years. These events awakened the people of world, especially Muslims, and provided them with hope. This was preordained by God.
Our late Imam was harshly criticized in global propaganda for saying, "We will export our Revolution to the entire world." He did not mean that we will wage wars in different parts of the world and encourage the people to rise up against their governments. This was not what the Imam (r.a.) meant. Such a thing is not among our policies and principles. On the contrary, it is unacceptable. They interpreted the Imam's comment the wrong way, and then they criticized him severely.
The meaning of exporting the Revolution
Exporting the Revolution means showing nations of the world that a nation can resist relying on God and its own power. When nations of the world see such resistance, they will be encouraged to fight oppression. Today you see that the most prominent movements by Muslims take place where the people have been pressured for many years - for example, in Kashmir and other places where Muslims have revolted. Of course they will pressure these people, just as they did in the past. But exerting pressure does not mean that the final outcome will be destroyed. Pressure cannot put an end to a movement that relies on God. On the contrary, sometimes exerting pressure makes a movement become more widespread.
Today if you take a look at the Palestinian people, you will see that the people are truly fighting the pressure that is exerted on them. This fight has been continuing in difficult conditions in Palestine, but the people of Palestine have not given up fighting. The people of Afghanistan - who were faced with many hardships and there was nobody in the world to help them - put up a continued fight while they were alone. The same is true of other nations, and this is because they are following Islam and the Islamic Republic. This is how a revolution is exported and turned into a model for other nations.
Distorting the image of the Iranian nation's resistance is the goal of the arrogant powers.
Today the arrogant US government, its mercenaries and other enemies of Islam and the Revolution are seeking to present a distorted image of the Iranian nation's resistance to the world. Your resistance instilled hope into the people of the world. This was because they saw that you resisted and that pressure did not bring you to your knees. If the enemy is determined to shatter the hope of the people of the world, what should he do? He should pretend that the Iranian nation did not manage to resist and that its resistance is over. If, God forbid, America and the propaganda of the west and the arrogant powers convince the world that even the Iranian nation is brought to its knees, then they will achieve their goal. As a result, the hope that has been created in the hearts of Muslims and oppressed nations will be shattered.
If you take a look at the propaganda broadcast by the arrogant powers, America, the west and the Zionists, you will realize that all their efforts are focused on one thing: they do not reflect anything that is indicative of the hope and resistance of the Iranian nation. They do not reflect the unity and enthusiasm of our people and their presence in the impressive demonstrations held on the occasion of the 22nd of Bahman and other such occasions. They do not publish the news related to the activities, advances and efforts of the Islamic Republic. They do not speak about the unique loyalty of the people to our governmental organizations. They did not reflect the news related to Iran's victory against those who claim to support human rights. The UN envoy who had been sent to Iran did not confirm the claims of Munafiqeen and the enemies of the Revolution in his report, but the media affiliated to the arrogant powers did not reflect this appropriately.
When it comes to reflecting clear realities related to the Iranian nation, their actions are extremely malevolent. This is because if the people of the world realize that such an impressive move was made on the 22nd of Bahman after the demise of the Imam (r.a.), their hope will increase. They do not reflect the signs of the Iranian nation's resistance. They did not reflect the victories of our nation during the war either. The day our brave soldiers liberated Khorramshahr, they did not report the news.
Media outlets affiliated to the arrogant powers magnify Iran's weaknesses and downplay its strengths.
In general, anything that is indicative of the hope and resistance of the Iranian nation in the face of the superpowers and anything that would make other nations hopeful are kept hidden. They do not report on such things. On the contrary, they report on anything that would give rise to despair. For example, if a speaker presents figures - right or wrong - which show the existence of a certain shortcoming, all foreign radio stations reflect the news. If somebody claims that there is discord or says something which implies discord, they reflect his claim in hundreds of languages in order to show that there is discord in Iran.
In spite of your advances and innovations and in spite of the fact that you have entered new theoretical and practical areas, foreign radio stations do not want to tell the people of the world about the advances of the Islamic Republic in different areas. But if they find some weaknesses, they make them look ten times more serious. This is because your situation will create problems for the superpowers and will boost the morale of other nations, and the arrogant powers do not want your resistance and power to give hope to other people.
Of course Allah the Exalted is with us. God has helped us throughout the past 11 years, and undoubtedly He will continue helping the Iranian nation, provided that we keep God in mind when taking action. This is particularly true of those who are in charge: they should try to do their responsibilities appropriately for the sake of God and the Iranian nation.
In the structure of a society, justice is more important than anything else.
As the people who are waiting for the reappearance of the Imam of the Age (a.s.), our lifestyle should be in line with the government that the Imam of the Age will establish. Of course we are not competent enough to build the kind of society that God's saints built. But we should channel our efforts in that direction.
The Imam of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance) is the embodiment of divine justice, and we know that justice is the most important characteristic of the Imam of the Age (a.s.) - which has been mentioned in duas and narrations. "God will fill the earth with equity and justice."
Of course helping oppressed and underprivileged people includes individual aid as well, but the issue is beyond this because establishing justice requires that the government move towards helping the oppressed. If we move in this direction, Allah the Exalted will undoubtedly help us, and materialistic powers will not manage to use such machinations to discourage our nation from treading its glorious path and continuing its resistance. By Allah's favor, our people will strengthen their resistance on a daily basis.
I hope by the blessedness of the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake) and by Allah's grace, the Iranian nation will keep treading this path until the end. I wish happiness for the families of our dear martyrs and disabled war veterans and all those who have suffered for the sake of this Revolution. I hope all of us will see the reappearance of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake).
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings