The following is the full text of the message issued on December 7, 2008 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to Hajj pilgrims.
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
In its annual celebration, the land of revelation has once again attracted a large of number of believers. In the homeland of Islam and the Holy Quran, the enthusiastic souls from all around the world are performing the rituals which are an eternal Islamic and Quranic teaching for humanity and which symbolically represent the steps that have to be taken for the implementation of this teaching.
Salvation and the eternal glory of man is the goal of this great teaching, and the progress to this glory requires that we form a righteous community and promote righteousness among people - people who worship Allah the Almighty and who purge their hearts of moral corruption and carnal desires. The achievement of this goal requires that we build a society whose structure is based upon justice, broadmindedness, faith, and all the manifestations of dynamism and progress.
The Hajj embodies the essential elements that are necessary for this individual and social moral education. All hajj rituals serve as a means for moral education and admonition: Ihram, removal of individual characteristics, renunciation of carnal desires, walking around the symbol of monotheism, praying where selfless Ibrahim (the enemy of idols) used to pray, the hurried rush between the two mountains, the peaceful stay in Arafat among the large number of monotheists from different races, spending a night in worship in Mash'ar al-Haram, the individual relationship of each heart with God while being among a large number of other praying hearts, the presence in Mena and stoning the icons that symbolize Satan, and finally the significant act of sacrificing and feeding the poor and passers-by.
These rituals come together to form a unified set which are taught and practiced during the Hajj. This perfect set of rituals includes many parts such as developing a close relationship with God, unity and unanimity among the people, improving the soul, devotion to the strengthening of the impressive body of the Islamic Ummah, humility before the Almighty, glory against the evil, placing oneself in the atmosphere of the hereafter, and strong determination to improve the world. "And there are some among them who say: Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the Fire." [The Holy Quran, 2:201].
That is why the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj give rise to strength and uprising among human communities. That is why the holy Kaaba and the rituals of the Hajj are full of benefits for humankind. "Allah has made the Kaaba, the Sacred House, a means of support for the people." [The Holy Quran, 5: 97]. "That they may witness benefits (provided) for them, and mention the name of Allah on appointed days." [The Holy Quran, 22:28].
Today, Muslims, from all countries and races, must appreciate and benefit from this great religious duty more than ever before. That is because the prospects of the Islamic Ummah are brighter today than ever before, and the Muslim Ummah is more hopeful today than ever before to achieve the goals that Islam has set for Muslim individuals and communities. Compared to the material civilization of the West and its atheist right-wing or left-wing schools of thought, the Islamic Ummah may have been suffering from a decline in the last two centuries. Now, in the fifteenth century of the Hijri calendar, it is the Western political and economic schools of thought that are suffering from weakness and decline. Due to Islamic awakening, regaining our Islamic identity, and the introduction of monotheistic thought and the logic of justice and spirituality, Islam has started a new round of its growth and glory.
Those who used to inject people with despair in the recent past-and who considered Islam, Muslims, spirituality, and faith as hopeless against the aggression of the Western civilization-are currently witness to the rebirth of Islam and the revival of Islam and the Holy Quran. They can clearly see the weakness and gradual decline of the Western aggressors. Their hearts and tongues can bear testimony to this reality.
I can assure everyone with absolute confidence that this is only the beginning. We will be witness to the complete fulfillment of divine promises and the final victory of the good over the evil as well as the revival of the Islamic Ummah and the new Islamic civilization. "Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will surely make them rulers in the earth as He made those before them rulers, and that He will surely establish for them their religion, which He has chosen for them, and that He will surely give them security in exchange after their fear. They will serve Me, not associating aught with Me. And whoever is ungrateful after this, they are the transgressors." [The Holy Quran, 24:55].
In the first and the most important stage, the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran as one instance of these divine promises. The formation of the well-known Islamic Republic turned Iran into a strong base for Islamic civilization. This miraculous event took place when materialism and right- and left-wing political and intellectual propaganda against Islam were at their peak. Then the resistance put up by Islam against the relentless political, military, economic, and propaganda efforts of the enemies created new hope and enthusiasm in the world of Islam. Over time, our strength and hope have thankfully increased. Three decades after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Middle East and the Asian and African Muslim countries are now a battleground for this confrontation [between Islam and the West].
The issue of Palestine and the Islamic Intifada led by the Muslim Palestinian government [Hamas], the historic victory of Hezbollah forces over the occupying Zionist regime in Lebanon, the formation of an Islamic government in Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's dictatorial regime, the humiliating failure of the Communist government of Afghanistan, the failure of all the American plots in the Middle East region, the unending troubles of the Zionist regime as well as the chaos which is prevailing in the Zionist regime, the growing tendency towards Islam among the youth and intellectuals of the region, the great scientific and technological achievements of the Islamic Republic despite all the sanctions, the political and economic failures of the proponents of war in the US, and the growing sense of dignity among Muslim minorities in the West are all indicative of the victory of Islam over its enemies in the current century.
Dear brothers and sisters, these victories are all the result of your jihad and sincerity. God Almighty fulfilled His promise when His servants acted in compliance with His orders, when they engaged in jihad with great determination and willpower, and when they kept the pledge which they had made to Him. The course of history was changed. "Be faithful to (your) covenant with Me, I shall fulfill (My) covenant with you." [The Holy Quran, 2:40] "If you help Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet." [The Holy Quran, 47:7] "And surely Allah will help him who helps Him. Surely Allah is Strong, Mighty." [The Holy Quran, 22:40] "We certainly help Our messengers, and those who believe, in this world's life and on the day when the witnesses arise." [The Holy Quran, 40:51].
This is only the beginning. There are still several hardships to be overcome by Muslim nations. Such hardships can only be overcome through faith, sincerity, hope, jihad, insight, and patience. The hardships cannot be overcome through indifference, lack of determination, impatience, haste, and skepticism about God's promises.
The spiteful enemy will make use of all available means to make up for its failures. The enemies' plots can only be foiled through vigilance, wisdom, and bravery. During the past thirty years, the enemies, namely the US and the Zionist regime, made use of all their power and available resources Yet, all their attempts ended in failure. The future will be no different for the enemies.
The violence of the enemies is indicative of their weakness and lack of foresight. Take a look at Palestine and Gaza. The merciless and violent acts of the Zionist regime in the Gaza Strip, which are rare in human history, are indicative of their inability to break the determination of the Palestinian people. They have put up great resistance against the occupying Zionist regime and its supporter, namely the US, and have disregarded the enemies' illegitimate wishes-that is, giving up their support for Hamas. Allah's greetings be upon the great determined Palestinian nation. The people of Gaza and the government of Hamas are the manifestations of the following Quranic verses: "And speak not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, (they are) alive, but you perceive not. And We shall certainly try you with something of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits. And give good news to the patient, Who when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allah's, and to Him we shall return. Those are they on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord; and those are the followers of the right course." The Holy Quran, 2:154-157] "You will certainly be tried in your property and your persons. And you will certainly hear from those who have been given the Book before you and from the idolaters much abuse. And if you are patient and keep your duty, surely this is an affair of great resolution." [The Holy Quran, 3:186]
The final victory in the battle between the good and the evil belongs to those who tread the path of righteousness. The patient innocent Palestinian nation will finally overcome its enemies. "And Allah is ever Strong, Mighty." [The Holy Quran, 33:25]
Today, despite their failure to break the resistance of the Palestinian people, the Americans as well as the majority of European governments have suffered great failures on the political front. Their claims to support freedom, democracy, and human rights have all turned out to be false. These are failures which cannot be overcome in the near future. The shameless Zionist regime is more disgraced than ever. A number of Arab governments are also utterly disgraced in this test. "And they who do wrong, will know to what final place of turning they will turn back." [The Holy Quran, 26:227].
Allah's greetings be upon His pious servants
Sayyid Ali Khamenei
Dhu al-Hijjah 4, 1429