Almighty Allah said in His Book, "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil)." (2:183)
This cordial and congenial gathering, which is being attended by senior government executives and servants of the nation and the country, is aimed at creating more congruity, harmony and familiarity. It is also aimed at providing us with an opportunity to renew our allegiance to Almighty Allah, to Islam, to our late beneficent Imam and to our great nation.
Besides, this gathering helps us to call to mind our heavy duties and responsibilities and strengthen our determination to perform those duties in the best possible manner.
We should make the most of the holy month of Ramazan and its spiritual atmosphere and seek proximity to Almighty Allah through fasting, prayers and supplication.
In the above verse of the Holy Qur'an, Almighty Allah considers piety and virtue as the main objective sought by fasting: "...so that you may guard (against evil)." In other words, fasting should help us to become more pious and virtuous.
In general, we should be careful not to deviate from the right path shown to us by Islam that we are expected to follow in order to accomplish the objectives for which we have been created.
Basically, human beings are by nature prone to deviation, and the factors contributing to this deviation are part of the nature of mankind. Indeed, if our various instincts are not controlled properly, each one of them may cause our deviation from the right path.
The most powerful of these instincts is self-love and regard for one's self. Of course this instinct is quite necessary for mankind, as it is the main motive inspiring human beings to move toward perfection. However, if this instinct is not guided and controlled properly, it will cause serious deviations. Amassing a fortune, great thirst for power, indulging in sensual pleasures and hedonism, covetousness, despotism, injustice and other deviations witnessed in the history of mankind all stem from this unbridled and unrestrained instinct.
Thus, if self-love is not controlled, it will prevent human beings from achieving the noble objectives for which they have been created. It will also give rise to oppression and injustice. This instinct can best be controlled and guided by virtue and piety.
Human beings tend to notice and criticize the defects and shortcomings of others, but they usually ignore their own faults and flaws because of self-love. However, piety makes one watchful for his own faults as well.
The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace and greetings be upon him), who was martyred in this holy month, placed the greatest emphasis on virtue and piety in all his words and statements. In Nahj-ul-Balaghah, you will notice that he has underlined and stressed piety in his letters, in his sermons and in his other words, for piety is the basis of the salvation of mankind.
But it is not possible to impose piety on others. It is the duty of any individual to try to follow the right path and avoid deviations through remembrance of Almighty Allah and through self-admonishment.
Fasting during the holy month of Ramazan is also of great help in accomplishing this goal. When a person abstains from eating and drinking and other carnal pleasures from dawn to sunset, the self-restraint and self-discipline that he exercises for a period of one month helps him to move toward piety and virtue.
Today, when we notice the afflictions and problems besetting different nations throughout the world, we come to the clear conclusion that most of these problems and afflictions stem from lack of piety, selfish desires and egoism of those who are thirsty for power.
Otherwise, in the absence of this narcissism and selfishness, mankind could live in peace and security, and we would not witness the wide gap that currently exists between the rich and the poor in the world.
In other words, the whole world could enjoy peace, security and prosperity and do away with war, bloodshed and massacres, which are mostly motivated by the thirst for power, if all human beings forwent their selfish desires and followed the path of religion.
"With it Allah guides him who will follow His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter darkness into light by His will and guides them to the right path." (5:16)
"And Allah invites to the abode of peace and guides whom He pleases into the right path." (10:25)
All divine religions have invited mankind to peace, security, prosperity and salvation, not to misery, poverty or war and bloodshed. However, in the course of the history of mankind, divine religions have always faced the hostility and enmity of those wielding power and possessing great wealth, those seeking to dominate the world and all nations.
The most dangerous enemies of divine religions in the course of the history of mankind have been the followers and friends of the Devil.
"Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the Devil. Fight, therefore, against the friends of the Devil. Surely the trick and deceit of the Devil is weak." (4:76)
Who are the friends of the Devil? They are those with great wealth and power who are rebelling against the Almighty and disobeying His messengers, those who are unwilling to control their instincts and always transgress the bounds that divine religions have delineated for the instincts of mankind, and finally those who are devoid of what has been stressed most by divine religions, namely piety and virtue. They are the ones that we call arrogant powers.
Indeed, it is only the power of religion and the faithful followers of religion that can overcome the arrogant powers. Our Islamic Revolution was the manifestation of the power of religion, and it managed to overthrow a corrupt and tyrannical regime, which was supported by the arrogant powers, and establish an Islamic system in this country.
However, those evil forces that have always opposed divine religions in the course of the history of mankind are also present in our time. Therefore, ever since the inception of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of an Islamic system in our country, these evil forces have been hatching all kinds of plots against our Islamic Revolution and system and against our faithful nation. They have also been trying to tarnish the image of Islam in the world.
Today, the main responsibility of all of us is to safeguard our Islamic system, but an Islamic system is characterized by certain features.
First, in an Islamic system, justice should be administered and the divine law should be enforced in society.
Second, pious and virtuous individuals should be entrusted with these tasks. Without pious officials, it is not possible to administer justice and enforce the divine law in society.
Third, government officials should be able to win public trust and confidence, and there should exist a strong relationship between the people and the officials.
If any of these three features is missing, the objective pursued by the establishment of an Islamic system in our country has not been accomplished. In other words, if we do not try to administer justice and enforce the divine law in society, the system will not be Islamic in its real sense, and it will be difficult to safeguard this system.
As far as the hostility of the arrogant powers toward the Islamic Republic is concerned, our Islamic system is being threatened by these powers in different ways. For instance, there is a possibility of military aggression against this country, although this aggression may not be so likely. These powers are also making every effort to undermine the security of our country. They are also seeking to bring about the collapse of our Islamic system.
These are the threats that the officials of the Islamic Republic should take seriously. However, what is meant by taking these threats seriously is that our officials should always be watchful and vigilant, not that the arrogant powers are able to do whatever they want against our country!
The fact is that the enemies have been hatching all kinds of plots and using every pressure lever against the Islamic Republic for the past 23 years in order to bring about the collapse of our Islamic system. But they failed in all their attempts and, thank God, our Islamic system is today stronger than ever.
Thus, the mere fact that we have enemies does not mean that our enemies will also succeed in achieving their malicious objectives. Nevertheless, this hostility makes it necessary for us to remain watchful and vigilant.
The Iranian people have passed through severe tests during the years of the imposed war and in certain other periods and shown their faithfulness, devotion, patience and self-sacrifice. Therefore, the three government branches, that is the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature, should make every effort to solve the problems and raise the living standards of our great nation.
I pray to Almighty Allah to confer His favor, grace and blessings on the Iranian people and on the officials of the Islamic Republic, especially during the holy month of Ramazan and in all its blessed hours and sacred days and nights.
The holy month of Ramazan has been designated by Almighty Allah as a special occasion for bestowing His mercy and blessings on His faithful and devout servants.
Therefore, I hope our government officials, enjoying divine favor and blessings, perform their duties and serve the interests of Islam and our great nation in the best possible way and, thus, evoke the pleasure of the Almighty.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings