The following is the full text of the speech by Ayatollah Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, to officials of the Allamah Sayyid Mohammad Kazim Tabatabai Yazdi commemoration congress. The speech was read out on March 14, 2013 by Hojjatoleslam wal-Muslemin Mohammadi Golpayegani, the head of the Leader's office.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
First I would like to express my gratitude to the honorable gentlemen for making efforts to introduce an outstanding personality like the late Sayyid Mohammad Kazim Yazdi. In my opinion, this effort should really be appreciated.
Although the late Sayyid Yazdi is a well-known personality in Islamic seminaries and among faqihs, he is not well-known among the people. This outstanding and great personality is not well-known among the people. His "Urwatul Wusqa" is available to everyone. Everyone writes an annotated edition of this book. Since Urwa was written, our faqihs and our marja taqlids have annotated Nejahul Ibad and other books less than before. Before Urwa was written, they used to write many annotations of these books. That is to say, the comprehensibility of Urwa, the artistic taste of Sayyid in writing this book and the many advantages of this book have attracted the attention of everyone towards Urwat despite the fact that it is not a complete book in terms of fiqh. This shows the prominence of this book and its writer.
Now, you are trying to introduce this personality which is very good. Because the duty of commemorating the late Agha Sayyid Mohammad Kazim has been entrusted to Mr. Ostadi, one feels comfortable. He really has full competence in carrying out this responsibility as well as many other responsibilities. Therefore, we can feel relaxed because we know that by Allah's favor, this will be done in the best way possible. Unlike a number of commemoration congresses which usually attend to superficial aspects, this congress will - by Allah's favor - pay more attention to depth.
Mr. Ostadi stressed the necessity of research on books such as the ones written by the late Sayyid Kazim. He is right. The books written by the late Sayyid Kazim have been republished many times because they are very common. The most common book written by Sayyid is Urwa which has been republished many times. The next common book written by Sayyid is his annotated edition of "Makasib". In general, his annotation is the best annotation on "Makasib" although a number of other annotations - such as the ones written by the late Akhund and other personalities - have their own merits. But in general, his annotation is really peerless in terms of sound reasoning, comprehensibility, sophistication, mastery over different issues and the utilization of such issues in illustrating the main point. Well, because these books received great attention and because they had an intrinsic value, they became common and there was no need to have them republished.
We should not refer to the book "Taadol wa Taraajih" as a resalah. It is a comprehensive book which has been published recently. Apparently, this book was first published two, three years ago. His "Questions and Answers" and other books written by him are good books as well.
However, besides doing these things, I think that carrying out research on the fiqhi ideas and principles of Sayyid is necessary as well because Urwa is a book that contains many new ideas. Therefore, the fiqhi ideas and principles of Sayyid should be compiled. Over the course of many years, we have got used to editing and publishing books when we want to discuss the works of outstanding personalities. But commemorating an outstanding personality is not this. Notice that when they want to discuss the works of certain western jurisprudents or philosophers, they study and analyze the mindset of these personalities from many different points of view. We should do this as well.
We should see what the mindset of Sayyid is and what characteristics of his fiqhi principles have made him outstanding. We should find the differences of opinion between Sayyid and his teacher Mirza-ye Shirazi and his other teachers such as Sheikh Ansari whose ideas are common in Islamic seminaries.
We should identify the characteristics which form the mental and fiqhi framework of this great personality. In my opinion, this requires in-depth research. There may be certain points about Sayyid's works in the articles that our friends in charge of this congress refereed to, but in-depth research should be the main criterion. A knowledgeable cleric may draw certain conclusions from Sayyid's works and another cleric may draw different conclusions. In my opinion, there should be research on Sayyid's works.
In my opinion, the late Sayyid Mohammad Kazim Yazdi has three distinguishing characteristics. Other outstanding clerics do not have a combination of these characteristics. The first one is his fiqhi mastery and competence. He is really a great faqih. I read in a number of writings, such as the book written by the late Munthir and in other writings, that the late Akhund Khorasani - who does not need to be introduced - preferred Sayyid to all his contemporaries in terms of fiqh. His contemporaries were the late Agha Mirza Mohammad Taqi Shirazi - who was a great expert in fiqhi areas - the late Agha Sayyid Ismail Sadr, who was a great cleric, the late Hajj Agha Reza Hamedani and the late Sayyid Mohammad Isfahani. These were his outstanding contemporaries.
When Agha Akhund was asked if he was a better faqih or Sayyid Mohammad Kazim, he answered, "I do not know". He usually referred to Sayyid as Agha. When he was asked if he was a better faqih or other outstanding personalities, he answered, "When Agha is like this, we cannot expect anything from others". This shows that the late Akhund clearly preferred Sayyid to other outstanding scholars. This is a very important point. It is very important that a great personality like the late Akhund Khorasani says such things in praise of his contemporary. Therefore, I believe that Sayyid had outstanding knowledge. This can be seen both in Urwa and in his annotated edition of Makasib. This is one characteristic of this great personality.
Another characteristic is his piety, spirituality and moral behavior. This can be seen in the many narrations which exist. On the issue of the Constitutional Movement, the late Sayyid Mohammad Kazim was one of the first people to accept the Constitutional Movement and to sign the first draft of the constitution. When Sheikh Fazlollah Noori wrote to him that such a thing is being done in Tehran, Sayyid was one of the first people to sign and ratify it. When the first draft of the constitution was prepared, he said that he should see it first. He said, "If I am supposed to ratify it, I should see it first". The late Sheikh Fazlollah wrote from Tehran, "We have seen it. It is alright". Well, Sheikh Fazlollah was his contemporary. He was a great man and he was trusted by his contemporaries. However, Sayyid said, "I should see it myself". This shows the attention of this man to such issues.
Although someone like Sheikh Fazlollah Noori - who was trusted by these personalities - had approved it, Sayyid said that he should see it too because it was a great task. He had noticed that this was a significant and sensitive task, one that cannot be carried out in a careless and hasty manner. Then, subsequent events proved that what he did was right and that they should have done this from the beginning. The late Sheikh Fazlollah himself went to great trouble over the issue of the amendment to the constitution. Notice what the constitution turned into in the end. Notice what happened to both Sheikh Fazlollah and his opponents, who were among great ulama.
In any case, this shows the carefulness and precision of Sayyid on religious issues. In my opinion, this is very important. He showed resistance despite the fact that he was under great pressure. In those days, the country was not in normal circumstances and he was under all kinds of intellectual and political pressure. Although certain tribes in Najaf and other cities were his followers, he had many opponents in Najaf Seminary. This is the spiritual and religious aspect of his personality.
The third characteristic, which is perhaps related to the second characteristic, is his preparedness for jihad. The event of fighting against the occupying English and the war which broke out in Iraq pivoted around Sayyid Mohammad Kazim Yazdi. He sent his son, the late Sayyid Mohammad, to the war. Of course, the late Sayyid Mohammad was not martyred in the war. He passed away after the war. But Sayyid sent his son anyway.
Other outstanding ulama such as the late Sayyid Ali Damad and the late Sayyid Mostafa Kashani - Mr. Kashani's father - participated in the war as well, but the pivot was the son of the late Sayyid Mohammad Kazim. He was followed by people as a prominent personality. They went and fought in southern areas of Iraq - in the border areas of Iran.
When I travelled to Khuzestan a few years ago, a number of old men - who had witnessed the war - met with me and they gave me the flag which was used in that war. It was a worn and tattered flag. They gave it to me and they said that this flag belonged to the late Sayyid Mohammad Kazim Yazdi. Our Khuzestani Arabs paid as much attention to him as they did to this flag. Therefore, he was a great personality in all areas.
On the issue of the Constitutional Movement, if they had listened to his opinion and if the condition that he had attached to the constitution had been observed, I think that the course of the Constitutional Movement would have changed. If the course of the Constitutional Movement had changed, then those careless acts would probably not have been committed.
Anyway, I express my deep gratitude. I stress that you should try to carry out this task in a deep and careful way. Fortunately, Mr. Ostadi is present and he will follow this up. You should act in a way that this outstanding personality is revived in the eyes of the masses of the people. If this is done, they can begin to know this great man.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy