The following is the full text of the speech delivered on May 27, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with the members of the 9th Islamic Consultative Majlis on the occasion of the month of Sha'ban.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and God's greetings be upon Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his immaculate household (a.s.)
I would like to welcome you dear brothers and sisters and I congratulate all you on the occasion of these auspicious days of the month of Sha'ban and the entire month of Sha'ban in general - which is the month of saying dhikr, worshipping God and paying attention to and showing humility before Him.
Officials' responsibilities and opportunities
These opportunities - the opportunities of the month of Sha'ban, the month of Ramadan and the month of Rajab - are valuable opportunities, particularly for us and you officials. In the Islamic government, the essence of Islamic society is worship, faith and the good deeds of all the people. As you witnessed in the ayahs that our very good Quranic reciter recited, this is the basis of the issue. What causes divine angels to say to mankind, "We are your protectors in this life and in the hereafter" [The Holy Quran, 41: 31] is faith, worship and the good deeds of all people. This is very important, but this ayah is primarily addressed to officials. The heavier the responsibility, the harsher, heavier and more difficult this command becomes. We should create this in ourselves. When we are a member of the Majlis and when we have a position in the administration, the Armed Forces and the judiciary branch, then the first responsibility that we have is to establish a very close relationship with Allah the Exalted and to serve him in a more sincere and better way. We should not ignore this.
We should adopt a truth-based outlook towards all matters, not a biased, lustful and business-like one.
When we are entrusted with a task, the arena of that task becomes our major responsibility and we should pursue it. However, what should be important to us and what we should pay attention to before, during and after carrying out this responsibility is that we should see what we should do to make sure that we have carried out our divine responsibility. We should see what we should do to guarantee our act of worship, sincerity and good deeds. This is the responsibility that officials should pay special attention to.
Well, these months - the month of Sha'ban and Ramadan - are a great opportunity. The prayers that are particular to these months open the path for us. If you and I want to speak to Allah the Exalted and ask Him for something, we really do not know how to do so. With the best words, these prayers teach us what we should ask Allah the Exalted for and how we should speak to Him. Each of the couplets that exist in the holy Dua Sha'baniyyah - from the beginning to the end - is a sea of knowledge. Besides, it teaches us how to speak to God and what we should ask Him for: "Oh God, bestow upon me a heart whose enthusiasm helps it get close to You. And bestow upon me a tongue whose sincerity reaches You. And bestow upon me truth-seeking eyes that seek You" [Mafatih al-Jinan].
Notice that there are three fundamental and key points in a short couplet. It says, "Give me a heart whose enthusiasm helps it get close to you". This enthusiasm should be created in our hearts. Our contamination because of materialistic desires, sins and different kinds of temptation and greed kills this enthusiasm in our hearts. On the contrary, if we establish a close relationship with the Holy Quran, prayers and nafelehs and if we do so in the right way, this engenders and ignites this enthusiasm in our hearts: "Whose enthusiasm helps it get close to you". This is how this enthusiasm helps our hearts get close to God. "And bestow upon me a tongue whose sincerity reaches You". A sincere and truthful tongue goes up towards God. "To Him ascend the good words. And the good deeds lift them up" [The Holy Quran, 35: 10].
This enthusiasm should be created in our hearts. Our contamination because of materialistic desires, sins and different kinds of temptation and greed kills this enthusiasm in our hearts.
A correct, sincere and genuine word that does not contain any sign of materialism, selfishness, egotism and other such things is a word that ascends towards God. "And bestow upon me truth-seeking eyes that seek You". We should adopt a truth-based outlook towards all matters, not a biased, lustful and business-like one. We should look at all matters with the vision of right and supporting right. This is how our hearts get close to God. Notice that these prayers teach us how to speak to God. They also tell us what we should ask Him for.
Our responsibilities are heavy. If we want to carry them out, we need this strong relationship. We should strengthen our relationship [with God] and preserve it on a daily basis. This is the purpose of saying dhikr all the time. The reason why we are commanded to say daily prayers every day and in order is to help us avoid negligence. One of the greatest blessings of God is making daily prayers obligatory. If we had not been obliged to say daily prayers, we would have been drowned in negligence. When you wake up in the morning, you remember God. At noon - when you are busy attending to daily affairs and problems - you remember God. At night - at the end of a day during which you made efforts and worked hard - you remember God as well.
"I went to bed thinking about Your face
And I got up with Your desire" [from a poem by Emad Khorasani].
This is the plan that they have formulated for us. But do we implement it? If we implement it, then we can be sure that we will leave this world while we are [spiritually] healthy. This exists in our prayers: "Help me leave this world while I am healthy" [Misbah al-Mujtahid, Vol. 1, p. 270]. There is a dua in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah which says, "Oh God, make us die while we are among the guided, not among those who deviated from Your path. Help us welcome, not run away from, death. Help us be among the steadfast, not among the sinful and those who insist on committing sins" [Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah, Dua 40].
We should adopt a truth-based outlook towards all matters, not a biased, lustful and business-like one.
Kufar and corrupt individuals are not like this. Divine angels go to them and force them to "Get out of their bodies" [speaking in Arabic]. But believers are confident about the hereafter and they leave this world willingly and enthusiastically. They close their eyes to perishable things. All of a sudden, they open their eyes and see astonishing blessings. This is why they forget this world. When you want to go on a nice trip, you may become worried as you see that you are getting away from, for example, your children and your brothers. But when you begin your trip, you see beautiful sights, you enjoy your time and you see all sorts of interesting things. This way you forget your worries. When you enter the hereafter and we you face divine satisfaction, paradise and rewards, you forget all the temporary things that you were attached to and killed yourselves for: "A hospitable gift from the Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful" [The Holy Quran, 41: 32].
This was one of the ayahs that the friend in the meeting recited. We should leave the world like this. This is our responsibility. Of course, these statements are primarily addressed to this humble person himself. My load is heavier than yours and my problems are more than yours, but all of us should pay attention to this. This is the first thing that I wanted to say.
Well, three years have passed from your term of responsibility and from the opportunity that was available to you. This is the last meeting that this humble person has with your Majlis - this is the fourth and last meeting. This means that you have only one year left. You do not have more time to render services. You had an opportunity for three years and it is over. Now, the era of responsiveness has begun for you. When you are entrusted with and finish a task, you should ask yourselves what you did. Having a heavy responsibility is like this. We will be questioned, not by people - one can somehow deal with this - rather by heavenly angels. We will be questioned "by Him Who knows the unseen, from Whom is not hidden the least atom in the heavens or on earth" [The Holy Quran, 34: 3].
Officials' responsiveness
We will be questioned by someone Who rules over our hearts - let alone our actions - and Who knows what is happening there. This era has begun. We should prepare ourselves for answering His questions. Of course, Allah the Exalted is "Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful" [The Holy Quran, 2: 218]. But it is very unlikely for the lazy, the negligent and the decadent to receive this forgiveness and mercy. This mercy will be bestowed on those who make efforts and work hard:
"Going on a journey to a desert is better than sitting idle.
Even if I do not achieve my goal, at least I have done my best" [from a poem by Saadi].
We will be questioned by someone Who rules over our hearts - let alone our actions - and Who knows what is happening there. This era has begun. We should prepare ourselves for answering His questions. Of course, Allah the Exalted is "Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful"
You should place a high value on this year. One year from this opportunity still remains. We do not know if we will get this opportunity again or not. We should place a high value on the year that is left because it is most probably an opportunity - of course, death is in God's hands. We should make efforts, work hard and show diligence. We should move forward with the same criteria - with the criteria of observing the divine right, saying sincere words, adopting a justice-based outlook and having an enthusiastic heart.
Thankfully, good tasks have been carried out during the past three years. The honorable Speaker of the Majlis delivered a report of these tasks in today's speech. I had seen its written report before. Good tasks have been carried out. By Allah's favor, if they were carried out with sincere intentions and with the intention of getting close to God, they will definitely be accepted by God. I hope that by Allah's favor, the tasks that you carried out, the arrangements that you made and the laws that you passed to the advantage of the people, Islam and Muslims will become permanent laws. I hope that they will be implemented and show their results in society. I hope that the people will feel the results of your tasks. This is the hope that we have. These were the main things that we wanted to say. In fact, by advising you, I was advising myself so that - God willing - our hearts will be influenced by these statements and so that we can do what we should. I have some pieces of advice that I would like to offer:
Pieces of advice to the officials
One piece of advice is related to the way you friends - gentlemen and ladies - should behave in this last year. You should take care not to allow the parliamentary election - that is going to be held at the end of the year - to influence your actions. This is very important. The tasks that you carry out, the statements that you make, the approval that you grant and the disapproval that you express should not be under the influence of these elections which will be held at the end of the year. This is the first matter.
The second piece of advice is related to the Sixth Plan. The Sixth Plan - whose policies are at the final stage and will be announced to different organizations in the near future - should receive careful attention. Normally, the last year of one's responsibility is typified by tediousness. This is not particular to you. The administration is the same. When it comes to the end, they suffer from a feeling of tediousness, but the Sixth Plan should not face this problem. The Sixth Plan is important. Through this plan, you are passing laws for the following five years. At that time, you may or may not be a member of the Majlis, but your laws will continue to exist. All administrations will have to follow these laws. The people will be influenced by them as well. You should adopt these laws - the laws for the Sixth Plan - with this outlook. In passing laws for the Sixth Plan, you should not suffer from tediousness in any area - including economic, cultural, defense and security areas and those areas which are related to public services, health and hygiene.
Another piece of advice is about the issue of cooperation with other branches, particularly with the administration. Well, the administration has the responsibility of leading the arena like the one in varzesh bastani. Those who are interested in varzesh bastani know very well what we are saying. In varzesh bastani, others do physical exercises as well, but they all look at the person who leads the arena. If the administration behaves in a strong, good and successful manner, other organizations will behave in the same manner, whether willingly or unwillingly. The administration has such a condition. Therefore, in my opinion, cooperation with the administration is very necessary. We should cooperate with all branches and with different organizations of the country, particularly with the executive branch and the administration. This cooperation is the real manifestation of what we said to all the people and to you in the beginning of the year: harmony and unanimity. Of course, I offer the same piece of advice to the administration as well. This piece of advice is not particular to you. I offer the same piece of advice to the honorable President and to ministers, but it is necessary for you too to show this cooperation.
Now, if we want this cooperation to exist, there are two, three points that should receive attention. I would like to discuss these points: one is that this cooperation depends on trust. If we distrust one another, there will be no cooperation. If one of the two people who want to cooperate with each other says from the beginning that the other person wants to stab him in the back, there will be no cooperation. Cooperation on the basis of distrust and suspicion is not possible. We should trust one another. Cooperation should be accompanied by trust. Without trust and thinking highly of the other person, this will not be possible.
cooperation depends on trust. If we distrust one another, there will be no cooperation.
Of course, trust does not mean simple-mindedness and gullibility. We should be careful. Everyone should be careful everywhere they are and on all issues. I do not advise anyone to be simple-minded. This is not what I am saying. Rather, I say that we should not set distrust and suspicion as the basis of our work. If from the beginning, we accuse the other side of committing a crime, compromising with the enemy, betraying the country and pursuing their personal interests, there will be no cooperation. Cooperation will not be possible with this attitude. We should cooperate with a positive attitude. This is one point about the issue of cooperation.
Cooperation with administration
Another point is that cooperation should not mean asking the other person for something in return. This has a fine line in it. As you know, once I was in the Majlis. I was a member of the Majlis and I have your experience. I was also in the administration and I have the experience of doing executive work. When we speak about cooperation, this does not mean that there should be a kind of horse-trading between a member of the Majlis and a minister. For example, some people say, "Let me off so I'll let you off" [audience laughs]. This should not be the case. Both of them - the member of the Majlis and the minister - should pay attention to their legal responsibilities and the interests of the country. They should pay attention that Allah the Exalted is watching them. Cooperation should exist on the basis of this. This is one point. So, cooperation should not be confused with horse-trading.
Another point about cooperation is that ministers should not be insulted in the Majlis, particularly in parliamentary commissions. A number of honorable ministers complain to me that whenever they go to a parliamentary commission, they are treated in an insulting way. Of course, I believe that all people are equal to one another. We should not adopt a majestic attitude, thinking to ourselves, "We are members of the administration. We have such and such positions. So, everyone should bow before us". This should definitely not be the case, but we should not take an insulting and offensive attitude either. Some people say, "I have a hold over you" and "I will do such and such a thing to you". This is not an appropriate attitude. We should treat others with respect and politeness. Politeness is necessary at all stages. This was another advice. So, the third piece of advice is the issue of cooperation.
Resistance Economy
The fourth piece of advice is the important issue of the Resistance Economy. Fortunately, there is unanimity in the country on the issue of the Resistance Economy, but our problem is harmony. We are afraid that unanimity may exist without harmony:
"It is possible that an Indian and a Turk have a perfect understanding of each other
And that two Turks behave like strangers
Therefore, understanding one another is of a different kind
Harmony is even better than speaking the same language." [Mathnawi, Vol. 1].
Well, unanimity exists, but it should be accompanied by harmony. That is to say, we should firmly believe in the Resistance Economy. We should believe that the key to solving the problems of the country exists inside the country. And the spinal cord for this is strengthening domestic production. The task that you have carried out - passing the "Production Facilitation Law" - is a good task. I have heard - according to the report that I have received - that it was a good expert task, but these tasks should be followed up. I believe that if we manage to strengthen domestic production and if we manage to benefit from domestic capacities in the real sense of the word, solving the problems that exist outside the country - including the nuclear issue - will become easy.
The nuclear issue
Well, the nuclear issue has become problematic. There are certain solutions, but these solutions depend on our domestic strength. If this strength exists inside the country, then the task will become easy. There are other series of events as well as the nuclear issue. It is not the case that all of our issues with the west, with America, with Zionism and with the economic bullies of the world are confined to the nuclear issue. This is not our only issue with them. There are different other issues such as human rights and the like. If we manage to resolve this domestic issue, solving all issues will become easy. I am not saying that they will be solved on their own. It is necessary to show diligence, but solving all these issues will become easy if we resolve this domestic issue. In the Sixth Plan, you should pay complete attention to the Resistance Economy. You should also pay complete attention to it in the budget law for the year 1395.
Of course, policies in this regard have been announced and executive organizations have carried out many tasks. Certain tasks have been carried out, but you should take a look and see which pieces of this chart are missing. Imagine that you prescribe a drug which is a definite cure for such and such a disease. Imagine that this drug has, for example, five parts. If one part out of these five parts is missing, this is not a drug anymore although the other four parts exist. All these parts should exist together so that one can expect a full recovery. You should take a look and see which pieces of this chart - as westerners say, "puzzle" - are missing and then, you should find and fill them in. You should pay complete attention to it in the law of development plan and in the budget law for the year 1395.
Of course, I know - our brothers in the administration keep saying that we always repeat such and such an issue - that we have a lack of resources. I too know that we have a lack of resources and that sanctions have had an impact on this lack of resources. We have no doubts about this, but what should we do when we have a lack of resources? Should we beat ourselves on the head? Should we moan and scream? No, we should find a cure. There are certain cures. One of these cures is economizing. You should economize on the division and distribution of domestic resources. You should observe priorities. These are cures. So, there is no dead end. Lack of resources is a problem, not an impossible knot. It is a problem that should be solved and there is a solution for that.
Lack of resources is only a problem and not an impossible knot.
In the present time, we sometimes spend funds where we should not. We know some organizations - I know some of these organizations up close - that have managed to increase their services without adding an extra qiran [penny] to their budget. They did so with correct management and by adopting a correct outlook and reducing unnecessary costs. This includes both the administration, the Majlis and the Armed Forces. Besides the Armed Forces, there are other examples as well, but we have seen that some divisions of the Armed Forces improved their performance without increasing their budget. This means that it is possible to do so. Therefore, this lack of resources should not become an excuse for us to say that it is not possible to make achievements. If there is financial discipline, all problems are solvable. Of course, I repeat that this financial discipline is not particular to the administration. The same is true of the Majlis and other organizations. Everyone should have financial discipline.
The main positions of the Majlis
Another matter that I would like to discuss is about the main positions of the Islamic Majlis. Thankfully, the main positions of the Majlis are good, as was correctly pointed out by the honorable Speaker of the Majlis. I too hear and see that when it comes to major and fundamental issues and those things which constitute the main principles of the Islamic Republic and Revolution, the Majlis adopts acceptable, positive and sometimes completely advanced positions. This should exist. It should exist in all Majlises. The lofty structure of the Islamic Majlis should be founded on correct positions. And the standard for this is Imam's (r.a.) statements, testament, the 20-plus volumes [of his statements]. This is the standard. We should see what behavior and orientation Imam's (r.a.) statements lay out for the Revolution and the Islamic Republic. Then, we should persist in following them. The Majlis should set this as the basis of its work. If this happens, then we will not fall in the dreadful precipice of global arrogance. If it happens, we will not fall in such a dreadful precipice. But if it does not happen, there are many dangers in this regard.
The last point is that our positions on the nuclear issue are the same things that we announced in public. Our positions are the same things that we announced. Of course, there are some matters that we cannot announce in public, rather we announce them in private. There are such cases because not all things can be said in public: "Not everything that one knows can be mentioned" [speaking in Arabic]. However, those matters that have been announced in public are exactly the matters that we discussed - verbally and in writing - with officials. These are the main positions of the Islamic Republic. And we believe that our brothers are busy working and making efforts. They are really sweating and working on these matters. By Allah's favor and by relying on Him, they should insist on these positions so that they can ensure the interests of the country and the Islamic Republic.
I hope that Allah the Exalted bestows success on you so that you can benefit from this good opportunity to obtain divine approval.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings