One of our duties with respect to the revolution is that we should grace the revolution with our actions. Once, I narrated a story—I am not sure if you have heard it. Rumi in his book ‘Masnavi’ tells a story: in a city with a majority of non-Muslims, there was a Muslim neighbourhood. A girl from a Christian family became interested in Islam. She wanted to convert into Islam, but her parents would not allow it. She started to ignore her parents and family and stopped going to the church. The Christian father was looking for a solution to the situation. A Muslim mu’adhen (a person who recites the call for prayers) had recently moved to their neighbourhood, and recited adhan with a bad voice. The father gave some money to the mu’adhen and asked him to recite adhan loudly. He did so. The girl was at home when she heard the repulsive voice that recited adhan. She asked what it was. Her father answered: “this is the Muslim Mu’adhen who is reciting adhan”. She said, “Oh! Muslims are like that?” Finally, she was no longer interested in Islam.
God knows, since the beginning of the revolution, in several cases, I have recalled this story and I was filled with dread. We should be careful about this; not to be the bad-voiced mu’adhen who turns hearts, love, interest and inclinations to Islam --which is abundant today-- into hatred by our inappropriate acts. This is what our predecessors weren’t afflicted with--at least not as much as today. But we are afflicted with it; I am more than you are. Anyone who has a more active and prominent role in this system is more vulnerable to the affliction. We should be careful to not let this happen in our behaviour, in our actions, in our words, in our spirituality.
Imam Khamenei, January 1, 1992