1. Engage in self-edification while you are young
My dear brothers! Engage in self-edification while you are young. You have important and crucial days ahead. The country and the state and the great Islamic movement all around the world will need you. Edify yourselves spiritually. Of course, the plan is straight forward. But its implementation requires strong willpower. The plan is piety. That is, staying away from sin. It means executing what is mandatory and abstaining from what is forbidden. It means sincerity in deeds and staying away from duplicity and deception.
February 20, 1992
2. Seek the whole of Islam, not the minimum
Today, what we witness in the statements of arrogant powers and the opponents of the Islamic government - particularly, the opponents of the Islamic Republic - is their insistence on a change in our behavior… This is what is referred to - in some writings and speeches - as the religion of minimums. It means decreasing one's ideals and this means the destruction of the inner aspect of Islam. This religion of minimums means the complete elimination of religion… Now, under such circumstances, our goal and main guideline should be to pursue Islam in its entirety. We should really do our best - Allah the Exalted does not expect us to act beyond our power and capability - to pursue this. Our effort and goal should be to establish Islam - in its entirety and with all its parts and constituents - in society.
3. Study and work well
I would like to mention another condition for you the youth. You should study and work well. Knowledge and acquiring knowledge is one of the most basic tools and instruments for gaining the power to confront enmities, storms, difficult waves and the like. Our good youth should study well and acquire knowledge. Those who are outstanding should work for their country and they should not serve the enemy. Studying should become a lofty value. The talents of our youth are thankfully good talents. If they study and work well, the level of knowledge in the country will undoubtedly go up. If the level of knowledge goes up, this will strengthen the domestic structure of the country. If this happens, it becomes strong.
4. Maintain the revolutionary spirit
In the past, wherever we succeeded and became triumphant, we have respected and adhered to the principles of the revolution; and wherever we failed, it was because of a deviation from the divine, Islamic and revolutionary principles.
March 21, 1993
The country is prepared to face all kinds of dangers. Our dear youth should continue this auspicious growth of developing a revolutionary spirit. Different discussions, uproars, peripheral matters and attendance to small and trivial things are not the main issue of the country. The main issue of the country is having a revolutionary spirit. The main issue of the country is adopting a revolutionary orientation. And in the area of science and planning, the main issue of the country is the economy. We have discussed this matter many times. The main issue of the country is scientific progress. We have discussed this many times too.
5. Take history seriously and study it
History is important. Do not take it as an unimportant or marginal subject. History is very important. It is our lessons learned and a treasure of information from humanity's past. It is the story of our past. Is it even possible to neglect history? All science and knowledge, and every human endeavor and everything existing today in the world is limited to the present time. Millions of times more than all these efforts have happened in the past.
January 28, 1992
I would like to tell the youth, get to know the recent history of your country; since distorting history is one of way of deception and temptation employed frequently nowadays.
November 11, 2001
6. The defeat of the movement if the party of Allah is isolated
One of the reasons the constitutional movement in Iran failed was that after some time the religious people felt that things were moving away from religion. Intensive media controversy motivated by an attack on religious sanctities ... resulted in the disillusionment and the isolation of the religious people and the clergy. When this happens failure for the movement ensues. Just as the constitutional movement failed. 15, 16 years after the constitutional revolution, the dictatorship of Reza Shah emerged. This is very telling. How distant was Reza Shah, a bully and a tyrant, from the slogans of the constitutional movement? What happened there? Because religious people lost confidence, they withdrew and went in isolation.
August 2, 2001
7. Constantly demand the realization of revolutionary ideals
Today we are in dire need of repeating, highlighting, working on, and demanding these [revolutionary] ideas in our society… If this tremendous invasion on public opinion -- carried out by anti-revolutionary forces -- is not confronted through these demands, it will definitely be destructive. Mentioning, highlighting, and pursuing our goals, and making demands for their implementation becomes a fortress against the destruction of public opinion and intellectual environments -- they are, unfortunately, working on intellectual environments as well -- and also managerial environments. Unfortunately, such attempts have exerted some influence in certain cases. So, an army of pious and revolutionary young individuals is needed here so that it enters the arena and demands the [revolutionary] ideals.
8. Establish bonds with the Quran and Nahjul Balaghah
At the time of Taghut (the tyrannical Pahlavi Regime), I had meetings on Qur'an interpretation and lessons in Mashhad; I told young people who participated in the meetings to keep a copy of the Qur'an in their pockets: if you should wait somewhere or have some free time - one minute, two minutes, five minutes, half an hour - open the Qur'an and recite it so you can bond with this book.
January 23, 1992
Nahj al-Balagheh is the book of the Islamic Revolution, and it can be regarded as the guidebook for this revolution.
May 3, 1980
Dear youth! Bond with Nahj al-Balagheh. Nahj al-Balagheh is very awakening and apt for contemplation. In your meetings, bond with Nahj al-Balagheh and the words of Imam Ali (a.s.).
November 22, 1999
9. I ask the youth to play sports
I seriously ask the youth who are interested in sports and are physically capable to take their skill seriously. Besides spiritual and intellectual progress and what the Revolution has brought for us, our young generation should acquire physical capabilities as well. Physical health and capabilities are absolutely necessary and beneficial for men who pursue lofty goals in life and are interested in the spiritual and intellectual aspect of life.
10. Shoulder great responsibilities
What I want to say to youth is that they should shoulder both small and big responsibilities. This is the cure to the problems of the country. In the second phase of the Revolution, we should place the country’s progress on the shoulders of the youth just as in the first phase of the Revolution, Imam Khomeini (r.a.) guided the people, while it was the youth who launched the movement and who turned on the engine of progress. It was they who launched the movement. Today, your efforts are focused on ensuring the independence and dignity of the country. It is you who are paying the price for it today. The price that the Iranian nation and our youth are paying is with the purpose of achieving complete independence – in different areas – national dignity and the dignity of the Islamic community. Future generations will benefit from your achievements.
