In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
You are very welcome honourable fathers and dear mothers of martyrs and you dear spouses and dear children of martyrs – the martyrs of defending the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt (pbut)
The greetings of Allah the Exalted be upon your martyrs and on you yourselves. Inshallah, God will [on Judgement Day] raise your martyrs with the Holy Prophet and He will reward you in a generous way that He rewards those who remain patient.
I ask Allah the Exalted to raise the position of martyrs and of their families. As for martyrs, by Allah’s favor, they are saturated with divine blessings. And I hope that Allah the Exalted will bestow His kindness, mercy and blessings on you so that your hearts will be calm, tranquil, hopeful and happy and so that your lives will be sweet lives.
I thank you for expressing your kindness, in particularly I thank those who have come here from distant cities. Today, we have had the opportunity to be at your service. You have enlightened our working and living environment with the light of martyrdom. Thankfully, this enlightenment can be seen in your hearts and in your actions. Your existence reflects the light of martyrdom. Primarily, what I want to say to you dear brothers and sisters is expressing my respect to you who are the fathers, mothers, spouses, children, brothers and sisters of martyrs and secondly, I wish to console your hearts.
I am very eager to meet with families of martyrs, especially in their houses. Some families of martyrs visit us here, but what I like most is to pay a visit to them in their houses, but there is little time to do so.
I go for a visit to the martyrs’ houses, I sit on their carpet, under their roof and I talk and have a chat with their families and I drink their tea. You should know that I believe meeting with you and coming to your house is a greater blessing to me than what you feel about meeting with me. I feel that it is extraordinarily valuable to see you in your house and to hear from and talk to you there. Your hearts are pure and enlightened. Allah the Exalted sends things into your hearts that the likes of us cannot see with our eyes. It happens frequently that when I visit the house of a martyr, their parents say to me that they had a dream about me visiting them. In other words, it had been revealed to them beforehand.
Of course, every so often, we have such gatherings with the dear families of martyrs, but today’s characteristic is that the martyrs of the present gathering are new martyrs. Their blood is fresh. Their blood is very valuable to Islam. Of course, the blood of martyrs never becomes outdated. This means that the blood of those martyrs who were martyred 30, 35 years ago is fresh as well. I hope that God will bestow patience and tranquility on your hearts and that He will reward you in return for your patience.
In any case, you are very welcome. Today, I managed to meet with you ladies and gentlemen up close. The fathers, mothers, spouses and relatives who showed patience and who endured this deep grief, they are very valuable.
One of the miracles of the Islamic Revolution was really the fact that our youth would rush towards confronting and fighting against hostile and malicious enemies outside the country. This is one of the miracles of the Revolution. Of course, the miracles of the Revolution are not confined to one, two miracles. You witnessed one of them just yesterday: the 22nd of Bahman. After 40 years of the victory of the Revolution, such a large and massive crowd gathered together in Tehran, in provincial cities and everywhere in the country. This is one of the miracles of the Revolution. Nowhere else in the world can you see such a motivation in people.
At least, 50, 60 percent of the people who poured to the streets yesterday had never seen Imam nor the Sacred Defense Era. They were not born then or they were kids and teenagers, but they show their presence with complete morale and complete motivation. This is the case on the streets, but in the case of a war too, they joined the frontlines of fighting against the enemies, just like your youth did. They stood firm and proved the power of the Iranian nation.
When your youth go to Khan Tuman, Zaynabiyyah and Halab to fight and to be martyred, they are in front of the eyes of the US and the Zionist regime. They see this, they see this motivation, this courage and this great force and then they are intimidated by the Iranian nation. The great service that your youth and the families of martyrs and martyrs themselves render to the Revolution and to Iran is that they achieve standing for the Revolution and the Iranian nation.
There is an outlook towards the dear ones who have been martyred. With inspiration from Quranic ayahs, narrations and divine rules, this outlook is one that is imbued with hope and bliss. This is because those dear martyrs are enjoying divine blessings with their lofty position before God and they are free from the maladies that all of us have inside. Our outlook towards martyrs is such an outlook. When we think carefully, we see that the truth of the matter is that we should really laugh and celebrate because of the position that they have with Allah the Exalted. We cannot have a correct understanding of this position. This is really the case.
This does not mean that we cannot achieve such a position. Rather, it means that we cannot even understand the position that martyrs enjoy. Some of our great personalities and our ulama engaged in worshiping God, deliberating and leading an ascetic life for 50, 60 years and they achieved good positions which are very good. However, these youths went beyond the positions that our outstanding mystics achieved in the course of many years. Such is the level of their purity. How lucky they are! We envy them. Our wish is to be associated with martyrs. Our wish is to have the same relationship that they had with us in this world on Judgement Day and in barzakh [purgatory] as well.
Martyrs Bring About Enlightenment
When an individual is martyred, they bring about enlightenment in the true sense of the word. They bring about enlightenment in the entire society, in family and in individuals – those who understand it. The very existence of martyrs like yours is primarily a gift to one’s family and secondly to the entire Iranian nation. Their existence is really like a Nowruz gift and like a divine offering to this nation. This is not a minor phenomenon.
If we read about them in history, it would be strange to us, but these events have been repeated so many times in our country that they have become normal. However, these are not normal events. They are very great and valuable. If someone decides to lay down their life because they have a sense of responsibility despite having a spouse, a mother and children and despite having a comfortable life, this is a great feat. We people speak about these events, but they did it in practice. Their work is really valuable. I hope that God will give you greater gifts in this world and in the hereafter.
A Word of Congraulations and Condolences to Families of Martyrs
In any case, I would like to both express my congratulations and condolences to you dear ones who are present at this gathering. I express my congratulations because of having such youth and such children and because Allah the Exalted will bestow His kindness and salawat on you thanks to your youth. This is a lofty value and I really deem it necessary to congratulate you. You have seen many youth. You have seen many families with youth. How are youth in general? There are all kinds of youth. There are youth who waste their life. There are youth who do not make the most of their life. There are youth who do not have a strong religious motivation. And there are some who, God forbid, take deviant paths, but your youth had the privilege to preserve their faith and their motivation.
They thanked God for having that faith and that motivation. In one of the testaments of today’s dear martyrs, I witnessed that he thanked God for preserving his faith and for preserving him on this path. This is very valuable. One should really be congratulated for raising such youth as well. One should be congratulated for having them and for the result of their magnificent work – that is to say, martyrdom. One should be congratulated for all these.
And we should express our condolences because after all, you are mourning. You have lost those dear youth, although one should know that they have not been lost. They are present with you and with society. In fact, we owe the life and the revolutionary enthusiasm of our society to them – to your youth.
Some people did their best to erase the memory of martyrs from the historic mind of our nation, but they have thankfully failed. The martyrs of the imposed war, the martyrs before and after that, and the recent martyrs are alive and they are in front of society’s eyes. We learn lessons from them, our morale is boosted by them and we are motivated by them. This is the case for all of us. In any case, I hope that God will raise the position of these martyrs and that He will associate them with their saints, with the Holy Prophet and with the martyrs of the early Islamic era and by Allah’s favor, this will be the case.
The Iranian Nation Is Both Proud of the Martyrs and of the Families of Martyrs
First of all, we are proud of all martyrs. Secondly, we are proud of all families of martyrs. The reason is that martyrs and their families have each played a great part in preserving the Islamic government and in raising this glorious flag. Both martyrs and their families have played a part in different ways. Thirdly, we are especially proud of the martyrs of defending the holy shrines – the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt (pbut).
The reason is that during the time of the Sacred Defense Era, Imam (may God bestow paradise on him) and all of us would constantly encourage youth to go join the frontlines. Well, youth would respond and they would sacrifice their lives in the way of God and they would be martyred. And their parents would give away those gifts in a generous and self-sacrificing way. Today, those who leave the country to defend the holy shrines keep begging us. We say to them that they should not go and that we will not give our blessing, but they keep begging. They keep begging in the letters that they – youth from throughout the country – write to me. This is very significant. This is a really astonishing and unique incident.
A Deal with God
Allah the Exalted sends His greetings to martyrs. They are individuals who made a deal with God by giving their very existence and their most important human asset – one’s life – in His way and for gaining His satisfaction. They recognized correctly that this path is the path of God. When they realized that this path requires taking risks, making sacrifices and doing jihad, they did not hesitate at all. Our problem is that we do not sometimes make the right decision and when we make the right decision, we are not willing to enter the arena and to endure the difficulties. It is easy to talk. People talk, but it is difficult to take action. Action is the arena where one is tested and your martyrs won and succeeded in that arena.
The Youth of Defending the Holy Shrines Keep Pleading That They Want to Go
The martyrs who defended the holy shrines and whose hearts flew towards the zone of jihad in that glorious fashion have a very lofty position in this era when there is so much opposing and hostile propaganda campaigns of different kinds. There is a difference between the time when everyone is chanting favorable slogans on the radio and on television – which results in some people joining the frontlines and being martyred – and the time when this is not the case at all. Such people pay a visit to us frequently begging us to allow them to go while we do not agree and we do not say to them that they should go.
So, they see this and that person. They use intermediaries in order to go to Syria, for example. They go fight in Halab or in Zaynabiyyah and they lay down their lives on this path. Therefore, they have a very lofty position.
Indeed, your youth as well as thousands of others went and helped Islam and Muslims get rid of this disaster. This is the great feat that your youth accomplished. And it was for the sake of God, otherwise we did not encourage anyone to do so. The present era is not like the Sacred Defense Era during which we used to encourage youth to go and Imam would issue a command as a result of which youth would carry out an operation. The present era is nothing like that. However, these youth joined the frontlines with enthusiasm and excitement and with insistence. This is purity and Allah the Exalted will bless this purity. I hope that in the not-too-distant future, the world of Islam will witness the blessings of their endeavor.
Such Youth Are the Defenders of the Holy Shrines No Matter Where They Were Martyred
You should know that each and every one of your youth who was martyred in whichever part of Syria and Iraq is considered as the defenders of Ahlul Bayt. It does not matter where in Iraq and Syria they were martyred. This is because your youth stood up against the people who would have left no trace of the shrines of Ahlul Bayt if they had achieved domination.
Who prevented them from doing so? These self-sacrificing youth including yours and their spouses. They stood firm and they drank the nectar of martyrdom. The gates of martyrdom are open to those who are lucky enough, even for those who were supporting and who were not directly involved at war. During the war, we had some individuals who would have an accident in their vehicle. They too are considered as martyrs because their actions were for the sake of God and on the path of God. We should appreciate their value and we should try to understand these truths from the bottom of our hearts.
If we understand them, our outlook towards worldly affairs will change. In whichever place your youth was martyred – no matter if they were martyred trying to defend the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain or that of the Commander of the Faithful and Hazrat Zaynab – they are martyrs. It does not matter if they were martyred in the deserts of such and such a province in Syria or in Iraq and other countries. Their martyrdom is like that of a person who is martyred at the threshold of Imam Hussain’s Holy Shrine.
The Martyrs of Defending the Holy Shrines Have Privileges
Your martyrs who were martyred defending ideological and sensitive borders have certain privileges:
Voluntary Martyrdom
One is that they rushed towards martyrdom voluntarily. Sometimes a person is sitting in his home. Then the enemy attacks him, he is hit with a mortar shell and is martyred. He is a martyr too, but he is different from a person who leaves his house to fight: “He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah…” [The Holy Quran, 4: 100] This is a valuable journey. Such individuals pull themselves out of their homes and they abandon their comfort, their wife, their children and their parents in order to rush towards jihad in the way of God. This is a great privilege. Of course, we had many such youth in the imposed war, but this is a general and comprehensive fact in the case of the dear martyrs who were martyred in Iraq and Syria trying to defend the holy shrines of the Imams. All of them are like this.
Belief and Self-Sacrifice
The second privilege is that they passed through teenage years and youth. It cannot be said that they were carried away because of their youthful excitement. This is not the case. When a man who is 30-plus, 40-plus and 50-plus years old embraces danger and fights against the malicious enemy, this only originates from deep belief and from self-sacrifice.
Enthusiasm for Martyrdom
The third point that exists in them is their enthusiasm for martyrdom. After the end of the imposed war, we – who were in the middle of the arena – had the feeling that that vast multi-lane road, which was open to us, had been closed: the road to martyrdom. It was a door that had been closed. Those who loved jihad and martyrdom in the way of God felt low in spirit. Most of your youth were individuals who did not see that era, but they had the same enthusiasm which made them engage in jihad.
In the present time too, youth write letters to me. Of course, I do not answer them. Youth from throughout the country write letters begging me to let them go. They think that I am the one that should give them blessing to go or to intervene. They say, “let me go to Syria for jihad!”. This is enthusiasm for martyrdom which is very important.
Those Who Forgo Power and Life Will Be Invincilbe
If a nation or a group of people have the capability to forgo power and life, that group of people will be invincible. We who sometimes fail in the face of incidents - this is because we have firmly gripped life and its beauties. What does life mean? Life does not only mean breathing. Life involves our spouse, our children and our life. It also involves money, position and titles. We have kept a firm grip on these things. When we grip them firmly, we fail in the face of difficult incidents, but those who have the power and strength to forgo life, they will rise and they will rush towards the arena of martyrdom.
The Martyrs Left Their Family Behind to Carry Out Their Duty
Another characteristic is that they mostly had a spouse, children and other comforts of life. Their condition is different from a person who does not have these attachments. They were mostly like this. This is another privilege that will double their divine reward.
They Were Insightful
The next privilege is insight. Those who do not have this insight think to themselves, “Those places – for example, Halab, Syria – are very remote from my own country. Why should I go there? To do what?” This is because of lack of insight.
The Commander of the Faithful said something like this – I do not remember the exact text: “By Allah, no people have been attacked in the heart of their houses but that they suffered disgrace.” [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 27] We should not wait for the enemy to show up at our door and then to think of defending our house. The enemy should be subdued in his own borders.
Today, the Islamic Republic prides itself on having forces in the vicinity of Zionist borders. This could be either our forces or the forces of Hezbollah, the forces of Resistance and the forces of Amal. This is the reason why they are so mad, complaining why the Islamic Republic interferes so much. Today, we have forces there which are located very close to them. This is a great honor for Islam and for the Islamic Republic. The youth who were martyred in Syria or in Iraq had this insight. They understood what they were doing, but some people are sitting here in their house and they do not understand what is going on. However, those youths knew what it was all about and they went to defend.
The Motivation of the Martyrs Was to Defend the Holy Shrines
Another privilege which is one of the highest ones is that they went to battle to defend the holy shrines. They joined the frontlines to defend the holy shrines. Another privilege is that they had the zeal and the commitment to defend the holy shrines. This is very important. One of the sentiments that those youth have is that they want to defend the holy shrines. The same is true of their families and their parents.
One of the mothers of the recent martyrs said today, addressing Hazrat Zaynab, “I gave my Muhammad-Hossein to you”. She meant that she had given her son away to Hazrat Zaynab. This is very valuable. This is another privilege. They were the embodiment of being zealous towards the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt – which should be the case for every believer.
If they had not rushed to the help of local youth – whether in Iraq or in Syria – it would not have been clear what would have happened. Those who stand up against these takfiri groups are in fact standing up against an evil and dangerous front which is worse than the Zionists. If they are not worse than the Zionists, they are not better either.
What Would Have Happened If Iranian Youth Had Not Defended the Shrines?
If it had not been for the defense of these shrines – of course, our youth were only part of the great crowd of Iraqi and non-Iraqi youth who were active there – those hostile and malicious enemies would have insulted the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt. And if they could, they would have completely eradicated those blessed places which are frequently visited by heavenly angels. However, our youth did not allow them to do so. Of course, our youth are small in number there. They are very small in number – whether in Iraq or in Syria. The local youth are much larger in number, but the participation of our youth in that important incident is one of their greatest privileges: “Of them some have completed their vow and some still wait.” [The Holy Quran, 33: 23]
Some of them were martyred – your youth – and some have prepared themselves for martyrdom: be that the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Zaynab in Shaam or the holy shrines of the Imams (pbut) in the Atabat – in Karbala, in Najaf, in Kadhamayn and in Samara. The martyrs who were martyred on this path have a special privilege.
If those dear martyrs had not laid down their lives in defending the shrines, those enemies were so malicious and mean that they would have completely eradicated them, as they did so in the past. In the past, the Wahabis and the takfiris did whatever they could to the shrines of Ahlul Bayt whether in Karbala or the other holy shrines in other cities. You witnessed that they could not reach the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt, but they destroyed the shrines of some of the valuable and high-ranking companions of the Imams (pbut) in Syria and in Iraq. Your children indeed sacrificed their lives in order to prevent those malicious and evil individuals from gaining access to the shrines.
Your martyrs are very valuable because they are the martyrs of defending the holy shrines. This is very important. Just imagine what would have happened if those villains who were deceived by the US and Israel – DAESH, Al-Qaeda and other such groups – had occupied the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Zaynab, the Holy Shrine of Aba Abdullah or the Holy Shrine of Kadhamayn. Notice what a disaster would have ensued. However, the youth of defending the shrines did not allow this to happen. This is not a minor incident.
Of course, among the groups who would defend the shrines, the Iranian youth were not very large in number, but the entire group will receive divine kindness and attention. They are special martyrs. When they sent me the biographies of some of those martyrs, I saw that some of them even had experience in the Sacred Defense as well. Even in that eight-year era, they had engaged in defending the country while they were teenagers and youth. And in the present time, they went and defended the shrines.
Who Are the Hazara Jihadis?
The dear Afghani brothers and sisters and the Khavaris [an ethnicity in Khorasan] of Mashhad and Khorasan played a role at all stages of the Islamic Revolution. They played a part in the victory of the Revolution, during the Sacred Defense Era and the imposed war and in all subsequent events. And today, their parents have sent their very dear children to defend the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt (pbut). Since long ago, I have admired our dear brothers from Hazarajat in Afghanistan because I had witnessed their actions in Mashhad up close. Some of their clergy were in touch with us and they would attend my classes.
Since long ago, I have been aware of their moral and religious characteristics and their zeal about religious matters. During revolutionary activities, numerous problems arose in Afghanistan and a large crowd of Afghani brothers and their families – some of them were alone too – came to our country. Since then, their cooperation with the Revolution and their sympathy with our issues have become clearer to us. I have witnessed this as well.
During the Sacred Defense Era, a large number of Hazara brothers were martyred. Later on, when the issues of Syria, the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Zaynab (pbuh) and the other holy shrines in Iraq and the issue of DAESH and the like arose, one of the groups which voluntarily engaged in defending the shrines was comprised of our Hazara brothers. They had a good participation and they fought well and some of them were martyred.
We attach great significance to your martyrs. They are individuals who entered a difficult arena in response to their religious, denominational and Shia sentiments. They passed their test and some of them were martyred.
The Greatest Consolation for Families of Martyrs
The great consolation for you families of martyrs is that your youth and your martyrs were martyred on the path of Imam Hussain (pbuh) and on the path of the Aqilah of Bani Hashim – Zaynab al-Kubra (pbuh). This is the greatest divine gift and the greatest consolation. Of course, your martyrs have achieved many glories. One is that they went there and with their presence in those regions, they achieved dignity for our country and for the Islamic Republic in the world. This is an important issue.
The fact that they showed the world the solidity, determination and courage of the Iranian nation and of Iranian youth is a great honor. The fact that they managed to ensure the security of the borders and cities of the country with their presence in those areas is a great honor. It is a massive source of greatness and identity for Iranian youth and for your martyrs. All these issues are a source of honor, but the most important one is being martyred on the path of defending the shrines of the Ahlul Bayt and the Holy Shrine of Zaynab al-Kubra.
Therefore, the great privilege of your martyrs is that they fought against an enemy whom we would be forced to fight against inside the country if your youth had not fought against them outside the country. If the enemy who was prevented from advancing had not been confronted by us in such and such a province in Iraq or Syria, we would have been forced to confront them in Kermanshah, Hamedan and other provinces. In fact, our dear martyrs sacrificed their lives on the path of defending the country, the nation, religion, the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic.
The Calculation System of Allah the Exalted
Another privilege is that they were martyred while they were alone. This is another big privilege. Allah the Exalted will not forget and ignore this. He takes details into account. Those youth had a young spouse, little children and parents who had pinned their hopes on them so that they would help them later on. They left them and they risked their lives in the way of God. Are these small incidents? Are these minor issues?
Our cognitive faculty is not sufficient for understanding the significance and greatness of this task. I myself am like this and what I say is much less significant than the truth. However, Allah the Exalted can calculate in a thorough manner. The calculation system of Allah the Exalted is a complex and thorough system. There, they even split hairs: “Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it.” [The Holy Quran, 99: 7]. Even a tiny good task will not be forsaken and it will be preserved before Allah the Exalted.
God’s blessings on your martyrs will be boundless, God willing. The same is true of you. The parents who bring up their dear youth and who nurture and look after him like a flower have now sent him into the heart of danger and they will receive his body. This is a very important issue. Allah the Exalted has attached great significance to these acts of self-sacrifice and courage that you parents have done.
The same is true of the martyrs’ wives. A young wife sees her dear husband who has forsaken his life, his children, his house and his comfort and who rushes towards duty and divine invitation, but she does not stop him. If they wanted to stop them, they could. Young wives showed self-sacrifice by not stopping their husbands from going to the battlefield. These individuals too will be generously rewarded by Allah the Exalted as well.
Martyrs Are the Real Stars in Society
The youth whom you – spouses, children and parents – gave away really had these characteristics. You should know this. They are really a source of pride. When I say that “we are proud of them” this is not a mere slogan, rather this is the truth of the matter. They are truly a source of pride in whichever nation they are. They might not be well-known. They were from such and such cities and villages and they had a normal job. They were not stars like individuals who work in different societies for the sake of making waves and with the illusion of becoming a star. They are not stars [on the face of it] but in reality, they are. They are not stars in our eyes because we are short-sighted, but they are stars in heaven. Your children are like this.
When I deliberate on this, I see that not only are your youth - who went there and who were martyred – a source of pride for their families, for their cities and for their country, but they are also a source of pride for Islam and for Shiism. You have witnessed that when the holy bodies of those dear martyrs enter their cities, the people hold a very glorious burial ceremony. They brought the images of such burial ceremonies – both the burial ceremonies belonging to your youth and to some other families – and I saw that the people appreciate their value and they are very interested in them.
Which School of Thought Can Be Successful?
Not only are your youth – who risked their lives for carrying out their duties and for defending the shrines of Ahlul Bayt and who were prepared to be martyred – a source of pride for their families, but they are also a source of pride for the world of Islam and the world of Shiism. Every school of thought that can cultivate such individuals who are willing to sacrifice their lives in the way of God and in the way of their cause when need be, that school will be a successful one. With their self-sacrifice, your youth and your martyrs showed and proved that their school of thought – Islam and Shia – is a school of building true human beings, such a school that is great and successful and that will move forward. They are so valuable and great.
When I looked at some of martyrs’ testaments and letters, I saw that they are truly a source of pride. One can clearly see that such broad-minded, wise, altruistic and bold youth were defending their spiritual land – yes, they were not defending the soil of Afghanistan and Iran, rather they were defending the soil of Islam and the truth and the identity of Shiism. They were defending the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt. Therefore, they are really a source of pride.
Your children and your youth are really portraying the brilliance of Islam. In few eras have we seen so many pious and determined youth who have entered the arena in action. There are a large number of people who always talk, but taking action is different from talking. Today, our youth – including your sons – mingled words with action. As it happens, they did not even talk and they only took action.
They really accomplished great feats. According to our reports from Syria, with the things that they did in Iraq and in Syria, they managed to foil the US plots which are dangerous for the whole region including for us and for others. Of course, the main target was the Islamic Republic. By Allah’s favor, from now on as well, the Islamic Republic will manage to foil their plots with the help of our enthusiastic and pious people. This does not mean that all the people of Iran are enthusiastic. There are some people who do not care and there are some individuals who sing the song of disagreement, but there is fortunately a noteworthy and great majority in our country who believe in the principles and values of the Revolution in the true sense of the word. A sign of their belief is that they are willing to lay down their lives on this path. Is there a greater sign for this?
Martyrs Even Achieved a Higher Position Than the Elderly and Outstanding Personalities
We really envy these dear young martyrs who are your children and whom you raised like flowers and whom you gave away in the way of God and the Ahlul Bayt (pbut). When I look at their condition and their motives and at the faith and enthusiasm that existed in them that pulled them into the arena of jihad in the way of God and into a dangerous zone, I really see greatness in them that makes me feel small in the face of those great personalities. They were your children and they were young, but they achieved a higher position and flew higher than us the elderly. They went through such stages before Allah the Exalted that the likes of us cannot even dream about. Their position is so much higher than us who are sitting here. This was because of the enthusiasm and faith that they had. And it was you – parents – who offered these gifts to the Revolution.
The Role of Spouses
The role of spouses is very important as well. If young spouses had stopped their husbands and if they had kept weeping and if they had made a sour face, they would not have gone. Not only did young spouses not prevent them, but many of them even helped and encouraged them. When we look at these phenomena, we understand how great the products of the Islamic Revolution are. All of these are the products of the Revolution. All of them are individuals who would not be cultivated like this unless in a revolutionary, Islamic and spiritual environment. Through your children, God completed his hujjat on all of us.
Who Benefits from the Movement of Martyrs?
What they did made the whole country benefit from it. Our entire nation is benefiting from the results. Of course, this is not confined to our nation. All Muslim nations, including Shia and Sunni, have profited from the movement of our youth – your martyrs and our warriors. In fact, they rendered services to the whole of Islam. We should understand the significance of their work. In any case, we are proud of your youth. We are really proud of them and they are a source of honor for us. They are a source of honor for Islam. It was Islam that managed to cultivate them like that. They are a source of pride for the Revolution. They are a source of pride for Iranian society.
The Humility of Martyrs
This is the miracle of the Revolution. In the present time, 40 years have passed from the Revolution and spiritual and jihadi motives have likewise developed and deepened. Notice that what you quoted from a martyr - who said, “I have not brought any benefit to Islam in my lifetime. May I be beneficial to Islam after my martyrdom” - is very important. This shows the depth of one’s faith. First of all, how could you not be beneficial to Islam in your lifetime? Well, you fought in the frontlines. What is more important than jihad in the way of God? And jihad in the way of God in those circumstances! This means that he minimizes himself and the great action that he did. This is very important.
As soon as we people pray two rakats and recite two ayahs of the Holy Quran, we become proud of ourselves for what we have done. However, those youth did not talk, rather they took action in the frontlines! And what action it was! It is not an action that is safe, rather it is an action that is perilous and that involves risking one’s life. And they do it once, twice, three times until they are martyred. This is while they play down the significance of this great endeavor. Notice that this means depth. Such courses of action shows the depth of their thinking in their hearts and souls. This is important. It is very important.
The Difference Between the Imposed War and War in the Region Today
And there are different dimensions to this. When we think carefully, we see that there was a war in our country one day. Tehran, Dezful and Ahwaz used to be bombarded and the people would feel the war with their flesh and blood. Well, some people would go to battle – of course, there were some people as well who did not go, but some would go. Families would show patience. Youth would go and would be martyred. It was very good and valuable and martyrs have a lofty position. However, today, there is a war somewhere whose presence the people do not feel completely, but these youth go to battle all the same. Notice that this is very important. The people do not feel it, but they go. Why? Because they understand what is going on.
This depth of understanding and this correct analysis of incidents is a very important matter. This is the miracle of the Revolution. The Revolution has cultivated such youth, the likes of this lady and the likes of you parents like this. Such a Revolution with such influence will never be defeated. Today, I believe that those who are willing to step into dangerous paths for the sake of God are not less if not more in number than those who would fight in our frontlines the day when there was a war in Iran. If they are not larger in number, they are not smaller either. This is very important. This is very magnificent.
Well, if they had lived for another 50, 60, 100 years – a normal life like ours – it would be nothing compared to this glory and this greatness. It would really be nothing. What they did was magnificent. If someone feels responsible, relinquishes their parents, their spouse, their children, a comfortable life and the beauties of this world – who would not see and want these beauties? Everyone wants them – and if they go to an area where they might lose their life with a mortar shell, with a bullet and with a strike, but decide to go because they understand that this is a responsibility, this is a great and magnificent feat.
Most People Do Not Understand the True Position and Status of Martyrs
We individuals – I am speaking for myself – and most of our people have not correctly understood the value and position of martyrs. They do not understand how self-sacrificing, how great and how significant the martyrs who would enter that arena and who would exchange their life for a deal with God were. Most of us do not pay attention to this issue. Therefore, this is a consolation for you.
Of course, it is difficult for fathers, mothers, spouses, children and other relatives – brothers, sisters. It is very difficult to lose a dear one, particularly because these martyrs were good children. They were youth who were decent youth in the family environment. Apart from that spiritual and divine aspect, everyone loved them. It is difficult to lose them. It is really difficult. There is no doubt about this, but it is a great consolation as you feel that they did something that might even be impossible for other great personalities. That is why Allah the Exalted said about them, “Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. No, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord” [The Holy Quran, 3: 169].
The Souls of Some Martyrs Are Taken by God Himself
I read in a biography that a friend of a martyr said, “One, two hours after his martyrdom, I saw him in a dream saying to me, ‘It was Allah the Exalted himself who took my soul out of my body.’” We have in narrations that the souls of some servants of God are taken by Izraeel [the angel of death], some are taken by his agents and some are taken by God himself. When that 18, 19, 20-year-old youth was martyred, he goes to his friends’ dream saying that his soul was taken by God himself. Martyrs are like this.
The Martyrs of Defending the Holy Shrines Will Be Rewarded Twice as Much as an Ordinary Martyr
What is happening in our region – West Asia – is part of an extraordinarily dangerous plot hatched by the enemies – the Americans, the Zionists and westerners. However, our youth are standing up against this plot hatched by arrogance. Anyone who does not understand these facts has not understood regional matters. Anyone who denies these things has failed to understand reality and clear political matters. That is why our youth are very valuable.
In some of our narrations, the Imams (pbut) point to some martyrs saying that they will be rewarded twice as much as an ordinary martyr. In some narrations, it has been mentioned that some mujahids of the time of the Imams enter paradise passing on the shoulders of the other people. God will let them fly. I have such a belief about your martyrs. I think that they are martyrs whose reward is twice as much as other martyrs.
I believe that on Judgment Day – when all of us will suffer, all of us will be in trouble: even saints will suffer on that day – your youth, your children, your husbands and your fathers will be among the individuals who fly to heaven while others envy their condition.
A Comparison Between Today’s Martyrs and the Martyrs of the Early Islamic Era
The movement of your martyrs who were martyred outside the country at this period of time is in fact like the movement of those who managed to preserve the tomb of Hazrat Aba Abdullah with their lives. There was one day when the Bani Abbas caliphs decided to destroy the Holy Tomb of Hazrat Aba Abdullah and possibly the other holy tombs. However, some people did not let this happen at the cost of their lives. They were told that their hands and legs would be cut off and that they would be killed should they try to do that, but they went anyway.
It was those endeavors that has led to 20 million pilgrims walking to Arbaeen today. If some people had not sacrificed themselves back then, today the glory and magnificence of Hussain’s (pbuh) kindness would not have imbued the whole world. You can see that in the Arbaeen march, people from different countries – Fars, Turks, people from European countries and even people from the US – show their presence there. Who has caused this to happen? The first foundation was laid by those who laid down their lives for making a pilgrimage to the tomb of Hazrat Aba Abdullah. Your youth are the same.
The Martyrs of Defending the Holy Shrines Prevented a Great Disaster in the World of Islam
At first sight and on the face of it, the borders of the country are not under threat, although ultimately, they are. These youths go to defend the ideological borders of the country. They go to defend the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt. In whichever part of Iraq or Syria our youth – your children – were martyred fighting against DAESH, they are considered as the defenders of the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Zaynab and the defenders of Karbala and Najaf. They are the defenders of the holy shrines.
If your youth and the youth of some other countries had not prepared themselves, if they had not defended and stood firm and if they had not encouraged the people of that country to defend the shrines – our youth did so and they urged them to defend the shrines – if these things had not been done, then those seditionists, Wahabis and heretics, who were really outside religion, would God forbid have gotten their hands on the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Zaynab as they had destroyed the tomb of the Holy Prophet’s and the Commander of the Faithful’s companions. And if they had succeeded in destroying the tomb of Hazrat Zaynab, they would have transgressed against the tomb of Hazrat Aba Abdullah. This is the issue.
Your youth fended off a great disaster in the world of Islam. If the men who fight in the way of God do not stand up against these malicious elements – who completely eradicate holy shrines if they can get their hands on them because they are so shameless and malevolent – then there will certainly be no trace of Shia.
What Was the Reason Behind Sending Youth to Syria and Iraq?
Of course, we have not sent our youth outside the country – to Syria and and Iraq – to fight in frontlines. They joined those areas for plans higher and more important than fighting, but some of them, like your children, were martyred. They are in fact the defenders of the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Zaynab. They are the defenders of Samara and Kadhamayn. They are the defenders of the Holy Shrine of the Commander of the Faithful and Imam Hussain.
The blood of those youth which was shed on this path – no matter if they were from Lebanon, Syria, Iran or Iraq – was shed in the way of defending Shia. The blood of those youth was shed in the way of defending the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt (pbut). Therefore, it is very valuable. We attach great value to these dear martyrs – some of whom are your children, some are your husbands and some are your fathers.
The Blood of Martyrs Has Not Been Shed in Vain
All fathers, mothers, spouses and children should know that the blood of these martyrs – the martyrs of defending the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt – has not been in vain. Everyone should know this. Those who are martyred in Syria are in fact keeping the enemy of the country at bay. It is an enemy which can come to Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan and Mashhad if he is not stopped in Syria and Iraq. As well as defending the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Zaynab, these martyrs keep the enemy away from the country.
The Forces of Evil in the Past and in the Present
If our martyrs, your youth, these dear ones and other such individuals had not gone there and if they had not launched a defense, the enemies of Ahlul Bayt would have completely annihilated the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Zaynab. They have done these things in history before and we are aware of them. Their chiefs and their predecessors were individuals who looted Karbala almost two centuries ago. They used to loot the people. They went inside the Holy Tomb of Imam Hussain (pbuh) – which is the house of divine transcendence and where divine angels reside – and they broke the zarih of that Hazrat. They broke the wooden chest. They burned it, they made coffee on it and they sat down to drink it.
These individuals are the same. If it had not been for the youth, if they had not gone there to defend, the same story would have happened. The same incident would have occurred. They went there to defend the borders of Wilayat and of religion and the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt and thus, they were martyred.
Those malicious elements have targeted all holy beliefs. They have targeted the Islamic Republic, they have targeted believers. Anyone who stands up to them is in fact defending all these sacred beliefs. These martyrs are very valuable martyrs. Today’s martyrs are doing things which are marvelous and which will be recorded in history. Those who participate in this test and other important tests are outstanding and special individuals.
You know this. Your children who went there and who were martyred knew better than us that those endeavors were for the sake of God. This is because they entered the arena in practice. Those endeavors were for the sake of God and for preserving the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt and for preserving the namoos of our Islamic country. In fact, they went there to bring the enemy to his knees and they were thankfully successful.
The Doors of Paradise
In one of the sermons of Nahjul Balaghah, the Commander of the Faithful says, “Indeed, surely jihad is one of the doors of Paradise” [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 27]. Jihad in the way of God is one of the doors of paradise. Who would not want to go to paradise? Who would not desire divine paradise and divine blessings? The Commander of the Faithful says that one of the doors of paradise is jihad in the way of God. Paradise has eight doors, “It has eight doors” [Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.8, page 121]. But this one is not an ordinary one. This one has this quality: “Which Allah has opened for His chief friends” [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 27]. Allah the Exalted has opened this door – the door of jihad in the way of God – for his special saints.
Your children, your husbands and your fathers who were martyred there are the manifestation of this sentence: “For His chief friends.” Would you have guessed that your son, your husband, your father would be one of God’s saints when he was alive? Would you have considered this as likely? Would you have guessed that he would be a chief friend of God? But he was a chief friend of God because he went there and he was martyred on that path.
Of course, it is very difficult to endure this. Your hearts are sad and there is no doubt about this. I pray that Allah the Exalted will bestow patience, tranquility and assurance on you and by Allah’s favor, you should be patient. However, you should know that this grave loss will be rewarded by Allah the Exalted like this. It enjoys such a position before God: “Which Allah has opened for His chief friends.”
Who Benefits from the Dignity that Martyrs Bring About?
Jihad is a source of dignity, but such dignity does not only belong to the country, the nation and the people from among whom those mujahids emerged. This is true in its own right. Every nation which achieves honor achieves dignity and power thanks to the jihad of its own children. This is correct in its own right and history has shown this. But as well as this, their jihad brings about dignity for their families as well. In other words, parents and spouses feel dignified due to the dignity of their dear one. They feel great and it is Allah the Exalted Who has given them this greatness.
Is It Alright to Cry for Martyrs?
The loss of youth and such dear ones naturally sets hearts on fire, this is natural. There is nothing wrong with crying and mourning. I agree that mothers, spouses, children, brothers and sisters cry. There is nothing wrong with crying. Some people think that we should not cry for martyrs. No, there is nothing wrong with this. Crying is a natural reaction of human beings.
Of course, this is difficult for and you have the right to feel this. You have lost your youth and this is not a small incident. If someone – mothers, fathers - goes to great trouble to bring up a youth and if they are martyred in the way of God, this is not a minor incident. This is very difficult. Or if the spouse of a martyr or their little children lose their man, their friend and their comrade, this is very difficult. However, in return, the greatness of what has happened is boundless.
God Will Reward You for Your Sufferings
You parents and spouses have shown patience. These little kids miss their fathers and they become sad. You are under pressure, but you have endured all this. All these things will be rewarded and taken into account by Allah the Exalted. When we read in prayers and ziyarahs, “patience and reward”, this is what it means. It means that one should show patience and ask God to reward one’s sufferings. We should ask God for the reward. You should ask Allah the Exalted to bestow patience on you and to reward you for that. You should ask God: “patience and reward”. This is what has been mentioned in our prayers, our ziyarahs and what our great personalities have said. We should ask God to reward you and to make a deal with Him.
I hope that this will be a provision for you in the hereafter, God willing. I hope that you will be able to preserve this important achievement. No one should say, “It was they who did jihad. Why should we have any achievement out of that?” This is not a correct statement. Your achievement is because of your patience and because of your sufferings. Allah the Exalted is just, Divine justice does not allow anyone to receive blessings more than they deserve it. When someone suffers a loss, one side of the divine scales becomes heavier. Allah the Exalted is like this. Whatever problem you have and whatever you lose on one side, the other side will become heavier.
The Families of Martyrs Are Right Behind Martyrs Themselves
In my view, the families of martyrs are immediately behind martyrs in terms of the value of what they have done and the patience that they have shown. The fathers, mothers, spouses and children of martyrs show patience, endure difficulties and feel great sorrow in their hearts, but nonetheless, they stand firm, they show patience and they do not complain. This is very important.
Families of Martyrs Have a Share in the Martyrs Jihad
If it had not been for the patience of you parents and spouses, certainly this great epic would not have materialized. It is the parents’ patience that causes the enthusiasts of this path not to have any doubt. Here in the present gathering, there are some families who have offered two martyrs. Well, they brought up their youth, they went through great trouble to raise them and to help them reach a certain age. Now, they are entering an arena where it is not clear if they return or not. This is very difficult, but because of a religious feeling – for example tawasol, or a sincere dream that they see – all of a sudden, they are deeply moved and they allow their flesh and blood to enter an arena where it is not clear if there will be a return or not. This is very difficult. You have endured these difficulties. Therefore, you should appreciate their value.
Mothers should appreciate the value of the patience that they have shown and the blessing that they gave to their son. This is valuable before God. You should preserve this for yourself. The same is true of fathers. The same is true of spouses. Some youth were martyred in the arena of war while they had several children. In the present gathering, we know of a martyr who was martyred while he had four children. This is very valuable.
You could have prevented them from going by crying, weeping and sulking, but you did not do so. The fact that you have sacrificed means that you have a share in that jihad. You have a share in that and Allah the Exalted will reward fathers, mothers, spouses and of course, children, brothers, sisters and others for their endeavor and He will enlighten your eyes, God willing.
Your dear martyrs are close to Allah the Exalted. They have a lofty position, but this blessing is not particular to martyrs. The fathers, mothers, spouses, children and relatives of martyrs all have a part in this blessing and in this honor. The fathers, mothers and spouses who show patience and the children who endure being away from their fathers – all these are pains and sufferings in the way of God. Allah the Exalted will not let these sufferings remain unanswered. The rewards for that are immense.
A Lucrative Death
Death is for everyone. All of us will die. Some die in accidents, some die in a knife attack and some die of different diseases. Everyone will die and it does not matter if they are young or old. There are some young individuals who die. We elderly look and see that many youth die before we do. They are dead and gone. Death is for everyone, but some individuals die like this – like your youth and your husband. This is a lucrative death. This is a profitable death.
What the Holy Quran Says about the Families of Martyrs
Allah the Exalted has promised you bereaved families: “They are those on whom descend blessings from Allah, and mercy” [The Holy Quran, 2: 157]. Allah the Exalted sends his blessings and mercy to you who endure a hardship and who have lost a dear one – you have lost your dear ones in the way of God. Allah the Exalted, the Mighty, the Magnificent and the Glorious and divine angels will send their greetings on you fathers, mothers, spouses and children. This is a lofty position. You are deeply suffering from the losses that you have incurred – as you have lost your dear youth – but we give you this divine promise. You should know that Allah the Exalted has given you this great promise. Therefore, you should appreciate the value of this.
Worldly sufferings exist. Many people lose their dear ones – their brothers, their sisters, their children, their parents – but your dear ones were lost in the way of God. These things are invaluable before Allah the Exalted. Both raising these youth and showing patience because of their loss and their martyrdom are very valuable.
In the past 20, 30 years, these events have repeated so many times that the Iranian nation has gradually gotten used to it. Some people do not understand how significant it is to show patience for the martyrdom of one’s son, one’s husband and one’s father. I hope that Allah the Exalted will send His mercy to you, such mercy that is typical of Him. I hope that He will bestow on all of you prosperity in your religious and worldly affairs. I hope that He will make your end a good one and that He will shower patience, tranquility and peace on your hearts.
Sunni Martyrs
There is another characteristic in the present gathering of families of martyrs and that is the fact that some of these families are from our Sunni brothers. This is very significant. This shows that our Muslim people do not differentiate between Shia and Sunni in order to defend the truth. Everyone is ready to do jihad in the way of the truth. They are willing to engage in jihad for the sake of defending the sanctity of Islam and of the country. Both Shias and Sunnis in our country are prepared to do jihad.
Martyrs and Their Families Are Very Valuable
You should know that Allah the Exalted has attached great significance to the jihadi endeavor of your children. By Allah’s favor, great rewards will be available to them and to you as well, you who have shown patience, who endure hardships and who express your satisfaction. We see that not only do some families not express regret at losing their son, their dear ones, the apple of their eye and their flesh and blood, but they also express their happiness and pride. And there is really room for pride. Lucky them and you! I hope that all of you will receive divine rewards.
The reward for these martyrs is not describable to our incomplete minds. The same is true of the reward for the patient – you families. Allah the Exalted says about you, “They are those on whom descend blessings from Allah, and mercy” [The Holy Quran, 2: 157]. The patient are those upon whom Allah the Exalted sends His peace and greetings. Allah the Exalted sends His greetings upon you! This is a very great position and status.
The Iranian Nation is Indebted to the Martyrs
The Iranian nation is greatly indebted to your dear ones who were martyred on this path. This is because they fought against the enemy in that part of the world. If that enemy had not been stopped, we would have to fight them in our houses. We would have to fight them in your cities. Your youth went there with courage and strong faith and they sacrificed themselves on this path until they were martyred. They managed to stop the enemy. This is a source of pride for our country, our youth and our families.
What Do Martyrs Say to Those Left Behind?
Not everyone is ready to make sacrifices. Those who make sacrifices are the outstanding personalities of the nation. This has been the case since the beginning. Some people believe in Islam, in God and in the Holy Prophet but they are not willing to go through trouble. They are not on the same level with those who endure great and heavy hardships in the way of God. Of course, your hearts are grief-stricken and deservedly so, but they are happy and pleased and they are enjoying divine blessings: “And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them in their bliss, the martyrs glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they cause to grieve” [The Holy Quran, 3: 170]. They say that they are not unhappy, afraid and sad. Whatever exists there for them is bliss and spiritual and divine exaltation. They are close to God.
What Does the Islamic Republic Think of Martyrs?
There is one outlook which focuses on the country, Islamic society and the Islamic Republic. In this outlook, the Islamic Republic is undoubtedly indebted to martyrs and their families. If it had not been for your martyrs and your youth and if they had not made those altruistic efforts – whether the recent martyrs, the martyrs of the Sacred Defense Era or the martyrs who are martyred on the streets – the country would not have enjoyed such a condition. Insecurity, domination by the enemy and chaos would have engulfed the country in a way that no one would be able to find a cure.
Those who have prevented the country from falling into this abyss are your youth. They are individuals who risk their lives and who join the battlefields. Sometimes, the battlefield is the western area of the county, Khuzestan, Kurdistan and other such areas where they fought against the Ba’athist government of Saddam and sometimes, it is Iraq and Syria where they are currently fighting against DAESH. And they sometimes fight against anti-revolutionary elements. What is clear is that they risk their lives. When they feel that their existence is needed, they show their presence. This is magnificent, it is very important.
The Problem That Most Individuals Have
The problem of us humans and those who make big claims – as the poet says, “Those of us who claim to be in the frontlines” – is that we cannot abandon our desires, but your youth have managed to do so. This is the difference. The problems that exist in the country are there because one, ten, several of us have not managed to overcome our weaknesses, but those mujahids in the way of God – your youth – managed to overcome their weaknesses. Like the rest of humans, they were attached to comfort, welfare, children, spouses and parents, but they gave them up. They managed to overcome these weaknesses. This shows how great they are and this is what has saved the country.
There is another outlook that focuses on families of martyrs – that is to say, fathers, mothers, spouses and children. This outlook works the same. Allah the Exalted has specified such a reward for the patient that they forget all these difficulties, pains and suffering should they get to the depth of divine promises and divine words. Naturally, the loss and martyrdom of your son and your youth whom you have nurtured like a bundle of flowers, whom you pinned your hopes on and whom you have feelings for involves many pains and sufferings. There is no doubt about this, but on the other hand, the divine promises and the glad tidings that Allah the Exalted gives to the same fathers, mothers, spouses and children are so calming and eye-catching that the effect of such sufferings will be diluted.
God is the Customer of that Jewel
What I can say to the dear families of martyrs – fathers, mothers, spouses and children – is that God will be the buyer of your merchandise. The wife of one of the martyrs had said something interesting and they quoted it to me. I found it to be a very beneficial, valuable and significant sentence. The lady said that she used to think that she had gained a precious jewel. However, later on, when he was martyred, she found out that that precious jewel had a greater customer and that was God. This has been written by one of the ladies about her husband who was a young martyr. This is a reality. This statement is precious and as meaningful as a book. The customer for this great jewel – your dear children – is God Almighty: “Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their goods for theirs in return is the garden of paradise” [The Holy Quran, 9: 111].
God is a customer: a customer for this magnificent merchandise. Of course, these sufferings are very difficult for parents, spouses, children, brothers and sisters. There is no doubt about this, but they should console their hearts by the belief that Allah the Exalted has accepted this precious merchandise with the martyrdom of your youth.
Enduring More Sufferings Shows That God Loves Them
You families will really receive divine mercy and kindness. This is really the case. Why? Because you have shown patience and you have endured. This is not a minor event. Fathers, mothers, spouses, brothers and sisters have endured these sufferings. In particular, parents and spouses have shown great patience. In return for worldly sufferings, Allah the Exalted will reward one in the hereafter. If someone endures more sufferings, this shows that Allah the Exalted is kind towards them.
You have endured one of the most difficult hardships in the world: losing one’s flesh and blood. You give birth to your son, you raise him and you cultivate him like a flower and like a tree and then he goes and is martyred in the way of God, but you show patience. Some families of martyrs are so patient that they bury the body of their martyr themselves. Allah the Exalted will not forget these things. These actions are very valuable.
When Will Martyrs Come to Our Help?
My word of advice to you families of martyrs – fathers, mothers, spouses, brothers, sisters – is that you should appreciate the value of this position. God has been very kind to you. Of course, it is difficult and bitter, but considering the promise that God has given you, these sufferings will become easy. You should appreciate the value of this, you should thank God and you should preserve this blessing for yourselves, as your youth has been preserved. They are not with you, but they belong to you. They are like precious gems that you put in a bank, as a form of trust. It is not with you, but it belongs to you. When you need it, it will come in handy. Your youth will come in handy when you need them as well. The day when everyone needs intercession, you will enjoy martyrs’ intercession.
The Assumption That Everyone Had After the Sacred Defense Era
Some of the martyrs of defending the holy shrines – whose families are present here – were individuals who participated in the imposed war and who desired to be martyred, but who were not. As soon as they realized that the door of jihad and martyrdom has reopened, they flew away and they were martyred. These are values which primarily you families of martyrs should pay attention to. All our people should appreciate the value of these dear ones and also the value of you families of martyrs who endured these sufferings and who welcomed these problems and the difficulty of being away from one’s dear ones in order to gain divine satisfaction.
Everyone thought that after the imposed war, the door of martyrdom was closed, but it became clear that this is not the case: “Every day is Ashura and all lands are Karbala”. The door of martyrdom is open. Of course, not everyone can achieve this blessing. Some people were present in the arena of jihad including the likes of us. We were present in different operations and at war. Well, we could not achieve it. We did not have the opportunity. However, some people went there and achieved this great blessing. May God raise their position, God willing.
After the end of the Sacred Defense Era - during which time our youth would participate in the arenas of battle with enthusiasm and excitement, many of whom were martyred and their families would endure that loss - the assumption was that those issues were over, that those spirits no longer existed and those individuals were no longer there. Many would say that that era was unique, but that it was over. The recent years have shown that their assumption was wrong as pious, enthusiastic, self-sacrificing and altruistic youth are prepared to stand firm on the path of defending the truth and the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt and they are even prepared to risk their lives.
The Difference Between the Death of Martyrs and That of Others
Well, families of have lost their dear ones on this path. Death comes anyway and it does not matter if we are young or old. You can see this evidently: these days, youth who are 25,30, 35 years old have a heart attack, they become sick, they are diagnosed with cancer and they pass away. Their death brings about rewards for their parents, their spouses and their children as well, but that death can never be compared to this one. The latter is martyrdom in the way of God. Martyrdom is living with God and in the shade of divine blessings and nourishments. It is a great position that all of us desire. I find myself much smaller than your martyrs and your youth. They are superior to us. They are ahead of us.
You parents who gave them away are ahead of us as well. When it comes to talking, all of us say that we are ready to do such and such things in the way of God. Well, this is talking without substance! However, when it comes to action, that arena shows who is pious, who is sincere and who is the manifestation of this ayah: “Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah” [The Holy Quran, 33: 23].
You – parents and spouses – have taken this test and you have shown that you are among the people whom Allah the Exalted as described as sincere. You have shown in action that you are ready to make sacrifices in the way of God. Lucky you! I hope that God will accept your actions and He will certainly will.
A New Environment in the Country
You, who are close to martyrs, can benefit from their blessings with your heartfelt relationship with them. Martyrs accompany familiar and ready hearts and they help, guide and console them. This is the spiritual, divine and otherworldly aspect of the matter. As for its worldly aspect, the martyrs of defending the holy shrines changed the environment of the country. They revived revolutionary concepts in recent years. Some people wanted to make revolutionary concepts obsolete and feeble. However, the sacrifices of the eager hearts of your youth – who went to fight thousands of kilometers away from their city and their home and who left behind their dear wives, their kind parents and their lovely children – proved to be a blessed course of action. Allah the Exalted blessed the sacrifices of your dear youth by creating a new environment in the country.
While our population is 80 million people and while the martyrs of defending the holy shrines are not large in number, but even this small number managed to influence the public environment of this country with 80-plus million people. You saw an example of this in the recent burial ceremonies. They brought me the photos related to the burial ceremony of your youth in your cities. Wherever they were buried, a large crowd of people was present.
Martyrdom Attracts People Like Magnetism
Perhaps, many of those who participated in those burial ceremonies had not seen your youth and perhaps they did not know them at all, but they showed their presence. Hearts are attracted to this, hearts are in the hands of God. It attracts them like a magnet, as they have been attracted to Imam Hussain. The martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali (pbuh) is above all other martyrdoms. Notice how it attracts hearts like a magnet after the passage of 1,300, 1,400 years. Look at the Arbaeen march, look at the youth’s enthusiasm for the tomb of that great Imam and look at the rowza and sinezani sessions. These work like magnetism.
This is the blessing that God has bestowed on such acts of self-sacrifice. The same is true of your youth. Allah the Exalted blessed the blood of your youth, their martyrdom and their sacrifice by enabling them to influence the country.
There Is an Attempt to Consign the Martyrs to Oblivion
Of course, some people show ungratefulness. We know this as well. They ignore these endeavors. They play down these attempts. Well, we have nothing to say to those who are either ignorant or who have ulterior motives – the individuals who have wallowed in deep ignorance and who do not understand. They do not understand the interests of the country and the interests of Islam. And some people have a hostile outlook. We have nothing to do with such individuals. We are only addressing the masses of the people. The people should appreciate the value of these dear martyrs. They should understand their greatness. They should understand the significance of their work. This is the responsibility of all of us.
The Provision That Families of Martyrs Have on Judgment Day
I hope that God will let you have the youth of yours who are living. The ones that you gave away in the way of God – they are very dear and very valuable. I hope that He will make them a provision for you in the hereafter. You should know – and you do know – that everyone will be wandering here and there on Judgement Day. Everyone will be looking for a hand to help and to save them. People like you have a provision there. So, your hearts and minds will be firm there as you know that you have an intercessor on your behalf. Your children will intercede on your behalf and they will come to your help. They will enlighten your eyes. This will be your provision there and by Allah’s favor, it will rush to your help when needed.
How Have the American Plans and the Iranian Plans Worked Out?
As well as asking Allah the Exalted to bestow patience and tranquility on your hearts – on the hearts of mothers, fathers, spouses, brothers and sisters – I wish to give you the glad tidings that your children’s work was an extraordinary and great piece of work. Allah the Exalted will bless these endeavors, He will bless their pure blood and He will uproot these enemies, God willing. I tell you that the existence of your youth is a source of dignity in this very world, not only for you parents and families, but also for everyone else and for the country.
After the passage of 30-plus years, they have managed to introduce the Islamic Republic to the whole world as a unique example which can speak and take action with complete power. On that day, I said in a speech that the Americans had certain plans and they wanted to do certain things in this region – which they refer to as Middle East, but which we refer to as West Asia – but they failed. However, we had certain plans and programs as well. We wanted to do certain things and we managed to do it. Thanks to whom? Thanks to these youths and to you!
In any case, I hope that Allah the Exalted will reward you, bestow patience and His peace and tranquility on your hearts and endear you in this world and in the hereafter. You will be dear ones in the hereafter. I hope that we too will be able to have a source of support in the shade of your martyrs, God willing. We respect your martyrs and we usually dispatch them with great hopes. We hope that they can rush to our help and be our intercessors on Judgment Day as well. One of my dreams is really that I will be associated with your martyrs on Judgment Day, that they will intercede on my behalf and that I will benefit from their blessings.
Your youth and our great martyrs – those motivated, religious and courageous youth who volunteered to defend the holy shrines of Ahlul Bayt (pbut) in a persistent manner – fought and did jihad. They stood up against the enemy and they were martyred, but as a matter of fact, they won.
Martyrs Achieved Victory in Two Areas
We can say that your dear martyrs achieved victory in two ways. The first is from a divine and spiritual point of view. Which person can claim that they will not pass through the difficult pass of life and death in the hereafter? All of us will pass through it. However, when we go there, we do not know what our fate will be, but when they want to go to the other side, they know what their fate will be. They know that they are walking towards divine paradise and divine blessings. In the testament of one of today’s martyrs – whose family members are present here – I read this: “we went there happily”. How lucky they are! They went there happily. This is one victory: the victory of achieving divine satisfaction and the paradise of divine mercy.
The second victory is the worldly one. Today, when you listen to each and every news agency and political center in the world, everyone says that the Iranian mujahids won in Syria. The US had certain plans for this region. In fact, they created DAESH and al-Nusra Front against Islam, against Shia and against the Islamic Republic, but they were defeated. The whole world knows today that the US was defeated in Syria and in Iraq. The Zionist regime was frustrated there as well. This is another victory.
Why Are People Afraid of Death?
Well, they went to the hereafter. That martyr says, “we went there happily”. Lucky them! When the likes of us go there, that will be the beginning of our worries. Why are we afraid of death? What is the reason? Because we have worries. All those who are afraid of and worried about dying – the first reason is what they lose in this world. And another reason is the problems that might occur to them there. However, martyrs do not have these two worries. What they lose here seems small to them because they know that in return, they will gain everything. And what they gain there, they know how superb it is. That is why they rest assured and they are not concerned. How lucky they really are!
When I pay a visit to the families of martyrs and when I speak to them, I never feel tired. When we become tired of other things, our feeling of tiredness will vanish once we sit beside families of martyrs and talk. I hope that God will preserve you, God willing. I hope that He will not take you away from this country and this nation. As long as families of martyrs live with these spirits, our country will witness an increase in its dignity on a daily basis, God willing.
I hope that in the shade of the blood of your martyrs, Allah the Exalted will extend His blessings primarily to the families of martyrs and secondly to the masses of the people of Iran. I hope that our nation, our country and all of you will benefit from divine blessings. I hope that God will preserve you, show mercy upon your martyrs, bestow His peace and tranquility on your bereaved hearts and console you, God willing. I hope that parents, spouses and children can live in peace and that they will live a sweet and happy life.
And I hope that He will enlighten your eyes with worldly and otherworldly blessings and that the end will be good for all of you and all of us. I hope that divine blessings will be showered on your hearts, God willing. I hope that He will raise their position and that He will raise the position of your families – parents, spouses, children and others – on a daily basis, God willing. I hope that He will raise your position, increase your blessings and shower His light and mercy on you.
And I hope that Allah the Exalted will not deprive the country from such pious, pure and enthusiastic youth. Thankfully, this has been the case until today and from now on too, this will be the case. I hope that God will show that He is satisfied with those dear ones, and with you fathers, mothers, spouses, children, brothers and sisters in your worldly life and in the hereafter and by Allah’s favor, this will be the case.
I hope that God will help us join your youth as well. I hope that we can follow them and their path and that we will achieve the same fate. I hope that Allah the Exalted will associate us with the martyrs on Judgment Day. I hope that He will bestow on us and everyone who so desires, the position and level that He bestowed on your youth and your martyrs.
One’s Duty Towards Families of Martyrs
In any case, our duty is to show our respect to you. Our gathering together is for the sake of carrying out the duty of showing respect to the families of martyrs. However, your status is much higher than this. You are very welcome. Some of you came from distant cities. I hope that God will make your steps firm on His path.