The Following is the full text of the speech delivered on September 9, 2008 by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, to the heads and officials of the three government branches.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all sentient beings, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem Al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate and infallible household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
I thank Allah the Exalted who has bestowed upon me the blessing to take part in this cordial meeting and to meet the revolutionary and devoted brothers and sisters who are either serving or used to serve the country.
This meeting is in fact the manifestation of unity among those who serve the Islamic Republic and our dear country. I hope the meeting will result in greater devotion and unanimity among those who are devoted to the country and the Islamic Revolution.
The Quranic verse, "And seek assistance through patience and prayer" has been repeated twice in the Holy Quran. In one of the verses - "And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and this is hard except for the humble ones" [The Holy Quran, 2:45] - Ù’God Almighty addresses the people of the Book [the followers of Zoroastrianism as well as Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faiths]. In another verse - "O you who believe, seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient" [The Holy Quran, 2:153] - God Almighty addresses faithful people. Firstly, this is indicative of the important role of patience and prayers in achieving the lofty goals of the Islamic community. Secondly, one can understand from this verse that there is a relationship between patience and prayers, and these two will result in resistance, perseverance, and spiritual connection with God. These two points can be inferred from the latter verse, especially the part in which faithful people are addressed - "O you who believe" [The Holy Quran, 2:153]. Before this verse, there is the verse: "Therefore glorify Me, I will make you eminent, and give thanks to Me and be not ungrateful to Me" [The Holy Quran, 2:152]. Gratefulness and God's remembrance are the main points in this verse. Then the issue of jihad is addressed in another verse: "And speak not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, (they are) alive, but you perceive not." [The Holy Quran, 2:154]. After this verse, there are three other well-known verses: "And We shall certainly try you with something of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits. And give good news to the patient." [The Holy Quran, 2:155] "Who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allah's, and to Him we shall return." [The Holy Quran, 2:156] "Those are they on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord. [The Holy Quran, 2:157]. The relationship between these two factors - patience and prayers - is clearly inferred from these Quranic verses. Both patience and prayers and the relationship between them are important. Later, I will elaborate on the issue of patience.
Let me talk about the relationship between patience and prayers. Prayer means attention to God, dhikr, and humility before God. Saying prayers without remembering God is not what is meant here. There is another Quranic verse in which God says, "Recite that which has been revealed to thee of the Book and keep up prayer. Surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil; and certainly the remembrance of Allah is the greatest (force). And Allah knows what you do." [The Holy Quran, 29:45]. Keeping one from indecency and evil is only one of the results of saying prayers. But, the very act of remembering God which happens during prayers is more important than preventing one from indecency and evil.
Prayers from such a perspective - in which one pays attention to God, shows humility towards Him, and tries to get spiritually closer to Him - will result in more patience. The importance of patience has been clarified through traditions, Islamic teachings, and Quranic verses. Therefore, we can now better grasp the significance of prayers and God's remembrance. These two factors can internalize patience - which brings about persistence - in our hearts, souls, lives, and thoughts. There is also a Quranic verse in this regard: "And be patient and thy patience is not but by (the help of) Allah." [The Holy Quran, 16:127]. Of course, "Be patient" has been repeated in many verses in the Holy Quran, and each of these verses can impart one oceans of knowledge. The verse "And be patient and thy patience is not but by (the help of) Allah" means that seeking assistance from God will give one infinite patience. Patience in this verse means persistence and endurance. If one has infinite patience, one's progress towards the peaks of success - both in this world and the hereafter - will never stop. One can get closer to moral perfection and reach the peak of success in knowledge, wealth, political power, spirituality, and edification if one has infinite patience. The failures that we face are due to lack of patience. When two groups of solders fight each other, the one that loses patience sooner will lose, and the one that shows more endurance will come away victorious. This is because they will face a group of soldiers that have lost their patience. This is a very simple and clear example. However, this is true in all cases.
All natural obstacles that appear in one's way and prevent one from making progress will be removed if one does not lose patience. This is the reason why those who fight on the path of Islam always emerge triumphant from battles. In this regard, there is a verse in the Holy Quran: "And Our troops, surely they, will be triumphant." [The Holy Quran, 37:173]. This is because God's servants and the soldiers that fight on His path show endurance in the face of all problems. Such endurance is due to their spiritual connection with God. In the battle between two groups, endurance on the part of one group will naturally result in defeat for the other group. Of course victory is not guaranteed if there is no spiritual connection with God, and if one only claims to be fighting on the path of God. Therefore, we should try to form this spiritual connection with God. Hence prayers and God's remembrance are important. The significance of the holy month of Ramadan lies in these reasons. Ramadan provides an opportunity for self-edification, piety, and more trust in God. The notion of increasing one's trust and reliance on God is repeated in the prayers which are recited in the holy month of Ramadan. Therefore, we should appreciate this opportunity to achieve these goals. When these goals are achieved, the patience of the Islamic Ummah will grow to a level that will make it possible for them to overcome all problems. In that case, the Islamic community will make progress on political, economic, moral, and spiritual fronts. This is a fact, and we should make efforts to realize this fact.
You have probably heard different traditions in regard to patience. According to Islamic traditions, there are three kinds of patience: Patience when worshipping God, Patience in the face of sins, and patience in the face of tragic events.
Patience in worshiping God means that one must not become bored when a necessary and obligatory deed, an act of worship, is prolonged. It means that one must not fall by the wayside. Take the case of personal religious rituals. One must not become bored when saying a certain recommended prayer that is long. That is the meaning of patience in worshipping God: You must get tired of fasting, paying attention to God in obligatory prayers and religious duties, and paying attention to the teachings of the Quran.
Patience in the face of sins, again, implies resistance. What I said was about patience in worship. But patience in the face of sins requires that we avoid being allured [by material attractions], deceived, and affected by our desires. One may desire sexual pleasure, money, social position, popularity, and fame. These are all manifestations of human desires. Everyone tends to cherish a certain fancy. These fancies must not be allowed to allure man - this is true when achieving those fancies involves committing sins.
An analogy can be drawn between man and a child who decides to toddle towards sweets and knocks down the jug or the glass. The sight of sweets makes the child blind to everything else that lies in his or her way. Attracted by sins, man becomes indistinguishable from the child, paying no attention to whatever that lies in his way. That is something dangerous, especially because man is by nature heedless [of possible dangers]. In his rush towards sins, man is not aware of the dangers and he is not aware that he is unaware. That is true of the chills as well: he/she is not aware that he/she is going to break the jug of water, china, or the precious vase that lies in his/her way. The child is not aware of being unaware. That is the reason why we must be cautious. We must take extra care to guard against this unconsciousness.
Patience in the face of tragic events means that man must not feel exasperated when he is faced with shortcomings, bereavement, pains, illness, poverty, or similar unpleasant events. These events must not render man helpless. Man must not feel that it is the end of the world. These three cases of patience are all of paramount importance. "Those are the ones on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord." [The Holy Quran 2:157]. In fact, Allah the Exalted bestows His blessings and mercy on all those who are patient.
The point is that these three cases simply concern personal affairs at times. There are well-known examples that point to the same issue. At other times patience is not manifested in just personal life. Rather, it turns up in social and public arenas. In other words, patience has to do with the fate of a group of people or an entire nation. Take the case religious duty - that must be done in a perseverant manner - the accomplishment of which is related to the fate of a nation. Jihad is one such duty. For example, going to the battlefields during the Sacred Defense era was a religious duty. Determined defense of the country was something necessary, a religious duty. This defense was not something personal. Each and every soldier who went to the battlefields was in fact helping to determine the fate of the country. Religious duties come in that form sometimes. All measures that are taken by our MPs, ministers, managers, and the members of the military - or measures that are taken at a cultural center or any other organization - and that are deemed to be necessary constitute a religious duty. These are religious duties that are fulfilled in order to serve Allah the Exalted and His servants. Doing our duties in an Islamic government is another aspect of fulfilling our religious duties. The people who are serving this divine government are in fact doing their religious duties all the time. If you ever feel exhausted - no matter which part of the government you are working: the police, economic sectors, the security service, or diplomatic posts - you have been impatient. This goes against the Quranic recommendation, "and seek assistance through patience and prayer."
This is also true of something that is a sin, a sin whose consequences are not limited to personal loss. "And guard yourselves against an affliction which may not smite those of you exclusively who are unjust." [The Holy Quran 8:25]. Sometimes when we do something wrong, say something that we should not have said, take an inappropriate measure, or sign the wrong paper - and this is what keeps troubling the government officials - and the consequences befall the entire nation, a certain social class, or a certain group of people. That is a sin. 'Patience in the face of sins' takes on a more important meaning in such cases. This kind of resistance is different from resistance against an offer of bribe. This is something praiseworthy, a great deed. One type of patience requires resistance against a personal sin. But there is another type of patience that is far more valuable. This latter type of patience is displayed in the face of sins that affect other people as well. That is the magnitude of the significance that must be attached to patience in the face of sins.
This is also true of patience in the face of tragic events. Tragic events could involve individuals or an entire community. For example, our government officials are currently faced with a variety of open slanders and insults. As you know, different types of slanders and libels are being leveled at Islam and the Islamic Republic (because it follows the principles of Islam and the Revolution, because it pursues the ideals that are unpleasant to the arrogant powers, and because the people who they oppose are currently serving the Islamic Republic) by different media throughout the world. These slanders are being leveled at the Islamic Republic for each and every ideal that it seeks to realize. The Islamic Republic is subject to different types of attacks. These are all tragic events, and it is not easy to endure them. These international issues, considerations, and slanders have led some international political figures - whom I have seen in person or I have heard about - to believe, wrongly, that they have a broad perspective of their goals and their path. It is hard for our government officials to endure this. That is all I wanted to say about patience in the face of tragic events.
Therefore, all three kinds of patience are important and should be taken into consideration both in personal affairs and on social, political, public, and national fronts. Patience in the face of national issues is peculiar to those who are in charge of the country and should not concern the general public. The responsibility for such matters does not lie on the shoulders of the general public. These are matters which should be dealt with by administration officials, MPs, and judiciary officials as well as other officials in charge of the country. All three kinds of patience should be taken into consideration on these two levels. We should seek assistance from Allah the Exalted through patience. This was the main point I was going to mention.
In addition to this point, I have to say that there is sometimes a lack of patience on the part of some people in regard to pursuing the goals of the Revolution. The goals of the Islamic Republic are the most important issue and we should be persistent in defending them. Patience plays a more important role here.
Dear brothers and sisters, you are the government officials in the Islamic Republic. You are a group of political, cultural, and social elites who have gathered in this meeting. The majority of the government officials are present in this meeting. What goal did we pursue when we undertook this responsibility as government officials in the Islamic Republic? Was it just the case that we tried to form a government in order to occupy these positions? Of course, this was not the case. All the services we render are worthless and like "scattered motes" [The Holy Quran; 25:23] if we have such a purpose in mind. Our efforts are all worthless and not rewarded by God if this is the goal we have in mind. Our efforts will be forgotten after we die or even after we leave these positions should that be our primary motivation in undertaking such responsibilities. The difference between us - the officials of the Islamic Republic - and those who seize power in other countries is that our primary goal was to from an Islamic community. Our purpose was to restore the Islamic method of life to our society. If you look at the big picture, the Islamic system of government in our country could act and can still act as a model for other countries in the Muslim world. Therefore, the Islamic Republic aimed to draw the attention of the Muslim world to this fact. This is the reason why the Islamic Republic was formed. This has always been our primary goal.
The Islamic Republic is based on Islamic principles. The changes that we have been able to make in the country are in accordance with Islamic principles. These changes are something positive. But sometimes we have failed to make changes on the basis of Islamic principles. We must identify these failures and take the necessary measures. We should not violate Islamic principles. This should be our goal.
This is the reason behind the enmity of the arrogant powers towards the Islamic Republic. Their enmity is rooted in the fact that the Islamic Republic and the Islamic community are against oppression and arrogance. This is because the Islamic Republic is opposed to encroaching on people's lives and invasion of other countries. The Islamic Republic is opposed to international oppression and all arrogant systems of government. Such opposition is not just a mater of principle. It will be manifested practically whenever necessary. This is something the enemies know well about the Islamic Republic. Therefore, those who invade other countries, encroach on other's properties, and support arrogant systems of government are seriously opposed to the Islamic Republic.
A couple of days ago I mentioned in a meeting that the claim that there is a misunderstanding between Iran and the superpowers is false. There is no such thing as a misunderstanding in this case. We know them pretty well and they also know us well. We are well familiar with the nature and attitude of the arrogant powers. We are well familiar with their blood-thirsty nature that is hidden behind their attractive appearance. We will never be deceived by their attractive appearance. We are well aware of the nature of these superpowers. Even they themselves are showing their true nature these days - in Guantanamo, in Abu Ghraib, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. They are showing their true nature by their bullying and interference in all affairs. They even encroach on the properties of their own nation. We know them well and they also know us well. They know that the Islamic Republic - that was founded by Imam Khomeini (r.a.) - is against oppression, arrogance, expansionism, invasion, and greedy accumulation of wealth. They are aware of these facts and that is why they are opposed to the Islamic Republic.
This is what the Islamic Republic is. The true manifestation of patience for us - the officials of the Islamic Republic - is showing patience in adhering to the principles of the Revolution. You should not escape your duties. You should not neglect these principles if they mounted propaganda against Islamic qisas, Islamic economy, Islamic rule, and the Islamic Republic's Constitution. Rather, you should firmly adhere to these principles. Serving God, rendering services to God's servants, and opposing God's enemies as well as the enemies of His servants constitute the principles and slogans of the Revolution. The Islamic Republic is based on these principles. It is a system that is based on rationality and knowledge. Rationality should be dominant in all sectors of the government. However, rationality does not mean compromise. Rationality does not mean fear of the enemies. Rationality should act as a factor to help us make progress and find better ways to achieve our goals.
There are some people who undermine the principles of the Revolution in the name of rationality, and avoiding international sensationalism. This is not acceptable. Such acts are indicative of tiredness and lack of patience. They sometimes attribute such tiredness to the people, while it is themselves who have actually grown tired of defending these principles. They say the people have become tired of these principles while that is not the case.
The people will become happy if they see that the government officials take pride in being Muslims. These people are Muslims. The movement of the people was rooted in the same principles. Are they not the same people who started the Revolution? What were the slogans of the Revolution? Are these not the same people who fought innocently for 8 years during the imposed war? These are the same people who were present during the war. Or were they a different group of people? Which group of people in the world could do the same great things as our people did in this country? There was a program on TV the other night in which Imam Khomeini's (r.a.) comments about the late Ayatollah Taleghani were broadcast. I could feel that all his words were full of useful and wise points. May God place him in heaven. He said something to this effect in his remarks about Ayatollah Taleghani: "See what the people said about him in his funeral." The people described him as the representative of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). Imam Khomeini said they were mourning the demise of the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) representative, who was a religious scholar. Imam Khomeini (r.a.) described him as the representative of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), and this was a point that was made on the basis of what the people had said. This is the right thing to do.
he people believe firmly in the principles of Islam. This is a sign of democracy - in addition to having a close relationship with the people, rendering services to them, taking their votes into account, and caring for their problems. It pleases the people to see that you - the officials of the Islamic Republic - are proud of being Muslims and take pride in your opposition to the arrogant and hegemonic powers. They will also be satisfied to see that you have close relations with them, ask for their opinions in different matters, and take pride in rendering services to them. The people will be satisfied with such attitudes on the part of the officials. These are our duties. We are not allowed to go back on the slogans of Islam and the Islamic Revolution. If we do, it would be indicative of lack of patience. Contrary to what the enemies say, adhering to such principles is not at odds with making progress. The enemies have always tried to infuse the people with the idea that making progress in science and promotion of living standards is at odds with being Muslims. However, this is not the case. It is reality stood on its head. We have made great progress.
I sometimes see that the great achievements of the nation are questioned by some people. They must not do so. This is something bad and an insult to the people. This is an act that would disappoint the people. Who can deny the great scientific achievements that we have made? The significance of these achievements lies in the fact that we are in some cases among the few countries that have made such achievements. Is this not an important achievement?
An exhibition was held almost a month ago in this hussainiyya and some 50 new innovations from among hundreds of scientific innovations were put on display here. The innovators reported that the innovations are in some cases unparalleled in the country, and even in the world. Two or three of the innovations were unparalleled in the world. Can anyone deny these achievements? It was almost a year ago when a great gathering was held here to discuss a particular scientific issue. They had come here from many developed countries to assess our scientific, research, and technological achievements. Interviewed after the visit, they said they would have never believed these achievements had they not seen them with their own eyes.
Such cases are not limited to one or two instances only. Advances made in nuclear technology are another instance of such achievements. I have always said that these are only some instances of the Iranian nation's progress. There are so many of such examples in our country. No one can deny the achievements that we have made in terms of reconstruction and promotion of living standards. They sometimes question these achievements without any reason. The great movement that has been started by the Iranian nation is very valuable.
Thirty years have passed since the start of the Revolution - 20 years after the demise of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) who was the founder this Revolution. Still, the people believe in and shout the slogans of the Revolution. Our youth - who have neither seen Imam Khomeini (r.a.) nor have they been present during the war days - praise this great movement by the Iranian nation in their poems and works of art. Are these achievements not important? Can anyone deny these achievements?
Since time is short, let me briefly refer to some other points. I am going to mention a few points to the administration officials - of course I would like to address these points to the officials of the legislative and judicial branches as well.
First, taking people's satisfaction into account in your decisions is something good. However, this should not prevent you from considering God's satisfaction. If you have to do something that is obligatory according to Islamic Sharia but does not please the people, you must do it. Similarly, you must not do something that goes against Islamic Sharia, although the people want you to take that particular measure. In such cases, you should fulfill your divine duties. People's satisfaction and rendering services to the people is very valuable. However, this must not be at odds with your divine duties.
The second point concerns the major decisions that are made by the administration. The honorable President referred to the plan for an overhaul in the country's economic system. This is among the major plans in the country and has been approved of by experts. The conflicting opinions that are expressed in regard to the plan are only concerned with when and how to carry out the plan. But the general outline of the plan has been agreed upon by experts. The verbal and written reports that I have received also point to this general agreement. They all believe that it is necessary to carry out the plan.
You should avoid extremism in your decisions. To avoid taking measures due to fear of failure is not correct. Also, you should avoid taking measures without taking all the consequences into account. Just because a certain measure is appropriate does not mean you should act hastily. You should consider all the aspects of the plan. I was pleased to hear the President say that the plan is being carried out in accordance with the law. These are important factors. The plan should be carried out after careful consideration of all aspects.
There should also be complete cooperation among the three government branches, both in words and in practice. Cooperation is even more important when you are dealing with important matters. I intended to mention a few other points in regard to article 44 of the constitution, but it is time for prayers.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings