Speech [The necessity of preserving the religious seminaries]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

During his time in Mecca before his migration to Medina, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his descendants ) was concerned only with propagating the word of God and acquainting the people with God the Exalted and with Islam. He had no assistant to help him combat the polytheists and spread Islam. Just as one sees in the Holy Qur'an, the Sourahs which were revealed to him in Mecca concern the aspects of introducing Islam, preaching and guidance alone, there is no mention of disagreements or war and even the laws are spoken of less.

The ordinary man who looks only at the surface of things could not have predicted what benefits his migration from Mecca, under such unpleasant circumstances and having suffered a defeat, would hold for him. However, when he went to Medina, then the results of his migration became clear and he was able to spread the word of Islam and find followers there, eventually returning victoriously and successfully to Mecca in such a way that the elders of the Quraysh tribe were humbled before him, and even though this was so, the Prophet set them free. «1»

Now, even though a great many Iranians have become the scapegoats in the dispute between the governments «2» and have been turned out of this country under such tragic circumstances, «3» there may well be some great benefits to come from this action of which we are, as yet, unaware. May God, the Blessed and Exalted, return you all to this theological center just as the Holy Prophet (s) returned victoriously and triumphantly to Mecca, and may the day arrive when this theological center becomes even stronger than it is now. I am sure that, sooner or later, the theological center will return to its former state, and, God willing, if you act upon your religious and scientific duties, you too will return to Najaf.

The burden of knowledge is a heavy burden which is upon your shoulders. Not only is it your responsibility to learn a handful of terms and their meanings, but you have also been given the responsibility for preserving Islam and its precepts. You are the trustees of a divine revelation, and you must purify your souls while at the same time acquiring knowledge. And as you propagate your knowledge to others, you must also ameliorate your soul. Never fail to remember your obligations, be amicable and pleasant to one another, put aside your differences, be to one another as brothers, and with a spirit of unity and purity work for Islam. You are all scholars, you are all the leaves of one tree and all from one root, and if you are faithful to your vow, God, the Exalted, shall be loyal to His vow and shall return you to the theological center. God willing, we shall meet again here. If I reach the end of my days and am not here with you, you all shall be here and gather together once again.

In any event, this theological center will not sink into decline; it will remain in its place. Irrespective of the spiritual and divine aspects, even according to the laws of nature the theological centers will not vanish because they are held in esteem by all Muslims, especially the Shi`ah, and they have the support of the nation, and that which the nations support the government cannot oppose. Governments are transient, their lives short. The support for Najaf comes from great nations and because of this it will be preserved. Now in our theological center there are students from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iraq and other Arab nations all acquiring knowledge, and this government, «4» which certainly cannot be called a government, does not have the power to stand up to these nations, even though it may oppose you and I it cannot oppose the nation. If the Iranian gentlemen are sent away, the others must remain and uphold their obligations to their religion. For you are like regiments of soldiers, if one regiment is attacked and defeated by the enemy, then another steps in to take its place and resolutely stands up to the enemy. It is the enemy's wish that when one regiment is defeated the rest retreat leaving the battlefield deserted.

The gentlemen who are here from other countries must stand firm and continue with their studies and with the purification of their souls. And if I, a student of religion, and the maraji` leave, you must remain and continue with your duties. Of course, my leaving has reasons that maybe many of you are not aware of, but others must remain and not desert the fortress, for we have seen what can happen. The theological center in Qum was destroyed- such destruction! A few who were always under pressure and harassed put up resistance and soon there came a turnabout: the previous oppressor «5» was removed and the defeated center of that era «6» became the six-thousand-strong theological center of today. You have not been defeated. If you look at the history of the oppressors and those oppressed around the world, you will see that the oppressed are always victorious. Mu`awiyah with all the power, wealth and greatness which he possessed was obliterated and today in Syria, the center of his realm, there is not even a trace of his grave «7» The situation of these poor merchants who have stayed long years in Iraq and who have no friends, family, acquaintances, not even a single relation in Iran, is extremely sorrowful and it is my hope that the people of Iran will treat them well. They are guests and I expect the noble Muslim people of Iran to be kind to their guests and their brothers. Give them shelter, food and clothing. Help them to solve their problems and more importantly, familiarize them with the Iranian situation with which they are unfamiliar.

You gentlemen, who leave for Iran, send my regards to our Iranian brothers, tell them that I personally request that they help these brothers who number approximately a hundred thousand and have been expelled from Iraq and scattered throughout Iran and that they show them kindness