Speech [The root of internal discord]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Up to now, I had not heard his statements; and it is a cause of shame for all of us. I hope that all our representatives agree with us. I would like to point out one thing and that is I do not accept such exaggerated statements «2» said about me. I am a servant of you all and the issue has nothing to do with being a leader or not. It is the issue of the movement and being together in united ranks that count. He has spoken well but has gone somewhat to extremes regarding myself. When one is eulogized, especially right at his face, he might believe it and become negligent (of the truth), and this may lead to a catastrophe. I hope that all the gentlemen will pay heed to this point that while it was a sublime and sacred movement, the likes of which we can never find and one with very few casualties but which reaped great results, and in a matter of a few hours, uprooted this sinister regime, we should not grow arrogant. Arrogance can cause defeat. We must all be slaves (of God) and know that everything is from God.

At the time, I was witnessing that this movement had become public and had engulfed all the strata of the nation to such an extent that a child with a pacifier in its mouth would take it out and shout slogans. This was not confined to just one stratum of people but had engulfed all strata and had exceeded all bounds. I was becoming hopeful about the fact that it was not an issue of whether human beings were able to achieve something, it was not a question of being accomplished by leadership, or that the people were able to do so; rather it was an issue of a divine nature. It was the will of the Exalted and Blessed God that things turned out this way that all strata of the nation found unity of expression and pursued one goal: a unified goal and slogan. I became hopeful.

At the time when I was undergoing hardships and was being assailed and threatened from all sides; from America and Iran, and they wanted to obstruct me from returning to Iran, they concocted that plot. But thanks God, their plot was thwarted. At that time if I had not become certain I would have supposed that the situation was somehow extraordinary, and it was so. Thus, all these threats and explanations made by Iran through the French government and America through various means strengthened the thought in my mind that they were hatching plots. They had developed this great fear in their hearts regarding my going back to Iran and wanted to delay it. (They were saying)" It is still premature; don't go!" They rather gave me a pat on the back as if foreseeing the expediency (for me not to go) But I realized that the enemies did not care for our interests; it was their own interests they were concerned about! When I understood this, I decided that I would no longer demur about going and I would have to go back (to Iran). Our colleagues and friends were also saying that the time for my return was not ripe, but even these words of insistence made me realize that it was not a premature (move); I had to go then! They were scheming to pool all their forces and a conspiracy was brewing. And here, too, when I arrived, some of the gentlemen were wishing I had not come, saying it was a bit too soon and that I should have delayed it a bit more. But I was of the belief that it was not soon and it was not. Had we given them time and had I postponed my return; had we put off our return until now, they would have carried out their activities and executed their plots. They would have never allowed us to do anything until the end (of the struggle). Perhaps, they would not have let us reach up to this stage. But based on what they were doing and saying, I became certain that they were up to something. My colleagues and companions would tell me it would have been better if I had delayed my return, but I said I could not delay it because these were enemies who were telling us not to go. If they had not said such things, it would have been a different matter. But these were our enemies who were telling me not to go; that it was premature to do so. It was early for them, but they were saying that it was premature of us to go. Because of all this, I came.

Thanks God, up to now we have made such outstanding progress that this movement has been singled out as a paragon among all other movements that have taken place throughout the course of history. It was a movement, in which all strata of people took part. I do not think that such a movement wherein a small boy would raise the same slogan as that of the old and young has ever materialized in the history of movements. There has never been such a movement that has advanced its cause with bare hands against an awesome power backed by superpowers. This, too, is a divine mystery. We should not become arrogant as if we did it. This (victory) was achieved through God's sacred will.

Now we should buttress our ranks further. One class of people cannot repair all this destruction. We should move ahead all together! God forbid lethargy should not overtake us; the movement must not slacken, as the enemies are lurking and have not given up. There is oil and other resources in this country; there are many underground reserves. They will not forego all this (that easily). There are borders here, which have strategic significance for them. They will not give up this soon. But our nation should be vigilant. Our nation should not think that the issue is finished. The gentlemen (here) should not think that the issue is over and that we should shelve it. The matter is vital and, from now on, we should all be together.

Our publicity campaigns should be stronger than before. People from all walks of life and their ranks should be closer to one another; we should close ranks and lessen difference. I am sorry to hear that there is discord in some cities. What is the discord about? Why should differences arise? Those who sow seeds of discord obviously do not have an appreciation of Islam. This discord means the defeat of Islam!

If we differ with each other, Islam will be defeated. If people feel that there are differences among the clergy over material things, the material basis that Satan sows, or, if the people notice that the clergy and theology students differ due to their selfish whims, they will turn their backs on you. In religion there is no disparity; we share one religion and one Qur'an. If the people do turn their backs on you, it will cause defeat and your defeat is Islam's defeat. Your responsibility is a heavy one, Sir! You should invite people through your actions and morals.

You are the people's guide. You should be their beacon; you should be their light. Purify yourselves. Purge your selves of the love for this world, which is the axis of sins; all sins spring from the love of this world, from the love of fame; exorcise all these desires from your heart; kill this desire. Be alive in an Islamic way of life; a divine course of life. Be a man of God; be united and make your ranks one.

The enemies are lying in wait for you and the nation. Now, they have understood that the unity that emerged in Iran caused their defeat. They are intending to intensify their plots because they have understood the unity among us. They have tasted the torture it brings! Now, they intend to disperse, divide and segregate and separate you from the other segments of the society; separate universities from Islamic universities- the university of the traditional sciences- and separate the modern generation and the intellectuals from you. This conspiracy has been carried out for the last 200-300 years and was designed to keep Iran fragmented in order to advance (their goals) Study what has been written about this matter. Iran cannot be destroyed unless factions are destroyed; it cannot be vanquished unless you are divided.

The clergy should all be together; they are the army of Imam of the Time. If, God forbid, a rift grows within your ranks, it is from Satan and out of selfish desires. And, if this rift is created, it will creep into the ranks of the nation and if this happens, those lurking will attack and uproot you. If they (enemies) predominate this time, not a single clergyman, intellectual, the enlightened people, the new generation or the old one will remain. They have understood it was through this unity that we went ahead and defeated the colonialists. But this defeat is only the beginning. If any rift creeps in, the Exalted and Blessed God will be displeased with you and the clergy. The clergy is the fountainhead of all affairs. If a rift is created then" a corrupt `Alim will putrefy the world" and make it stink; the stench of this `Alim will make the denizens of hell seek refuge in its flames. This stench emanates from the love of this world, of position and the desire to rule. Abstain from such things.

You, who are young, should edify yourselves because when you grow older and weaker, you cannot do so. Now your strength is great and the Satan in you is weak. When you become older, your strength will wane and the Satan in you will be stronger. At that time, you cannot do anything and you will be defeated. You have to purify yourselves now. Theology schools should edify themselves. In the process of edification, pursue whatever field of learning you want to. We have the necessary jurisprudential principles. If the jurisprudents are destroyed, Islam will be destroyed. We need jurisprudents and should pursue jurisprudence. While doing so, you should be as the Imams (`a) had been, as Hadrat Amir- may God's peace be upon him- had been; who while praying as he used to in that manner, while worshipping in that manner, held his sword in that manner; who, while pursuing knowledge and monotheism, held the Nahj al-Balaghah for us. Who, while warring and wielding his sword, while being pious, powerful and strong, was also a warrior. All these traits should be combined  (in you).

Islam has everything. The worst thing that foreign powers had done was to inculcate the idea that Islam concerned nothing but acts of worship as it is now in the Christian religion that they had transformed, thus becoming a metamorphosed creed. Christ's call could not have been limited to mere acts of worship and let the tyrants do as they wished! This could not have been so; the prophets could not have been so. These (religions) have undergone a metamorphosis. They had distorted Islam in our views and those of the ignorant people. They presented Islam in another form. These were stratagems they achieved through conspiracies and we believed that the clergy had nothing to do with politics! These were the colonialists' words:" The clergy do not have anything to do with politics." While we read in Sasat al-`Ibad «3» in the Prayers for Congregation, that the Imam was involved in politics. So, how come when it comes to the clergy, they are not? Hadrat Amir ran a whole country; he was a politician of a country and now they are saying politics is no business of the clergy. This was an idea inculcated in the clergy's mind by the colonialists in order to separate them from the government and the nation. And the clergy believed it! The clergy would even argue with us saying what business was it of ours to get involved in politics and branded us" the political clergy"! And this (controversy) pushed us backward. The clergy is a paragon of Islam.

Islam has everything. The Qur'an is everything. It is a book that makes the righteous man; it builds the human being. The Qur'an has everything such as politics, jurisprudence, philosophy, etc. The human being is everything and the Qur'an should meet all his needs. Man is a wonder that is a microcosm, and the Qur'an is a wonder that administers human affairs in all the walks of life. While it creates a jurisprudent, a sage or a philosopher, it also creates swordsmen and warriors. The jurisprudent should also be a warrior and a swordsman, but at the same time should not lose his jurisprudential knowledge.

Let it not be that you tell yourselves because it is the era of the movement, you should abandon education! This is wrong. Knowledge is everything. It encompasses all aspects. Hadrat Amir would wield his sword to seek knowledge, establish monotheism, and understand religious jurisprudence. Do not think that because we have entered politics, we should forgo educational issues. You, the youth, should establish jurisprudence; you should establish the science of jurisprudential understanding within yourselves. You should be a jurisprudent; it is a jurisprudent that can make things happen. But you should be an edified jurist, an edified student, an edified human being and an edified nation of religion. Everybody should edify himself and wage a holy war against the self and you (the `ulama' and theology students) should be in the vanguard. You, who are the army of God, should carry out God's commands. To be the army of God means carrying out God's commands in the same way that a soldier carries out his brigadier's command or in his general's command. You are God's army and should obey His commandments. If you transgress His orders, then you are not of His army. Whatever group there is, is either of God's army or Satan's army. If your thoughts are directed toward this world, you are of Satan's army; if it is the truth of the Exalted God you are seeking, and then you are of the army of God.

This is what the» il-Allah is. The monarch is the» il-Allah (that is, the shadow of God) If he digresses from the (right) path, he becomes the shadow of Satan. The» il is a shadow; everything it has emanates from the object that casts it; it has nothing of its own. The» il of God is one whose every move is in obeisance to God's commands just like a shadow, which is nothing by itself. The shadow of the» il of God is devoid of any movement of its own. Its movement depends on whatever moves the object makes; whatever moves the object makes, the shadow follows suit. The Commander of the Faithful was a» il-Allah; the great Prophet was a» il-Allah, who did not have any movement of his own. Whatever there is, it is from God. These (the enemies) are the» il-Shaytan (shadow of Satan)! These kings who would say they were» il-Allah were actually» il-Shaytan. The» il-Allah is our criterion to determine whether a king is a righteous one or not. It is our criterion to understand whether a king is a true one or a false one. If he acts according to his own will, he is unrighteous; if he acts according to God's commands, he is a» il-Allah; otherwise he is the shadow of Satan.

The army of God, which you have chosen for yourselves or, has been chosen for you, is the same way. If God commands you to sit down, you sit down; if He tells you to rise, then you rise. If you abide by God's command, you are of the army of God. However, if God commands you to do something and you transgress, this transgression emanates from Satan and the extent to which you have transgressed is the extent to which you lose. One day he sees that none of those men's actions had been for God; that is, all of his deeds had been for Satan: a human being in appearance but a Satan in reality. And when he goes to that place (i.e., hell) he will appear in the likeness of Satan.

Gentlemen, endeavor in the path of self-edification, in strengthening the Islamic laws and ordinances and in strengthening and expanding Islamic jurisprudence; our jurisprudence is rich. There is nothing like your jurisprudence in the world. Make this rich jurisprudence flourishes. But while you are a jurisprudent, do not sever your political wing. Contemplate, get involved and intervene in the affairs. We cannot say," I am a jurisprudent and so, I have nothing to do with other issues." You are a jurisprudent but you must be involved in issues, you must be involved with people's destinies. You are the sentinels of Islam and you must be on guard. May God grant all of you success. May God keep us under your protection.

May God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.