Speech [The danger of giving free rein to the self and the need to control it]

I wish to say a few words to the ladies and gentlemen in connection with the substance of the noble verse that was recited by that sister. God, the Blessed and Exalted, states that He has done the people a favor by sending the Prophet to recite this verse to them:" And to teach them the Scripture and Wisdom." «1» He states that" purification" takes priority over knowledge and" wisdom". Every bit of the noble verses of the Qur'an has meaningful points. It is not that they are purposeless like a writer who may not have observed the order of priority of the words. Reciting the noble verse is the same as that" mission." That is, the Apostle had come to recite the Qur'anic verses to the people. Recitation for what? To recite and purify the people, to refine their selves and edify them.

There are two aspects to a human being: the spiritual and the external. The external aspect is what you see; it is the world that you observe, the materialism that is evident. The spiritual aspect is one that transcends this world; it is within the human being. But the human being is the totality of the whole world; as if God, the Blessed and Exalted, has created two manifestations: one being the whole world and the other the small one that is, man is the essence of all the world's created things. In other words, there is everything in a human being. God, the Blessed and Exalted has given His attention to man and has favored him. He has placed human beings under His obligation by sending messengers to nurture that spiritual aspect- which is most important and the object of all attention- and to edify and refine the people, to educate and give wisdom, to teach them the Scripture and to enable them to control the material aspects that go beyond bounds. Those people who are materialists devote their individual attention to material matters. The prophets came in order to so train human beings as to bring this materialism, these material entities, of which man also is, a manifestation and the essence, under the control of spirituality.

The principle issue is spirituality. The crux of the matter is that no teaching and training in the world, and none of the regimes that are there in the world pay heed to the spiritual aspect of human beings. The notion that the difference between a humane, Islamic government and the other ones is that there is justice in the former is correct. But this is not the only difference. There are differences. One of these concerns social justice. None of the world's regimes have paid attention to the spirituality of human beings with the exception of that monotheist regime of the prophets. The other ones had never thought of promoting spirituality. All of them sought to benefit from the material aspect and to set up a materialistic system in the world. The prophets came mainly for the edification of man's self, to train him, to teach the Scripture and give him wisdom. They came to control this nature of his. Man had wanted everything before he was taught by the prophets to control his nature by reforming himself. Though man is one of the world's creatures and an animal, he is nevertheless an animal that is capable of being trained. None of the powers that are there in a human being are limited. His passion is not limited. Though he has a system like all the other animals, yet he is worse than all of them. His wrath is not limited to expressing it in one case and not in another; it has no bounds. His control over other countries and groups is not limited to dominating them by means of some order; it has no bounds. Man's passion is, likewise, not limited; it has no limits. There is no difference between people. If one becomes furious, there are no limits within which his fury can be confined. It is absolute; it is limitless unless brought under control; unless the people- who ought to control it- are able to tame this emotion. The prophets came in order to control these boundless potentials of man by imparting divine teachings and training to him and by edifying his inner self.

What I have mentioned by way of introduction is because of the great danger we are now facing and which is even greater than that of the former regime. It is the danger of losing self-restraint. Now that the people see themselves liberated and the wall of dictatorship pulled down, now that they have come out of the prison of 35 million people, there is the danger of their overstepping the bounds and doing whatever they like. That is, contrary to the teachings which the prophets have brought from the early days of humanity until now in order to tame these instincts, these powers and passions of man, and with success that God, the Blessed and Exalted, has now given us and our nation- that was successful in overcoming the taghout by its faith and efforts- it might now become unruly.

This is a grave danger that undoes the teachings of the prophets, the endeavors of the Noble Apostle and the prestige of Islam. The prestige of Islam now depends on the deeds of the people of Iran. The whole world is now watching you to see what you are going to do. What are you going to do now that you are free and no longer suppressed? Have you lost your self-restraint? Is there no limit in your actions? Are there no bounds to your actions? You are Islamic guards, you are armed, you possess power and strength. Do you enter people's houses and take away their possessions? Do you violate people's honor? Or it is not so. The training is Islamic; it has bounds and limits. There are limits in Islam. In case one has enmity with someone else- which should not be so according to Islam- or one has killed somebody's son, Islam has given (the victim's family) the right of retaliation. They have no other right. That is, if one kills a person's son or sons, or his entire family, Islam calls for retaliation in kind of killing the murderer. There is no right other than this. One has no right at all to use even a single expletive against him or give even a single slap in his face.

Now that the people have acquired power and have become powerful vis-a-vis all the powers- the policemen have power, the Islamic guards have power- are they using their power in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah and teachings of the Noble Apostle or are they allowing anything that turns up to happen? At this time that a person has power, he is using it wherever he can. He is unconcerned about the rightfulness and justice of his actions. He just wants to exercise his power. It is the same lack of self-restraint that animals have. Animals lack self-restraint. Their actions know no norms. Human beings who have been taught by the prophets limit their actions to a definite extent. They want these to be based on principles and to have bounds and limits. Now that Iran has become the focus of the world's attention with all the learned people studying the condition of the country and the nation, are the people now doing anything to maintain Islam's prestige? We say" Islamic Republic"- but do we believe in it? Or did we just say" Islamic Republic" and then did whatever we wanted to do? Do the usurers, having faith in the Islamic Republic, still engage in their activities?

Do these people into whose hands the power that was taken away from the oppressors has now fallen, and as a result of which they have become powerful, believe in Islam? If they do believe in the Islamic Republic, the Islamic government should be like that of `Ali ibn Abi Talib (`a). The people living under the government should all be Islamic. They must be subject to Islamic laws. Nothing should be done to portray the people as a bunch of savages who did worse things on becoming free!

My brothers! My sisters! Islam's honor today depends on our actions; on your actions. Islam's honor today depends on the deeds of the clergymen- the clergymen who are the teachers of human beings, who are in the place of the prophets and are acting on their behalf. Islam's honor today; Islam's honor in Iran depends on everybody, especially the clergy. If a mistake is committed by this group, if any blunder is made by them, the blame will be laid on Islam. You must know that the responsibility is great. All the clergy is responsible, all of you are responsible, but the clergy is responsible to a greater extent. At no time should anything (contrary) be done by this group lest it be said- just as it is being said, and the spiteful ones have said and are saying- that the people have been rid of the dictatorship of Rida Khan only to be placed under that of the preachers. A preacher is not a dictator and neither is a dictator, a preacher. If, God forbid, the Noble Apostle and the Commander of the Faithful (`a) had been dictators, the preachers would have also been dictators. But they were not. They never used their power in a way that was contrary to its purpose. They were such people that when Hadrat Amir- according to a narration- defeated an enemy, «2»- and this enemy spat in the face of the Commander of the Faithful, he left his adversary without killing him. He paused a bit and killed him afterward. When asked why, he replied that he was afraid that it might not have been in the way of God; it might have been because of his having been insulted insult to a person for which killing the one who had been insolent is obligatory. Whoever insults the Apostle of God or the Imams of Guidance deserve to be killed. While in this case he, himself, was involved and possessed a certain right, he, nevertheless, wanted to remain immaculate and so- as he said- he hesitated lest some inconsistency arose in his attention.

The distinguished `ulama' have a great responsibility as their profession is the most noble of all the professions. It is the profession of the prophets and the responsibility that it carries is that of the prophets. Everybody is responsible; it is the responsibility of everyone of us to behave correctly. You are all responsible. Everybody should observe the limits and give due consideration to the matters that merit our consideration. We should all be the servants of God. We should obey His commands and do whatever He has commanded us to do The honor of Islam now depends on the actions of you gentlemen, the brothers, sisters and, more than anybody else, on the `ulama' as they are at the head (of the affairs). If, God forbid, a blunder occurs at the top, it will affect everything. The `ulama' are at the head of all. If some blunder occurs there, the people will attribute it to the prophets and say that such is their teaching. The enemies, at least, will say that Islam has been like this.

The enemies now want to do something to discredit this movement; this Islamic movement. Defeat is not important; getting disgraced is. It is not important that we suffer an honorable defeat. Even prophets suffer defeats. If, God forbid, our campaign fails honorably, its honor is secure and will be so in history. If we are defeated (it is not a disgrace), Hadrat Amir was also `defeated' by Mu`awiyah. But if we suffer a spiritual defeat, if Islam, that we have now gained and is a trust in our hands, is betrayed and if, God forbid, we exceed our bounds, this movement will then be discredited. And the people in foreign countries will say that this is what Islam is! They will attribute it to Islam. They are not aware that this is not Islam.

If we commit a mistake, we are at fault and not Islam. You, they, the `ulama', the community leaders and the intellectuals should not do anything to discredit Islam and dishonor the school. It does not matter if we are destroyed; it does not matter even if the movement is destroyed. But if, God forbid, our school- the school of monotheism, the school of Islam, the school of God- is destroyed; if we do something by which this school becomes tarnished or some lapse occurs, it will not be a minor one as it will be said in the world that when the matters fell into the hands of the people themselves; in the hands of the guards of Islam they said," We are the guards of Islam". When the affairs fell into the hands of the `ulama' of Islam, they said," We are the `ulama' of Islam". The issues, nowadays, are important ones. Islam today, is in our hands; we must see what we are going to do about it. The Qur'an, today, is in our hands; we must see what we are going to do about it. Will we do something (wrong) for them to say that this is Islam?! It (wrongdoing) will be attributed to Islam. Brothers! Carry out your guard duties properly. You must be the guards of Islam and the Qur'an. Protect Islam. It was just yesterday that I was informed of an Islamic guard having killed somebody for no reason in Qum! He will be killed; he will be punished. You have the right to punish him. He will be handed over to you (the victim's family) and will be killed. I have already ordered that he be killed whoever has power must not do whatever he likes. There are principles; it has a criterion. Killing a Muslim has a basis. Is it for nothing?! Killing a human being has a basis. Nobody should be killed without any reason.

I hope that God will awaken us and make us watchful. May He give us faith. May He give you prosperity. May He make my brothers and sisters, wherever they are, prosperous. May God, the Blessed and Exalted, enable us carry out this responsibility that lies on our shoulders. May God protect all of you.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you.