Speech [Mission and duties of clerics]

I congratulate this great festivity and dear day to the gentlemen, the nation, Islamic peoples and oppressed peoples of the world. I hope a day will come when God's sanctioned promise is fulfilled and the oppressed people would gain control over the land. This idea is God's promise and inviolable. «1» As to whether we appreciate or not, it depends on God. It is possible that in a short period of time we are honored to meet him. «2» This is what we are bound to do at this age. This is important. We all expect his holy presence, but it will not be possible by mere expectation. The notion of expectation maintained by many is not correct. We should observe our duty in our religious and divinely deeds and not fear anything hampering this fulfillment. One who is engaged in performing duty for God's gratification should not expect all would accept. No act is accepted by all. The mission of prophets was not also accepted by all. Yet, prophets fulfilled their duty. They did not fail in the duty devolved upon them although most people did not listen to them. We also fulfill what is our duty and we should do so although many might be dissatisfied with this act or many might work sabotage.

The clerics constitute the main section with greater burden of responsibility. Today, thank God, respected `ulama' from many of the cities and respected preachers and other layers of the men of letters have come together here. They have formed a brilliant assembly in which we should deliver a speech that is useful for Islamic society and for Muslims although we have highlighted them time and again. Perhaps, the clerics carry greater responsibilities than other layers of society, because anyone closer to Islam is more responsible. Prophets bore greatest of responsibilities. While they were of greatest responsibility, they fulfilled the duty they had without making any negligence. The `ulama' in every district are more responsible than other classes. The latter cannot produce any excuse. Many people might have plausible excuses; they might excuse their ignorance and inability to do anything. The clerics today in Iran have no excuse, because they know the path and are able to work. If, God forbid, people are found among the clerics acting in contrast, this signifies that they are either opposed to the pillars of Islam or fail to understand the Islamic stand in the present state of affairs.

There is a group of people who argue that the situation was better than today in time of the former regime. Maybe they hold that it would be better to have all those liquor bars scattered across the country than having the Islamic Republic! They prefer the centers of corruption and fornication across the country to Islamic Republic! This is not interpreted unless by taking it as they are unaware of the questions or well know that this is not the case but make such statements. These are a minority whom the people should not listen to. The overwhelming majority of the clerics and men of letters are committed to the Islamic Republic and understand what the Islamic Republic has done in Iran. They understand why to make comparison between the present situation and that in time of the Shah, yet they are obliged to push forward this program and take longer steps. Such a thing cannot be made unless with some ulterior motives. What made you victorious and removed the former regime and replaced it by an Islamic regime was unity. At that time there was no wrong, because all knew that the regime is bad. Almost all had suffered and taken pain from it. If in post-victory period certain elements want to do sabotage and create rift among you, know that there is something behind their act and has been extended from the US, reaching here. You should be wakeful and vigilant. We should not take the enemy inferior and weak. We should be cautious and wakeful, as these enemies are engaged to undermine either Islam or the Islamic Republic. They have mounted their activities recently. You should preserve your unity. The clerics should preserve their clerical amity.

Islamic fraternity should prevail among all classes, but the clergy have a greater responsibility. If a clergy acts in a perverted manner, people would say the clerics are like this. They do not say so and so clergy is crooked. If a grocer shortchanges, people would say that particular clergy has shortchanged; they do not say the grocers are shortchanger. Such is the propaganda that has been made. If a clergy, God forbid, commits an offence, people would say the clergy at large are so and so. The responsibility is so great today that if a clergy acts in a perverted manner, people would put it down to the clerics' account and not that the crooked clergy. This is defeat of the clergy in Islam. This differs from the one that if commits a wrong, people would say this particular man has committed a wrong; they would not attribute this wrong to other members of the group. As such, any wrong committed by you and us, it is not simply a personal responsibility; it is a human, social, guild responsibility as well. Since this wrong is put down to the account of all; therefore, you should not consider yourself an ordinary man. Even a student of theology at school should not think" Well! I am like other people, an ordinary student and if I commit a wrong, it will be put down to my own account." Even if the students, who study at theology school, commit a wrong, it will not be put down to their account; it will be put down to others' account as well. It is a great responsibility that cannot be fulfilled, unless one purifies his self and unifies one's ranks with all friends and layers of people. Among the clerics, Friday prayer leader are more responsible than others. The Friday prayer leaders are now having more dealing with people than other clerics. Friday prayer leaders should be careful and if God forbid somewhere something broke out, they resolve it with their clerical and fatherly compassion. If God forbid one would exercise influence because one is Friday prayer leader, this will not be put down to his own account; it will be put down to the account of the clergy and Islam. Therefore, their duty is heavy and they should be greatly considerate.

Lust for power in anyone causes one to be overthrown. Lust for power in anyone originates in Satan. Anyone ranging from the US president to a theology student or a Friday prayer leader in a city wielding power is doomed to destruction. If one is entangled in lust for power and in rhetoric that one should be so and so, this stems from Satan. Satan has injected the idea from the beginning. Satan can beguile us from different sources, by tempting that you are so and so and other so and so. There is no different between one who is apparently a power in the world and still seeks power and the austere secluded in a monastery from this aspect. If both say I am so. The pious man says I am pious and the other says I am powerful. Both are from Satan. The corruption of this is greater than that. Selfishness always causes one to be entangled in corruption. All the corruption found in the world stem from selfishness, from love of the self, love of power, love of wealth and the like. All these concepts have their root in love of the self. This idol is the biggest of all. It is also most difficult to break it. Struggle to break it altogether. You can, God willing. If you cannot break all its aspects, you can at least initiate breaking the hands and feet of such an idol. If you let it go, it will ruin you. It will not let go of us if we commit a sin and it leaves it and do another thing and it leaves us to a greater extent. It advances step by step until it strips one's religion. This is something natural. It is the job of Satan, both inner Satan and the evil forces who are dependent the Satan.

Friday prayer leader, congregational prayer leaders and respected clerics should note the fact that they are the father of the nation. They should treat people in a fatherly manner. They should treat each other like brother. They should sit together in each city every week and exchange views. If some misunderstanding has erupted, they should settle it among themselves, never discussing it at the sermons of Friday prayer. Whether they find a wrong in a governor, a ruler, a ministry and so person or official, the sermons of Friday prayer is a venue for inviting people to the right, taqwa or piety and the interests of Muslims. Discussing such petty things is beyond the dignity of Friday prayer leaders. Keep away from so doing.

One of the important things to note is that the clerics should live a simple life. That which has preserved and helped the clerics to go forward is their simple way of life. Those who were source of great works have lived a simple life. Those who were permissible among people who listened to them have lived a simple life. Perhaps the gentlemen might remember that in the early days when we entered Qum where lived those prominent `ulama' (distinguished religious scholars), the first man of Qum in terms of piety was the late Shaykh `Abul-Qasim Qummi, «3» the late Shaykh Mahdi «4» and others.

The influential and most pious one of them was the late Mirza Sayyid Muhammad Burqi`i «5» and the late Mirza Muhammad Arbab. «6» I visited the houses of all of them. The one who controlled the superficial chairmanship of the people as well as their spiritual control were similar in way of life. The late Shaykh `Abul-Qasim, I do not imagine any theology student like him. His life was like other theology students, if not less than them. The late Mirza Muhammad Arbab whose house I have repeatedly visited had a house with two or three simple rooms. The late Shaykh Mahdi was the same. So were the others. When one entered the environment and met them, mere meeting them was a lesson for one. Their way of living was a lesson for one. The extent you take step towards improving your house, to that same extent you will lose their spirituality and value. Man's value is not dependent on house, garden, car, etc. If man's value lied in these things, prophets should have done the same. You have studied the life style of prophets. Man's value does not revolve around his pomp and pageantry, having so and so car and having frequent visitors. The value of the clerics does not hinge on setting up an office with staffs. Think out to discover the value of man. Do not lose the value of the clerics. If you are in search of science and knowledge you will not go after luxury, as this will decrease your sublimity. Those who have written these valuable voluminous books, they have lived a life of theology student like Shaykh Ansari and the like of him. They managed to preserve Islam in all its aspects, advance fiqh and promote religious principles and secondary laws, presenting those valuable books to people. It was because they did not see value in having a house of this or that size with three rooms or four rooms less or more. Do you think if you have 10 rooms, it would be sufficient for you? Nay! If the entire world is given to somebody, it will not be sufficient. He would say: We should capture some other planets. This is man's nature. Man's nature is God seeking.

This nature urges man to get whatever wishes but still cannot find one's lost thing. That lost thing is something else. Therefore, one who seeks power wants absolute power. But absolute power is God. One who seeks knowledge wants absolute knowledge. But absolute knowledge is God. Whoever seeks whatever perfection or whatever wants the absolute perfect. All seek Godvwithout them knowing. The afflictions befallen us are due to the veils within us. One who has torn up the veils appreciates the values; one has reached where one will understand.

Have you read the" Sha`baniyah" supplications? Read it gentlemen! The Sha`baniyah supplications are among the prayers that if one reads and contemplates in it, one will reach somewhere. The one who has composed it and all Immaculate Imams according to narrations used to read them were those delivered from everything. Nevertheless, they supplicated that way, because they were not selfish. Whatever they were they were not selfish, bragging that" I am Imam Sadiq". Never! Imam Sadiq supplicated like one who is drowned in sin, because he sees he is nothing and whatever exists is imperfection and whatever exists is from Him. Whatever perfection exists lies in Him, while he has nothing by himself. They have nothing. Prophets also did not have anything. All are nothing. Only He is the real Entity. All are in quest of Him. All primordial natures seek Him. However, since we are veiled, we do not understand that we are in quest of Him. Those who understand will be delivered and seek Him. The separating perfection they sought, the perfection of separation is the same, being separate from all things." Lo! We offered the trust unto the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Lo! he hath proved a tyrant and a fool." «7» Some exegetists argue that this is the greatest description God has made of man. By" tyrant" is meant that man has shattered all idols and broken everything and by" fool" is meant that man's is not attentive to anything and is neglectful of everything. We cannot be like this. We cannot also bear the trust. However, we can be in the way. You gentlemen, who want to invite people to the Hereafter, call them to so and so attributes, you should take the first step so that your invitation would be right. Foregoing this, the invitation is right but the one inviting is Satan. One invites by tongue of Satan. One who teaches monotheism is like this. If selfishness prevails in him, language will become the language of Satan. One will teach monotheism by the tongue of Satan. You gentlemen who want to go in other places to educate people should note lest you should invite them while you are polluted.

We are today suffering from the powers of the world. In no time Iran has been so afflicted, because Iran was like a milk giving cow letting its udder to be milked. This has been the peace! The peace in the former regime was this kind of peace. A milk giving cow allowing others to milk her without any objection! When Iran delivers all its resources to others, why not protecting it? Why not keeping it calmly? There is peace, but what type of peace. The peace an animal has in the face of a man. This is not the case today. This man wants today regain his human values. All are now opposed to him. East is opposed to him, the West is opposed to him and the region is opposed to him. Domestically, those who are inattentive or have grudge are also opposed to him. You should advance your path, preserve your unity and adopt yourself with the society and people. I mean that you should guide them and keep them. It is this nation that liberated you from those bonds. Today, there is no bond by any country on your neck. You have no commitment to others.

Today, a country that is non-associated is Iran. You will not find another country to be non-committed in the real sense of the word. This is because of the slum-dwellers, the deprived masses of people. The one who offered so many youth was this deprived layer. Let them count. How many of the well-to-do people and those who are now sitting and speaking ill against the Islamic Republic have been present in warfronts? How many martyrs have they offered? If you could find one! It is possible that one who has been separated from them has been present. One might have been separated from his affluent house and converted to Hizbullah and joined the battle fields. But this case is rare. Whatever martyrs you see belong to this deprived layer. Deprived is not meant that one should be slum-dweller. The bazaar people are deprived, the workers are deprived, farmers are deprived and all these layers deprived and all constitute the bulk of martyr-nurturing people. One who is now serving in battle fields belongs to this layer. One who is now taking trouble to preserve his country and Islam belongs to this layer. They are our master; we are indebted to them. Treat them in perfect humbleness.

Today, Iran is afflicted more than at any other time. That is to say, all are opposed to it. Propaganda has been launched across the world to undermine Islam. Make peace! This is against human order, against Islamic order, against prophets' missions to make peace with a perverted man who is spreading corruption everyday everywhere. Naturally, he is corrupt and opposed to all things brought by prophets. This is against the Qur'an, against intellect and against Islam and human values. Are those who are coming from across Iran to meet in Tehran winding them in grave clothes and calling for war not from this nation? Is the nation one who says we should make peace? Which nation says we should make peace? Are they other than the affluent ones whose means of pleasure and entertainment are not available or those who are not attentive to term optimistically.

Therefore, today when all are opposed to us, we should tighten our ranks. I do not say we are not united today. Listen to the early night news broadcast. You will see them saying this. Well! Who has said that people are opposed to one another? It became clear that there was something behind the rumors. Right! They air such things. While I advice you to be with each other, I insist to be more united. I say to keep this unity. Today, all are opposed to us. We should preserve ourselves and our unity. Whatever sabotage they work, we should make our unity stronger. Whatever they make propaganda, we should enhance our unity. They all make propaganda to create discord. Their agents have begun everywhere to create discord in Iran. They are not afraid of other than Iran; they do not propagate against other than Iran. You observed that in England several months of strike was in progress. But there was no talk of it. It is because it is England. It is strike anyhow. If four people run a strike somewhere in Iran, this will be aired in the seven days of the week, announcing that Iran is in strike! A strike has broken out! Several people have launched a strike! They do not say several people. They say factories have stopped work. All their delight was the Labor Day. I was alert. They imagined that in the Labor Day, the workers would support them. But the day came and went by and our dear workers were at the scene more than in former times and cried that they wanted to serve. They are not serving me and if I grow bad they would not serve. They are working for God and for their country where others supplied every need. Now, they are engaged in improvement of the country. They are working and struggling to reconstruct everything. They can do it. When all work for one purpose, and that a divinely one and not for worldly purpose which one might abandon after attainment, we feel responsible. The destination is divinely; there is talk of God and resurrection. We are then responsible. A divinely purpose cannot be disrupted by such things. Let us suppose four people sat somewhere and schemed to tell something, but people would respond in this manner. The story is not like this. We had better be awakened. May God awaken all!

I hope that in this holy month of Ramadan when is the month of God, all of you will be successful in praying for Islam. Your main prayer should be for Islam, Islamic Republic and its perpetuation. The services rendered by Islamic Republic to Islam in the past four or five years, no one has offered in the course of history excluding prophets. The amount of service offered by the Islamic Republic is more than clear. Every one observing and everyone being opposed to this statement may come and present the detailed account. The time of Qajar when was the calmest of all, compare that time with the present. Time of the Pahlavi all know. It is unfair for one to say today the situation is worse than those times. To make this statement is the utmost ignorance and grudge and one who is recalcitrant does not know what is doing. It has been narrated that a group of people of hell who were in fire suddenly observed things have been calmed. Narrations quote them as asking what happened. They were told that the Prophet was crossing and said close the doors so we would not see. One who is from people of hell is like this. Close the doors. Despite the fact that things have been calm and punishment has been lifted, they are ready to experience punishment yet the Prophet would not be there! They are ready corruption exist but the Islamic Republic not! They are ready those open corruptions in the streets to prevail but the Islamic Republic would not be there! This is a pain the cure of which is with Israel «8» (May God's peace be upon him).

May God cure all these pains! I hope that all of us would be successful in acting for God's gratification. May God protect this Islam and the Islamic Republic and make us successful to meet the blessed face of the Imam of the Age (May God's peace be upon him).

May God's peace and blessing be upon you!