In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
"And a proclamation from Allah and His messenger to all men on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage that Allah is free from obligation to the idolaters, and (so is) His messenger." «1»
All praise is due to the Sacred Essence Who through His special favors and sending of revelations to eminent prophets, from Adam, the chosen one of God, to Muhammad, the beloved one of God, may peace and salutation be upon them, has taught to the human society the path and method of living, why we were created and what is the objective of creation. Perpetual benediction to the noblest prophets such as Abraham the idol-breaker, Moses the taghout-annihilator, Jesus who would be also like them had he the opportunity and Muhammad the breaker of all idols and the disavower of all polytheists and tyrants! Eternal peace to the Imams of the Muslims, the leaders of the campaigns against pseudo-Muslim tyrants and despots usurping the rights of Allah and the rights of men, and the crooked-minded black-forehead ones! Peace be upon Ibrahim, the friend of God, who rose up against the idols and idol-worshippers and who was not afraid of being alone and of the fire! Peace and benedictions be upon Muhammad, the beloved one of God who rose up singly and waged war till the last hour of his life against the oppressive infidels and who did not complain about the deficiency in number! Peace be upon the Muslims at the advent of Islam, Muslim who defeated the tyrant Byzantium and Iranian kings with poor war equipments, and who did not entertain fear due to their small number! eternal salutations to `Ali ibn Abi Talib who was not afraid of any power and fought against the sanctimonious and pseudo-Muslim headmen that were worse than the infidels. Peace be upon Husayn ibn `Ali who, along with his small number of followers, who rose up to uproot the source of oppression of the usurers of caliphate, who did not entertain in himself the idea of compromising with the oppressor due to lack of troops, who fixed Karbala' as the slaughterhouse for himself, children and few followers and who conveyed to the truth-seeker his cry of" Never will we submit to abjectness and humiliation." In the view of materialists and nationalists anything that comes from these noble divine saints is contrary to reason and law! They cannot understand uprising without enough equipments while their law does not permit the same. In their opinion, transferring from one country having government and organization to another country is against reason, nationality and religious and divine standards. In the same manner, peace with the Nimrods, Pharaohs, infidels, and tyrants, and compromise with the pseudo-Muslim oppressors and pseudo-ascetics with black-foreheads have been and are the way of reward, reason and law. With this motive in mind, compromise and submission to the world-devouring America and its surrogates is according to the dictates of reason and law and acting to the contrary is in dire contrast to reason and law. And defending the oppressed Iraqi nation, which has been suffering from the rule of despots and whose multitude of distinguished `ulama' and helpless innocents are getting martyred and whose women and children are burned and killed under the pan of tyrants while crying," We are Muslims", is against the dictate of reason and law! It is this nationalist motive and ever false idea on earth that has forgotten the interests of Muslims, confined the interests of Muslims within a particular nation, and rejected throughout history the Holy Qur'an, the traditions of the Messenger of Allah (s) and the immaculate Imams (`a) and the uninterrupted path of the noble prophets and saints (`a).
During those hard and tragic days when the criminal enemy surprisingly launched air, land and sea attacks against our country and occupied a part of it while the internal criminals, foreign powers and their agents in the country engaged in sabotage, killing and plunder, the valiant and committed nation of Iran, with a dispersed army, untrained armed forces and only trust in God, the Exalted, and the power of faith, drove out from its beloved country the enemy in defeat and wretchedness; never entertained in itself weakness, sluggishness and abjectness; embraced martyrdom; and did not give way to compromise and peace with the wounded viper. There are only a few weak-hearted or criminals, materialists and comfort-mongers who had and have no concern with the welfare of Muslims, who due to weakness and apprehension, used to talk and are talking about peace, acted intentionally or did not know that peace with these criminals at any time brings about the annihilation of the honor of Islam and the Islamic country and causes the permanent sufferings of our dear country under the clutches of the superpowers.
Now, by the blessings of God, the Exalted, and attention of the Savior (may my soul be sacrificed for him), our Islamic Republic is in the position of strength in every aspect; it has a powerful army, valiant committed IRGC, powerful armed forces and ever-ready nation; it has defeated the enemy in different dimensions. What is the meaning for us of imposed compromised and a peace which is worse than war? Who does not know that the peace offers of the enemy to let it prepare and launch another attack to avert which the Islamic Republic has to be fully prepared along one thousand kilometers of its borderlines? Who does not know that peace with this party means official and religious recognition of the Ba`ath regime that rules over a Muslim country through murder and crime? Who does not know that this affair is among the cardinal sins and the most explicit treasons against the Muslims? With the commitment it has to Islam, our beloved nation will continue the war to the extent of martyrdom and meeting Allah, which is among the greatest aspirations of the saints of God and doors of gnosis, although the ignoramuses regard it as extinction while the materialists term" meeting Allah" as annihilation.
Now, the pilgrims to the Sacred House of God are migrating from the abode of the body and the world to Allah and His Prophet who are the abode of the heart. And everything except the Real Beloved is behind them and in fact nothing except Him should have interior and exterior. They should know that the Abrahamic-Muhammadan Hajj (may God's peace be upon both of them and their progenies) has been alien and unknown for years, both spiritually and mystically and politically and socially. The dear pilgrims from all the Muslim countries have to take the House of God in all its aspects out of this alienation and its mystical and spiritual secrets from the shoulder of the mystics of other than the Beloved. Now, we are concerned with its socio-political dimension, from which, it must be said, we are still too far. We are responsible for compensating the deficiencies. This basically political congress which is convened at the invitation of Ibrahim and Muhammad (may God's peace be upon both of them and their progenies) and in which the people gather from every nook and corner of the world, is in the interests of mankind and the establishment of justice. «2» It is in continuation of the idol - breakings of Ibrahim and Muhammad and the taghout-breakings and Pharaoh-dethronement of Mousa (Moses). Which idol could surpass the Great Satan and the world-devouring idols and taghouts that call on all the downtrodden of the world to glorify and submit to them and regard all the liberal servants of God as their own slaves?
In the obligatory Hajj which is response to God and migration toward God, the Exalted, by the blessings of Ibrahim and Muhammad, it is the station of" no" to all idols, taghouts and devils- big and small. Which idol is bigger than the Great Satan, the world-devouring America and the aggressor atheist Soviet Union, and which taghout, big or small, is greater than the taghouts of our time?
In the utterance of" Here I am", say" no" to all idols and cry" no" to taghouts, big and small. In the circumambulation of the House of God, which is a sign of love to God, empty the hearts of other things and purify the soul of fear of other than God. Along with love of God, disavow the big and small idols, the taghouts and their associates as God, the Exalted. His friends are disavowing them while all the liberal of the world are inimical to them.
In touching the Black Stone, pay allegiance to God to be inimical to His enemies, His prophets, the righteous and liberal people; to refuse obeying and serving them anywhere and anyhow, to remove from your hearts fear from and abjectness to the enemies of God, as the enemies of God and at the top of them, the Great Satan are abject themselves, though they may have the upper hand in their instruments of killing, repressing and crimes.
In the sa`i between Safa and Marwa, try sincerely and ardently to discern your Beloved for, by means of discerning Him, all worldly findings will shatter, all doubts and skepticisms will be removed, all bestial fears and hopes will vanish, all materialist attachments will be torn apart, all freedoms will blossom, and all fetters and chains of Satan and taghout that have enchained the servants of God will be broken.
In an instinctive and gnostic state, rush to the Mash`ar al-Haram and `Arafat; in every station, enhance the certainty of the heart in the promises of God and the rule of the downtrodden; silently and solemnly reflect on the signs of God; think for the deliverance of the downtrodden and the deprived from the clutches of the global imperialism, and in those holy stations, ask for the ways of deliverance from God.
Then, proceed to Mina and comprehend the true aspirations there, that is, the act of sacrificing your dearest thing for the sake of the Beloved. Bear in mind that so long as these beloved ones, on top of which is the love of the self that gives rise to the love of the world, exist you will not be allowed to reach the Absolute Beloved and it is in this state that you have to pelt stone at Satan, who would flee from you. By the divine commandments, repeatedly pelt stones «3» in many cases so that all the devils, big and small, would flee away. The prerequisite to all the rituals and stations to attain the instinctive aspirations and human hopes is the gathering of all Muslims in these stages and stations, the unity of expression of all Muslim sects regardless of color, language, tribe, sect, border, and prejudices of the pre-Islamic era, and coordinated cry against the common enemy, which is the enemy of the dear Islam, which have received a blow from Islam and considers Islam as obstructing its acts of plunder and thus attempts to to remove this overt obstacle along its way through sowing discord and sedition-mongering. And their mercenary agents, on top of whom are the covetous materialist court clerics, are the elements implementing these nefarious objectives everywhere and every moment especially in the season of Hajj and divine rituals. In the stations and rituals of this act of devotion whose great objective, among others, is the gathering of Muslims from all parts of the world for the interests of the downtrodden of the world- and which interest is loftier than curtailing the grip of the world-devourers from the Islamic lands- there is a need for the Muslims to be consciously wary of the anti-Qur'anic and anti-Islamic acts of these filthy agents and dissension-mongering mullahs and to drive those who do not heed the admonition of Islam and the interests of Muslims away as they are more wicked and mean than the taghoutis.
Now, as usual I will mention some points that I deemed necessary and implore God to grant success to all in serving Islam:
1. I would like to tell the pilgrims to the Sacred House of God (may God, Exalted, assist them) to learn the acts and rituals from the esteemed clerics in the caravans carefully and never perform any act without seeking their guidance. As, God forbid, through carelessness their acts may become null and void and they may not be able redress them till the end, or they may remain in the state of ihram and in returning home you can cause trouble for themselves and their companions. This is a religious duty of which one must not be neglectful. I would like to tell the esteemed clerics that apart from clearly teaching all the Hajj-related issues in such a way that everyone can understand in the various meetings of their respective group during the time of their performance they should carefully monitor and guide them.
2. I would like to remind the honorable pilgrims that in these holy stations and throughout the journey to Mecca and Medina they should not be lax in familiarizing with the Holy Qur'an- this divine scripture and Book of guidance. It is because whatever the Muslims have had so far and will have in the future comes from the blessings of this sacred scripture. By the same token, I request all the distinguished `ulama', the children of the Qur'an and the eminent scholars not to be negligent of this sacred Book, which is" the exposition of all things" «4» and which shines forth from the station of divine union to the heart of the first light and the manifestation of the perfect union. This is a heavenly book- which is the apparent and written form of the aggregate of names, attributes, signs, and expressions, and whose unseen stations our hand falls short of reaching. Except the sacred being embodying" one who is being addressed," «5» none knows its secrets. Through the blessings of the sacred essence and by his teachings the pure noble saints have comprehended it. By the blessings of struggles and contentment of the heart, the pure people of gnosis have achieved some talents and stages in wayfaring. Now that its written form has been handed to us without any defect and omission or addition in its revealed form after descending from various stages and phases, it should not be neglected. Although its different dimensions stages and phases are inaccessible to the common people, they should benefit from it to the extent of their knowledge, and through research and use of proper expressions and simple language they can make use of this inexhaustible treasure of divine mysticism and this great revelation of Muhammad (s), and share it with others. The people of philosophy and reason should study the inherent secrets of this book, and through reference to the profound issues, they should reveal the divine philosophy and put it at the disposal of the right people. And the upright people should give as a gift to those who are thirsty for this pond a sip and drink from what the heart of the holy Prophet received from God. The pious ones thirsty of guidance presented as a gift to the lovers burnt with the guidance of Allah a spark of guidance they have acquired from the light of piety of this gushing spring of" guidance for the pious." «6» Finally, every group of the distinguished `ulama' should willingly observe every dimension of the divine dimensions of this holy book, fulfill the wish of the lovers of the Qur'an, spend time on the political, social, economic, military, cultural, and war and peace dimensions of the Qur'an so as to make clear that this Book is the fountainhead of everything including mysticism and philosophy as well as literature and politics. In doing so, the ignoramuses could not claim that mysticism and philosophy are nothing but figments of imaginations and that contentment and spiritual wayfaring are works of the wandering dervishes or that Islam has nothing to do with politics, governance and administering the country as these are the functions of rulers, presidents and secular figures or that Islam is a religion of peace and conciliation, prohibiting war and confrontation with oppressors. They want to attribute to the Qur'an things that the ignorant church and cunning politicians attributed to the religion of the revered Christ (`a).
Behold O theological seminaries and universities of the men of research! Stand up and save the Holy Qur'an from the mischief of the pseudo-ascetic ignoramuses and impious scholars who have consciously and deliberately attacked and are attacking the Qur'an and Islam. I am saying seriously, not out of usual compliments, that I feel sorry for my time spent in the path of error and ignorance. O you brave sons of Islam! Let the seminaries and universities pay attention to the stations of the Qur'an and its diverse dimensions. Consider teaching the Qur'an in any of its fields and make it your lofty aim. Because during the autumn of your life when the weakness of old age burdens you, you may regret and feel sorry for what you did during your youthful days, just as this writer does.
3. We should be aware that the reason why this eternal and timeless book was revealed for the guidance of human beings irregardless of their color, nationality and locality for all eternity is the preservation of vital and important issues both in spiritualities and administrative system and the conveyance of point that the subjects of this book are not confined to a particular time and place. It should not be assumed that the objective of Abraham, Moses and Muhammad (may peace be upon them and their progeny) is confined to a specific time. The cry of disavowal against polytheists is not restricted to a particular period. This is a permanent order that will last till the polytheists of Hijaz are overthrown. And the" uprising of mankind" «7» is not time-specific; it is an order for every time and place. Every year in this public assembly of men, it is among the important forms of worship till eternity. It is the very point why the Imams of Muslims emphatically enjoined the observance of mourning ceremony for the Chief of the Oppressed till eternity. The cry of oppression experienced by the Household of the Messenger of Allah (s) and the oppressive nature of the Umayyads (may the curse of Allah be upon them) though they had already been overthrown is the cry of the oppressed against the oppressor. This cry and protest must be kept alive. Today, its blessings are latent and obvious in Iran in the war with the Yazidis. In this public assembly and roaring human torrent, it is necessary for the pilgrims to the Sacred House of God to voice out louder the cry of bara'ah against the tyrants. Extend the hand of brotherhood and do not sacrifice the lofty interests of Islam and the oppressed Muslims before the altar of sectarianism and nationalism. Further the unity of expression with your Muslim brothers and shun the bigotry of the age of ignorance which ends up in nothing but benefit of the world-devourers and their affiliates. This is itself the help of God, the Exalted, and the promise of God, the Exalted, which will certainly apply to them. If, God forbid, they follow the agents of the world-devourers, foremost of whom are the dissension-mongering mercenary clerics, they will commit a major sin and incur the wrath of the Almighty God and remain under the yoke of the superpowers. One must seek refuge in God from such state of affairs.
4. I request the honorable pilgrims of Iran to bear in mind from which country they come and to which one they are entering. They come from the country that rose up for the sake of the dear Islam and the implementation of its luminous laws in place of the laws of taghout. Its men and women and young and old sacrificed whatever they had. The dear devoted youth characterize divine values beyond our discernment. They have now been martyred, disabled or taken captive. They constitute the nation that has earnestly offered its life, youth, wealth and property in the way of God and empathized with its beloved ones in their bereavement. They are heading toward the country where in lies the House of God, the Exalted, and the Ka`bah of aspirations of noble prophets and honorable saints, the site where revelation was sent down and Gabriel and other angels of Allah frequented. They are heading toward God so that every movement and repose they have would be divine. They are going to the slaughterhouse of the beloved Ishmael as He ordered us to offer everything in His way. They are heading toward Medina of Muhammad (s) to become Muhammad-like, to learn how to live, and to struggle in the cause of the Beloved. They are going toward the tomb of the Great Prophet (s) and the holy saints who had not paid attention for a moment to the world and its allurements. They thought of nothing except God and His commands and took no step except for His pleasure. So, be aware from where to where you are going. As such, your responsibility is so much, and your movements and gestures, in addition to being in the presence of God, the Exalted, and His Presence [hudour] and being watched by the saints and angels of Allah, are under the scrutiny of thousands of pilgrims coming from the Muslim countries and around the world and in most cases they are under the influence of the extensive mass media propaganda of the enemies of Islam and Iran who every morning till evening spend most of their time in spreading lies about Islam, Iran and the serving officials of this oppressed country, presenting the uprising people of this land contrary to the reality. Perhaps, through this propaganda many Muslim people of the world are either convinced of it or are skeptical.
The disabled war veterans, these living martyrs, and families of martyrs in the caravans should be careful of their acts. Now, it is and this heavy burden of the divine trust, Islamic duty, and your conscience and disposition will either, God willing, for the sake of the blood of the martyrs and the honor of Islam and our dear oppressed nation, make you the accomplished harbingers of truth and the practical and verbal propagators of Islam and the Islamic Republic, and in addition to the enormous rewards for visiting the House of God and the tombs of holy saints, the Noble Prophet (s) in particular, you will earn the favor of Almighty God and prayer of Imam of the Time (may our souls be sacrificed for him) and be loaded with the mercy of God, the Exalted, and rewards in this world and in the hereafter, or God forbid, they will make you the mouthpiece of Satan and disseminators of propaganda of the enemies of Islam, and thus, defaming Islam, the Islamic Republic, the watchful martyrs, and the suffering ones of your ummah, and you shall be deprived of the divine favor.
Now, you are at the juncture of eternal bliss and earning the divine pleasure and favor, on one hand, and perpetual wretchedness and deprivation, on the other. I hope that by the blessing of the miqats «8» and wuqoufs «9» and the prayer of the deprived nation, which is accompanying you, you should be at the forefront and exalt Islam, the martyrs, disabled veterans, and your nation and country, reject the enemies of Islam and the Muslims, frustrate and humiliate them, and make the friends happy. Although you know what to do and to avoid, for the performance of duty and exhausting every proof, I shall point to the most important among them:
a. You should carefully observe excellent Islamic-human manners in dealing with all the pilgrims of every class, sect, color, language or country. You should be patient and tolerant in social intercourse and dealings at all times, conditions and circumstances. You are supposed to behave with everybody generously, and to be lenient and gentle against maltreatment of others. We should also express goodwill and love in facing bad treatment. For the sake of God, you should endure every unfavorable circumstance from everyone and deal, with him with liberality and a smiling face as those holy stations and noble shrines are not the venue for altercation and dispute. Behave in such a way that it would be made clear that you have come from the country of Imam as-Sadiq (`a) and this is by itself a meritorious service to Islam and the Islamic Republic as well as the beloved country. Be aware that upon returning from the travel, you will duly feel the delight of this affair, in addition to earning the pleasure of God, the Revered Prophet (s) and Imam of the Time (may my soul be sacrificed for him) who is watching and present.
b. During the rallies, it is necessary both in terms of time and quality to follow the slogan and similar things of the concerned persons and to observe appropriately the Islamic decorum and disciplines. Never allow anybody to chant slogan by himself without any order to do so, for it is possible for the agents of the enemies of Islam and the Islamic Republic to penetrate your ranks with the aim of creating dissension and besmirching your name. They could render a blow to your dignity, nation, Islam and the school of thought. Through wrong gestures and slogans diametrically in opposition to Islamic morality. In any case, it is necessary to pay close attention to order and slogans of my representative, His Excellency Hujjat al-Islam Karroubi and other concerned authorities; you should keep aloof from others.
c. Concerning the products presented to the honorable pilgrims in Hijaz, buying those related to America as opponent of Islamic ideals and Islam is tantamount to helping the enemies of Islam, something that is a wrong propagation. They must be rejected. It is unjust that our dear youth would give their lives in the warfronts and offer sacrifices while you are helping the war criminals by buying these products, and misrepresenting Islam, the Islamic Republic and your oppressed nation through these acts. You can procure appropriate items for yourselves and your friends in Iran so that no assistance is ever rendered to the enemies of Iran and Islam. I have done my duty of conveying these points and during the visitation to God and the Messenger, it is upon you not to assist their enemies and not to be the source of humiliation of your nation and country. These are reminders which were expressed in the previous years on account of their importance and repeating the same is part of my duty.
5. It is good for the heads of Muslim countries to think about the current issues of the Muslim countries under oppression and the oppressed nations trampled upon by the foreigners and plunderers of the arch satans and other devils who are plundering the nations' enormous resources while the nations themselves are experiencing the hell of poverty and indigence; it is good for them to come to their senses and properly assess the dread and fear imposed upon them by the superpowers through their propaganda so as for the heads of Muslim countries to overlook the interests of their respective countries and other Muslims and oppressed people and to submit to the deadly humiliation. They have to conscientiously ponder and not to bring further abjectness to themselves and their respective countries. They have to study the nation and government of Iran that have already delivered themselves from the bullying acts of the two poles, and the radiance of its victory and that of the dear Islam throughout the world is diffusing light. They have risen up for the sake of the dignity of Islam and the honor of their Islamic country, and along this path, which is the same path of the noble prophets (may peace be upon them and their progeny), they have given up every material thing they had and relayed to the people of the world the cry," Alas! We never submit to oppression". And if only the regional states had cooperated with the nation of Iran instead of helping the `Aflaqite (Ba`athist) Party of Iraq whose object is nothing but de-Islamization, it (Ba`athist Party) would have been crushed during those very first few months, the dear Islamic nation of Iraq would have been relieved from its evil, and Iran, Iraq and other countries in the region would have lived in brotherhood. Even now, professional players who through various tricks, want to preserve the long years of plundering and hope to prevent unity among Muslims since they have received a slap from Islam, are in serious trouble and are trying through their faithful events to prevent Islam from gaining victory. For example, after meeting and shaking friendship hands with Peres, «10» Hasan the Moroccan «11» made an unforgivable blatant treachery to Islam and the Muslim nations, especially the Arab and Palestinian nation as well as to the Muslim and Arab nation and states. Through a decisive move, they should cut off the hand of this traitor; the like of Husayn the Jordanian «12»- this treacherous peddling broker- who will not relent unless he put all the regional states under the trap of the Great Satan. The like of Husni Mubarak, «13» the second personification of Anwar Sadat and other traitors to Islam must be removed from among themselves. For, it is these few people who have made them as playthings in their hands to become intentionally or unintentionally the hindrance along the path of nobility and honor of Islam.
We ask the regional states to stop protecting the enemies of Islam and humanity and not to oppose anymore the interests of Islam, which are their own interests and that of their counties and the oppressed people of the world. By cooperating and sympathizing with the Islamic Republic, they should discard the sedition-mongers and world-devourers; they should be aware that this dead party «14» will never be revived-" And the end belongs to the pious ones."
As my duty, I have pointed out that which is for the welfare of the Muslims and the governments of countries, I pray to God, the Exalted, to guide them to the straight path and keep them from deviations. May peace be upon the righteous servants of God.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini
Dhou'l-Hijjah al-Haram 1,1406 AH