In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
`Ali (`a) as embodiment of all contradictory attributes
On this auspicious feast, I extent my felicitations to all Muslims of the world, our great nation and all oppressed peoples throughout history. I hope that under the graces of the Imam of the Time and his great grandfathers the Messenger and Imam `Ali (may God's peace be upon both of them) God would free this country and the Muslim countries from the mischief of the mischief-makers.
So many things have been said and written about Imam `Ali (`a), and still he has not been done justice. Personality of that divine miracle has not yet been known. Various groups in Islam, particularly the Shi`ites, associate themselves with His Holiness. Mystics, jurists, philosophers, and the diverse strata including even the dervishes, Sufis and even those not believing in Islam borrow his words. When I was in Iraq, although the `Aflaqite (Ba`athist) Party did not believe in Islam, and were even opposed to it, they still used to write quotations from him on walls and everyone used from his words in a different manner. Athletes, warriors, prominent jurists, and people from all strata regard him as belonging to them. Those, who do not at all believe in Islam are exception. Nevertheless, the fact is that this puzzle has not yet been resolved. This man is a miracle about whom one cannot talk. Every one talked about him according to his own understanding and view. And he is none of those things; that is, we cannot praise him as he ought to be. Those contradictory attributes that cannot be found in individuals are found in him. It is on account of these contradictory attributes that everybody talks about one dimension and assumes that Imam `Ali (`a) is only the embodiment of that attribute. He is a mystic whom mystics of the world revere as their master. He is also engaged in government while the known mystics used to live in seclusion. The one who was so active in wars, was also a great man when it came to piety, asceticism and seclusion from people. Since he has had different dimensions, everybody has acquired one dimension from him and imagined that it is the only real one. So far his various dimensions especially his spiritual dimensions have remained uncovered except for those who are like him. As a result, talking about him will be inevitably like this, and no one can do him justice. So, we have to refrain from talking about him and ask him to guide us and help us have some of his enumerable attributes.
Our duty to prevent differences
Nevertheless, I will touch on the issues appropriate to treat today. Now, we have so many difficulties. You all know that the existing powers are opposing us; that is, the powers have joined hands to suppress, crush or deliberate Islam, a true manifestation of which has taken place here. What is our duty? While all are opposing us, all want to annihilate us, all want to let us return to that state when a person- let us assume- an ambassador or his subordinate could disrupt the entire condition of Iran, what is our duty at this time? Which way God has determined for us? Should we sit again and have disagreement with one another? Should we quarrel again? Now that I am saying" quarrel" it does not mean that there is quarrel going on, but we have to prevent. Now, today the mass media would say that so-and-so has said that there is a quarrel going on and now there is a war in Iran.
One of the affairs that they are always trying to exacerbate is" quarrel" to prevail inside Iran. Again, they did not recognize Islam; they did not recognize Iran; they did not recognize those who are administering the affairs in Iran. They imagine that one group is standing on this side while another one on that side; that all are at loggerheads with one another; this one wants to gain power for himself while the other one wants the same for himself. This is because their view is a materialistic one. When the view became materialist, it is like that. If, God forbid, materialistic view would sprout out from among us and our attention to the world and position would make us oblivious of God, the Blessed and Exalted, the difference will never be resolved.
Love of the world, the source of differences
It is impossible for those whose attention is to the world to have no disagreement. Everyone wants things for himself. Those who have no disagreement are the ones who pay no heed to the world; they are those who pay attention to values; among them disagreement will not take place. If all the prophets were together; if all saints were together, they would have no disagreement; they would not disagree on a word. But if there were two headmen in a village, disagreement would arise. If there were two scholars- real clerics- or a hundred scholars, it would be impossible for them to have disagreement. But if there were two pseudo-scholars who wanted to show off, there is no doubt that they would find disagreement with other scholars who were similar to them. Similarly, if the officials of a country worked for God, they would not have any disagreement. They should not imagine that they are guaranteed not to treat the path of Iblis. No affair can be done outright. Gradually, one step to another would lead man to hell. At the beginning, the carnal soul of man would not say," Come and go to hell," or Iblis would not say," Come and go to hell," or the carnal soul would not say," O Allah, allow me to foment discord." No, it is not like that. Initially, it begins with a step forward. It will make man negligent of it and he will continue with it; he will make another step forward. One day they realize that they have ended up quarreling with each other.
Is our duty other than preventing these disagreements? Is our religious duty, our rational duty and our moral duty other than not allowing disagreement to emerge among the strata of people? This is meant to minimize the carnal desires; there is no way other than this. If carnal desires are at work, they will lead to discord though the person may be sanctimonious and pay too much attention to the appearance of things. When there is carnal desires in someone's heart, it will inevitably follow them. This carnal desire is present in everybody; it cannot be denied; some harness it while some others do not. That I am saying it is present in" everybody," that is, all the common people and not the saints of God.
We should be careful so that discord cannot creep up on us. We should support one another. Therefore, we should forebear and trample the carnal desires; we should be good to one another. If there is something in the heart that a person cannot control, but in action he has the power to control it, then he has to control it. Today, the confirmation of all of us by different strata of people is necessary. We should support the Majlis; the Majlis in turn should support the entire nation; we should be the supporters of the government; the government in turn should serve the nation. Now, we have to abide by all the present government branches of powers to the extent that we should do. We should support them to the extent that we should do. Likewise, they should support one another. It should not be like this that one group goes in a certain direction while another group goes in a quite different direction. Though we do not have such a situation in the country, are saying so about us. If- God forbid- there is something trivial in the country, they will magnify it to the extent there is no rule in Iran.
Now you see that if the mass media want to talk about positive things in Iran, which are many, they will do so very briefly, but when it come to accusing us, they are very insist on it. When we achieve great victories in battlefields, they either keep silent about them or set them aside very soon. First of all, they do not report the main issue and later on say:" This side has said this and that side has said something else, we have not been able to confirm it yet." Their news reporters come here; those who have motives gather something and send it there, and they also know that they gathered them and have sent. In spite of that, they are saying," Iran becomes this and that. Our source is the one who opposes Iran; the one who opposes Iran has said so; it must be true." They are trying to find something from us and magnify it so that they could strike us from within.
Our reasoning, our religion, Islam and everything demand that as all are inimical to us, we should be in good terms with one another and support one another. The Army should support the IRGC while the IRGC should do the same; all the organs should support one another. The other one would not wish to extinguish the Army; the other one would not wish to extinguish the IRGC; the other one would not wish to extinguish the government; the other one would not wish to extinguish the judicial power; all must join together.
This is a religious-divine duty incumbent upon us and upon the entire nation. Of course, if, God forbid, such a thing would happen, our religious duty is to prevent it in whatever possible manner, even to the extent of disclosing something or somebody; even to the extent of sacrificing someone for the sake of the nation; sacrificing a group for the sake of the nation.
I am now telling you, gentlemen that you should pay attention to this; do not engage in discord. Suppose there will be elections tomorrow. Well, during the time of elections different opinions will be raised; do not try to create problems for yourselves through following your carnal desires. If something is going to take place in Iran, do not only think of reaping for yourselves, as this can lead to discord. The prophets, the saints and those who are upright in the world do not have this thing. If you were also following the prophets and the Commander of the Faithful (`a), then you should not have this thing. The Commander of the Faithful (`a) had the entire world at his disposal but it was nothing for him.
It sometimes comes to my mind why the Commander of Faithful as well as some prophets and saints talked about themselves. I asked myself:" Why did they do so mean?" The source of this is the same thing that God Almighty told Adam. God urged and commanded him to mention the names that He had taught him. If He had notcommanded him so, he would have not mentioned the names. Since they have such a lofty station, they would introduce to the people this station for the people to follow them; it is not that they wanted it themselves. Many occasions, Imam `Ali himself says," I am not heedful of the world." He is duty-bound to say so; it is also hard for him. The prophets used to say also something about themselves as it has been the path of guidance and not for themselves; it has been the path of guidance to the unseen world. It is like a physician who has no carnal desire; if he sees that by not introducing himself, the people will succumb to the diseases, he will be forced to introduce himself as a physician or as an expert in a certain area, though he does not like to do so.
There are two types of introducing. One type is when a person introduces himself as he wants to show himself; this is Iblis. Another is when he introduces himself so as to guide others; this is the spirit of Merciful. Imam `Ali says," I swear that if the entire world and so is given to me, I will not commit the least injustice." He has been urged by God Almighty to say it so as to make know his station and for the people to follow him; it is like that physician. He does not want to show off like us; if, let us say, we know a poem we want to show off-" I recited that poem". If we read a lesson, we want to show off-" I read that lesson". Imam `Ali wants to guide the people to a way, and this cannot be achieved except through this manner. Thus, though it is hard for him, he says so.
Though it was hard for the Messenger of God (s) to introduce Imam `Ali and show the people the path of guidance as he would see that disagreement would possible emerge, God obliged him to say so;" If you would not say so as if you did nothing;" these are obligatory. That you can see that the Imams introduced themselves, sometimes it is an obligation from the Unseen for them to do so; to introduce to the people their physician. The people see the outward thing; that the outward thing is this and that one is also similar to it. They sometimes see that, well, this person also kills. This is duty-bound to make them understand that this is killing a person and the path of guidance is this; the same with the case of the physician.
If we find an iota of this idea that if we want to introduce ourselves- of course, we are supposed to do so; we have no such a mission, but if we wanted to do so in order to guide the people, if you saw that it is for the self, then you should be aware that the hand of Satan is at work. If one day you saw that when we oppose the president or you oppose him, know that it is not for the sake of God, that the hand of Satan is at work. In the same way, if we want to deny the great services the government is rendering, we should know that it is not for the sake of God and that the hand of Satan at work. If we want to vilify the Army or the IRGC, be aware that the hand of Satan is at work; it is not the hand of God.
Interests of Islam and Muslims
Mostly, man himself could understand the criterion in his inner self. If he wanted to understand, there is a criterion to do so. A person who is in charge of a certain place and might sometimes think that if someone else was in charge he would be much better, should see if he is really pleased to be actually replaced by that person. If you see that he is pleased with it, it must be known that there is something in him from the unseen world and if he is not pleased, then it must be known that there is something wrong in him; there is carnality in him. Of course, we cannot absolutely control our carnality; we do not have such a power, but we have the power to control expressing it. We do not have the power to control if we really oppose a certain person; the opposition could remain in our hearts but we have the power not to express it in the sphere of action. If we see that in our heart we do not like some people, it us a divine and religious duty for us to oppose the" self" in attention, and in our propaganda. It is an affair over which man has power. If he has no power over it but in action and deed he has, then God will call man to account. He will not call him to account why it was not realized in his heart. Now, it is a defect in man but there is no chastisement for that. But while you do not like somebody, you can refrain from mentioning it; you have the power to do so; otherwise, you will be responsible.
Today, the issue is not personal like the one who commits a sin against God and held responsible for it personally. Today, if we disagree with one another, the issue involves a nation; the issue involves the Muslim nations; the issue involves Islam; the issue involves the divine values; this offense is different from the offense of someone who commits a sin at home; (of course,) that is also an offense. But the one who would oppose a person who is serving the people is different from the offense of opposing a person who is inside his house, let us say, with his family; that is also an offense. But that offense is much graver than this one, and this one is problem for which God Almighty would forgive man.
Our duty to preserve
Today, we are shouldering so many and heavy obligations. Today, all the countries, with a few exceptions, are opposed to us. Of course, among the nations many pay attention to you. But only a few states are not hostile to you; the rest are hostile to you. If we want to have discord among ourselves, this is an offense that will remain on our shoulder forever and it will remain an eternal offense for us. It will remain an everlasting disgrace for us in front of God Almighty.
In many affairs which were very difficult for him, Imam `Ali (`a) used to exercise forbearance and to agree for the sake of the general interests and the interests of Islam. If we follow him, we should be like that. If we really somehow follow him, then we should be somehow like that. In any case, in such a situation what we must closely take into account is the fact that now the ones surrounding us are looking for a way to extinguish us from within; to crush us from within. They failed to do so from outside. All the plots were foiled. Now, they have a big plot underway which they want o realize it within the country. They spread rumors such as" Some incident has occurred in certain lace of Iran, it is now clear what happened, a certain person has disputed with another one" and other cases which can be of effect. If man does not pay attention to God Almighty and he does not want Him to save him from these evils, he will possibly fall in a trap.
Today, thank God, we are all on good terms with one another. We hope that God Almighty would confirm the entire nation, and you would confirm the government; the government would confirm the entire nation and it would in turn confirm the Majlis; all must be together so that God Almighty would grant power and succor to all and deliver this nation from the mischief of the mischief-makers.
May God's peace and mercy be upon you.