Speech [Banquet of Allah in the world of materiality and the world of ideas]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I hope that this auspicious feast is blessed for all Muslims and oppressed people of the world, particularly for the noble nation of Iran. I used to think about this banquet to which you, the faithful, are invited. We are invited to the banquet of Allah. The banquet of Allah in the world of materiality means that it keeps us away from all worldly desires. This is the material level of the banquet of Allah; all those who were invited in this banquet should know that the banquet of God in this realm is renouncement of the desires and anything that the heart of man, i. e. the base spirit of man yearns for. We have to abandon them all. This is the banquet of God and this banquet is the shadow of the banquets held in the entire world of existence, although in the material world it takes the form of abandoning the base desires and the physical desires while in the world of ideas it is the abandonment of the imaginative desires and beyond the world of ideas it is the abandonment of the intellectual and mental desires.

Desire takes a different form in each place. In this world it is just as you know and in the world beyond this world, the world of ideas, the desires that man has are higher than the desires he has in the world of nature and controlling them is also harder. And the banquet of Allah there means that man should dispense with those desires, the carnal desires that have now afflicted the world. The intellectual desires are higher than these desires; banquet of Allah there means that these intellectual desires must be shunned. In all these levels Satan does not allow you to benefit from this banquet of Allah. He does so in the world of nature, the world of symbols and the world of intellect. Abandonment of those intellectual desires are more difficult than abandoning those other desires. The carnal desires that are lower than the intellectual desires have already set the world on fire.

All the wars and disputes happening in this world- whether in a family or in the entire world, which is also a single family- are due to the revolt of the soul. And the banquet of Allah there, to which we were invited, means that we should come in there and abandon those carnal desires, and this is very difficult. Abandoning the physical desires is easier than that of the higher desires, land a higher stage is abandoning the carnal desires. Every man is afflicted with these carnal desires. And the banquet of Allah in that world means that we are invited to abandon them. Here is the shadow of there and there is the spirit of the things here, and the intellectual desires which have also reflected much in the entire world, are higher than the emotional, physical and carnal desires, and the banquet of Allah there is also abandonment of the same. The banquet of Allah means abandonment of these things, for banquet means to be in the presence of the One Who has invited man. God has invited (us). Due to this invitation we are also attending this banquet.

On this month of Ramadan, have we been admitted to this banquet and have we abandoned the physical desires, the vain, carnal and intellectual desires? It is up to the person concerned to think whether he has done so or not. Have we been present in the realm of God, the Exalted, Who has invited us there? Have we been in that realm to benefit from it, or have we not been there? There are also issues higher than this. These are the levels of that banquet; at the top of these banquets is the banquet for the people of gnosis. God has invited all to this banquet, and the people of gnosis and the perfect ones among the awliya' attend to that banquet and they can do so. Of course, it could hardly be done and above all these stations is where there is no more banquet; there are no more hosting and visiting as well as party and banquet. This stage is so high that we cannot imagine and there is no banquet at work any longer.

Among the things that are in the holy month of Ramadan are the supplications of the holy month. Once man reads the supplications of the Imams (`a), whether in the holy month or not, he realizes that thee are many in which man has been ordered not to be disappointed with the mercy of God. You can see how Imam as-Sajjad, whose litanies you read, is afraid of sins. The issue is greater than what we think of. The issue is other than what we think or in the intellect of the intellectuals or in the mysticism of the mystics. It is an issue that the awliya' know. They have understood to the extent that mankind ought to know how great the issue is and in front of what majesty we are and with Whom we are dealing. They teach, and it is not that the supplication is to teach. The supplication has been for them; they themselves were afraid; they used to cry till morning because of their lapses.

From the Prophet to the Imam of the Age (`a), all of them were afraid of sins. Their sins are different from what you and I have. They used to perceive a majesty; for them attention to plurality is a major sin. In one night, Imam as-Sajjad has been narrated as saying until morning:" O God! Grant me a day of detachment and separation from the abode of vanity, return to the abode of felicity, and preparation for death before dying." «1»

The issue is a great one. They are in front of the majesty of God. When they assess themselves, they realize that they are nothing and have nothing. This is the truth of the matter: except Him there is nobody and there is nothing when they pay attention to the world of plurality but the command of God. It is in line with this that the Messenger of God is reported to have said," Sometimes, there is vexation in my heart for which I ask forgiveness to Allah seventy times a day." «2» It is different from the things we have. They have been in the banquet; they have been at the top of the banquet. They have been in the banquet. As they are in the realm of God, the Exalted, they invite the people. This state of affairs generated enmity. Attention to divine manifestation and turning from the unseen to the testimony of the divine manifestations is a cardinal sin for them. They unseen they want is disassociation from other than Him. In such a state, paying attention to the manifestations is an unforgivable sin; it is the abode of vanity for (Imam) Sajjad. Attention to the celestial world is an abode of vanity; attention to beyond the celestial world is also an abode of vanity. Attention to God, the Exalted, in which there is no banquet anymore, is peculiar to the perfect saints. There is no more banquet there.

May God let us not to forget these issues. Among the things that can obstruct the way of humanity is denying the stages and positions, and restricting the things to those that we know. If a person makes a step forward, though it is a mere statement, according to them he has drifted away from religion; this is obstruction of the way. The first step is awakening. Man must be awakened. We are now all in slumber;" The people are in slumber." Man is awakened when death occurs, but it may be far away. The point is that man should pay heed to these issues at hand as they are all in the sayings of the people of gnosis and knowledge and most of all in our supplications. If you deny these issues and similar cases, deny the sayings of the Imams (`a), though you may not be aware, you have actually obstructed your way forward, and you will not be able to move a step ahead. These carnal acts and insinuations are the source of all corruptions in the world; it is these corruptions that have set the world on fire and the world is burning; it is burning due to them.

Certainly, you have heard recently the American President saying that Iran or the" Iranian regime" is barbaric. If by the term" barbaric" they mean our people do not surrender to what they want and are not tame, then they call us so. But if they mean the real sense of the term, then they are talking trash. If" barbarity" really means what you are saying based on your imaginations as they have said, then you are saying baselessly.

Who is barbaric, the one who does not allow the oppressors to oppress the people, or the one who wants to oppress them? One should not speak baselessly. If you would conduct a referendum among the nations of the world as to which is the most barbaric regime, I guess that if there were no consensus of opinion among the nations, the decisive majority would say that it is America. Who is barbaric, the one who says," Sir, do not mind our business; let us be free in our own country," or the one who comes here from that part of the world and threatens to do this and that? In their logic, barbarity means not yielding to what they demand. Similarity," terrorism" means not being their followers. Thus, you observed that when it was not yet tame before America, they included Iraq among the terrorists. When it became tame, they removed it from the list. Then they put another in its stead. One realizes they do so arbitrarily. The result of such baseless talks is that nowadays most heads of state, except a few, think that a country which considers their interests and yields to them is not barbaric, but the one which defies this order is barbaric. This is the logic of the likes of Reagan. You, weak nations, have to crush this logic. It is on the basis of this logic that they are presently plundering the world; they are presently crushing the oppressed ones under their feet. If you become a bit sluggish, you will be crushed.

Those who are saying that there must be compromise know that we would be smashed once we compromised. They are pleased to have compromise. They are saying," Be obedient; do whatever we say. You are no longer allowed to think. You have to hide your idea. We want to have peace in the world." Peace for them will be established when all are subservient. The nations must think; the Iranian nation must think. Once it becomes sluggish, it will be paralyzed forever. Now that Saddam is going to hell, and God willing, he will go, it is the time when you enhanced your seriousness- the armed forces of whatever group, the nation and this Basij. If you give him the opportunity they will strengthen him, and the task will be more difficult. No opportunity must be given to him; there should be no sluggishness; people should be strongly presented in the warfronts and the warfronts should be active. Every day of delay makes the issue harder. You should think and not let the task become more difficult. Instead of verbal dispute among you, you should abandon it. If there is any, then you have to abandon all. Try to be in unison in not allowing the superpowers to interfere in your country. Now, they are competing among themselves in interfering in the Muslim countries; it must not be allowed in the Persian Gulf. Do not be afraid of this hullabaloo; it is a hullabaloo they are making to frighten us. They also imagine that if their planes come and bombard some places, the Iranian nation will be frightened. The people have taken their examination. A nation which is aspiring for martyrdom, a nation whose people are such that when their hands and feet are cut off, they will complain," O God! Were we not worthy enough to take our lives?" You cannot frighten such a nation by saying," We will do this and that." Do whatever damn thing you want and you will not succeed.

These superpowers want to dominate everywhere. Were we not worthy enough. They are imagining that once they are under the tutelage of America, everything becomes alright. This is wrong. America wants to extinguish everything you have and to have domination over your nation through such games. Pay heed to the consequences of your decisions! Tomorrow, when America leaves you, Iran will remain; that time when it was above your master, Iran was also there without any fear of what America might do. So far, it has done whatever it wanted, but our nation has grown stronger. The point is that the entire nation must be a single voice. They have to abandon the disputes; postpone them for a later time. There is a lot of time. Today, when everything you have will vanish as soon as America defeats you, you should not keep talking and writing about trifling issues. You have to forget about these things. You must be united in order to expel these devils. Once you have expelled them.

There is time for everything. Today is not the time for dispute. Today is not the time for a group to castigate another for this group to castigate that group, and for a group to advise us to make peace." This belongs to the weak ones; these weak individuals who have been always subservient to America and their likes talk about these things. But we were recently released from this bondage and we are not willing to be in bondage. Our nation is not willing to be in this bondage again and let American advisors to come and install any government they want. So far, they have kept us backward. This must be stopped. Do they want to make us more backward?

I pray to God to awaken us, to annihilate the enemies of Islam if they can no longer be reformed, to acquaint us with the duties pertaining to this and the other world and to admit us in this banquet to some extent.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you.