In His Most Exalted Name
His Excellency Hujjat al-Islam Khamene'i, honorable President of the Islamic Republic- may his graces last,
After extending greetings and salutations,
At this sensitive moment, I don not want to engage in discussion. I believe that under these circumstances, silence is the best way. Of course, we are not supposed to imagine that no one has the right to criticize whatever we say and do. Criticism, and even fault-finding, is a divine gift for the growth of human beings. But I do not regard it proper to remain silent on your noble letter and the request stated therein. I will henceforth state concisely my view.
It is clear from your statements during the Friday prayer that you do not regard as correct the government in the sense of absolute guardianship delegated by God to the Noble Prophet (s), as among the most important Islamic laws and preeminent over all divine religious laws. And quoting me as saying that government has authority within the framework of the divine laws is totally inconsistent with my statements. If the authorities of the government were within the framework of the secondary religious laws, then the thesis of the divine government and absolute guardianship entrusted to the prophet of Islam (s) should be a meaningless and empty phenomenon. I will point out its concomitances that no one can undertake. For example, constructing roads that necessitates encroaching upon a house or its area is not within the secondary laws. Military recruit and mandatory military service in the battlefronts, preventing the inflow and outflow of foreign currency and any kind of commodity, prohibiting hoarding except in two or three cases, the customs fees and taxes, preventing overcharging and setting prices, prohibiting the distribution of narcotic drugs, preventing addiction except in the case of consumption of alcoholic drinks, carrying of arms in whatever way and hundreds of others that are among the authorities of the government are excluded based on your interpretation. Hundreds of other questions may be raised in this respect.
I have to state that the government, which is a branch of the absolute guardianship of the Messenger of Allah (s), is one of the primary laws of Islam, and it takes precedence over all secondary laws including prayer, fasting and Hajj. The ruler may demolish a mosque or house along a highway and give compensation money to the owner. In times of necessity, the ruler may shut down a mosque and demolish a" mosque of noxiousness" in case removing its noxiousness is not possible unless it should be demolished. The ruler can unilaterally annul religious contracts forged with the people in case the contracts are against the interest of Islam and the country. He can prevent any affair- devotional or else- whose occurrence is against the interests of Islam as long as it is so. The government can temporarily stop the performance of Hajj, which is one of the important religious obligations, at times when it is against the interests of the Islamic country.
Whatever has been said so far or will be said stems from lack of knowledge on the absolute divine guardianship. On what has been said, which is prevalent, that farm leasing, limited partnership and the like will be eliminated by those discretions, I categorically state that granting that it is true, that is among the discretions of the government. There are also issues more serious than these, with which I do not want to bother you with.
May God keep under His protection the like of you whose aim is nothing but service to Islam.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini
Dey 16,1366 AHS