Speech [Dimensions of Imam `Ali (`a) personality]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I extend my felicitations to all Muslims and downtrodden people of the world, especially the Iranian nation, on this blessed feast, and I pray to God, the Exalted, for the health of everybody.

Regarding Imam `Ali and the dimensions of his personality, our hand will fall short. Concerning his spiritual dimensions, we cannot make a single statement, which conveys the reality, but some of the dimensions concerning him are material and social ones; one can talk about them. Notice the condition of one who is the caliph of the Muslims and administrator of the affairs. As the caliph, he wants to perform the Friday prayers; he has no sufficient clothes. He mounts the pulpit; based on the narration, he would shake his clothes to dry. He has not two sets of dress. He has a pair of shoes, which he himself would mended. He asks about it. He asks," In your opinion, how much value this pair of shoes has?" They say," Nothing." He says," Caliphate and ruling over you for me is like this pair of shoes and even lower than it unless I institute justice." Where can you find a person who is the caliph, yet he has such a condition? Imam `Ali (`a) is indeed oppressed; he has been oppressed even among the Shi`ah. When they want to talk about Imam `Ali, they talk about something that is contrary to the reality, and it is an insult to Imam `Ali. For example, they say that the value of the ring he would give to the poor is equivalent to the revenue of city of Sham (Syria)! The one who has such clothing is wearing a ring whose value is that of revenue?! This is a lie; even if there is a supporting tradition, it is also fabricated as there is no such thing. Once they want to present Imam `Ali, they do so through these dimensions; through such dimensions. Or, once those who are alleged mystics want to present him- there is only a few true mystics in the world, they would talk about dervish terms. They do not know what is the reality and these outward dimensions that he has had are for the ignoramuses who have deviated from the reality about him. They imagined that the description of Imam `Ali is that his ring was so expensive and the like; for example, he had a strange life.

Caliphate at that time had a peculiar status, especially the caliphs starting from Mu`awiyah; it was a monarchy. At that time when Mu`awiyah assumed the seat of monarchy, Imam `Ali was like a laborer going to work; like a worker going to work and digging well; right there he would say that the water is for charity; he would not make well for himself; this has been this living status. If we want to imitate him, we cannot exactly imitate; we have no such strength. But he himself has also said that" You cannot do so but you can have piety." We can have piety; we can be with God; we can have attention to God Almighty.

Thank God, our nation today has a peculiar status, which perhaps it had not enjoyed throughout history. In time of the Imams (`a), the Messenger of Allah himself, and Imam `Ali, the people suffered from differences. The people who were close to them refused to join war when they were called for war. Today, the situation has been such that they are volunteering. The mistake of the Westerners and these opponents of ours is that they imagine that once the word" missile" is used the people of Iran will be afraid of what will happen next. They fired missiles, killing and so forth while the people of Iran remained sitting in their places and laughing at them. Do not frighten the people of Iran with missile; the people of Iran take pride in attaining martyrdom. Many times, those who come here would be surprised with the station of those whose youngsters are killed and whose youth are martyred; they are saying that they want again to have youngsters to offer in the way of God; a small child would wish to become big enough and be martyred. They also see what station the women have. They are frightening with martyrdom a people who are yearning for martyrdom! And this is a blunder as they do not understand. They do not understand at all what spiritualities are. The like of Saddam and others do not know at all what the issue is. They do not know at all what the station of Iran and the people of Iran is. As such, they are imagining that once they fire missile to Iran, it will immediately be defeated; it makes them stronger.

The point is that we should be aware of keeping our faith and our unity. If this trend were maintained, no one would be afraid anymore. Missile could be fired; anyone who wants could come; America could come; the Soviet Union could come; anyone could come. Of course, this point will not be removed from the mind of the people that once they would see that they are helping Saddam in his acts of mischief, this will not be forgotten by our people; they will remember it. Those who want to keep their interests must be aware that they can do so if they want. They should act on the contrary; otherwise, their interests will not be kept. Those who extend assistance- those who extend material assistance or military assistance- also imagine that we are afraid of their military assistance. Fear is not an issue. A nation what is yearning for martyrdom it makes no difference whether it is with martyrdom or missile, with tank or bullet, or whatever else. This nation is seeking martyrdom. It is not afraid of them. Yet, it will not forget who are serving the forces of Saddam and who are giving orders to them to do those things. What is their motive? Who are inciting them; who are helping them; who are giving missiles to them; who are doing so-and-so for them? People will not forgot these. Those who are doing these things should take note of this. I pray to God Almighty to strengthen the faith of all of us and to protect all the Muslims from the infidels; to protect all the Muslims and the downtrodden of the world.

May God's peace and mercy be upon you.