Speech [Spiritual dimensions of "reception of Allah"]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Before extending my greetings for this `Id, I would like to thank the Iranian nation for its good presence in the scenes, especially in the elections. In spite of the fact that all were trying not to have peaceful elections as they deserved, thank God, they were held as such. May God make the blessed `Id auspicious for all.

What I would like to talk is about an item in this sermon that the Noble Messenger has delivered in the month of Ramadan. One sentence from him is this:" God has made you all as His guests; has invited you to a banquet; you are guests of God in the blessed month; the Host is God while His creatures are the guests." Of course, this banquet for the perfect awliya', devotees of God is not as what we imagine, or that our hands would access Him. We have to assess and see what this banquet has been and to what extend we have attended to this banquet. Although the entire universe is under the divine mercy and everything is His mercy and His mercy to everything is bountiful, the door of banquet is another door of His mercy; invitation to the banquet is another matter.

This banquet is all about abandonment; abandonment of desires such as for foods, drinks, and other things that human desire requires. God has invited us; that you enter the banquet hall. This banquet is nothing except abandonment; abandonment of carnal desires, abandonment of egotisms, abandonment of selves; abandonment of egoism. All these are in the banquet hall and we have to evaluate and see whether we entered the banquet hall, or we did not enter at all; whether they offered us access to the banquet hall, or not; whether we take benefit from the divine banquet, or not. Of course, the account of the persons like of me, is with kiram al-katibin. «1» But I would like to acquire you, gentlemen, and anyone who would receive these words, particularly the young people: Have you entered to this banquet hall? Did you make use of it? Did you not pay attention to the desires, especially the emotional desires? Or, you just remind like me?

The youth should be aware that during the prime of youth they can reform themselves. The older the human being becomes the more his yearning for the world will be. The youth are nearer to heaven. The more one advances in age, the more one distances from God by worldly things. Bear in mind that only if you properly made an exit from the banquet then you have `Id and feast. `Id belongs to anyone who were admitted in this banquet and made use of it. Just as one is supposed to abandon the apparent desires, one has to control over his the inner desires, which constitute the greatest hindrance for man along the way. All these corruptions in the world are due to the fact that they have not been admitted in the banquet, or if ever they have been admitted they have not made use of it. It is addressed to all; all of you are invited to the banquet of Allah; you are all guests of God and it is the banquet of abandonment. If there is a speck of carnal desire in man, it means that one has not been admitted in the banquet, or in case of being admitted, he has not made use of it. All these hues and cries you witness in the world mean that they have not benefited from this banquet; they have not been admitted in this banquet; they have not accepted the invitation of God.

Exert effort to accept this invitation; for them to admit you there and once you were admitted, the problems will be resolved. The fact that our problems are not resolved means that we have not been admitted in the banquet of God. We have not entered the month of Ramadan at all. We made an abandonment of eating and drinking but what is supposed to be done has not been done. If the carnal desires would permit, in fact the man's natural disposition[ fitrah ]is divine; the natural disposition [fitrah]; fitrah of Allah. All will focus on him; however, it is this attention to the world, which is a secondary and crooked attention that prevents those issues that are supposed to be dealt with. If you observe war and dispute in the world and among you is, God forbid, also an exemplary arena of which, you should know that you were not admitted; you did not comprehend the month of Ramadan. He has made the month of Ramadan approach you:" The month of Allah is approaching you." But you refused it; you returned it.

Although the elections were held well, there were wicked ones who desired to plant a seed of discord. In elections in other countries, the foreign parties and agents will draw the people against themselves and beguile them. They talk about issues, which are all meant to make the people negligent. Although the elections were accomplished very well, some agents attempted to create discord, whereas they did not succeed. Thanks to God! You should beware that the enemies are always struggling to spoil us from interiorly. If you were truly admitted in this banquet, the enemies' hands would be virtually cut off. Once the human being observe the truth of this banquet, one will see that all the differences in the world would be resolved. The wicked ones are trying to create discord that there is dichotomy, but thank God, our nation, especially our clerics, are figures whose faces are bright. In this blessed month they have also been admitted in this banquet. God willing, the effect of this admission will be manifested if you act in unison, not in two factions.

Of course, there are two ideas, which must also be there. There are two opinions, which must also be there. Different tastes be must there but the different tastes must not make the people in bad terms with one another. As I have stated, it is like the seminarians who are discussing. At the time of argumentation, as if there were dispute and quarrel such that a person will think that they are inimical to one another. Once the discussion is over, they would socialize together in brotherhood manner and fellowship. If there is no difference of taste in a nation, that nation is flawed. If there is no difference of taste in an assembly, that assembly is flawed. Difference of taste leads difference in opinions, discussion and argumentation is essential. However, difference should not end in dichotomization and enmity with one another. We must be in dichotomy while we have difference; we must be friends as well. If we are admitted in this holy month's banquet, its fruits must remain for long after the holy month. This holy month is like a watch. If it is wound, it will automatically function. This holy month should be available such that it protects people up to the next holy months. I hope that we were really admitted and the gentlemen would spend this year in sound health, prosperity and pleasure.

I believe that the best prayer for the likes of the American president and his servants such as Saddam is for God to grant them the taste of death; this prayer is for them. If you want to curse them you should pray God to keep them so that with every day passing, their punishment in hell becomes worse. The stages of hell, just like the stages of man, are endless. With each day passing for the sinners, the hell becomes worse and hotter for them. Thus if you want to pray for them, implore God to give them the taste of death so that the hell would not be so difficult for them. May God awaken us to understand that there are only a few days left for us. I will die sooner and you afterward. The present states would no longer exist after hundred years. All are transient and perishable. That which is not subject to destruction is our deeds. Man himself is responsible for deserving hell or heaven. Once man dies, he will start life in a new world, which he has been sent forward by himself. Nothing will come from outside; whatever is there emanates from man himself. Try to reform yourselves, God willing, on this day, at this time and these years. May God grant wellbeing to all the people of this country. May you all succeed in attaining your wholesome aspirations by gaining proximity to God and by winning the prayer of the promised Mahdi( may God's peace be upon him and may our souls be sacrificed for him )man aspires to reach God, while he is not aware of this. May God lift the veils so that all can" bserve" the glory and majesty of Him. «2»

May God's peace and mercy be upon him.