Statements at the Gathering of 110,000 Basijis on the Day of Eid al-Ghadir

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the infallible guides, especially the Awaited One among the people of the earth.

Thanks be to God who has made us among those who adhere to the Guardianship of Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, and the infallible Imams.

I congratulate all of you dear ones who have participated in this great and magnificent gathering, and to all the sincere Basijis across the country, and to all those who consider themselves committed to Islam and the rule of Islam throughout the world, and to all those who respect the blessed name of Ali ibn Abi Talib.

Although the Eid al-Ghadir is a hallmark of the Imamite Shia sect, in reality, due to the broad concept, content, and significance of this event, this Eid belongs to all Muslims, and with the explanation I will provide, it belongs to all those who care for the well-being of humanity.

We, the Shia, hold this firm belief, based on sound and indisputable evidence, regarding the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). We consider this widely transmitted hadith - the hadith of the day of Ghadir - which has been narrated by all the great narrators of Islam, both Shia and Sunni, as the basis of this sound belief.

On a hot day, in a critical location, in front of the eyes of the people, the Noble Prophet appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) as the Imam of the Muslims after himself and introduced him to the people; "Whoever I am his master, this Ali is his master." This refers to multiple verses that establish the Prophet's authority from God Almighty; "Indeed, your ally is God and His Messenger" and many other verses. He states: The one whom I am the master of, this Ali is his master. Every meaning that authority has in relation to the Prophet is realized in the case of the Commander of the Faithful through this appointment and introduction by the Prophet. This is a strong and indisputable evidence. In this regard, the scholars have discussed. There is no need to delve into theological debates; this is certain.

On that day, all the people had closely tested Ali ibn Abi Talib; there was no one who could doubt this appointment of the Commander of the Faithful. It was clear that this self-sacrificing man, possessing a high degree of faith and piety, was worthy of such an action from the Noble Prophet and, in fact, from God Almighty. The appointment of the Commander of the Faithful was not a prophetic appointment; it was a divine appointment; it was the Lord's honor that the Prophet conveyed this to the believing people.

On the day when the Commander of the Faithful entered Medina with the Prophet, he was a young man of twenty-two or twenty-three years. Today's twenty-two or twenty-three-year-olds should compare their behavior with what that distinguished young man displayed throughout the history of humanity. This young man became the star and hero of the Battle of Badr; this young man shone so brightly in the Battle of Uhud that all the Muslims recognized the greatness of his actions; this young man stood firm alongside the Prophet in various trials, in the battles of the Prophet, against the pressure of the forces of disbelief and global arrogance of that day; this young man did not become attached to the world. On the day when the Noble Prophet appointed him - who was still young - this young man had a greatness in the eyes of the Muslims that was undeniable. No one denied this; neither at that time nor in later times.

The event of Ghadir was not merely the appointment of a successor for the Prophet. Ghadir has two aspects: one is the aspect of appointing a successor. The other aspect of the matter is drawing attention to the issue of Imamate; Imamate in the same sense that all Muslims understand from this word and title. Imamate means the leadership of human beings, the leadership of society in matters of religion and the world; this has been one of the main issues throughout the long history of humanity. The issue of Imamate is not specific to Muslims or Shia. Imamate means that an individual or a group governs a society and determines their direction in worldly matters and in spirituality and the hereafter. This is a universal issue for all human societies.

Well, this Imam can be of two types: one is the Imam that God Almighty states in the Quran: "And We made them leaders guiding by Our command, and We inspired them to do good deeds, establish prayer, and give zakat, and they were worshippers of Us." This is the Imamate that, by the command of the Lord, guides the people; it leads them away from dangers, from pitfalls, from slips; it brings them to the destination and goal of human worldly life - which God has given to humanity to reach that goal - and guides them towards it. This type of Imam is exemplified by the divine prophets; the first Imam is the Prophet himself. The divine prophets, the successors of the prophets, are the most chosen individuals among this category of first-type Imams; their task is guidance, and they are guided by God Almighty, transferring this guidance to the people: "And We inspired them to do good deeds"; their work is good work, "and establish prayer"; they establish prayer - which is the symbol of the connection and relationship between humans and God - "and they were worshippers of Us"; they are servants of God, like all humans who are servants of God. Their worldly honor does not harm their servitude to God in their existence and in their hearts. This is one category.

Another category: "And We made them leaders who invite to the Fire," which is mentioned in the Quran regarding Pharaoh. Pharaoh is also an Imam. In the same sense that the term "Imam" was used in the first verse, here too, Imam is used in the same sense; that is, the world of the people and the religion of the people and the hereafter of the people - the body and soul of the people - are under his power, but "they invite to the Fire"; they invite people to destruction, they invite people to ruin.

The most secular governments in the world, despite their claims, whether they know it or not, have taken the world and the hereafter of the people into their hands. These vast cultural apparatuses that today are directing and pushing the youth of humanity towards immorality, corruption, and ruin are the same Imams who "invite to the Fire." They are power structures that, for their own interests, for their oppressive rule, for achieving various political goals, drag the people along; the world of the people is in their hands, and the hereafter of the people is in their hands, the body and soul of the people are under their control.

The claim that in Christianity, the church deals with the hereafter while the government deals with the world is a fallacy. Wherever power is in the hands of individuals alien to religion and ethics, the church also serves them; spirituality is crushed and destroyed under the grip of their power; the body and soul of humans are influenced by the factors of their power; this has always been a human issue.

A society is either under the guardianship of a just Imam - who is "from God," a guide to good deeds, a guide to truth - or it is under the control of individuals who are alien to truth, unfamiliar with truth, and in many cases, hostile to truth. Because truth does not align with their personal interests, with their material interests, they become hostile to truth. So, it is one of these two situations; it is not outside of these two situations.

Islam, by establishing a government in Medina and forming the prophetic civil society, demonstrated and proved that Islam is not merely about advising, preaching, and inviting through words. Islam wants the truths of divine laws to be realized in society; this is only possible through the establishment of divine power. Then, at the end of his blessed life, the Noble Prophet, by divine command, by divine inspiration, appointed the next one himself. Of course, the course of Islamic history took a different path. What the Prophet wanted, what Islam wanted, was this. This became a plan that remained in history. One should not think that the Prophet's thought was defeated; no, it was not defeated; it did not materialize at that moment, but this clear line remained in the Islamic community and in Islamic history. Today, you see the results of that in this corner of the Islamic world, and by God's grace, with God's power, this model, this clear line, will become more widespread in the Islamic world day by day; this is the essence of Ghadir.

Therefore, the issue of Ghadir is not just a Shia issue; it is an issue for Muslims, indeed, it is an issue for all humanity. Those who think know that this clear line belongs to all humanity; there is no other way. If power in human societies is in the hands of devilish individuals, the world will go the way that you see the manifestations of today in the modern world. The more modern the world becomes, the greater the danger of such governments becomes. Of course, the more the world advances in knowledge and understanding, the greater the possibility and likelihood of the emergence of the guiding line also increases. It is not that with the advancement of knowledge we feel that this guiding line has regressed; no, it moves forward.

Today, the vast popular mobilization, the mobilization of the oppressed in our country is a clear and evident reality. You are a part of the vast garden of mobilization in the country. This garden was created by our dear Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and watered with his words and demeanor. Thanks be to God, these saplings are growing stronger and more fruitful day by day. Today, the mobilization in our country is a great and undeniable reality. It is true that the propaganda of the enemies and, consequently, their supporters inside the country try to belittle the mobilization, to demean it, and to insult it; they have also insulted the very words of God, they have insulted the Prophet himself. Something that possesses greatness and brilliance in its essence is neither diminished by the insults of the insulted nor reduced in its brilliance.

Today, the mobilization in our country is a great and shining reality; it has no other example. Look; various genders, men and women, different ages, youth and middle-aged and elderly, various professions, from students and seminary students to university professors, school teachers, students, workers, farmers, merchants, and other various professions of believers across the country are members of the mobilization; this means that there are no boundaries in terms of profession, no gender boundaries, no ethnic or linguistic boundaries. Right now, in this gathering, Turks, Kurds, Lors, Persians, Baluchs, and other Iranian ethnicities are present. It is the same throughout the country. The mobilization is an organized and systematic collection with a goal, with this expansion and with this diversity and with this vast quantity and with this quality of faith that one does not observe elsewhere.

Your hearts belong to the mobilization. In the world, there are parties, there may be numerous parties - although the number and quantity of a million-strong collection like that in the mobilization has no parallel in any party in the world - but even those committees in the parties, their bodies, their words, their material capabilities belong to the party; it is not clear whether their hearts and beliefs belong to that party or collection. The mobilization is the mobilization of hearts; it is the mobilization of souls; it is the mobilization of emotions; it is the mobilization of beliefs and faith; and this is what comes into play for a nation in hard times. The day when nations face difficulties, at that time, bodies are of no use; hearts must be in the middle of the field, they must be the vanguard. Those who have broken through the lines did not necessarily have strong bodies; they had strong hearts and faith that enabled them to split mountains, traverse difficult paths, overcome pitfalls, and reach their destination. The mobilization is such a reality; we must appreciate this. First, the mobilization itself must appreciate it. Just as we heard in this covenant document and these dear youths expressed it in the words of the Basijis, they praised God, they expressed gratitude for being members of the mobilization. Truly, this is the case; we must thank God for granting us the opportunity to enter such a collection.

Another importance of the mobilization is that it has a direction and a purpose and is not focused on one aspect. Although the mobilization has military skills and has been positioned at the front lines of the battlefield wherever necessary, taking on and accomplishing the hardest tasks, it is all-encompassing; that is, whenever the mobilization is present in all fields, it is at the forefront, it is pioneering. Today, our Basiji youth are also at the forefront in the field of science. Our Basiji professors are among the most successful in scientific work. Our Basiji artists - those who entered the field of art with the spirit of the mobilization - have achieved greater and better successes and have been able to attract more audiences. In every field, when they enter with a Basiji spirit, with Basiji sincerity, with Basiji faith, with Basiji courage and bravery, with Basiji creativity, they can accomplish great tasks. This is the reality of the mobilization.

Dear Basijis should appreciate this and strengthen the pillars of being Basiji within themselves. Being Basiji has pillars. We all must strengthen these pillars in ourselves day by day, dear youth! We have repeatedly said that first and foremost, it is the spirit of sincerity and the spirit of insight. This sincerity and insight affect each other. The more your insight increases, the closer it brings you to sincere action. The more sincerely you act, the more God Almighty increases your insight. "God is the ally of those who believe; He brings them out of darkness into light"; God is your ally. The closer you get to God, the more your insight will increase, and you will see the truths more. When there is light, a person can observe realities and truths. When there is no light, a person cannot see even the realities; "And those who disbelieve, their allies are the tyrants; they bring them out of light into darkness." When tyranny obscures a person's vision, when the desires of the self - which are the true tyrants and worse than Pharaoh within us - block our sight, when ambitions, envy, materialism, and lusts obstruct our vision, we cannot observe realities.

You saw that some could not see the realities before their eyes, they could not discern. In the orchestrated and complex sedition of 2009, there were truths before the eyes of the people; a number of people were prevented from seeing and understanding these truths; they did not see, they did not understand. When in a country, there are seditionists who, for their own ambitions, to gain power, to achieve goals that have accumulated and piled up as desires within them, are willing to turn their backs on the interests of a country, on the legitimacy of a path, and trample on it; they do something that excites the Western leaders and the foremost enemies of the Iranian nation and makes them happy and support them, this is a clear truth; this is not something that when there is light, a person cannot see; but some did not see, some do not see, some do not understand; some, due to the darkness of their hearts, even understand, but are not willing to give effect to this understanding; all of these are the consequences of the desires of the self; all of these are the results of the commands and prohibitions of that inner Pharaoh of ours, that drunken elephant of desires, which the sacred law gives a hammer of piety and abstinence to the believer to strike on the head of this drunken elephant and calm it down. If we can calm this within ourselves, then the world will become illuminated, we will see everything, our eyes will see; but when there is desire-worship, one does not see. You who are Basijis, you are young, your hearts are pure, they are illuminated; with the purity of your inner selves, you can strengthen this spirit, this state within yourselves. A Basiji is pure, illuminated.

My dear ones! You have become Basijis, congratulations; but remain Basijis. Standing firm on the path is important. Remaining a Basiji depends on constantly monitoring ourselves, being vigilant, and not straying from the path. The Iranian nation has accomplished a great task. The great task is that the world, which was galloping towards hell, has been jolted, and a part has been separated. Today, vast crowds of people around the world have become aware of the truth, and the Iranian nation, as a pioneer and leader, has changed the path and altered the course. The path of human societies must be towards God, it must be towards paradise, it must be towards truth. Well, it is evident that you, the Iranian nation, have accomplished this great task. The people of falsehood do not remain silent. Those whose existence is dependent on falsehood and injustice, dependent on trampling on nations, will not sit quietly while the Iranian nation shouts the truth and guidance, awakening the world, awakening humanity; they will oppose.

Of course, if we continue our steadfastness, this opposition has a bright end; "And indeed, God will support those who support Him." God Almighty has indeed and without doubt promised victory to those who move towards the truth and invite others; and we have experienced this. For thirty years, the enemies have been working against the Iranian nation; but the Iranian nation, thanks to its steadfastness, thanks to its faith, has become stronger day by day; the enemy has also become weaker day by day. Today, our power of steadfastness is greater than it was twenty years ago, greater than it was thirty years ago; this is our experience. Therefore, the ultimate outcome of this struggle is the victory of Islam and Muslims. But you must be aware that there is conflict and challenge; you must keep yourselves prepared, keep yourselves updated, keep your insight updated, keep your sincerity updated, be up-to-date Basijis and remain Basijis; this is the key to the success of the Iranian nation and the great Iranian community.

God willing, you young people will witness the day when you reach the peaks of honor, and as the Quran has promised: "So that you may be witnesses over the people," you will become martyrs and witnesses for the people of the world and be at the peaks, so that nations look to you and move towards these peaks.

O Lord! Draw nearer the reappearance of Your Wali, the precious jewel of the creation of the world. O Lord! Make us among those who adhere to his Guardianship and the Guardianship of his pure ancestors. O Lord! Make us, in the true sense of the word, believers, Basijis, and revolutionaries. O Lord! By the right of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, bring the dear and great nation of Iran to their great aspirations. May the pure soul of our great Imam and the noble souls of the dear martyrs be encompassed by Your eternal grace and blessings.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.