Statements on the Meeting with Various Segments of the People on the Occasion of Eid al-Ghadir

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

I congratulate all the esteemed attendees, dear brothers and sisters, the beloved nation of Iran, all Shiites, and indeed all those who appreciate the profound truths of Islam and enjoy the knowledge related to the content of this noble religion on the blessed day of Eid al-Ghadir. I also welcome all the esteemed attendees, especially the brothers and sisters who have come from afar and adorned this Hussainiyah with their presence. Let us make a brief statement regarding the issue of Ghadir, and another regarding the responsibilities that today’s topic of Ghadir and the awareness of the deep teachings of Ghadir impose upon us, which we must pay attention to.

The issue of Ghadir is a very important matter in the history of Islam. Firstly, the essence of this remarkable and significant event and this noble statement, "Whoever I am his master, this Ali is his master," is not something that only the Shiites have narrated; it is among the established facts. Those who have sought to criticize have not doubted the issuance of this statement; rather, they have gone to interpret and justify the meaning of this statement. The essence of this event is a historically and Islamically established matter; the doubts that arise in the minds of some recent thinkers regarding the meaning of this statement are the same arguments that have been raised for a thousand years, and the responses to them have been provided by great scholars, leaving no room for the slightest doubt regarding the essence of this matter and the meaning of the Prophet's statement when he asked the people, "Am I not more worthy of you than yourselves?" - which refers to the Quranic verse that "the Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves" - and after that, this statement, "Whoever I am his master, this Ali is his master," is beyond doubt. What must be expressed regarding the content of this historical, noble, and profound statement is that, apart from the appointment of Amir al-Mu'minin to the caliphate and leadership after the Prophet and the Prophet's testament - which is the common and prevalent meaning of this statement - there exists another important theme in this declaration that should not be overlooked, and that is Islam's engagement with the matter of governance and the political affairs of the community and the significance of this issue from the perspective of Islam. Those who have attempted to separate Islam from social and political issues and confine it to personal matters and the private lives of individuals - essentially adopting a secular view of Islam, which has been promoted by the enemies and their hands over the years - the response to them is the issue of Ghadir. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at that critical juncture, in the last months of his life, by the command of the Almighty God, articulated a fundamental and important issue, which is the matter of governance for after the time of the Prophet. The appointment of Amir al-Mu'minin was not merely a spiritual appointment; it can be said that the matter of spiritual aspects cannot be appointed; what can be appointed is governance, statecraft, politics, and the management of the Islamic community; this is what the Prophet Muhammad advised the people. This is a very important point in the issue of Ghadir that serves as a resounding response to all those who think and propagate that Islam should be separated from political matters and governance.

Therefore, these two truths, namely the truth of the appointment of Amir al-Mu'minin as the leadership after the Prophet, and the issue of addressing governance and politics and the leadership and administration of the community after the Prophet, are two very important and sensitive subjects that exist in the issue of Ghadir and are part of the teachings that Ghadir encompasses, providing a great lesson for all Muslims, for today and for the future of Muslims.

What we must pay attention to today is that the issue of Ghadir is a matter of belief; the Shiites and followers of the school of Ahl al-Bayt and the school of leadership are committed to the issue of Ghadir; this is the foundation and basis of Shiite thought; without a doubt, and there is no room for discussion. Those who have doubts and those who engage in discussions can sit in academic circles, in specialized gatherings, to discuss this matter; the logic of the Shiites is strong, and the evidence of the Shiites is decisive and without doubt; however, this should not affect the public life of Muslims, in the unity of Muslims with one another, in the brotherhood of Muslims with one another. The issue of division among the sects of Muslims - whether the Shiite and Sunni sects, or the various sects that exist within the two fundamental Islamic sects - has been one of the centers of the enemies' ambitions. For years, efforts have been made to create discord among Muslims because division among Muslims causes their determination, their strength, and their motivations to be consumed in internal disputes, preventing them from focusing on their external issues and their great enemies. This has been the fundamental policy of colonialism over the years, especially after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, as they saw the expansion of the Islamic Republic's thought in the Islamic world, they emphasized the policy of division more, insisted more, and invested to separate the Islamic world from the Islamic Republic.

The Islamic Republic system, our great revolution, our esteemed Imam, has been able to attract the thoughts of the Islamic world, to draw their hearts, and to direct their motivations and movements; this frightened the enemy; it frightened colonialism, global arrogance, Zionism, and specifically the hands of political power in America, and they resorted to the old weapon of "creating discord." Today, and over these years, they have been exacerbating the differences between Shiites and Sunnis to divert the attention of both sides from the main enemy - which is the enemy of Islam, not just the enemy of Shiism or the enemy of Sunnism - and to occupy them with each other; this is the policy of colonialism; the specialists of this policy are the political and security hands of the wicked British government, which has long been active in this area, trying to sow discord among the Muslim sects, having experienced the ways to do so, and are diligently engaged in this.

This "takfir" movement - this phenomenon that has emerged today in Iraq, Syria, and some other countries in the region, and is actually confronting all Muslims, not just Shiites - is a creation of the colonizers themselves; they have created something called al-Qaeda, something called ISIS to confront the Islamic Republic, to counter the Islamic awakening movement, but it has backfired on them; today it has caught them in its grasp. Of course, today, with a precise analytical perspective, one can see that the efforts that America and its allies are making in what they call "confronting ISIS" - which has no reality - are more about directing the hostilities of Muslims against one another than about destroying the seed of this wicked movement. They are trying to incite Muslims against each other; the agents of this are the ignorant, fanatical, and backward group they have placed in charge; otherwise, the goal remains the same; their effort is to divert Muslims from the main enemy. We must understand this - whether Shiite or Sunni; anyone who adheres to Islam, anyone who accepts the sovereignty of the Quran must know - that America, its policies, the policies of global arrogance, the policies of Zionism are enemies of Islam, enemies of Islamic awareness, enemies of the sovereignty of Islam; their efforts today are a continuation of their 35-year endeavor; for 35 years they have been trying in various ways, and by God's permission, with divine support, they have failed in all their efforts against the Islamic Republic; in this one too, by God's grace, they will certainly fail.

What is the duty of Muslims - whether Shiite Muslims or Sunni Muslims - is that by inciting each other's feelings, they do not assist the enemy; Shiites must know that if discord and disputes and sensitivity between Shiites and Sunnis are incited, the common enemy, the main enemy, will benefit; they must not allow it; Sunnis must also be the same. Both sides must be vigilant, not to provoke each other's feelings, not to insult each other's sanctities, not to ignite disputes between Muslim sects and groups, and specifically between Shiites and Sunnis, which is of interest to the enemies of Islam; everyone must be aware of this. If someone takes action in this regard that provokes the feelings of the other side and creates enmity, they should be certain that they are aiding America, aiding the wicked British, aiding Zionism; they are aiding those who create ISIS, al-Qaeda, and similar groups and initiate the takfir movement to create discord between Shiites and Sunnis. Today, Islamic unity, Islamic brotherhood, and Islamic solidarity are among the most necessary and obligatory duties of all Islamic communities, and everyone must adhere to this duty. Of course, the believing, aware, and insightful Muslims living in the Islamic Republic are familiar with their duties; we hope that here and everywhere, they will show commitment to these duties. May God willing, He grant you all success, and may He bless you and the Islamic world with the blessings of Eid al-Ghadir.

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