Statements of the Supreme Leader in Meeting with the Praise Singers of the Family of the Prophet on the Occasion of the Birth of Lady Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her)

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

First of all, I sincerely thank all the dear ones who have made the effort to come here; especially those who have graciously adorned this session and this atmosphere with the fragrance of the praises of Lady Fatimah Zahra and the great Siddiqa, as well as the brothers who have composed these beautiful and good poems and the reciters who have recited them here; particularly the brothers who have come from distant places and other cities.

The life of Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) is akin to the myths of history due to the greatness and wonders it contains. Truly, our eyes cannot perceive the spiritual ranks of that great lady - "You are great, and you cannot be shown in a small mirror" - we cannot even imagine that lofty stature and that greatness in the narrow confines of our minds; however, what our superficial eyes can see is indeed very magnificent. That is to say, her short life, whether in childhood, adolescence, or in marriage and homemaking, is so rich in meaning! Who can be the wife of the Commander of the Faithful? The greatness of Ali is such that he melts down great mountains before him. The very fact of being the wife of the Commander of the Faithful is a great sign of magnificence; yet, observe how this husband and wife interact and how two great figures, beyond the dimensions of human thought, converse with each other; how they live; how they manage this exemplary and historical life and how each takes on a role! These are not coincidental. The role of that husband during the struggles and wars is to be the first and foremost, the primary breakthrough, and the ultimate solver of problems. After the passing of the Prophet, this role changes. The same courage, the same power, and the same greatness exist; however, it manifests in a different role. Who can endure that great event after the Prophet? But Ali endured it, and this is the same courage of Khaybar and the same strength of Uhud that perseveres here. Then comes the period of the caliphate, where every word and every step leaves an impact on the history of Islam and humanity. Then, the role that corresponds with this person is the role of Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her). If her immense and heart-wrenching oppression did not manifest in history, the truths of Islam would not have been revealed as they later became clear. These are not coincidental. All of these are designed with divine wisdom; however, those who are chosen for these challenging fields and roles are those whose essence is the essence chosen by God. Among all humans throughout history, the Almighty God chooses: "God tested you, who created you before creating you, and found you patient when He tested you." The field is a field of trial. It is not a field of random work. It is not a field of arbitrary distinction. The Almighty God does not grant distinction to anyone arbitrarily. This essence, this strong will, this resolute determination, this selflessness and sacrifice in Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) brings her to the point where she becomes the diamond upon which all these wheels turn. The most difficult wheels must turn on the hardest foundations and bases. This great wheel of Islamic history and difficult trials rested on the shoulders of Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) during that short period. God chose her, and she was able to save humanity. Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) is the angel of salvation for humans throughout history. This is why the Imams (peace be upon them) show such respect and reverence for that great lady and express humility towards her. Is there any rank higher than this?

The role of praising and glorifying the family of the Prophet - which naturally includes mentioning their sufferings - is a very important and great task. Of course, we have repeatedly expressed our thoughts on this matter in such sessions over the years and have shown our sincerity and devotion to the art of praise in various ways. In your work of praising, there are several artistic springs: your poetry is an art; your voice is an art; the melody you choose is an art; the gestures and actions you perform are an art. The second element is the element of reasoning; because logic, reasoning, sound arguments, and good words abound within these poems and can convince minds. Of course, logic has various forms. Sometimes it is demonstrative, sometimes it is rhetorical, sometimes it is poetic; the aim is to convey this message to the depths of the audience's mind and convince them. The third characteristic is that you are considered carriers of a religious message; that is, you have a spiritual and moral status. There are many good singers in the world, and they may also recite good poems; however, they do not speak from the position of a praise singer; but you speak from the position of a praise singer of the Ahl al-Bayt and from a spiritual and moral standpoint. Of course, there are other characteristics, but these three characteristics together are the most important.

I want to say that these three distinguished characteristics that, thanks be to God, the Almighty has bestowed upon you can be used very well; they can be misused; or they can be poorly used. Of course, using them well encompasses a range of types of use. My dear ones!

Strive to make the best use of these three distinguished characteristics that, thanks be to God, the Almighty has granted you. Your poetry should be good, solid, strong, meaningful, and convincing. Sometimes a poem that you recite can have the impact of several sermons from a well-spoken preacher. Sometimes a single line of poetry can be worth as much as a book. These do not come easily and for free. One must strive, work hard, find good poetry, memorize it, and recite it. Of course, fortunately, it has become common today to read poetry from a text. In our opinion, there is no problem with that; however, the older generations considered it a flaw to read from a text. Of course, if the praise singers memorize the poetry, they will have an additional art; but if they do not memorize it, there is no problem. What matters is that the poetry is good, solid, strong, and meaningful. What is the criterion for good and meaningful poetry? What is a good theme? What is wrong? What is right? These are extensive discussions that must be clarified in their own place; however, in any case, using them well is the correct path, otherwise, not using them or, God forbid, misusing them are the incorrect paths.

O Lord! We swear to You by the sanctity of Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her), keep us among the Shiites, devotees, and admirers of that great lady alive and let us die and be resurrected with her. O Lord! Whatever was said, recited, and acted upon in this assembly, please accept it and consider it worthy in the eyes of that great lady. O Lord! Include us among those who receive guidance and intercession from that great lady. O Lord! Guide us in all stages of life with Your guidance. O Lord! Do not leave us to ourselves; defeat and frustrate the enemies of this nation; grant this nation victory over its enemies in all its honorable and valuable political, revolutionary, and religious stages and in all trials; include it in Your grace, favor, and mercy. O Lord! Make the sacred heart of the Master of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him) kind towards us. Include us in the prayers of that great lady; please make the pure soul of our dear Imam and the blessed souls of our martyrs pleased and honored by this assembly.

And peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.