Statements in Meeting with Hajj Officials

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

First, we welcome all dear brothers and sisters, the esteemed officials of one of the most distinguished services in the Islamic community, namely the Abrahamic Hajj and the pilgrimage to the House of God and the visit to the illuminated Medina. We hope that this great honor will be a treasure for your afterlife and that you will carry out your efforts and actions in this blessed assembly with such sincerity that it shines like the sun in your record of deeds, God willing. We also thank the esteemed gentlemen, the officials who work in the field of Hajj; truly, their efforts deserve appreciation, whether in cultural, spiritual, ethical, and educational areas, or in operational, executive, and organizational aspects.

What is important is that we understand that Hajj is one of the strengths of the holy religion of Islam; although there are many strengths within the Islamic Sharia, Hajj has a distinct prominence due to its characteristics, which we are all somewhat familiar with. In fact, it can be said that Hajj is a source of power for the Islamic community, a source of power for the Islamic nation. The day we Muslims in different countries and from various sects attain the grace to form the true meaning of the "Islamic nation"—which, unfortunately, we have not yet achieved, and we have not reached this political, intellectual, and ethical maturity—and can unite Muslims from the farthest East to the furthest West of the Islamic world as one nation, even with different governments, that day we will understand how Hajj serves as a source of strength, stability, elevation, and dignity for this nation.

Today, the Islamic Republic must view Hajj through this lens: as a means of power; what kind of power? Is our understanding of this power similar to material, political, and military powers, or even to soft powers, such as cultural and linguistic power? No, it is much higher than that. Hajj, in addition to having political power, in addition to demonstrating the cultural power of the Islamic system to the world, possesses spiritual power; it builds individuals from within, prepares them to overcome difficult obstacles, and opens their eyes to truths that cannot be seen or felt without participating in the Hajj. It is there that one understands some of the spiritual truths of Islam, the educational truths of Islam; this is what Hajj is.

One of the essential requirements of Hajj, in the true sense of the word, is that pilgrims behave brotherly with one another in the arena of Hajj and in the field of this great Islamic obligation; they should look at each other with the eyes of brothers, not as strangers, not as enemies; they should regard each other as those moving towards a common goal, seeking one thing, revolving around a single axis. The statement, "There should be no obscenity, no wrongdoing, and no disputation in Hajj" (Quran 2:197), means that "no disputation" does not refer to disputation with the enemy; rather, Hajj is a manifestation of the struggle against the enemy. Some narrow-minded and ill-intentioned individuals have attempted to interpret "no disputation in Hajj" in this way; why do you hold the ceremony of disavowal during Hajj? This disputation in disavowal is a struggle against polytheism, a struggle against disbelief; this is one of the fundamental lines of Islamic life. The disputation that should not occur in Hajj is the disputation among brothers, the disputation among believers, the disputation among hearts that believe in monotheism; this disputation should not exist. We must strive not only to avoid verbal disputes but also to eliminate any heart-based animosity; this is in stark contrast to what the enemies of Islam are trying to create in the Islamic community; keep this in mind. The differences among Islamic sects, the differences between Shia and Sunni at the level of doctrinal differences—one has one belief, another has a different belief; they have disagreements—do not create a problem; the problem arises when these doctrinal differences lead to spiritual differences, behavioral differences, conflicts, hostility, and enmity; the enemies of the Islamic world are pursuing this agenda, this plan. They have understood well that if Islamic sects in the Islamic world grab each other by the throat and start a struggle among themselves, the usurping Zionist regime will breathe easily; they have understood this well, they have understood it correctly; thus, on one hand, they unleash takfiri groups that not only declare Shia as infidels but also many Sunni sects; on the other hand, they send mercenaries to stoke this fire, to pour gasoline on the flames; you see, you hear, or you are aware. They provide the means of mass communication and media to these individuals; where? In America! Where? In London! The Shia that is to be disseminated to the world from London and America is of no benefit to Shia. Religious leaders of Shia, especially after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and others, have emphasized the importance of maintaining the unity of the Islamic nation and the brotherhood of Muslims with one another; meanwhile, some individuals—more eager than the pot—are pursuing incitement, seeking to create conflict and division. This is exactly what the enemy wants; this is exactly what the enemies of the Islamic world, who are neither Shia nor Sunni, do not favor, neither this nor that, are pursuing. We must understand these things, we must pay attention to them.

Another fundamental point that is also a strength of Hajj and a source of its power is that pure Islamic culture should be exchanged among Muslims, and Islamic experiences should be shared among them. We may have heard things from a certain Islamic country, but hearing is different from sitting with the people of that country and hearing directly from them; they too can compare what they have heard about our beloved Islamic Iran with what they see and hear from you, and discover the truth. The volume of propaganda against the Islamic Republic is terrifying; the number of media outlets—using various methods—against the Islamic Republic in the world is astonishing. When a young person from a certain African country or a certain Asian country or an Arab or non-Arab country sits down at the internet or watches a certain international media outlet or picks up a certain international publication, how can they understand that what is written here about Islamic Iran is false? Your presence in Hajj, in this international arena, gives you the opportunity to convey the truths; not only with words but also with actions; to speak the truths of Islam, the truths of Shia, the truths of the Islamic Revolution, and the current events.

Another important and fundamental point in Hajj is what has been mentioned: strengthening spirituality within ourselves. My dear ones! We can only resist in the fields of jihad for the sake of God if our hearts are filled with faith in God and overflowing with trust in the Almighty God; without spirituality, we cannot move forward, without strong faith, we cannot traverse difficult paths, and without reliance on the Almighty God, we cannot close our eyes to the apparent might of powers and see the true power; reliance is necessary, faith is necessary, and good opinion of God's promises is necessary; these are secured in Hajj. There, one goes to "witness benefits for them" (Quran 22:28); these benefits are not only worldly benefits; they are worldly benefits, afterlife benefits, spiritual benefits, and psychological benefits; this is Hajj.

Well, today you observe that in the Islamic world, in addition to the actions that enemies are taking to create intellectual, spiritual, and doctrinal differences, they are also inciting fires; look at our neighboring countries—in Pakistan in one way, in Iraq in another way, in Syria in another way, in Bahrain in another way—how they ignite the flames of war among people under the pretext of Shia and Sunni; even where the issue of Shia and Sunni does not exist, they label it as such, as I have repeatedly pointed out; they are willing to set the region ablaze for political purposes; superpowers are like this. Superpowers do not care if an explosion occurs in a certain neighborhood of a certain city in Iraq, killing fifty people; they do not care if events occur in Syria that gradually turn a country into ruins; or in Egypt or elsewhere, they do not care. For their illegitimate interests, superpowers—America and its ilk—carry out such actions. Now, this new approach that the Americans have regarding Syria, we hope it is serious; may it not be another political game; for weeks they have been threatening the people of this region with the creation of a war, a costly conflict, for interests they have defined for themselves, and they consider defending these interests as legitimate, even if it tramples on the interests of ten other countries and ten other nations; this is how they are. Fairness and consideration for the interests of humanity and the broader interests of all humanity are not on their agenda; they label it as national interests, which in reality are not even their national interests, but the interests of the Zionists, the interests of the enemies of humanity, the interests of capitalists who have shown over the past seventy or eighty years that they adhere to no principle of humanity; they label this as their national interests, and for these claimed national interests, they are willing to ignite all fires. For several weeks now, they have stirred up a commotion in this region with threats of war and threats of bombing. Well, if this recent approach is serious, it is a reversal of the reckless and wrong actions they have pursued in recent weeks; we hope it is serious; this is the state of the region, the state of the world.

The Islamic Republic looks at all these issues with an open mind, with awareness, and with full attention; what we understand is that we must, as a nation, as a large population of seventy to eighty million located in a sensitive region of the world, firmly establish our foothold with a correct perspective, and present our noble and lofty human goals derived from Islam to the view of all humanity, inviting humanity to what Islam offers as a gift; this is our duty. We have repeatedly stated: building the internal power of the nation will primarily be achieved through correct and firm faith, through the unity of all people, through the correct actions of the country's officials, and through the cooperation of officials and the general public, and with reliance on the Almighty God; that is, employing intellect, spirituality, reliance, movement, and action; undoubtedly, this will also have an impact on the regional situation, just as it has had an impact until now. And we hope that, God willing, this spiritual presence in various arenas, including your presence in Hajj, with this strong logic and clear perspective, can fulfill what Islam desires for the system, for the people of the world, for Muslims, for non-Muslims, and for humanity, and provide the means for public happiness.

We ask for your prayers, and we hope that, God willing, you will have a good Hajj this year, and that divine grace and kindness will encompass all of you, all Iranian pilgrims, and all pilgrims of the Sacred House from all corners of the Islamic world; may you have an accepted Hajj, God willing.

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