Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the Friday Prayer Sermon in Tehran

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. We praise Him and seek His assistance. We believe in Him and seek His forgiveness. We rely on Him and send blessings upon His beloved, His chosen one, and the best of His creation. The guardian of His secrets and the messenger of His messages. The bearer of mercy and the herald of His wrath. Our master, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny. The guided, infallible ones. Especially the Awaited One, the Mahdi, among the inhabitants of the earth.

I invite and recommend all dear brothers and sisters, as well as myself, to observe piety and God-consciousness. Our take-away from each of the Friday prayer gatherings should primarily be to draw one step closer to the adornment of piety. Piety is the constant vigilance over oneself; in our behavior and speech, even in our thoughts and mental imports; so that we do not approach what incurs divine wrath in our speech, behavior, or even in our thoughts. It is hoped that the Almighty God, by the blessing of the luminous gathering of Friday prayers and by the blessing of these days which are related to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) - that embodiment of piety - will assist us in approaching that general directive of the Prophets and His saints.

Today, in the first sermon, I will discuss Amir al-Mu'minin - who this year has been adorned with his name. These days mark the end of the year of Amir al-Mu'minin. Of course, all years, all days, and all history belong to Amir al-Mu'minin and to his clear path and way. In this year, which has been named and adorned with Amir al-Mu'minin, good intellectual works regarding the knowledge of Amir al-Mu'minin have been carried out by his admirers. For this reason, this naming was appropriate and yielded significant results: hearts are directed towards Amir al-Mu'minin; this matter has been welcomed, and the memory of that great figure has remained alive throughout the year, in gatherings and centers that aim to enlighten and also in the hearts of the people. This is good. However, what is important and more significant for us today in terms of knowledge and awareness is the practical approach to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him); for he is the exemplar. Knowing Ali is not enough; knowing must be a prelude to approaching the station of Amir al-Mu'minin. If a government seeks the good and welfare of the people, it must take Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) as its model and example. It is here that individuals will feel that happiness is present in their lives. This is true today and will always be the case in the future of history. If a society is waiting for happiness, the practical way is for governments to take the life and governance of Amir al-Mu'minin as a model and move in that direction. The hypocritical words and actions of the Western governments - which today control the world's propaganda - cannot make people happy or provide society with the true taste of justice.

In the life and character of Amir al-Mu'minin, the word and concept of "justice" has a special prominence. Many characteristics were present in that great figure, but one of the most prominent of these characteristics - which is always associated with his name - is the issue of justice. The various concepts that branch out from justice are intertwined in the existence of Amir al-Mu'minin. Amir al-Mu'minin is also the manifestation of divine justice. Justice, in the sense that we consider it one of the principles of religion, necessitated that the Almighty God choose a personality like Amir al-Mu'minin for the leadership and guidance of the people; and this is what the Almighty God did. The existence of Amir al-Mu'minin, his character, his upbringing, the peak of his rank, and then his appointment to the caliphate, all manifest divine justice; but in his own existence, justice in its human sense is also fully manifested. Human justice shows itself in two realms: individual and social. The justice of a person in their individual realm, and the justice of a person in the realm of governance and rulership, which we call social justice. Both of these are prominent in the life of Amir al-Mu'minin. We must know these with the intention of acting upon them; especially those who bear responsibilities in society and hold positions of authority in governance.

In Amir al-Mu'minin, personal justice was at its highest; the very thing we refer to as piety. It is this piety that manifests itself in his political actions, in his military actions, in the distribution of public funds by him, in his use of the benefits of life, in his spending of the public treasury of Muslims, in his judgments, and in all his affairs. In fact, in every human being, their personal and inner justice is the foundation of collective justice and the area of influence of justice in social life. It is not possible for someone to lack piety within themselves and in their personal actions, to be subject to desires and captive to Satan, yet claim that they can implement justice in society. Such a thing is impossible. Anyone who wishes to be a source of justice in the lives of people must first observe divine piety within themselves. Piety - in the same sense that I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon - means vigilance to avoid error. Of course, this does not mean that a person will not err; no. Ultimately, every non-infallible human being makes mistakes; but this vigilance is a straight path and a means of salvation that prevents a person from drowning and empowers them. A person who is not vigilant over themselves and is unjust and impious in their personal actions and words cannot be a source of social justice in the community. Here, Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) has conveyed his eternal lesson to all those who play a role in the political affairs of their society: "Whoever places himself as an Imam for the people must begin by educating himself before educating others"; whoever places themselves in the position of leadership, imamate, and guidance of society - in any capacity - must first begin by reforming and educating themselves; then they can turn to educating others. He says: "And let his education be through his conduct before his education by his tongue"; if he wants to educate others, he must do so through his conduct and behavior, not just with his words. Many things can be said with words; but what can truly guide people to the path of God is the conduct and actions of someone who is appointed as a leader and teacher, whether in the vastness of a society or in smaller domains. Then he says: "And the one who educates and disciplines himself is more deserving of respect than the one who educates and disciplines others"; the one who teaches and disciplines themselves is more deserving of honor and reverence than the one who wishes to educate others while having not disciplined themselves. This is the logic and lesson of Amir al-Mu'minin. Governance is not merely rulership. Governance is influence in hearts and acceptance in minds. Whoever finds themselves in such a position or places themselves there must first be constantly engaged in self-discipline; they must guide themselves, remind themselves, and admonish themselves.

Amir al-Mu'minin spoke about those who are worthy of leadership over the people or taking charge of some of the people's affairs; of course, this starts from the position of the leadership of a country and continues down to lower and smaller management levels - Amir al-Mu'minin gave these recommendations to his governors and provincial leaders; but this was also true for the judge of a city and the head of a section and the manager of a corner of this vast apparatus - he says: "So the first of his justice is to remove desires from himself"; the first step in the path of justice is to distance oneself from desires. "He describes the truth and acts upon it"; he must articulate the truth and also act upon it. For this reason, in Islam, power is always associated with ethics, and power devoid of ethics is tyrannical and usurping power. The methods used to acquire and maintain power must be ethical methods. In Islam, acquiring power at any cost does not exist. It is not the case that someone or a group has the right to resort to any means and methods to gain power - as is prevalent today in many parts of the world - no; power gained or maintained through such means is illegitimate and tyrannical.

In Islam, methods are very important; methods are like values. In Islam, just as values are of great importance, methods are also important, and values must manifest themselves in methods. Today, if we want our governance to be truly Islamic, we must move in this direction without hesitation. Officials in various sectors, the three branches of government, and mid-level managers must all strive to use ethical and sound methods for their work and the advancement of their goals. Utilizing these methods may sometimes lead to failures and troubles in terms of gaining power; but at the same time, it is determined that from the perspective of Islam and Amir al-Mu'minin, resorting to unethical methods is absolutely incorrect. This is the path of Ali, and we must move in this way. The points I have mentioned pertain to justice in the realm of the personal matters of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).

And as for the justice of Ali (peace be upon him) in the realm of society; that is, ensuring social justice. Here, Amir al-Mu'minin is the complete embodiment of Islam. The governance of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) is a hundred percent Islamic governance, not 99 percent or 99.99 percent; no. It is a hundred percent an Islamic governance. As far as Amir al-Mu'minin and the scope of his authority and power are concerned, there is not a moment of movement or decision that is un-Islamic in him; that is, absolute justice. Of course, in various areas of the governance of Amir al-Mu'minin, it was entirely possible and did occur that unjust actions were carried out; but Amir al-Mu'minin, as a responsible individual, felt a duty whenever he encountered such things. The letters, warnings, and heartfelt sermons of Amir al-Mu'minin, as well as his wars, were all in the path of implementing this justice.

Today, our duty is the same. I do not want even the thought to arise that individuals like us, or even those above us, could become similar to Amir al-Mu'minin; no. Amir al-Mu'minin is the highest example and a pure model. This example is for everyone to move towards; otherwise, Amir al-Mu'minin cannot be compared, and no one can be likened to him. Those great figures whom the Almighty God chose and granted infallibility - whether the great prophets or the pure Imams (peace be upon them) - are the stars of the heavens of humanity and the realms of creation. These are not individuals that ordinary people - like us - with their petty souls and small capacities can move like or reach; but they are guides. A person finds the path with a star. Therefore, we must move in that direction. Today, our duty is this. Today, in the Islamic Republic system, no one has the right to say that because we cannot act like Amir al-Mu'minin, we have no duty; no. There are many degrees of difference between what we can do and where Amir al-Mu'minin was. Whatever we can, we must traverse these degrees and move forward.

Justice must show its reality in society; and this is possible; just as the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic system have realized parts of justice that were once considered impossible to implement in Iran. There was a time when access to political centers for those who were not affiliated with America, who were not previously affiliated with England, who were not dependent on corrupt powers, and who were not connected to that corrupt court was considered impossible. Ordinary people were insignificant. No one even thought that they could have an impact in the realm of politics and power in this country without these contaminations and dependencies; but today, all individuals in this country see that if they want and if they prepare the necessary conditions within themselves, they can attain the highest political positions of this system. There was a time when social justice was unimaginable in this country; but today, part of it has been realized. So we can. With the determination of the people, much can be accomplished.

Officials must strive to implement the justice desired by Islam in all dimensions - in judicial dimensions, in economic dimensions, in the distribution of national wealth resources and various opportunities, and in everything that is important for people in the country. In the spending of public funds, in personal use, in appointments and dismissals, and in all the actions that a responsible person in the three branches of government - whether in the executive branch, the judiciary, or the legislative branch - can undertake, the goal must be the implementation of justice; and the method must be a just method. If this happens - that in every sector of this country and this system, efforts are made to realize justice and those who pursue it are followed, and justice is accessible and people taste it; in all aspects of life, we must strive to leave no trace of injustice - that day the Islamic Republic will be able to present itself to all the people of the world and to all Islamic nations as the true model of Islam.

Today, Muslim countries are captivated by the governance of Islam, and the day they witness the true realization of Islamic governance, this attraction will multiply tenfold. That is, they will see that divine limits are observed in a society; they will see that the rights of the people are fully respected in a society; they will see that no one, due to various privileges, throws others into the arms of injustice and oppression; they will see that no one, due to their personality and status, is exempt from the execution of true and real justice; they will see that deviation from everyone is a crime; they will see that all individuals are regarded equally due to their human dignity and Islamic brotherhood. If we act in this way, we will have safeguarded this divine trust that is in our hands; but if we do not act in this way, then Amir al-Mu'minin has a severe judgment: "Know, O Rifa'ah, that this leadership is a trust"; Amir al-Mu'minin says: this leadership and management that is in our hands is a trust; "So whoever turns it into treachery"; whoever converts this into treachery and sullies it with desires and uses it for personal ambitions and to execute non-divine and unjust purposes, "may the curse of God be upon him until the Day of Resurrection".

O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, grant us and the officials of the Islamic Republic success in implementing the luminous laws of Islam. O Lord! Those of us who speak in the name of Ali and move with his memory, guide us in practice to the straight path of Amir al-Mu'minin. O Lord! Establish justice - which is the legacy of Islam and Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) - in our society.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss. Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds and advise one another to truth and advise one another to patience.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds. And blessings and peace be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny. Especially upon Ali, Amir al-Mu'minin, and the pure and chaste lady, the mistress of the women of the worlds, and upon Hasan and Husayn, the grandsons of mercy and the masters of the youth of Paradise, and upon Ali ibn Husayn, Zain al-Abidin, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ja'far ibn Muhammad, and Musa ibn Ja'far, and Ali ibn Musa, and Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ali ibn Muhammad, and Hasan ibn Ali, and the Awaited Mahdi, the proofs of Your authority over Your servants and Your trusted ones in Your lands, and send blessings upon the Imams of the Muslims and the protectors of the oppressed and the guides of the believers.

I invite and recommend all dear brothers and sisters, as well as myself, to observe piety and to choose this radiant and blessed path.

Today, on the anniversary of the passing of our esteemed Imam Khomeini's valuable legacy - the late Haj Ahmad Agha, may God be pleased with him - we have placed our prayer gathering beside his shrine and the shrine of our esteemed Imam. Honoring this dear departed one is our duty from two perspectives, and it is always present as an obligation: one for the sake of the Imam, and one for his own sake.

But for the sake of the Imam: this patient, hardworking, and very serious man, in the true sense of the word, spent most of his useful life in the service of the Imam and for the Imam and the goals of the Imam. The Imam also recognized the value of this capable son. At least twice, I personally heard from the Imam that he said: Ahmad is the dearest of individuals to me. The Imam was not one of those who, as an emotional and personal act, would express affection for his close ones; he said that sentence so that we would also say it; he did not say it just for us to know. In multiple instances, the Imam expressed trust in Haj Ahmad Agha. I will never forget a very passionate meeting in which the Imam (may God be pleased with him) explicitly stated in front of me and a few others that he had complete trust in Haj Ahmad Agha. Therefore, for the sake of the Imam, it is good that we always honor the late Imam's legacy.

But for his own sake: he truly suffered and worked hard. In the path he believed was the path of the revolution and the path of Islam and the path desired by the Imam, he moved without hesitation and made many enemies. Some of these hostilities, even if carried out in the name of Islam and with the name of some concerns for beautiful concepts, are personal enmities; they are grudges that some held against this dear oppressed one; because he was steadfast in the positions of the Imam and did not yield and did not submit to many. Those who, for the sake of pleasing the enemies of the revolution and Islam, opened their mouths to ridicule and speak ill of the late Haj Ahmad Agha, are in reality harboring grudges against the Imam and the revolution behind Haj Ahmad Agha; their personal enmity with that late figure is because he was, in the true sense of the word, a defender: a defender of the Imam and the revolution during the lifetime of the Imam and after the Imam's passing. He defended the values and principles and stood firm and acted contrary to the expectations and anticipations of many. He himself, in the last year of his life, expressed his grievances to me a couple of times about some who had different expectations of him and wanted other things. O Lord! By Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, pour Your mercy, forgiveness, and pleasure upon the soul of Haj Ahmad Agha and upon the soul of our esteemed Imam - who was the source of his existence and upbringing.

The matter that I find necessary to address in this last Friday of the year and on the threshold of a new year regarding the general issues of the country is that today, although we advise all people to be vigilant and alert against the complex plots of the enemy, we particularly recommend this to those who deal with various responsibilities; because today, the enemy, considering the growing power and might of the Islamic Republic, has accelerated and intensified its attacks against this system. They are carrying out attacks on the Islamic Republic through two or three methods, hoping to strike a blow; and since they see that their blows are ineffective and do not have an impact, they constantly revise their methods. The might of this system, which relies on the emotions and public opinions and faith of the people, has bewildered the enemy; but they have not yet exited the field. The enemy is still plotting and will continue to plot for a long time. We must remain alert, and just as the enemy changes its methods of enmity, we must increase our vigilance; both all individuals of this dear people - fortunately, our people, our youth, our various classes, are all aware and vigilant and sensitive; this public sensitivity in our country is very important and many subtle things are noticed by the people - and also the officials.

At the beginning of the year 79, I requested the people and the officials to focus their efforts on two directions: public unity and national security; of course, efforts have been made, and I sincerely and wholeheartedly thank all those who have worked in this regard throughout the year. Particularly in the area of security, good work has been done, and in the area of unity, efforts have been made; but I want to repeat the same initial statement of the year at the end of the year; with the explanation that the enemy can achieve its goals when it can create divisions and rifts within the body of the system and among the officials of various sectors. The enemy is pursuing this matter.

How can a rift be created? Two paths can be taken: they have become somewhat hopeless in one of those paths; of course, I do not say completely, but they have not been able to act in that way. The path they have not been able to maneuver and show activity in is the path of infiltration into the pillars of the system. They cannot infiltrate the upper centers of the system and have not yet succeeded. The other path they have always taken since the beginning of the revolution, and I have many memories and examples in my mind from the time of my presidency and afterwards, is that a group or individual from the system is focused on; they praise and support them and show themselves as their supporters; perhaps they can create distrust towards others and make that individual trust them; that is, create a rift within the system. This has been one of the constant programs of the enemies' propaganda; it has been present before and exists today; they have experienced this many times and have failed in multiple instances. It is necessary to express this point as a token of gratitude for this blessing of the Almighty God: one of the greatest blessings that God has given us is that many of our officials have dealt with issues wisely and prudently and have understood that the flattering tongue of the enemy is a trap of enmity. They implemented this same plan regarding the current esteemed president and the previous esteemed president and failed. Before the election of our current esteemed president and after his election, global propaganda was filled with claims that various Western agencies supported him. Of course, from the very first interview he conducted after assuming office, he disappointed the enemy. Until today, thank God, it has been this way. However, the enemy has succeeded in some instances and has been able to use this trick in some cases. Whenever a disagreement arises over an issue within the country, they begin to attack one side in favor of the other; they exalt and praise one side against the other! We must be vigilant, keep our attention focused, and understand what the enemy is thinking and planning. Many understand this trick, but some do not and fall into the trap. Imam (may God be pleased with him) expressed a general rule in such cases. Throughout these twenty-two years of experience that I have had from the beginning of the Islamic Republic until today, I have seen everywhere that this method and logic that the Imam employed has been correct. The Imam said that whenever the enemies praised you, know that they have an ulterior motive; therefore, refer back and eliminate the ground for that ulterior motive. Whatever they invite the people, the masses, the youth, and various classes to, know that it is to your detriment. Wherever we have experienced this so far, it has been the same; therefore, we must be very cautious.

The enemy has very active propaganda methods. Today, almost all major propaganda media in the world are monopolized by powerful usurer organizations that dominate many governments. Many of them are Zionists or allies of the Zionists. They do not propagate without reason or aim; they do not attack someone or elevate someone without a motive; either they have a desire or a goal; therefore, we must be cautious.

The remedy is precisely what I have mentioned - just as I quoted from our esteemed president and also the previous esteemed president - that a person should speak and position themselves in such a way that the one who has dug a pit with praise for them realizes that they have failed and have not achieved their goal. It has sometimes happened that foreign radios have praised high-ranking officials of the country and top managers - from their person, from their group, from their faction, from their party - on occasions. I have told them to ensure that they do not get confused with them; that is, they should clearly state their distance from them. If this is done, they will not achieve their goal, and their plot will be thwarted; let them praise as much as they want. When there is a disagreement between two factions and two ideological groups in our society - of course, ideological and stylistic disagreements are natural and not problematic - they support one side and attack the other. The way to neutralize their plot is for the side that has been supported by them to explicitly and publicly disavow them. If this is done, the enemy will not achieve its goal - which is to create a rift. If this does not happen, the enemy will become hopeful of achieving its goal.

My dear ones! Know that if a rift occurs in the governance, no fundamental work will progress; whatever work a group undertakes, another group will place a question mark over it and prevent the progress of the work, which you have observed in multiple instances. An organization undertakes a good positive action; but before anything is known, suddenly you see that some individuals position themselves against it and criticize and attack it! In this way, no work progresses. When a good slogan and statement comes out of someone's mouth, a group from the other side attacks them and does not allow that slogan to reach fruition. Division in the main centers of governance has these significant problems; otherwise, ideological disagreement is not problematic. Division and duality and enmity that benefit the enemy is what is problematic. Sometimes I am discontent with some of the positions taken by certain individuals - whether in the legislative branch or in some other places. One should not position themselves in such a way that the enemy sees it to their advantage and in line with their goals and objectives. We must allow the institutions of the country - whether the executive branch, the judiciary, or the legislative branch - to carry out their work with the necessary power and courage and self-confidence.

Conflict at the high levels of governance is precisely what the enemy desires and pursues seriously. As I mentioned earlier: if they manage to infiltrate someone, they will do so - fortunately, they have not yet succeeded in the upper centers, and God willing, they will not succeed in the future either - but another path available to them is to show themselves as close to some and intensify the conflict against some and in favor of others. One of the clear and evident policies of the counter-revolution in recent years has been this point. If they speak, it is with this aim; if they position themselves, it is with this aim; if they launch a radio, it is with this aim. Inside, there are also remnants of the counter-revolution and agents of foreign intelligence services - it is not that they do not exist - they also position themselves in the same way, speak in the same way, and pursue the same goal. Their goal is not only to create a rift in the upper echelons of governance; creating a rift in the religious seminaries is also another goal of theirs. They have tried to create divisions among the authorities and great scholars in the religious seminaries, but fortunately, they have not succeeded, and we hope they will not succeed anywhere.

In this last Friday of the year of Amir al-Mu'minin, in the name and memory of that great figure, I first invite myself - who needs the recommendation to piety more than anyone else - and then the officials of the country and all the people and you dear worshippers to observe piety; with the same meaning of vigilant care over our behaviors and movements and actions; so that the enemy does not become hopeful and does not feel that it can create a rift in governance and prevent the progress of correct actions. I ask the Almighty God that this year - which has been adorned with the name of Amir al-Mu'minin - be a treasure for this nation and that God willing, the coming year will be a year of great successes for this nation. Of course, regarding the issues of the coming year and the matter of elections - which will be at the beginning of the coming year - I have many other points to share with the dear people, which I will address at the appropriate time.

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Indeed, We have given you al-Kawthar. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him). Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.

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