Statements in Meeting with a Group of Eulogists

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

I congratulate all of you dear ones, brothers, sisters, the nightingales of the garden of praise for the family of the Prophet, and the glorifiers of the best and greatest of all creatures, on this noble holiday, the auspicious birth, the day of joy and delight, and the freshness of the hearts of the Shiites throughout history. We hope that the Almighty God accepts this intercession from all of you dear ones who have performed the program - the singers, the reciters, the performers, and your entire group - in the best manner. I, the humble servant, thank God for granting us the opportunity; it has been about thirty years or more that we have had this intercession on this day, and thanks be to God, one can observe the flourishing, grandeur, spirituality, and growth of concepts and meanings in the progress of the years. The program you performed this year was very good; both in terms of content and form; the poems were good, the performances and recitations were very good. God willing, may you friends and dear ones become more successful day by day in the direction of increasing knowledge and spreading light in the mental space of society.

Two points are worth mentioning in this session - although there is much more to say - one point is about the eulogy of the family of the Prophet; this important task that you have undertaken. Today, thanks be to God, throughout the country, the network of eulogists and glorifiers of the family of the Prophet has developed; there are many people, many talents, and eager hearts among the eulogists - composed of our youth, our veterans, our masters - who, thanks be to God, go among the people and provide the means for the people's intercession and spread the table of blessings of the Ahl al-Bayt; this is an opportunity for our country; like many other opportunities we have. Our Muslim brothers in other countries do not have many of our opportunities; one of them is this. This series and chain and flow and network of intercession to the Ahl al-Bayt and love for the Ahl al-Bayt and stirring emotions is a very important opportunity. Now, for whatever reason, others in other regions do not enjoy this great blessing, this general blessing, in this way; we do. Certainly, one of the factors that preserves religion, spirituality, belief, and ethics in a community throughout history is emotions; alongside reason and intellect and reasoning. The prophets and divine messengers did not sit with the people to speak philosophically; although for understanding their words and delving into their expressions, philosophical reasoning was necessary and is necessary; that is, great philosophers benefit the most from the broad table of the divine prophets; however, this table is not a special table; therefore, its language is not the language of rational reasoning and debate; this language is a combination of thought and intellect and emotions; it is emotion that can smooth the path of rational understanding and rational movement and rational flow. We naturally have this flow; both in sessions of praise and mourning and joy and birth celebrations, and in sessions of prayer; this supplication of Kumayl, this supplication of Nudbah, this supplication of Imam Hussein on Arafah, and the supplications that are specific to us. Among others, there is no such amount of eloquent, meaningful, and well-themed supplication; this is also one of the special privileges that, thanks be to God, the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt enjoy. All of these intertwine reason and emotion throughout history and in the depths of human thought and emotions.

Therefore, the dignity of the eulogist is this; that is, to stir emotions, and to bring these emotions to the aid of thought and intellect. The dignity of the eulogist and glorifier - this profession that today, thanks be to God, exists abundantly in our country - is to be able to spread knowledge among the people with artistic expression, with artistic style, with artistic performance. This became the main axis. The poem you choose, the tone you select, the way you speak to the people should align with this direction; in the direction of increasing knowledge and deepening the guidance of the people and their understanding of religion and the way of life; this is a task that the community of eulogists can perform in the best manner.

We have repeatedly stated, and this is a truth, that when you recite a poem or a ghazal that carries knowledge in a gathering, sometimes its impact is greater and deeper than hours of eloquent and fluent speech by a speaker; this is an opportunity; this opportunity must be utilized; this opportunity must not be wasted. A poem that lacks content wastes this opportunity; or if it contains a weak point and possibly a mistake, it wastes this opportunity; or if the quality of the performance is such that it violates the boundaries of religious law, this opportunity is wasted; or if it is such that it overlooks the critical needs that people today need to know, this opportunity is wasted. Suppose during the imposed war when the country needed a passionate and practical epic and jihad in the field, the youth were ready, and the parents were ready, someone went to their gatherings and recited poetry, performed well, but did not make a reference to this urgent need; this is wasting an opportunity. At that time, the eulogists created very good roles. In this front, the work that our eulogists did, the impact they had on the depths of our warriors' souls is unparalleled. I know some of them; the Turkish-speaking eulogists in one way, the Persian-speaking eulogists in another way, and the eulogists from Zanjan, one of whom recited here today, and from other places, and also the poets who supported these eulogists, all fulfilled their duties that day. Today, I also see that among the poems that were recited, attention was paid to critical needs; a complete example of this is the poem of Mr. Sazegar, which is like this every year. In these poems and songs, he creates a delicate and correct artistic connection between the Throne and the Earth; he moves from the realm of the divine calmly and with artistic style, reaching this need today. See, this is an artistic combination; the poem is also good.

You use your voice, which is a blessing from God; you use tone and melody, which are blessings from God; you use poetry, which is a divine gift of talent. These blessings are at your disposal; how do you serve them? In the service of increasing knowledge. If it becomes a means of creating discord, if it serves to provoke the animosities that today, because of these animosities, fanatical extremists in some parts of the world are beheading twenty or thirty people, this use is a bad use; be very careful about this.

You recite a poem here, today, with video and the internet and various means of message transmission; the photo and details go to a certain point, provoke a few ignorant extremists, and incite them against a bunch of innocent women and children, shedding their blood. Be cautious of these things. The reason I insist so much, I emphasize that you should diminish sectarian and tribal differences, is for this reason. No one should think that if we want to express gratitude for this love that has filled the hearts of our people, and is overflowing with love for the Ahl al-Bayt, and to stir these emotions, the way is that; no, that is a mistake. Creating discord or provoking divisive animosities is not in the interest; it was not in the interest today, nor was it in the interest during the time of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him); they also prevented it. Some superficial individuals do not pay attention to this issue.

The same goes for internal and domestic differences. Today, our people must have hope; if there is hope, there will be an epic. When we say "epic," it is not a directive, it is not a circular; we issue a circular, and the people create an epic! Is such a thing possible? Is it reasonable? An epic springs from the heart, an epic is guided by reason, an epic is supported by faith; these are not directives. If the heart is emptied of hope, if the mind is devoid of correct logic, an epic will not come into existence. Can we create doubt in minds, inject despair into hearts, and expect an epic to emerge? It is clear that no. This is what epic-making is: a space of pessimism should not be created; a space of suspicion should not be created; a space of hope, a space of optimism, a space of looking at the horizons should be created; horizons that are certain, real, and not illusory.

For example, in the early 60s - thirty years ago - if we had said that the future would be such and such, some might have said yes, they are indoctrinating; but today, that talk is no longer valid; today we see the profound, wide, progressive movement of the revolution and the country towards goals; both material goals, spiritual goals; both political goals, social goals; both domestic goals and international goals; these are before our eyes; can anyone deny this? At that time, this vision that we are now outlining for ourselves, can anyone come and create doubt in it, create despair in it, and bring about hopelessness? Likewise, in the continuous movement and jihad that is a necessity for a country, a nation, and a history.

Continuous jihad is a necessity for all. All advancements, all civilizations, have been achieved thanks to continuous struggle. Continuous struggle does not only mean suffering. Jihad is a source of enthusiasm. Jihad is a source of joy and vitality. Today, when we need this jihad, if someone calls for laziness, lethargy, isolation, and idleness, this becomes a denial of God's blessing; "Have you not seen those who exchanged the blessing of God for disbelief and led their people to the abode of destruction"; (1) this must not happen.

Among you dear ones, thanks be to God, there are both veterans and youth, and there are good talents. Among you, I see the fresh, blooming flowers who have been able to come well into the field and not only fill the void left by the past but also move better and superior to them - we have seen many of the past.

What I am telling you is this: Eulogy is increasing knowledge. Eulogy is spreading knowledge and wisdom and hope and firm belief. Eulogy is stirring the springs of emotions in hearts; using the art of poetry, the art of song, the art of performance.

Of course, there is a definite principle, my dear ones! People enjoy your voice, they delight in your poetry, they are moved by your performance - whether in your praise or in your mourning - their hearts are shaken and they shed tears; but they also look at you. If you have a commendable display in terms of ethics, piety, and chastity, all that we have mentioned will have a multiplied effect on the people. But if, God forbid, the opposite happens; if people observe signs of moral instability, signs of backwardness in terms of ethics and, God forbid, chastity and these things, the effect of these arts and beauties in your work will be lost; be careful about this. We all must be cautious; we, the clerics, more than others, religious speakers more than others, prominent figures in the field of religion and piety more than others. We all must be cautious; you too. You who work in the field of religion and knowledge and divine matters must be very careful; careful about ethics, careful about the purity of speech, purity of conduct, purity of heart, purity of hands. May God Almighty assist you. A eulogist at the shrine of Fatimah (peace be upon her) when placed in such a position is a distinguished person. That is, just as we have understood, recognized, and believed, those who are in the path of praising the Imams (peace be upon them) and expressing devotion to these great figures and directing hearts towards these great ones, they are dear and beloved before God Almighty.

Of course, today there was a point in our session that is commendable. In these long years, I have often objected to the eulogists who recited here that they turned the celebration and birth gathering into a mourning assembly; they recited lengthy elegies and shed tears! Everything has its place. They call you eulogists. What does eulogist mean? Your main characteristic is eulogy, not elegy. Recite elegies, I am a supporter of elegy recitation, I also recite elegies. It is not the case that in the gathering of the birth of the Imams (peace be upon them) there must necessarily be an elegy recited, a moment of mourning, a tear shed; there is no necessity for that. Let the emotions that people have towards the Imams (peace be upon them) not be portrayed as being limited to the issue of crying and mourning; no, mourning has its place, eulogy and birth celebrations and joy have their place; these should not be mixed together.

And as for the second point that is worthy of discussion today, it is the issue of women. One of the evils of material civilization is the movement that has been carried out regarding women. We have a lot to say in this regard. The great sin that Western civilization has committed against women is neither easily erasable nor easily compensable, nor even easily expressible. Now they put various names on it - like all their actions - they commit crimes and call it human rights! They oppress and call it support for nations! They carry out military attacks and call it defense! One of the natures of Western civilization is deception; duplicity, hypocrisy, lying, contradiction in behavior and speech; in the issue of women, it is exactly the same. Unfortunately, they have spread their prevailing culture throughout the world. Today, they have made it so that one of the most important duties of women - if not the most important duty - is to display themselves, to expose their beauty for the enjoyment of men; this has become a necessary and essential characteristic of women! Unfortunately, this is how it has become in the world. In the most formal gatherings - political gatherings, various gatherings - men must come in long pants, must come dressed modestly, but women can come as naked and exposed as possible, and there is no problem! Is this normal? Is this natural? Is this a movement according to nature? They have done this. A woman must present herself to the sight of men to be a source of enjoyment for men! Is there any greater oppression than this? They have called this freedom, and the opposite of it is called captivity! While the concealment of women, the veiling of women for themselves is the honoring of women; it is the respect of women; it is the creation of a boundary for women. They have broken this boundary and are breaking it more and more every day; they also put various names on it. One of the first or perhaps one of the first negative effects that this issue has had is the destruction of the family; the foundation of the family has become weak. When in a society the family becomes unstable and disappears, corruption becomes institutionalized in that society.

The problems that exist today in the West, these foolish and malicious laws that they are passing regarding sexual matters, are leading them to the bottom of the abyss. This decline is also not preventable; they are doomed to fall. Western civilization, whether it wants to or not, is no longer able to prevent this fall. The brakes of this vehicle have been cut, and the road is steeply slippery and downhill. They sinned when they cut the brakes and placed themselves at the edge of this precipice; therefore, they are doomed to failure.

The decline of civilizations, like the emergence of civilizations, is a gradual matter - it is not an immediate and sudden matter - and this gradual decline is happening, and I do not think it will escape the eyes of this generation or the next generation; they will see what happens.

God Almighty has determined the limits of honoring women in the Quran. A woman before God Almighty is like a man. In the course of spiritual and divine ranks, there is no difference between these two genders. The one who has paved this road for them is a human being, not a man or a woman. God Almighty creates a woman like Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) who Imam Askari or Imam Hadi (peace be upon them) - according to a narration from them - say: "We are the proofs of God upon His creation, and Fatimah is the proof of God upon us." Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) is the proof of the proof of God, the Imam of the Imams; what greater personality is there? That lady possesses the rank of infallibility. Such a person is a woman. The great women of the world: Mary, Sarah, Asia, and others - the great ones who were - are the prominent figures of creation. In this path of perfection and elevation, the one who moves is a human being. In social rights, there is no difference between men and women. In personal and individual rights, there is no difference between men and women. In several specific personal issues, privileges have been given to women, and in several issues, privileges have been given to men; that too based on the nature of women and men; this is Islam; the most solid, logical, and practical laws and limits that one can imagine regarding the issue of gender. We must follow this path; one of the most fundamental is the formation of the family, one of the most fundamental is the emphasis on preserving the family environment and family intimacy; which is the responsibility of the housekeeper.

A mother can raise children in the best manner. Raising a child by a mother is not like raising in a classroom; it is through behavior, through speech, through emotion, through caressing; it is through living. Mothers raise children through living. The more righteous, wise, and intelligent a woman is, the better this upbringing will be. Therefore, programs must be planned to raise the level of faith, literacy, and intelligence of women in the country.

One of the most important duties of women is homemaking. Everyone knows this; I do not believe that women should not work in social and political jobs; no, there is no problem; but if this means that we look down on homemaking, this becomes a sin. Homemaking is a job; a great job, an important job, a sensitive job, a future-building job. Childbearing is a great struggle. With the mistakes we have made, with the inattentions that have occurred from us, for a period in our country, unfortunately, this issue was neglected, and today we see its dangers; I have repeatedly told the people: the aging of the country, the decrease in the young generation in the coming years, is one of those things whose effects will later become apparent; when its effects appear, that day it will no longer be treatable; but today, why, today it is treatable.

Childbearing is one of the most important struggles of women and duties of women; because childbearing is, in fact, the art of women; she is the one who bears the burdens, she is the one who endures the pains, she is the one whom God Almighty has given the tools for raising children. God Almighty has not given the tools for raising children to men; He has given them to women; He has given them patience, He has given them emotions, He has given them feelings, He has given them their physical bodies; in reality, this is the art of women. If we do not forget these in society, then we will progress.

Respecting women and honoring women is one issue - which must certainly be given special attention - the behaviors of women in the family environment, in the work environment, in the political environment, in the social environment is one issue; the behavior towards women is also one issue. The behavior towards women should be respectful, loving, accompanied by modesty and chastity. Therefore, both honoring women, the duties of women, and the duties towards women must be separately considered and planned.

The day of women and the day of mothers, which fortunately in the Islamic Republic coincides with the day of the birth of the chosen of creation, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), should draw everyone's attention to these points. If we can think correctly, decide correctly, and act correctly in the field of women, family, mothers, and wives, know that the future of this country is guaranteed.

May God Almighty grant you all goodness, bless you all; may He bless your voice, your heart.

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