Khamenei.ir

Leader Meets Participants in Quranic Competitions

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei in a meeting last night with judges, qurra, and memorizers of the Holy Quran participating in the 25th international Quranic competitions described adherence to the Holy Quran as the only way to save the Islamic Ummah and reiterated: "Holding such competitions plays an important role in guiding the nation and the Islamic Ummah towards understanding, reflecting on, and getting acquainted with the Holy Quran."

Leader Tours Technology Exhibition

Leader Meets Syrian President

The story of how the unbelievers tried to lure the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) with wealth

In the first phase of be'that, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) had managed to convert 30 or 40 people to Islam through his covert call to Islam. Then a divine order was issued - "Therefore declare openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from the polytheists." [The Holy Quran 15: 94] - requiring the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) to raise flag of Islam and to openly call people to Islam. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) did so and then the events that you have heard about took place. This struck terror into the hearts of the chiefs of Quraysh and the wealthy and powerful people. The first thing that they did was to try to tempt the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). They went to Abi Talib and told him that if his nephew wanted leadership, they were prepared to grant the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) absolute authority over their community. "If he wants wealth, we will give him so much wealth that he becomes wealthier than all of us. If he wants to be a king, we will appoint him as our king. Just tell him to stop saying these things." Being concerned about the safety of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and his enemies' plots, Abi Talib went to him and told him the message of the chiefs of Mecca. He probably gave the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) some advice and recommended that he tone down his remarks to some extent. Maybe he told the Prophet (s.w.a.) that his dogged persistence was unnecessary. "Dear uncle, even if they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left to prevent me from achieving this goal, I swear by Allah that I will not do as they say [and I will continue with my call to Islam] until God grants us victory over them or until we all get killed," [Speaking in Arabic] the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) replied. Then the Prophet's (s.w.a.) eyes were filled with tears, and he got up to leave. Having observed this faith and steadfastness, Abi Talib was impressed and said "dear nephew, go and say whatever you like." [Speaking in Arabic]. He told him to pursue his goal. "I swear by God that I will not give you away, no matter what I receive in return." [Speaking in Arabic]. This steadfastness bred more steadfastness. This steadfastness on the part of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) strengthened the roots of steadfastness in the heart of Abi Talib. Pursuing the goals, not fearing the enemy, not being tempted by what the enemy has to offer, and not being dependant on the privileges that the enemy offers to prevent one from treading the path one believes in give rise to resistance, peace, trust in the path, the goal, and God who this goal belongs to. There were not more than 30 or 40 of them. These 30 or 40 people tolerated all those hardships and increased in number on a daily basis. Each day they were witness to what they did to Ammar and Bilal. They were witness to the torturing and martyrdom of Sumayyah and Yasir. They were witness to these things, but they still converted to Islam. That is the way righteousness is promoted. The mere raising of the flag in peace and security will not help promote righteousness. Righteousness will be promoted only when there is steadfastness and perseverance on the part of righteous people who believe in righteousness.

The Prophet's (pbuh) great social revolution in just 13 years

The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) carried the message of knowledge, yet there was no knowledge in that society. He carried the message of justice, yet there was no trace of justice in that society and powerful people and bullying rulers dominated people's lives and possessions. He was the messenger of morality, lenience, forgiveness, justice, and kindness, yet that society was devoid of such characteristics in the real sense of the word. The society was full of unkind, bullying, immoral, ignorant, and prejudiced people who were unjustifiably arrogant and who had their hearts set on carnal desires. It was in such tough and fanatic conditions and in such a dry desert that the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) grew up. And this 13-year period finally ended in the establishment of the Prophet's rule. He formed a community on the basis of monotheism, knowledge, justice, morality, ethics, and generosity. He transformed humility into dignity and savagery into brotherhood. He turned fanaticism into tolerance and reasoning. He transformed a state of ignorance into knowledge. He built a strong and logical foundation on the basis of which Muslims could reach the peaks of global civilizations for centuries and could rise to new heights which were unprecedented in human history. His rule did not last any more than ten years. You just see what proportion of a nation's lifespan could those 13 years and the following ten years constitute. It is like a moment which passes very quickly. During such a short time, a great movement was started which could well be said to have divided human history into two eras: the pre-Islamic era, and the post-Islamic era. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) pushed humanity forwards, strengthened the bases of morality, and left unforgettable lessons for all humans. You should consider the greatness of mab'ath from such a perspective. There were of course a number of interrelated factors which led to this success. But this success was mainly due to the Prophet being full of spirituality, purity, loyalty, and relying completely on God. This was a major and decisive factor in his success. Prior to his prophethood, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) was the most knowledgeable and the wisest of the people of Mecca. He was the most generous, respectable, and decent person in the area where he lived. Among those people, this prominent person enjoyed the blessing of God and the responsibility was put on his shoulders. This was because God had put him to the test before. God knew His servant and knew who He was assigning this responsibility to. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) stood firm. His resistance and his perseverance that was accompanied by a deep knowledge of the goal he was pursuing and of the path he was treading supported all the achievements of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and led to the success of this great movement. One who is right always wins but there are some prerequisites. In order for the right to win, one must defend it. To help righteousness win, one must persevere on the path of righteousness.

Shame on those who claim to support freedom and human rights

The Palestinian nation is in the right. It has been oppressed. Shame on those who claim to support freedom and human rights. They claim to support human rights, yet they turn a blind eye to all the oppression that has afflicted the Palestinian nation. I wonder why they do not feel ashamed. Where in the world would a fair person stand so much oppression that is being imposed on the Palestinian nation - not as the owners of the country, but, say, even as an immigrant minority? Their houses are being demolished. Their youth are being killed. Their men are being imprisoned. They are constantly threatened. Their houses are being bombed. They are forced to suffer from starvation. They are under an economic blockade. Their gardens are being ruined, as are their lives. Who would stand all these things? Yet President Bush shamelessly claims that his administration is committed to freedom. You call this freedom? Shame on you, Bush. You call this support for freedom?

Leader Urges Muslims to Spread the Message of Mab'ath

Leader's Speech on the Occasion of Mab'ath

The Leader's View of Reforms

The Leader's View of Freedom

The importance of justice in Imam Ali’s lifestyle

Now we must pay attention to what the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) put high on his agenda in his life which is full of lessons and meanings for us. One is justice which could probably be claimed to be one of the most prominent points in his lifestyle. Being severe with oppressors, being sympathetic towards the oppressed, and helping the oppressed to claim their rights are characteristics that are clearly observed in many parts in the biography and words of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) as well as in his sermons in Nahj al-Balagha. Just pay attention to these meaningful remarks by the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.)... In Imam Ali's (a.s.) opinion, the world - in the sense of worldly possessions - is to be totally rejected and abandoned. Addressing the world, he said, "Go and deceive someone else!" He meant desires and material beauties of life could not deceive him, and therefore he told them to go away and find someone else to deceive. That was the slogan shouted by the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.).

The consensus among Islamic denominations on the magnificence of Imam Ali’s character

regarding the characteristics of Imam Ali (a.s.) - the brilliance and prominence of his pure faith, the heavy burden of jihad that he shouldered from early Islam to the end of his life, the unique justice he administered which keeps attracting Muslims and non-Muslims alike, his unique, pure worship and supplication, and the other prominent features that he enjoyed. The Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) is a personality whose greatness, characteristics, and high status in Islam are not debated among Muslims. Therefore, we can confidently claim that the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) can serve as the common point among all sects of Islam.

Public Address on the Occasion of Imam Ali's (a.s.) Birth Anniversary

No Threats Should Be Made

The Leader's View of Religion

The Leader's View of Politics

The Leader's View of Religious Democracy

The Leader's View of the Islamic Ummah

Leader Appoints Senior Advisor and Secretary of the National Security Council

Leader Meets with Officials of Judiciary Branch

Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met with the officials and judges of the judiciary branch as well as with the families of Tir 7 (June 28) martyrs. Speaking at the meeting, His Eminence said that there is a general assumption that the judiciary branch is a sanctuary for the oppressed and described it as a positive point and as the ultimate goal. He referred to the important role of the judiciary branch and its heavy responsibilities and stressed: "The demand that was made seven years ago urging the heads of the three movement branches to seriously and decisively fight economic corruption is still important."

Leader's Speech to Officials of the Judiciary Branch

Islamic Revolution: A Major Event in World History

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei took part in a ceremony marking the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Fatimah al-Zahra (s.a) - an exemplary woman in both worlds - and her honorable son Imam Khomeini (r.a) in which panegyrists eulogized Fatimah al-Zahra (s.a). In this meeting, the Leader also delivered a speech on the merits and prominent characteristics of that Hazrat.

Unity Is the Basic Necessity

Speaking in a meeting with Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, the President of the Union of the Comoros, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to unity as the main necessity for the world of Islam. Touching upon the invaluable potentialities of Muslim countries, he said: "Enjoying rich natural recourses, a strategic geographical position, vast territories, spirited and skilled population and manpower, the world of Islam can turn into a power, but the traditional superpowers of the world are opposed to this."

Leader Meets MPs of the 8th Majlis

Leader's Speech in Meeting with MPs of 8th Majlis

What is the basis of religious democracy?

Islamic philosophy is founded on a firm basis, one that originates from Allah's Wilayat. It enjoys certain methods that have been specified in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic according to which, Allah the Exalted has given people the right to entrust a right to someone. According to this philosophy, it has been determined that people can ask someone to do something for them. Through their votes, the people give this right to individuals in the Majlis, in the executive branch and in those organizations which are dependent on people's votes. Therefore, this is the basis of religious democracy. It is an original and deep basis which the people really believe in

American Dreams Doomed to Failure in Iraq

In a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and the accompanying delegation, Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the presence of the invading forces as the most important and basic problem of Iraq at present. He added: "We are certain that the Iraqi people will overcome the difficulties through unity and efforts and will reach the position they deserve. And the Americans' dreams for the region will not be fulfilled."

All social activities are possible for a woman while observing hijab

What the Western women achieved by plummeting into the quagmire of corruption and perversion was the destruction of the family. That women could only advance in science and politics or in social activities by merely removing hijab was an absolute falsity. Women could do so by holding onto their hijab and decency and we have experienced the fact in our Islamic country. Banning hijab was a prelude to striping women of their dignity and decency. It was meant to keep people busy with powerful sexual desires. They wanted to prevent people from doing other things and they were successful for some time. But the strong faith of the Iranian nation did not let this happen.

Leader: Imam Khomeini's Testament Provides Guidelines for Revolution

The Iranian nation took part today in the ceremonies marking the 19th demise anniversary of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and displayed its national faith in the ideals set by the late Imam and the Revolution.

Addressing a large enthusiastic gathering at Imam Khomeini's (r.a.) shrine, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: "According to the late magnanimous Imam, the Islamic Revolution belongs to people of various social strata and to the present and future generations of our nation. And this great nation will safeguard this great divine blessing that has been left in its trust by practicing the effective comments that Imam Khomeini made in his testament, and adhering to the slogans, values, and principles of the Revolution, as well as promoting progress and innovation."

One of the strongest and best spiritual legacies of Imam Khomeini is his will and testament

Imam Khomeini (r.a.) left a perpetual guideline for his Ummah - our nation - with his words and deeds. This means that the words of Imam Khomeini (r.a.) guide us in all difficult stages of life, and his testament is one of the best and most influential moral legacies of Imam Khomeini (r.a.). It is advisable that the people and the different officials and youth refer to this testament at different times and reflect on it.