Khamenei.ir

Leader’s Speech to Government Officials

Leader Appoints New Director of IRGC’s Strategic Center and New Chief of IRGC’s Joint Staff

The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, in a decree issued on September 20, 2007 appointed Rear Admiral Dr. Ali-Akbar Ahmadiyan new director of the Strategic Center of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC). Also, in a separate decree, the Leader designated Brigadier General Sayyid Mohammad Hosseinzadeh Hejazi new chief of the IRGC's Joint Staff. The texts of the Leader's decrees are as follows:

Leader’s Condolatory Message on the Demise of Ayatollah Askari

The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on September 18, 2007 issued a condolatory message on the demise of the prominent researcher and writer Ayatollah Hajji Sayyid Mortaza Askari. In his message, the Leader condoled with the senior ulama and Islamic seminaries and the esteemed family and honorable progeny of the deceased. The text of the Leader's message is as follows:

9/11: a plot for an Israel-centered Middle East

The Americans used the event that happened on the 20th of Shahrivar - that is to say, the 11th of September - four, five years ago as a pretext to pursue their greedy desires in the Middle East region. Their main goal was to build a kind of Middle East which would pivot around the interests of Israel. As we used to say in those days, they wanted to build a kind of Middle East whose capital would be Israel... Analyze each and every part of this plot. In Palestine, this plot failed to achieve results. In Palestine - which was a strategic point - this plot failed. Why? Because in Palestine, it was Hamas, the biggest and the main opposition group against Israel, which formed the government after being elected by the people. Is there any slap across the face - delivered to America and Israel - which is harder than this? Since the day that this government was formed, they are constantly creating obstacles so that they can throw it out of the arena. But they have not managed to do this until today. Unfortunately, they have received help from a number of Palestinians in order to bring this popular government to its knees. But, thankfully, they have not managed to do this until today. We hope that they will not manage to do this from now on either.

Leader's Friday Prayer Address

People benefit from speaking to Allah the Exalted during Ramadan

People benefit from speaking to Allah the Exalted, being addressed by Him, praying to Him and opening up their hearts to Him. They do these by reading the prayers of the month of Ramadan. Reading the Abu Hamza al-Thumali dua and the duas that one reads during the days, nights and early mornings of Ramadan are actually a kind of speaking to God, making requests from God and getting close to God. These people benefit from these things too. Therefore, they benefit from all the blessings of this celebration. Avoiding sins is of higher priority and, perhaps, it is more important than these duas in some ways. These people do not commit sin in this month either. In the same sermon which was delivered by the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) asks the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) which act is the most blessed act. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) answers, "Avoiding sins". Avoiding sins is of higher priority than Islamic obligations. It prevents one's heart and soul from corruption.

Fasting is the greatest blessing of Ramadan

The hardships that exist in Ramadan's celebration - the hardships that one endures because of fasting and hunger - are perhaps the greatest achievement of this divine celebration. Fasting has such a large number of blessings - in terms of the spirituality and enlightenment that it bestows on one's heart- that, perhaps, it can be said it is the greatest blessing of this month. A number of people fast and thus these people have joined in this celebration and they have benefited from it.But, as well as fasting, these people follow Quranic teachings in a perfect manner. They think deeply when they read the Holy Quran. Reading the Holy Quran at nights and at midnights, developing a close relationship with it and being addressed by God while one is fasting or while one is enlightened as a result of fasting gives one a special kind of pleasure and it has a special significance. The thing that one obtains out of such reading of the Holy Quran cannot be obtained in normal conditions.

During Ramadan people are invited to a divine celebration

In the same sermon which was referred to, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) said, "This is a month in which you have been invited to a divine celebration". One should think deeply about this sentence. It says that we have been invited to a divine celebration. It is not obligatory for all people to benefit from this divine celebration, no it has been made a faritha. We have the power to choose whether or not to benefit from this celebration. There are some people who do not at all find the opportunity to pay attention to this invitation. They are so ignorant and they pay such careful attention to materialistic issues and the materialistic world that they do not notice when the month of Ramadan arrives and when it ends. They are like the people who are invited to a very impressive and blessed celebration, but they do not have the time to take part in it and they do not even look at the invitation card. These people deprive themselves of all the blessings.

Ramadan is the month of opportunities

Once again, the auspicious month of Ramadan arrived with all its blessings and spiritual beauties. Before the beginning of the auspicious month of Ramadan, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) used to prepare people for entering this important, lofty and blessed arena: "The month of God has come to you with its blessings and mercy" [Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, v 1, p. 295]. According to a certain narration, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) in a sermon which was delivered on the last Friday of the month of Sha'ban, "He said to the people that the month of Ramadan arrived" [Iqbal al-A'maal, v 1, p. 2] If we want to describe the month of Ramadan in a sentence, we should say that it is the month of opportunities. In this month, there are many opportunities ahead of you and me. If we can make use of these opportunities in the right way, a great and very valuable resource will be accessible to us.

Ayatollah Khamenei Leads Friday Prayers in Tehran

Leader Appoints New Director of Politico-Ideological Organization of Law Enforcement Force

The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, in a decree issued on September 9, 2007 appointed Hojjatoleslam Hajji Sheikh Abutorab Bahrami as new director of the politico-ideological organization of the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The text of the Leader's decree is as follows:

Leader’s Address to Young Elites

Hopefulness and justice: two prominent qualities of awaiting the Savior

One quality of the 15th of Sha'ban and the birth anniversary of the Imam of the Time (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake) is hope and justice. There are two outstanding points in our anticipation and our celebration of 15th of Sha'ban. One is the issue of raising hopes about this birth and the future that humanity is waiting for as a consequence of this birth. This is a source of hope. Another is that in the world that will be created after the reappearance of that great Imam (a.j.), the most prominent characteristic is justice. When you take a look at all the narrations and ahadith that have been narrated about that great Imam (a.j.) and that era, you see that the main focus is not on people's piety. Of course, people will be pious and religious in that era, but the main focus is on the fact that people will benefit from justice at that time and that justice and equality will be established. This matter exists in all supplications (duas), prayers and narrations about that great Imam (a.j.). That is to say, an outstanding feature in that promising future is justice, as humanity is thirsty for justice.

President Ahmadinejad and Members of the Cabinet Meet the Leader

Leader's Speech in Meeting with President Ahmadinejad and Cabinet Members

Leader's Message of Condolence on the Demise of Hojjatoleslam Bahjati

The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on August 22, 2007 issued a message of condolence on the demise of the pious clergyman Hojjatoleslam Hajji Sheikh Mohammad-Hossein Bahjati. In his message, the Leader condoled with the honorable family and friends and associates of the deceased. The text of the Leader's message is as follows:

Iranian Ambassadors and Foreign Ministry Officials Call on the Leader

Leader Appoints New Commander of the Naval Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army

The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, in a decree issued on August 20, 2007 appointed Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari new commander of the Naval Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army. The text of the Leader's decree is as follows:

Leader's Speech to Participants of Fourth International Congress on Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.)

Leader Grants Request for Pardoning or Commuting the Sentences of Convicts

Participants in the 4th Session of the Ahl-ul-Bait World Assembly Meet the Leader

Leader Assigns Delegations to Visit War-Disabled Veterans

Leader's Speech to Government Officials on Mab'ath

Leader Receives Officials of the Islamic Republic on the Auspicious Feast of Mab'ath

Iraqi Prime Minister Meets the Leader

Leader Attends Memorial Ceremony

Leader's Message of Condolence on the Demise of Ayatollah Meshkini

The Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on July 30, 2007 issued a message of condolence on the demise of the devout and dedicated clergyman Ayatollah Hajji Mirza Ali Meshkini. In his message, the Leader condoled with the Iranian nation and the esteemed family and honorable progeny of the deceased. The text of the Leader's message is as follows:

Acting against the path of God infringes Imam Ali’s logic

The philosophy of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) is treading the path of God. A Shia Muslim is a person who follows the path of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.). Now an individual may make a certain mistake or commit a certain sin. This is a different issue. This individual should repent of his sin. But the philosophy of the Commander of the Faithful does not at all allow us to pin our hopes on our relationship with the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) and minimize the seriousness of our deviation from the path of God. The significance of what the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) did lies in the fact that he did not forget about people's rights, justice and preserving the path of God just because of certain considerations.

Imam Ali (a.s.) did not back away from reinforcing justice even for a second

"That men may stand forth in justice" [The Holy Quran, 57: 25]. The prophets entered the arena for administering justice. They entered the arena for helping the people get close to God and enforcing divine rules among the people. This is the mission of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) as the executor of the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) will and as the Islamic caliph. He did not retreat even for a second in treading this path. He was not negligent in moving forward. His old friends broke off their relationship with him. Those who had extravagant claims became unhappy and they separated from him. They waged wars against him in order to overthrow him. Those who used to praise him in the past turned into his mortal enemies. But the criticism of these people did not at all influence the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.). "I am one of the people who are not intimidated by the criticism of faultfinders" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 192]. He continued the path in a steadfast way until he was martyred. "He died by assassination in the mosque at Kufa, death occasioned by his own generous fairness". This is the character of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) and these are the outward qualities that we can see. See how amazing they are. How delicate, beautiful and astonishing his virtues are.

25 years of sacrifice for the sake of the unity of Islamic Ummah and consistency of the Islamic society

When the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) passed away, the Commander of the Faithful thought that it was his right to be the caliph. And in order to do this, he took action, delivered speeches and invited the people to accept his caliphate. But, he withdrew when he saw that it was not possible and when he saw that if he entered the arena and continue to invite the people, the Muslim community would disintegrate. "Therefore, I exercised patience while there was a thorn in my eye and while sorrow had blocked the path of my throat" [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 3]. For twenty-five years, the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) did not say anything about his right - he regarded it as his absolute right - for the sake of the unity of the Islamic Ummah, the solidarity of the Islamic community and the maintenance of the Islamic government. Are these jokes? Are these things easy to do? These are the things which help an individual conquer the peaks of glory in human history. These are the things which turn an individual into the brightest sun - which never sets - in human history.