We Must Thwart the Enemy's Plans by Standing Firm and Maintaining Unity
TEHRAN (Defapress) - The message of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, on the occasion of Eid al-Ghadir, the 37th anniversary of the passing of Imam Khomeini (RA) and the anniversary of the beginning of the leadership of His Highness Martyr Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, was read at the holy shrine of Imam Khomeini (RA) by Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari, Chairman of the Friday Imams Policy Council.
The full text of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution's message is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to God, who perfected His religion and completed His blessing with the Guardianship [wilayah] of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).
I extend my congratulations on the auspicious occasion of Eid al-Ghadir to all Muslims and to all those both in Iran and throughout the world who love the father of the Islamic Ummah, the Commander of the Faithful, [Imam] Ali (may God’s blessings and peace be upon him). I also send my salutations and greetings to the pure soul of Imam Khomeini (may God bestow His mercy on him). This year marks the 37th “14th of Khordad” [June 4th] since the passing of the great Imam Khomeini.
It’s also the first 14th of Khordad that the kind father of the Ummah, the devout disciple and faithful, distinguished companion of the Imam’s school of thought – the magnanimous, martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei (may God elevate his noble rank) – is the guest of the Divine Banquet. His strong, resonant voice and his wise, penetrating words are no longer heard in the sacred Mausoleum of Imam [Khomeini (ra)]. Nevertheless, the collection of the speeches and writings from the ten-year leadership of the founder of the Islamic Republic, alongside those of our magnanimous, martyred Leader during his 36 years of leadership, constitutes an invaluable, peerless treasure for all of us and a guiding light for the path ahead.
First, today is Eid al-Ghadir, which is the Greatest Eid of God [Eidullah al-Akbar]. It’s the day of the pre-ordained covenant and the binding pledge, where God designated the mandate for governing society and the Islamic system. And He perfected His religion and completed His blessing with the continuous Guardianship [wilayah] and Imamate of the Infallible Imams (pbut).
Ghadir is a reminder of the one who, from the moment of his noble birth in the Kaaba until his martyrdom, lived every moment of his life for God and on the path of God. Accordingly, after the noble existence of the Messenger of God (pbuh), he stands as the highest role model and the most comprehensive exemplar for all Muslims and believers in all periods of life. It is both fitting and necessary that everyone, from young children to the elderly, and from ordinary citizens to intellectuals and leaders, follow his example in the same manner that the two Imams of the Revolution took pride in their lives being modeled after that magnanimous figure.
Second, today marks the anniversary of the passing of the Imam of the Ummah (ra). It provides us with a valuable opportunity to reflect upon and discuss this renowned figure who was insufficiently understood. He was a highly charismatic figure who had a deep understanding of his luminous path and noble objectives that serves as a guiding light for the future of Islamic Iran. However, many members of our nation, especially the younger generation, did not have the privilege of experiencing his presence firsthand. Even many of those who were alive during his lifetime may not have yet fully grasped the depth of his personality and the essence of the Imam’s path and thought.
Almighty God has said, “Say [O Prophet], ‘I give you only one advice: that you rise up for Allah’s sake, in twos or individually’” (Quran 34:46).
In this noble verse, God, the Blessed and Exalted, is addressing the Great Messenger (pbuh) and commands him to tell the Ummah, “I advise that you do one thing: that you stand up for the sake of Allah, either in groups of two or as individuals.” This verse served as the opening to the first message and stands as one of the oldest documents in which that unparalleled figure, righteous servant, the great spirit of our age and time – the Great Leader of the Revolution and Founder of the Islamic Republic – invited the Iranian nation to rise up for God [Qiyam Lillah]. Yes, Qiyam Lillah is the foundation of Imam [Khomeini’s] school of thought. One of the most important fruits and blessings of his existence was his guiding, educating, and profoundly influencing society based on this very principle.
It is this divine movement that is the source from which divine blessings and favors descend, and through which the established way [sunnah] of the Lord – the Majestic and Exalted – is manifested in guiding society toward the path of God, [as affirmed in the verse], “And those who strive in Our way, We shall surely guide them in Our ways” (Quran 29:69).
And is it not true that the most significant, widespread movements and awakening of the Iranian nation took place during the times of the Great Khomeini and the magnanimous Martyr Khamenei under either their direct or indirect guidance?
What immense force could have awakened a slumbering nation, which was enchanted by Arrogance and colonialism and was in a situation where suffocation, oppression, and total dependency on the West prevailed on Khordad 15, 1342 AHS [June 5, 1963 AD]? What magnetic force could have drawn millions of people into the streets on Bahman 12, 1357 AHS [February 1, 1979] to welcome the Imam of the Ummah, and again on Khordad 14, 1368 AHS [June 4, 1989] to bid him farewell?
And in the latest astounding example, what resolute force and will of steel was it that so powerfully caused the Iranian nation to rise up and has brought them into the arena since the dawn of Esfand 10, 1404 AHS [March 1, 2026]? This is to such an extent that they’re driven by a sublime motive, and even after more than three months, they’re fervently seeking to avenge the martyrdom of their martyred Leader and the other martyrs covered in their blood. They maintain their presence in the field to safeguard the sanctum of the Islamic system and their beloved homeland. They’ve solidified the ranks of tens of millions of devotees, who are ready to sacrifice their lives to realize the ideals of the martyred Leader, to establish justice, and to rise up for God.
Yes, it was the Great Khomeini and the magnanimous, Martyred Khamenei who discovered and revived this latent talent and readiness within the dear Iranian nation, always holding it in the highest esteem.
The magnanimous Imam [Khomeini] who was careful about every word that flowed from his pen with his exemplary piety, made a monumental declaration in his will, writing, “I boldly assert that the Iranian nation and its millions in the present age are superior to the people of Hijaz during the time of the Messenger of God (pbuh) and better than the people of Kufa and Iraq during the times of the Commander of the Faithful [Imam Ali] and Hussain ibn Ali (pbut).”
Today, the entire dear nation takes pride in the fact that, through its recent bi’tha [rising up to be active on the scene] next to the Resistance Front, it has become a source of pride in the eyes of conscious observers and free nations worldwide, once again manifesting the truth of this passage from Imam Khomeini's will.
In the words of our late martyred Leader (may God elevate his noble rank), the powerful hand capable of stirring the vast ocean of the nation into a mighty surge was the iron-willed personality, the tranquil heart, and the Zulfiqar-like tongue of our venerable Imam, the Great Khomeini. He was the one who succeeded in drawing millions of people into the arena, kept them steadfast in the field, and taught them the course of their movement.
And another example of this kind of influence, of course, is our dear Khamenei. Walking in the footsteps of his righteous predecessor for nearly four decades in leading the Revolution and the Islamic system, he placed his trust in the youth while deepening and elevating the public's vision and insight. By doing so, he elevated society to such a high level of preparedness that following the greatly significant event of his own martyrdom, a new benchmark took shape for the bi’tha of the Iranian nation.
Yes, dear Khamenei’s school of thought is the same school as that of the great Khomeini, continuing along the path of the pure Islamic teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Its foundation is based on rising for the sake of God, and the followers of this school are ready in ranks to establish justice, eradicate falsehood, and to strive upon this luminous path.
Imam Khomeini (ra) was the initiator of a great, historic transformation throughout Iran, the Islamic Ummah, and the whole world. The martyred Leader (may God elevate his noble rank) undertook the task of deepening, expanding, and perpetuating this transformation, and through system-building and society-building, he sought to perfect and realize this.
In this regard, in addition to keeping the Imam’s school of thought alive through his words, writings, actions, and various meetings, he transformed the 14th of Khordad into an annual covenant between the nation and Imam Khomeini. In these addresses, he would clarify and explain a body of principles, policies, and guidelines of the Imam’s school of thought. Among the frequently recurring teachings were the following:
- The Iranian nation is a religious, intelligent, courageous nation.
- The Iranian people are the country’s true owners and the source of its power.
- The Iranian nation can bring about any righteous transformation they pursue. They can make the slogan “we can” concretize in various fields.
Another of these teachings was the necessity of supporting the oppressed as an Islamic, humanitarian, Iranian duty. Another teaching was that the system of domination – with the US at its head – objects to this nation, its distinct identity, and its refusal to surrender.
Indeed, imperialism has built a military base called Israel over the past 80 years. And they cannot tolerate the existence of a strong, independent Iran with all kinds of advantages on the eastern border of the false, illegitimate geography of "Greater Israel" - that is, east of the Euphrates River. It’s willing to do anything to prevent its progress. In this regard, I wish to tell our dear nation that since the malicious enemy has been defeated in its confrontation with your valiant sons in the Armed Forces and has received a decisive blow – both in military combat and in the streets and public squares – it’s experiencing a profound, significant humiliation. This has caused nations to visibly distance themselves from it. Consequently, the enemy has focused its schemes in hybrid warfare on two targets: the resilience of the people and trying to create errors in the assessments of the country's officials. The primary instrument the enemy is using for both objectives is sowing the seeds of doubt, despair, fear, mistrust, and discord.
Therefore, in confronting the enemy’s malice, everyone must thwart its sinister scheme by way of their steadfastness, clear-sightedness, preserving unity and solidarity, mutual trust, and refraining from echoing the enemy’s narrative. In this regard, the role of officials in supporting these imperatives is crucial. Any action that breeds mistrust and discouragement of the people is considered to be a form of helping the enemy of this country and its people.
A fresh opportunity has now arisen throughout the entire world to introduce and act upon the school of thought of the Great Khomeini and our dear Martyr Khamenei, leaders who were oppressed but powerful, and ultimately, they were the victorious guides of the Islamic Revolution. This important responsibility rests upon the entire nation, especially our youth, our intellectual elite, and our community of thinkers, ideologists, and artists. It’s incumbent on them to build the bright future of our dear Iran based on this school of thought, while trusting in God’s promises under the auspices of our Master [Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his noble reappearance)], and on the path of pure Islam. That is, the luminous trajectory delineated during the 250-year presence of the bearers of infallibility and Great Wilayah (peace be upon them all).
I beseech Almighty God to grant this nation, which has risen to action, a final victory and enable them to reach magnificent heights of progress and greatness. May He reunite the celestial souls of the two Imams of the Islamic Revolution and the pure spirits of the martyrs of the Islamic Revolution – particularly the martyrs of the Second and Third Sacred Defenses – with their Master, the Commander of the Faithful, [Imam] Ali (pbuh). May He make the sacred, luminous heart of our Master, Imam Mahdi (aj), pleased with the Iranian nation. And may He, through His grace and generosity, bless this dear nation and its public servants with Imam Mahdi’s special prayers and intercession.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
