لطفا منتظر باشید ...
HAJJ
in the WORD & Message of Imam Khomeini In
1983
In
the Name of Allah, the Compassionate the
Merciful
Blessed be the auspicious occasion of the great Islamic Feast
of Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha. It reminds the conscious people of
Ibrhim's (A.S.) coming to the place of sacrifice, an action that
teaches the progeny of Adam and the men of Allah, lessons of
self-sacrifice and Jihad in the cause of the Almighty Allah. The
depth of political and monotheistic aspects of this ritual
cannot be well
comprehended by anyone except the
great Prophets, the Imams, the saints and especial servants
of Allah.
Ibrhim (A.S.), the forefatherof tawhid (monotheism) and the
great idol-breaker, taught all human beings that sacrificing in the
cause of Allah has, first and foremost, political dimensions and
social values before it has religious significance. He taught us all
to offer our best fruits of life in the cause of Allah and celebrate
it, and to offer what we cherished most, in order to help the divine
religion and establish divine justice. He fostered in Adam's progeny
the understanding that Mecca and Mina are places of sacrifice for
the lovers of Allah, of the promulgation of tawhid and rejection of
idolatry and association with Allah, including
love of one's life and family
as instances of idolatry and association with Allah.
Ibrhim(A.S.) taught man to struggle in the cause of truth,
instructing him to convey to the world, from these great places, the
virtue of sacrificing for the sake of truth in order to establish
divine justice and curtail the hands of the infidels off their land,
and to tell the world that perpetuating truth requires sacrifice of
everything as dear as Ismil. The great idol-breaker and his beloved
son, as well as the other idol-breaker, Prophet Mohammad (S.A.),
taught mankind to break idols no matter what they are, and that the
Kaaba, the mother of all cities, and whatever stemming from it
should be purged and cleansed from idols for as long as the world
exists, no matter what the idols are, be they statues, the sun, the
moon, animals or man. No idols are worse or more dangerous than
taghuts (false gods) which have been present throughout the course
of history, from Adam to Ibrhim, to Mohammad (S.A.), to the end of
time when the last idol-breaker shall proclaim the Unity of God from
the Kaaba. Are the present superpowers not big idols, forcing the
people to obey and worship them and imposing themselves upon the
world with the help of force, money and deceit. The great Kaaba is
the only place for breaking these idols. Ibrhim as the first caller
and Mohammad (S.A.) as his successor voiced the cry of tawhid from
the Kaaba, as will the offspring of Prophet Mohammad, Imam Mahdi
(S.A.), will do so in the later days. The Almighty Allah addresses
Ibrhim (A.S.): And proclaim the pilgrimage among men; they will
come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on
account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways
(22:27). The Almighty also says and purify My House for those who
visit (it) and those who abide (in it) for devotion (2:125). By
purification is meant purification from all impurities, above all
polytheism as mentioned at the very beginning of the verse. In sura
Tawbah the Almighty Allah says, And an announcement from Allah and
his Apostle, to the people (assembled) on the holy day of the great
pilgrimage: that Allah and his Apostle are dissociated from pagans
(9:1). And the Awaited Mahdi, as mentioned in the languages of
various religions and that of all Muslims, will proclaim his call to
monotheism from the Kaaba. As such, since all the calls commence
from the Kaaba and Mecca, we should obey these people and voice our
cry of monotheism from that Sacred Place. Through our cries, calls,
revelations, crushing and dynamic assemblies in the congregation of
Muslims in the holy Mecca, we should break idols and reject evils
headed by the Arch Satan so that we will be able to perform the Hajj
rituals similar to those of Ibrhim (A.S.), Mohammad (S.A.) and Imam
Mahdi (A.S.). Otherwise, our rituals will be those of "a lot of
noise makers and a few true Hajj performers".
It is
hoped that the respectable Hajj pilgrims, irrespective of their
sects, will pray in the sacred places for the victory of Islam over
global polytheism and for the vigilance of Muslims and their
governments. May the Almighty Allah show mercy to Muslims in
response to their prayers in the sanctified places of revelation,
help them regain the splendor they once enjoyed, curtail the hands
of world devourers off their
countries and shower
them with His forgiveness,
for He is Pardoning, Forgiving.
I should like to remind
the dear Hajj pilgrims and all
Muslims some
points, although they have been said time and
again.
It is an important responsibility of Hajj pilgrims
and the ulama of Hajj caravans, respectively, to learn and
teach Hajj rituals. Any failure in this matter may cause problems
such as Hajj rendered void. The ulama of Hajj caravans should ask
the pilgrims of their caravans to attend classes held for teaching
Hajj ceremonies. And Hajj pilgrims should not neglect carrying
out the important responsibility of understanding
and learning Hajj
rituals.
All of us should know that for ages and
especially during the past two centuries, the ignorance of Muslims
about socio-political aspects of Islam has paved the way for the
aggression of foreign governments against Muslim nations and the
plundering of the resources that Allah has bestowed them. This
ignorance is being imposed on the oppressed Muslims by imperialists,
colonialists and their lackeys in the West and the East so much so
that most of the Muslim ulama also think that Islam is alien to and
separate from politics and that a Muslim should not interfere in
political issues. Through the assistance from the so-called
intellectual elements, deceitful plunderers attempted to push Islam
into isolation as they did with Christianity. They had the ulama
captive of dealing with issues pertaining to prayer and worship.
They confined leaders of communal prayer to mosques and wedding
ceremonies, limited people's activities to performing ritual
practice and worship and had the youth engaged in pleasure and
indulgence in order to keep them away from the arena of
socio-political affairs and from endeavoring to solve the problems
of Muslims. Exploiting this ignorance, they have been very much
successful in this respect, to the effect that they have colonized
Islamic countries and exploited their resources. They have also
turned many Muslim sultans and rulers into their agents to oppress
and exploit the nations. As a result of such policies, subservience
and poverty befell the enslaved peoples. Even now Muslims are in a
state of ignorance and the agents of imperialism are continuing
their domination and plundering. Court clergy are lending their
services for keeping the Muslim
Ummah backward. To
Allah we belong,
and to him is our (return 2:156).
Among the factors that hinder Muslims and
other oppressed peoples from struggling to free themselves from the
yoke of imperialists and keeps them in a state of backwardness, is
the widespread propaganda carried out by lackeys of the West and the
East or as a result of their obedience to the dictates of the
superpowers or due to their own shortsightedness. Such propaganda is
aimed at convincing the oppressed that science and development are
exclusive possessions of imperialism and communism, and that the
superpowers, particularly the westerners and especially the
Americans, are the superior race and others are inferior. They try
to convince us that their development is due to their superiority
and that the backwardness of others stems from their inferiority. In
other words, the former are the developed human beings but the
latter are underdeveloped and will attain relative development only
after the lapse of a million years. Therefore, efforts to achieve
development are futile, and free human beings should either be
lackeys of Western capitalism or Eastern communism. That is to say,
we can achieve nothing on our own and should seek everything,
including science, civilization, laws and development, from the
superpowers. The present sordid condition that we are experiencing
is the effect of the imposition of this idea. There will be no
demand for whatever we produce, no matter how superb in quality it
may be. But when the same product bears a Western stamp, it will be
received warmly. The fabrics, woven in Iran should necessarily bear
foreign and Latin stamps in order to be sold, and diseases that can
be easily cured in the country must receive treatment abroad. This
is while many non-Muslim scientists and writers have documented the
fact that civilization and science have been exported from the
Islamic World to Europe and that Muslims have been pioneers in this
respect. It should be noted that in administering our universities
we used to be in the minority and had no authority. The majority
group would lead the youth to the West and would dispatch a great
number of them abroad. There, colonialism would limit the youth to
the level of knowledge and consciousness that it determined and
would return them to the country with Western, non-Islamic and
anti-national thoughts. This has been the tragedy of the
past century for Islamic states and the oppressed
countries as well.
4-
One of the obstacles barring Muslims from defending their countries
is the wide-ranging propaganda aimed at magnifying the strength of
foreign powers. In the past, westoxicated intellectuals made a giant
out of Britain. They impressed the nave governments and oppressed
nations by saying that if a harsh word was uttered to a janitor of
the British Embassy, Iran would be destroyed and that if the
embassy's flag was hoisted on the rooftop of any convict's house, he
would become immune to punishment. A mere gesture from the British
ambassador to the government or the chancellor was sufficient for
the unquestionable fulfillment of his orders. Today, it is impressed
on the people that the two superpowers, especially America, are the
gigantic powers. This is the belief in the Islamic states where
people think that if something should annoy these two poles, their
own countries would be annihilated. By inculcating these false
notions and broadcasting these rumors, Muslims have lost the courage
to defend their rights. The crime these
pseudo-nationalists are committing is no less than that of the real
criminal.
5-
What should be done today, and what is the responsibility of Muslims
and the oppressed peoples for breaking these idols? There is a
primary solution to the problem, one that is the mother of all other
solutions for cutting the roots of these problems and eradicating
corruption. It is the unity of Muslims or rather the unity of all
the oppressed and enslaved peoples in the world. This unity,
emphasized in the holy Quran, should be gained through widespread
publicity and invitation. The center for this invitation and
publicity is the holy city of Mecca during Hajj congregation. This
was started by Ibrhim (A.S.), continued by Mohammad (S.A.) and will
be followed by Imam Mahdi (A.S.). Ibrhim was enjoined to call
people to Hajj to attend to their needs that is, political,
social, economic and cultural issues of the society. On doing so,
they would witness how Allah's prophet laid upon the altar of
sacrifice the fruit of his life, just for the sake of Allah and to
obey His command. People are called so that they follow Ibrhim, who
broke all the idols and cast aside everything, whether the sun, the
moon, statues of animals or human beings, and truthfully said:
Surely, I have turned my face, being upright, wholly to Him, who
originated the heavens and the earth, and I am not of the
polytheists (6:79). Everyone should follow the patriarch of
monotheism and the forefather of the Prophets and recite what was
instructed in sura Tawbah to be read at the gathering in Mecca: And
an announcement from Allah and his apostle, to the people
(assembled) on the day of the great pilgrimage that Allah and His
Apostle are dissociated from the pagans. We renounce the infidels
during the Hajj rituals, and this is a politico-religious
renunciation similar to the one that Prophet Mohammad (S.A.)
enjoined. The lackey clergy who considers the cry of Down with
America, Israel and the Soviet Union contrary to Islam, should be
asked whether he considers it contrary to Hajj rituals if one obeys
Allah's instructions and follows His Prophet. He should be told that
it is you who are forgetting Allah's orders and His prophet's
instructions for your own earthly interests and are regarding as
infidelity the hatred shown towards enemies of Islam and the
oppressors warring against Muslims. We hope that the Saudi
government will not listen to the temptations of these atheist
clergy. We hope that they will leave Muslims free, as promised, to
disown the infidels, and that they will do so especially with the
Iranian, Palestinian, Lebanese and Afghan pilgrims who are being
wronged, so that the common enemy of the oppressed people may be
introduced to the world. I emphatically call on Iranian pilgrims and
other Hajj pilgrims to observe order and discipline and act
according to the instructions of my representative Hojjatoleslam
Khoeiniha and regard all Muslims as their brothers and to treat
them as is expected from a committed Muslim. It is hoped that the
Saudi government will align itself with Iranian Hajj pilgrims who
are only protesting against tyrannical oppressions afflicting
Islamic countries and the unreasonable interference there and by
adopting a unanimous voice they condemn the aggressions of the
infidels against Islamic world,so that this year's Hajj
rituals will be observed in a
way aimed at pleasing
Allah and His Prophet (S.A.).
Another point which must be mentioned to
Muslims and the uprising people of the world standing against
international predators and world expansionists, is that the
superpowers are implementing their vicious plots either through
terror-mongering by their propaganda loudspeakers or their
treacherous subservients. But, if nations stand against these powers
through their vigilance and unity, the superpowers would not reach
their aims. There is much evidence in this respect, and the living
proofs in our own region are Iran and Afghanistan. Iran, as you
know, had surrendered to America handcuffed, and the toppled Shah
had tied Iran to America in every respect. Iran was one of America's
military bases and the Iranian army was in the hands of American
advisors. Culture was in the hands of mercenaries, while the Shah,
his government and Parliament were but subservient lackeys; economy
was in the worst state of dependency. The toppled Shah was the most
powerful police in the region, thanks to his affluence and
sophisticated military hardware, and he was being supported by
America and other lackey states in the region. However, in a short
period of time, the Iranian nation, miraculously and barehanded and
solely by relying on the Almighty Allah, broke the idols created by
those affected by the west, hence putting an end to the
2500-year-old tyranny as well as to the myth created by idolaters.
And the Afghan people stood against the dastardly assault of the
Soviet Union, crushing the mythical power and its mighty army that
was backing a usurping government and a treacherous party. They are
doing it with the power of faith and by relying on the Almighty
Allah. It should be said that the Soviet Union is now worried and
sorry about its aggression and is wondering how to withdraw from
Afghanistan without any disgrace. It was the committed ulama who
expelled France and Britain which usurped Algeria and Iraq. These
examples are sufficient to remove unfounded terror created by
colonialism and to awaken Muslims and the governments of Islamic
states and to neutralize diabolic spells, so that Muslims and their
governments, become free while they are holding the vital artery of
the West and East and are possessing rich resources. They should
take a lesson from Iran that, with a population of 30 million
plus, broke the shackles of colonialism, cut the hands of all powers
and expelled their advisors and parasites. Muslims should not heed
the loudspeakers of imperialism that, since the victory of the
Islamic Revolution, have spread in a dingle voice rumors of Iran's
bankruptcy and its imminent downfall. They should appreciate an
Islamic power whose objective is to exalt Muslims and curtail the
hands of tyrants off their resources. They should appreciate a power
that is constantly seeking to establish Islamic peace and fraternity
among Muslim brethren. They should know that powerful opportunist
countries, who aim at dominating the oppressed Islamic states would
leave them alone as soon as difficulties
arise and that the term
faithfulness has no meaning in
their culture.
If unity emphasized by the Almighty Allah
and His Prophet (S.A.) is established among Muslims and
the governments of Islamic states, the governments can, with the
backing of their people, form a joint defensive army with 100
million trained reserves and a tens-of-millions-strong army, thus
gaining the greatest power in the world. But as this has not been
materialized so far, Islamic governments of the region and the world
can establish a reserve army of tens of millions and an army of over
10 million to defend Islamic states. This could exceed all powers.
Therefore, it is hoped that the regional governments, regardless of
language, race or school of thought and only under the banner of
Islam, will consider this in order to become free from the disgrace
of bowing before the superpowers and taste sweetness of independence
and freedom. To achieve this end, every government should reach an
understanding with its own people and consider such a plan for
revival. In this regard, they can draw inspiration from Islamic Iran
as it is defending its own territories as well as that of the
Islamic states. Today Iran is determined to train its youth
militarily in spite of all the present bottlenecks and hindrances.
And so far, it possesses some one million trained reserves that can
be equipped and armed to defend their Islamic land as soon as they
are instructed to do so. Islamic and regional countries can do so if
they deal with their nations as Iran does and stay beside their
people so that the people can feel assured of their governments'
intentions to render them services. This would be a prelude to what
Islam has propounded. It should be deplored that Islam has not yet
been understood in all its aspects and has remained under the
domination of colonialists throughout history. We pray to Allah to
remove such a black curtain and to brighten the eyes of the Muslims
with genuine Islam so that people of the world may know what Islam
has brought to them. Islamic teachings give priority to peaceful
coexistence on the globe and it is hoped that this will
be achieved by the coming of Imam
Mahdi(A.S.),
who will bring man eternal prosperity)
Muslims, and especially the oppressed people of
the region, should know that Israel would not forsake the
idea of governing over Islamic states from the Nile to the
Euphrates, although it changes figureheads to deceive Palestinian
and Lebanese combatants. Displaying its teeth in the region, the
United States will fully support an agent such as Israel as it
commits the crimes in the region through this puppet regime.
Therefore, their political games should not be ignored and those
backing Israel should know that they are stroking the serpent that
will poison the region if an appropriate opportunity is provided.
This venomous serpent should be denied the opportunity. Similarly,
given the chance, Saddam's threat to the region would be no less
than that of Israel. Now, for the sake of security in the region,
the regional governments should stop helping this embodiment of
corruption and the warlord of Qadissiyah, who has been brought to
the verge of downfall and reduced to a wretched creature. From
religious and material points of view, this would be in their own
interest, since he will not show mercy to any of the Persian Gulf
states if he is given the opportunity. You see that even while he is
now facing a disgraceful defeat, he has said in a speech "Arabs
should accept leadership of Iraq". No doubt, if he gains the
required power, he will not be satisfied with the leadership
capacity. Propaganda loudspeakers of the governments that have been
slapped in the face by the Islamic Republic of Iran, try to make you
scared about Iran; they do so to preserve their interests and
further enslave your nations. These governments should know that,
according to Islamic teachings, the Islamic Republic would take an
attitude of fraternity and equality towards them provided that they
obey Islamic principles. The Islamic Republic of Iran will however
not allow itself to compromise with a regime that has inflicted this
amount of damage and committed these crimes against it. The beloved
Iraqi nation is awaiting Iran's victory so that it becomes free from
the stings of this scorpion. It is hoped that with the assistance of
Allah this will not take so long. As
the Almighty says Is not the dawn (of (victory) approaching? 11:81)
Respectful Iranian pilgrims at the sanctified
Mosques should know that they are making a pilgrimage to
Allah's House and to the holy shrine of His Prophet (S.A.) from a
country that stood up to expel oppressors and to achieve Islamic
objectives. They are under the scrutiny of their Muslim brethren
from throughout the world as well as news agencies and liars. The
propaganda agents of the enemies of Islam are prowling and
attentively watching their deeds and recording their sayings. They
are intent upon magnifying trivial issues and thus spreading false
rumors all over the world. Therefore, any minor deviation, fault or
error, in addition to its being regarded as a sin before the
Almighty Allah and His great Prophet, would also be unforgivable
before other Hajj pilgrims. This is because, Allah forbid, the
Islamic Republic which is formed to establish divine rule based on
Quranic teachings, would be portrayed in an adverse manner, and
slanderers who are waiting to find a pretext against the Islamic
Republic of Iran would be provided the grounds to spread rumors
aimed at blurring the luminous reports about those who have gone to
observe the Hajj rituals. Iranian Hajj pilgrims should be cautious
lest unreasonable conduct and unwarranted utterances mar their
character. Everyone should watch his friends and relatives and
should follow sound humanitarian Islamic programs as arranged by my
representative Hojjatoleslam Khoeiniha and should not violate them.
Otherwise, anarchy and disorder will prevail and plague other Hajj
pilgrims. The Saudi police and officials in charge of Hajj and
pilgrimage affairs should be aware of the fact that Iranian pilgrims
have come to the sacred House and the holy shrine of the Prophet
(S.A.) from a revolutionary country which used to be under the
tyranny and exploitation of the West and the East. They represent a
nation that has freed itself by the grace of Allah and through the
sublime efforts of men and women, old and young. They should know
that this nation achieved independence and freedom, transforming the
tyrant monarchical regime into an Islamic and popular system and
expelling American and Soviet advisors and spies from their own
land. These are guests of Allah and the Prophet (S.A.) and therefore
any insult against them would be against their great hosts, because
these guests have come in response to the calls of Ibrhim (A.S.)
and Mohammad (S.A.), which is considered a response to the Almighty
Allah. Be kind and show affection and fraternity towards Allah and
His messenger; and do not annoy their guests. They have come to
observe the Hajj rites and to abjure polytheism and infidelity
because Allah and His Prophet (S.A.) have abjured them. Honor these
committed guests and win the support of a powerful Islamic regime
for the suppression of the enemy of Islam and Islamic states.
Through establishing solidarity with Muslims of the world, turn the
great city of Mecca into a center of protest against oppressors.
This is
one of the secrets of
Hajj, and Allah is needless of
man's prayers.
O
Allah! save us from following the devil and concupiscence. Save us
from obsessive ambition for status and earthly belongings. Save
Islamic states from being scared of the two right and left powers
and inform them of their Islamic and humanitarian responsibilities.
Lead the Muslim nations and governments towards achieving unity and
fraternity and bestow your mercy upon the Iranian Hajj pilgrims who
have endured much sufferings, agony, insult, imprisonment and
torture in the way of achieving their great objective. Curtail the
hands of predatory powers off Islamic countries, and guide us
towards whatever that guarantees your satisfaction. Bestow victory
on the Islamic forces in defending their homeland and the oppressed
people of the region and debase the usurping Israel and American and
Soviet oppressors. Empower Islam and Muslims and safeguard them
against the sedition of foreign transgressors. May Allah's victory,
blessings and greetings be upon His
Apostle and His Ummah, especially the absent
Imam (Imam Mahdi), may our lives be sacrificed for
him.
May the
peace and blessings of Allah be upon you
Ruhollah Almusavi
Alkhomeini
