Preface
PREFACE
One of the most brilliant, gifted and worthy sons of Islam of our age -- a great scholar, thinker, philosopher, jurisprudent, writer of great erudition and penetration, the defender of the honour of Islam during the deposed Pahlavi regime, and the best pupil and the outcome of the entire life of Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace) -- Ayatullah Shaikh Murtaza Mutahhari (who was martyred on May 1, 1979 by the terrorist Furqan group in Tehran) had said regarding the need of publishing suitable Islamic literature as follows:
"We are the responsible people, we have not produced sufficient literature in various aspects of Islam in current languages. Had we, therefore, made available the pure and sweet waters in abundance, people would not have contented themselves with polluted waters." 1
Keeping the above in mind, I have tried to translate the present book, Discourse on Patience (Guftari dar bab-e-sabr) by Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Khamenei from Persian into English, as my insignificant contribution to produce a tiny drop of pure and sweet water.
In order to defend the Islamic Community against the cultural onslaught of the enemies of Islam, and in order to achieve political and cultural unity for them, there is a critical need to design a coat of arms
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1 Islamic Movements in Twentieth Century by Ayatullah Mutahhari.
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prepared by suitable Islamic literature, so that Muslims can equip themselves and their children with this armour of Islamic culture. As the writer of this book Ayatullah Khamenei has stated:
"An indifferent, unaware believer could be compared to a soldier in the battlefield, who is fighting naked without wearing armour. Such an ill-equipped soldier is most likely to be killed or disappear from the scene during the very first encounter.
But an aware, conscientious, and knowledgeable Muslim with Islamic ideology could be compared to a soldier, who is fully clad in armour from head to foot and is fully equipped with all the required armaments. Obviously, for the enemy to defeat such a well equipped soldier is a relatively difficult task."1
The war between total belief and total blasphemy is going on fiercely on all fronts namely; militarily, economically and culturally. The most severe among the three is the cultural onslaught being waged by the enemies. This cultural battle is most crucial, because once people are deprived of their ideology and culture, then the enemy becomes victorious without firing a single bullet and without waging a single military operation.
The Islamic "Andulusia" (modern Spain), was snatched away from the Muslims by using this tactic. We must wake up before history repeats itself. The enemy has already intruded within the privacy of the four walls of our dwellings. Even the so-called cartoon video films for children and the paper wrappings inside chewing gum
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1 Discourse on Patience by Ayatullah Khamenei
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packages are not immune, and intermingled with their satanic sexual onslaught, without mentioning the other horrible means at their disposal.
We Muslims are quite well aware of the power
and richness of our ideology. Even our enemies are fully aware of its revolutionary dynamic force. In a famous sermon in his book Path of Eloquence (Nahjul Balagha), the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S.) speaks about this ideology as follows:
"Have you fully realized what Islam is? It is a religion founded on truth. It is such a fountainhead of learning that from it flow out several streams of wisdom and knowledge. It is such a lamp that from it several lamps will be lighted. It is a tall beacon lighting the path to Allah. It is a set of principles and beliefs which will satisfy every seeker of truth and reality.
Know you all that Allah has made Islam the most sublime path towards His Supreme Pleasure and the highest standard of His Worship and Obedience. He has favoured it with noble precepts, exalted principles, undoubtable arguments, unchallengeable supremacy and undeniable wisdom.
It is up to you to maintain the eminence and dignity granted to it by the Lord, to follow it sincerely, to do justice to its articles of faith and belief, to implictly obey its tenets and orders, and to give it the proper place in your lives."1
Well, we have in our possession such a rich ideology, the Holy Qur'an, the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (may the peace of Allah be upon him and his progeny), but it is just a matter of its implementation in
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1 Sermon of Imam Ali (A.S.) Path of Eloquence (Nahjul Balagha Sermon No. 203).
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our daily lives and its execution in Islamic countries. Sometimes it happens that a society possesses theoritical knowledge and ingeniousness, but nevertheless the circumstances are such that its practical application is not possible.
Fortunately, with the victory of the Islamic Revolution on February 11, 1979 (Bahman 22, 1358), under the enlightened leadership of that divine iron-willed man blessed with foresight, whose very name and whose very word inspire the hearts of Muslims, the idol-breaker, the holder of the highest esteem, the dearest of the sons of Islam and a rare, gifted genious, Imam Ayatullah ul-Uzma Ruhollah al-Musavi Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace), the task of the implemention of this ideology was accomplished.
So far the Islamic Flag stating "There is no god but Allah" is flying high over the skies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it awakens the giant one-billion-strong Islamic Community, pumping fresh blood into their veins and arteries. The existence of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the present situation could be compared to the motor of an automobile, which is currently providing the required energy for the motion of the Islamic World.
In this regard, I would like to share with the readers the reflections of Nouruddin Shireen, a Turkish writer whose interview was published recently in the Turkish newspaper "ALAMDAR" , upon his return from a recent trip to the devastated, oppressed and aggressed Islamic country of Bosnia-Herzegovina. He writes as follows:
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"As far as helping Bosnia by other governments was concerned, there was only one single government and that was the Islamic Republic of Iran. In principle, it should be mentioned that the goal of Imam Khomeini and his holy struggle was to free all Muslims and to accomplish freedom and independence for the entire Islamic Community. He stood for the defence of oppressed Muslims all over the world. Till the Islamic Republic of Iran exists (Insha' Allah), the Muslims of the world will never remain without defence and support.
Praise to Allah, that today one leader -with honour and dignity is following the holy path of Imam Khomeini. May Allah prolong the shadow of this leader upon the heads of Muslims of the world. The existence of Ayatullah Khamenei is a ray of hope and blessing for all Muslims throughout the world. I witnessed this reality in Bosnia with my own eyes. Every time I encountered the picture of Imam Khomeini at some homes and shops, the intense emotion and love shown by the Bosnian Muslim people for Imam was something comparable to children who have been separated from their father."1
Unfortunately, pains and tragedies have befallen the Islamic Community, which if they had fallen on a bright day, would have turned it into a dark night. There is Palestine, where, day and night we see how Zionist soldiers are hunting bare-handed and helpless children, and how insolently under the very eyes of television cameras are breaking their bones inside the torture chambers in Zionist prisons. On February 25 of this year, we saw the most cold-blooded butchering and
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1 Jomhuri Islami P. 13 - Jan 29, 1994.
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wounding of hundreds of innocent, fasting Muslims while in the state of prostration, offering their Friday prayer during the holy month of Ramadhan, inside the Shrine of Prophet Abraham (p.b.u.h.) in the city of al-Khalil committed by savage Zionists.
There is Islamic Algeria, where democracy was beheaded in broad daylight while the whole civilized world watched. The land of Jame' al-Azhar or Egypt, where, every day Muslims are being sentenced to death for just being Muslims, and for demanding an Islamic Government.
There is also Bosnia, where the most savage and horrible systematic genocide is being carried out for more than three years in so-called civilized and modern Europe, showing the impotence of International Organizations in this regard. Barbaric acts such as forcing a Muslim Imam of a mosque to drink the blood of his son, the live burial of a young man while his would-be bride watches, the chemical bombing of the beseiged city of Gorazde and the killing of thousands of its defenceless Muslim defenders, and the numerous shameful deeds of raping women and young girls, and crimes which were not committed by even the most notorious of the Nazis in Germany.
The modern and civilized world cries for the rights of dogs, cats, fish, bears, and other animals all over the world, but for crimes committed against Muslims, there is no crying, no tears, and no rights are considered to have beeen violated. Nevertheless, this present state of the world awakens and tests Muslims. The sun of hope
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is slowly rising on the Islamic World, and there is absolutely no doubt that if we could become united and preserve our steadfastness, the future belongs to Islam. We, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, sincerely aspire for unity and our hearts bleed for all of our brothers and sisters as the Prophet (may peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said:
"Truly the believers in their acts of cooperation and mutual aid are like the head to the body; should it complain, the rest of the body rallies to it in vigilant defense."1
This philosophy had been elegantly described by the late Ayatullah Sayyid Mahmoud Taleqani, in his sermon, on the occasion of first "Qods Day" on August 17, 1979 (Ramadhan 23, 1399) in Tehran, as follows:
"All Muslims, wherever they may be, in their cooperative relationships with each other, their acts of compassion toward each other are like the head to a body when it feels pain and complains. Whenever a member of the human body feels pain, its complaint is brought to the command centers by means of the nerves, afterwards to reach the other members. This afflicted member becomes like the head; all thought and attention, one's eyes and ears, attend it until it is taken care of.
Why? Because if it is not taken care of, all the members will become paralyzed. The Muslims of the world must know that they are all members of a single body; they must not suppose that by remaining indifferent to the lot of other Muslims they can preserve themselves from the painful calamities that are besetting them."2
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1 Society and Economics in Islam by Ayatullah Talegani,
2 Ibid.
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This translation coincides with the tragic news of the chemical bombing of the beseiged city of Gorazde in Bosnia-Herzagovina and the heoric defence and resistance offered by its defenders, despite the unmanly withdrawal of the so-called peace-keeping forces of the United Nations.
I dedicate this translation work to the lofty spirits of the Martyrs of this beseiged city. As far as the brave and heroic Muslim defenders of Bosnia-Herzegovina and all oppressed Muslims throughout the Islamic world are concerned, I give them the glad tidings that victory is near (Insha' Allah), and I invite their attention to the following sermon of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (A.S.):
"When Allah witnessed their patience in resisting the tortures and hardships, which were inflicted upon them, because of their love for Him and following the path of truth. He opened over them gates of divine assistance in the midst of those difficult bottlenecks of misfortunes. The deprived of yesterday, after that found themselves as rulers and governors. Their glory, fame, prestige, reached to a point, which had never been imagined by them in their best of dreams."1
Further, Allah has clearly reminded us that Islam is the greatest source of power and it can do wonders, that the power of faith is far mightier than that of the superpowers. There is a saying of Imam Khomeini: "It is our duty to struggle in this fashion, and the result is with Allah". In the words of the Holy Qur'an, Allah has
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1 Sermon of Imam Ali (A.S.) Path of Eloquence (Nahjul Balagha Sermon No. 234).
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promised us the result as follows:
Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion -- the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace.
They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. If any do reject faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked. So establish regular prayer and give regular charity; and obey the apostle; that ye may receive mercy. Never think thou that the unbelievers are going to frustrate (Allah's plan) on earth: their abode is the Fire, -- and it is indeed an evil refuge!1
I have tried to be loyal to the Persian text to the best of my ability. The notes added by the translator have been indicated by (Tr) and those by the editor by (Ed.). I am sincerly indebted to Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini, the learned scholar and jurisprudent from the Religious Learning Center of Qum for his kind guidance and encouragement. I offer my sincere appreciation to Dr. Ali Naqi Baqershahi, for his encouragement and providing the Biography of Ayatullah Khamenei, Sayyid Ali Shahbaz for Editing, and Hujjatul Islam Sayyid
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1 The Holy Qur'an (24: 55-57).
Mohammad Taqi Hakim and Mrs. Saddigheh (Debra Ann) Bush, for proof reading. I am also indebted to my wife Fatima Razavi and children for being patient with me while completing this work during the New Year vacation. Sincere thanks are also due to Mr. Ansariyan for his encouragement for publishing this book. Also, I wish to thank all of my friends at Iran Water and Power Development Company who have contributed to the realization of this translation, especially Mr. Reza Hadadian, Mr. Asghar Mesmarian and Mr. Ali Reza Nouri. I apologize to my readers for possible errors, and omissions and welcome their suggestions and comments.
He was born in the year 1939 in the holy city of Mashhad in Khorasan province, Northeastern Iran. Both his parents belonged to religious scholarly families and he spent his childhood years in a spiritual atmosphere. He successfully completed his Theological studies at the famous religious learning center of Qum in the year 1964 and subsequently pursued religious studies at the theological Academy at Mashhad till the year 1968.
During the deposed Pahlavi regime Mr. Khamenei was one of the most beloved and bright pupils of Imam Khomeini (may his soul rest in peace), and was considered to be one of the most prominent and trusted leaders of the Islamic movement, which entered into a new critical phase on the 5th of June 1963 (15th of Khordad 1342 S.H.), after Imam Khomeini's historical stand against the Shah's regime. During this struggle he was repeatedly arrested and spent three years in prison between 1964 and 1978. Later he was exiled for almost a year to a place with one of the worst climatic conditions.
In 1978, upon his return from exile and at the height of the revolutionary struggle of Iranian Muslims, Mr. Khamenei together with a few of his close associates led the struggle of the people in Khorasan. Later in the same year when Imam Khomeini headed the Islamic revolutionary movement from Neauphle Le Chateau at Paris, he was selected to be a member of the
Revolutionary Council. After the down- fall of the monarchy and formation of the revolutionary government, he was entrusted with the responsibility of representing the Revolutionary Council of the Army. He also served as Deputy for Revolutionary Affairs at the Ministry of Defence, and later on was appointed as the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
He was also chosen to lead the Friday Congregational Prayers in Tehran, by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini, and was elected to the First Islamic Consultative Assembly, as the representative of Tehran in 1980. After the formation of the Supreme Defence Council, Mr. Khamenei was nominated to be the representative of the Leader of the revolution. Mr. Khamenei was one of the founding members of the Islamic Republic Party in Iran and was appointed as its first Secretary-General.
He was the victim of an un-successful assassination attempt on 27 June 1981. His speech at the Consultative Assembly was instrumental in the dismissal of Bani-Sadr from the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and while addressing the congregation after leading the prayer in a mosque in Tehran, a time bomb exploded nearby, seriously injuring his hand, face and chest. He was immediately rushed to hospital by the devoted people of Tehran and miraculously survived. His right hand, however, is still not functioning properly.
In 1981, following the martyrdom of Mr. Mohammad Ali Rajaei, the second President of the
Islamic Republic of Iran, he became a candidate, and was elected to the presidency with 95% of the votes cast in his favour by the Iranian people (the total number of votes was 16,847,717). He was re-elected as president in 1985 for a second four-year term. He also headed the Supreme Defence Council and Supreme Council for the Cultural Revolution.
During the imposed war, President Khamenei visited various war fronts, and continously inspected the frontlines in order to boost the morale of the Islamic combatants and to give advise on organizational matters. After the sad demise of Imam Khomeini, the Father of the Islamic Revolution, the Assembly of Experts selected him as the next of the Islamic Revolution, on June 4, 1989.
He has a good command of the Persian, Arabic and Azeri Turkish languages and is also well acquainted with English. Ayatollah Khamenei is a prominent scholar and jurisprudent, and could be ranked as one of most fluent orators in the Islamic world at present. In addition to writing, he has a sense of appreciation for literary and poetic works.
He has translated and written numerous books on Islam and history. His translations include Future of the Islamic Lands, An Indictment against the Western Civilization, and Imam Hasan's Peace Treaty. From among his writings, one may mention: The Role of Muslims in the Independence Struggle of India, General Pattern of Islamic Thoughts in the Qur'an, Discourse on
Understanding Islam properly, Imam Sadiq's Life, and a collection of lectures about Vilayat. He was also a co-writer of the famous Pamphlet Our Positions which helped the political, social and philosophical advancement of the Islamic Republic Party. (Other contributers were Martyr Ayatullah Beheshti, Martyr Hujjatul Islam Dr. Bahonar, Hujjatul klam Hashemi Rafsanjani, the current President).
