Hawzah News Agency- Here are some excerpts from Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks on the auspicious birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad and Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s):

 

The greatest Eid in the history of mankind

 

A number of mystics believe that the month of Rabi al-Awwal is the spring of life in the real sense of the word because in this month the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and also his honorable grandson, Imam Abu Abdullah Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq were born. And the birthday of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) is the beginning of all the blessings that Allah the Exalted has bestowed on humanity. We - who consider Islam as a tool for humanity to achieve happiness and salvation - [should know that] this divine blessing is because of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) which has been bestowed on us in this month. In fact, we should consider this great birthday as the beginning of all the blessings with which Allah the Exalted honored the human community, the Islamic Ummah and the followers of truth. Jan 29, 2013

 

In order to find the path of guidance, we Muslims only need to become familiar with the personality of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). Of course, we believe that the entire humanity should benefit from the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) and they do, but we members of the Islamic Ummah should be the first to do so. Allah the Exalted prepared him for the greatest mission in the history of mankind. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said, “The Almighty God educated His Messenger well and when he had educated him to perfection, he said: surely you have a great character. Then He entrusted him with the affairs of Islam and the Ummah so that he could educate His servants and manage their affairs.” Allah the exalted educated him and helped him improve. He provided him with all the means that he required for this great and historic achievement and then He put this heavy responsibility and this heavy and historic mission on his shoulders. Therefore, maybe we can say that today “ which is the 17th of Rabi al-Awwal and the birthday anniversary of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) “ is the greatest Eid in the history of mankind, a day on which Allah the Exalted bestowed this great gift on humanity and on the history of mankind. And the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) rose up relying on the tools he had been equipped with. Feb 10, 2012

 

The virtues of all prophets and saints are exhibited in Mohammad (pbuh)

 

What should we say about the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) except that he is an amalgamation of the virtues of all prophets? He is a complete version of all the virtues of prophets and God's saints.

 

The name of Ahmad is the name of all prophets.

 

When one hundred arrives, ninety is also with us.

 

When we say the name of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), it is like the character of Ibrahim, the character of Nuh, the character of Musa, the character of Isa, the character of Luqman, the character of all righteous and outstanding people, the character of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) and the character of infallible Imams (a.s.) are reflected in the character of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.).

 

We can liken the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) to the brightest star in the universe. Why do I say he is like a bright star, not the sun? It is because the sun is a definite celestial body. It is bright and magnificent, but it is a celestial body. However, among the stars that you see, there are some which are galaxies and are thousands of times larger than the one we see in summer nights. A galaxy is a collection of thousands of solar systems and suns. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) was like a galaxy and he had thousands of virtues which shone brightly like a star.

 

In him, knowledge is accompanied by morality, government is accompanied by wisdom, worshipping God is accompanied by serving people, jihad is accompanied by mercy, love of God is accompanied by love of his creatures, pride is accompanied by modesty, being up-to-date is accompanied by foresight, honesty is accompanied by complexity - in political matters - attention to God is accompanied by attention to peace and health, attention to worldly matters is accompanied by attention to spiritual matters and pursing divine goals is accompanied by pursuing human goals.

 

He is a perfect example of a human being and God Almighty has not created a person who is as perfect as him. He is a bearer of good news and he is a warner. He knows what all humanity is doing and he knows everything that happens in history. He is the person who invites all humanity to get close to God and he is a shining beacon of guidance for humanity: "Surely, We have sent you as a witness, and as a bearer of good news and as a warner and as one inviting to Allah by His permission, and as a light-giving torch" [The Holy Quran, 33: 45-46]. Mar 21, 2006

 

Under the Prophet's rule, Muslims reached the peak of global civilizations

 

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.

 

 

To help righteousness win, one must persevere on the path of righteousness

 

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.

 

After the passage of three years or more, 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.

 

Firm against the disbelievers, compassionate among themselves

 

There is a verse in the Quran [48: 29] that says "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those with him are firm against the disbelievers, compassionate among themselves." The phrase "firm against the disbelievers" does not mean that Muslims are involved in a constant war with the disbelievers. Rather, it means strength and solidity. Firm means solid here. This solidity may be manifested in a particular manner on the battlefield. It may also be manifested in another way when negotiating with the enemy. Just see how the Prophet (s.w.a.) talked to his enemies when it was necessary to do so. His plans were the embodiment of solidity, without any flaws. In the battle of Ahzab, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) entered into negations with the enemy. But it was not usual negotiations. The details of these negotiations are recorded in history. Battles and negotiations were both carried out in a solid manner. Cooperation was also carried out firmly. That is the meaning of the phrase "firm against the disbelievers".

 

The phrase "compassionate among themselves" means that Muslims are lenient with one another. Muslims do not treat each other firmly. It is time for expressing affections when Muslims are together.

 

The resistance at the beginning of be'that resulted in three years of unbelievable resistance in She'b-e Abi Talib. They lived in the sizzling sun in a valley near Mecca for three years. There were no plants and no water, and this is no joke. The Prophet (s.w.a.), Abi Talib, Khadijah, and all Muslims and their families lived in this valley - in the holes of the mountains. They had blocked all the ways so that they had no access to foodstuff. Sometimes when it was time for Hajj - in which, according to the rules of the Ignorance Era, no one was allowed to start a war - they were allowed to enter the town. But Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, and other chiefs of Mecca had told their servants and children to pay twice the price and buy whatever the early Muslims needed to buy. They had been told to prevent Muslims from buying their requirements at a shop. It is no joke living in such difficult conditions for three years.

 

It is such resistance and the heart that relies on Allah that gives rise to such solidity and makes people be patient. Children cried through the night out of hunger. The sound of their crying could be heard in Mecca, and some of the kind-hearted disbelievers of Quraysh felt sympathetic towards them. But no one dared to help them due to their fear of the powerful. That was while the faith of the early Muslims whose children wasted away before their eyes - there were many people who died there, many were plagued with diseases, and many suffered from starvation - was not shaken.

 

The Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) told his dear son, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, "...the mountains may be shaken, they may be removed, but your faith must not be shaken." That was the same piece of advice that the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) gave in his testament. That is the way the Islamic Ummah must rise up. That is what the be'that of the Islamic Ummah means. That is the lesson that the Prophet (s.w.a.) taught us. That is what be'that teaches us. Jul 30, 2008

 

The most important element of unity is the existence of Mohammad (pbuh)

 

We say that the holy existence of the great Prophet and Messenger of Islam (s.w.a.) is the most important point in creating unity. We have said before that the world of Islam can meet at this point. This is a point where the emotions of all Muslims are connected to one another. This is the center of love and affection in the world of Islam. Of course, you can witness that in the present time, some authors - who are financially supported by the Zionists - pay attention to this center and insult it. They do this so that the importance of insulting the Islamic Ummah and humiliating the world of Islam diminishes. This is the main point.

 

Our politicians, scientific and cultural personalities, writers, poets and artists should rely on this point and all Muslims should get close to one another with this slogan. Muslims should take no heed of differences, they should not accuse and say takfiri things against one another and they should not expel one another from religion. Hearts throughout the world of Islam are cheered with the love and remembrance of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.). All of us love that great personality. Apr 16, 2006

 

Besides, at an international level, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) is the link that connects the beliefs and the emotions of all Muslim peoples to one another. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) is the link that connects the beliefs and the emotions of the Islamic Ummah - including all ethnicities with different denominations - to one another. Mar 21, 2006

 

Islamic unity is a sacred slogan. If the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) were among us today, he would invite us to promote unity as this holy ayah says, "It grieves him that you should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the believers is he most kind and merciful" [The Holy Quran, 9: 128]. He would prevent these kinds of discord. If we love the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.), we should meet this major demand that he made. Jan 29, 2013

 

 

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