Hawzah News Agency (Tehran, Iran) – Here are some excerpts from Ayatollah Khamenei's words regarding Imam al-Sajjad (as) and his book of Sahifa Sajjadiya:

Imam Sajjad was determined to teach and change ethics in Islamic society. Why? Because, according to the analysis of Imam, an important part of the basic problem of the Islamic world that led to the tragedy of Karbala, was due to decadence and immorality of the people. If people had Islamic morality, Yazid, Ibn Ziyad, Omar Sa’ad and the others could not create the disaster.

If the people had not become so cruel, so far from their values and ruled by vices, governments (even corrupt, ungodly and oppressive ones) could never force the people to create such a disaster--killing the progeny of the Prophet (pbuh) and the son of Fatima (sa) This is no joke! A nation becomes the source of all evil, when its ethics are destroyed. Imam al-Sajjad (as) investigated the Islamic society for this and decided to remove this from society, replacing it with ethics. Therefore, Makarim AL-Akhlaq consists of prayers; but, they are also lessons. Sajjadiya scriptures consist of prayers; but, they are also lessons.

I recommend you, the youth, to read Sajjadiya scriptures and to ponder upon them. Reading them without contemplation is not enough. With reflection, you will see that each of the prayers in Sajjadiya scriptures and the prayers of Makarim AL-Akhlaq form a manuscript of life lessons and ethics.

Meeting the staff of the Ministry of Education, Welfare and Social Security - 23/04/1372

I kindly advise you my dear people, especially the young, to bond with the book of Sahifa Sajjadiya. Because, everything exists in this book; it is not only a prayer book. Most of the prayers of Sajjadiya Scriptures are like that. Everything is organized. It is as if someone is sitting in front of a listener, talking with him by reasoning. Even the agonies of love that come in Sajjadiya scriptures, are the same.

Friday Prayer sermon 14/11/1373