The Leader described Hajj as being a divine, wise program, which has different aspects and dimensions from other religious programs. He explained, “The Holy Qur’an describes the wisdom of the Hajj pilgrimage in one short sentence that means ‘the pillar of human life.’ Hajj includes teachings and practices that teach human beings and the next generations how to select the pillars in their lives.”

Imam Khamenei said that teaching “coexistence, a simple lifestyle and the avoidance of likely sins that require that one to be more vigilant” are important lessons to be learned from the Hajj pilgrimage. He advised all pilgrims and officials involved in this spiritual trip to appreciate this great blessing and be grateful for this pilgrimage. He said that this means carrying out their responsibilities with the intention of getting closer to God. He also said that the officials must conduct their actions firmly, with piety and innovatively.

He also urged Hajj pilgrims to become ready internally for this spiritual trip and to avoid unpleasant actions such as spending their time in the shops. He said, “The real souvenir of the Hajj pilgrimage is recitation of the Qur’an, saying one’s prayers and circumambulating Masjid al-Haram. So the pilgrims should not waste their precious time doing useless deeds.”

In referring to the fact that Hajj is a symbol of the unity of the Islamic nation, the Supreme Leader said, “Everyone should make all-out efforts to prevent the disruption of Muslim unity, because creating discord between the Shi’a and the Sunnis is one of the tricks used by the English.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that promoting good, enlightening communications with pilgrims from other countries and using good Qur’anic recitations are among the areas where efforts can be made to enhance unity. He also emphasized that the Zionists are a blight that is currently affecting the world of Islam. He said, “Revealing the Zionists’ conspiracies and plans during the Hajj pilgrimage is a great necessity. The Arab and non-Arab states, who have pursued normalization of ties with the Zionist regime in line with the United States’ policies and in contradiction to the wishes of their own nations, should be aware that such meetings will bear no fruit except their being exploited by the Zionist regime.”

Imam Khamenei also referred to the grave duties of the host government and the necessity of their working in such a way that is to the benefit of the Islamic nation. He said, “Ensuring the safety of all pilgrims, especially the Iranian pilgrims, and preventing the tragedy that took place in the past by increasing their spending, is one of the Islamic Republic’s serious demands.” At the end, he asked the Hajj officials to put the issue of reducing the number of days needed to carry out Hajj on their agenda and to find a solution to this problem.

At the beginning of the meeting, the representative of the Supreme Leader in “Hajj and Pilgrimage Affairs,” Abdul Fattah Nawab, as well as the Head of the “Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization,” Sadegh Hosseini, reported on the preparations Iran has made and the programs it has planned for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.