Hawzah News Agency- Speaking at a mourning ceremony at the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh (SA) in Qom, Hojatoleslam Ahmad Panahian said that Israel's Mossad and hostile intelligence services have openly declared they are investing in even the smallest family disputes inside Iran in a bid to tear society apart from within.
Drawing on a narration from Imam Sadiq (AS), Panahian stated that "obedience to us brings order to the nation, and our Imamate is a safeguard against division." He added that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) described himself as both a messenger of mercy and a messenger of epic struggle and battle.
"The religion of Islam is a religion of jihad and struggle. The Holy Prophet said he was sent for jihad, not for farming," the cleric emphasized. "Today, the enemies use the narrations of jihad to draw swords against the Shia, but it is our duty to apply these teachings on the path of truth."
Mossad openly targeting Iranian family units
Panahian revealed that hostile intelligence agencies, including Mossad, have formally announced their focus on exploiting micro-level family disagreements within Iranian society. "They have stated this officially," he stressed. "Their goal is to dismantle the social fabric of the country. Therefore, preserving unity and cohesion is our paramount duty today."
The cleric framed this disclosure within a broader analysis of enemy strategy, arguing that the weakening of the Imamate—the divinely ordained leadership of the Muslim community—is the ultimate objective of these efforts. "The enemy knows that if they can fracture the body of the Ummah, they can strike at the heart of Imamate. This is a calculated, well-funded campaign," he warned.
Abbas ibn Ali: A model of penetrating insight and unshakable faith
Turning to the virtues of Hazrat Abalfazl al-Abbas (AS), the flag-bearer of Karbala, Panahian cited Imam Sajjad (AS), who described his uncle as possessing "penetrating insight and unwavering faith."
The cleric introduced the concept of "Abbasi zeal" (al-ghayrah al-abbasiyyah), a term immortalized in the renowned salutations attributed to Sheikh Bahai, where it follows "Husseini courage." He explained that this is the zeal that refuses to allow the sanctity of the Imam to be violated.
"It was this very zeal that drove Abbas into the battlefield of Karbala," Panahian said. "Abbasi zeal does not tolerate the desecration of what is sacred. It is a protective fury born of loyalty and insight."
The rejected safe-conduct: Abbas's defining moment
Panahian recounted the critical moment when Shimr ibn Dhi al-Jawshan, exploiting a tribal connection through Hazrat Abbas's mother Umm al-Banin, approached the camp with an offer of safe passage for Hazrat Abbas and his brothers.
"Shimr thought blood ties would prevail over faith. He miscalculated catastrophically," the cleric said.
Standing before the emissary of Yazid's army, Hazrat Abbas responded with words that would echo through history: "Death be upon you and upon your commander. You offer us safety while the son of the Messenger of God has no safety?"
Panahian reflected on the depth of this rejection, noting that Abbas did not hesitate, consult, or negotiate. "His penetrating insight allowed him to see through the deception instantly. His unshakable faith gave him the strength to choose death over betrayal. This is the standard for all those who claim to follow the path of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS)."
The lesson for today: Vigilance against division
Connecting the legacy of Abbas to the contemporary struggle, Panahian argued that the same zeal and insight are required from believers today. "The enemies are distributing their own 'safe-conducts' in our time—promises of worldly comfort, safety, and acceptance in exchange for abandoning the path of truth. They want us to abandon the Imam of our age."
He warned that these modern safe-conducts come in the form of cultural pressure, economic enticement, and media manipulation, all aimed at weakening the bond between the Ummah and its divine leadership.
"Just as Hazrat Abbas saw through Shimr's offer, we must see through the enemy's designs," Panahian urged the mourners. "Their investment in family disputes and social divisions is their Karbala strategy for our era. Our Abbas-like response must be one of uncompromising loyalty, unity in the ranks of the believers, and a firm stand against every attempt to fracture the Ummah."
Preserving unity as a sacred duty
The senior cleric concluded by emphasizing that maintaining unity is not merely a social virtue but a religious obligation in the face of an enemy that has publicly declared its intentions to sow discord.
"The path of Hazrat Abbas teaches us that when the sanctity of the Imam is at stake, there is no room for hesitation, no space for neutral ground. Today, our unity is our shield, our loyalty is our sword, and our insight is our compass. This is how we honor the legacy of Karbala and safeguard the Ummah until the reappearance of the Imam of our time (may Allah hasten his reappearance)."
The mourning ceremony at the shrine of the Lady of the Ahl al-Bayt drew large crowds of devotees who participated in elegies and lamentations for the martyrs of Karbala.
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