Hawzah News Agency- Delivering this week's Friday sermon in the southern Iranian port city, Hojatoleslam Gholamali Safaei Bushehri, the representative of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Bushehr Province, stressed that patience and hope are two fundamental strategies for overcoming difficulties and achieving victory.
"The enemy, alongside military aggression, is also waging economic, social, political and cultural warfare, and the Iranian nation must stand firm in all these arenas by preserving unity and the spirit of resistance," he said.
The cleric began his first sermon by urging the faithful to observe divine piety, describing it as the finest provision for salvation in the hereafter and the best path to attaining God's special love in this world.
"Piety means living without sin, which stems from faith in God. Becoming beloved by God is achieved through piety, and salvation in the hereafter along with presence among God's righteous servants in paradise is built upon observing piety in this world," he said.
Referring to the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hassan Askari (AS) and Iran's sacred defense against American and Israeli aggression, Safaei Bushehri said one of the most important teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt school, needed today more than ever, is the principle of patience and hope.
"Patience and hope constitute a fundamental strategy for achieving victory. If a society observes these two elements, it will overcome problems, attacks, challenges and crises, and will reach the peak of success," he said.
He warned that without patience, despair would dominate the human spirit, and defeat would begin even before the enemy strikes.
Citing a narration from Imam Hassan Askari (AS), the cleric said: "He said: 'Upon you is patience and awaiting relief' — meaning you must maintain patience, hopefulness and anticipation of deliverance and victory."
He also referenced a prophetic tradition stating that awaiting relief is among the best deeds of the faithful community, explaining that this means keeping the spirit of hope for the future and for victory alive within oneself.
"A society that lacks the spirit of resistance and patience in the face of military, economic, political, cultural and security threats is doomed to defeat," Safaei Bushehri said.
He extended the principle beyond the social and political spheres, noting that a family without patience would disintegrate in the face of hardship, and an individual lacking patience would surrender at the first sign of difficulty.
Quoting the Quranic verse in which Prophet Jacob advises his sons, the cleric said: "God says do not despair of His mercy, for only the disbelievers despair of God's mercy. You who have faith are loved by God, and if you remain steadfast on the path of faith and preserve your devotion to God, fear and sorrow shall not overcome you."
He also drew on the story of Prophet Moses and his confrontation with Pharaoh, noting that Moses told his people to seek help from God and remain patient, for the earth belongs to God and He grants it to whomever He wills among His servants, and the final outcome belongs to the pious.
"Today, the Iranian people are standing against the enemy's hard and soft attacks with patience, resistance and hope, and they see the horizons of the future as bright. Therefore, they move forward with hope, endurance and resistance, and God's promise concerning them will be fulfilled," he said.
Armed forces must enhance readiness
In his second sermon, Safaei Bushehri pointed to the recent decree by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution appointing new military commanders, stressing the importance of continuously enhancing the country's defense and security capabilities.
"One of the strategic points emphasized by the Supreme Leader is that the armed forces and the popular Basij must continuously upgrade their comprehensive and up-to-date defense and security readiness," he said.
This enhancement, he noted, must cover command and management, operations, and equipment alike, because any weakness in one area would be exploited by the enemy.
"The armed forces must be prepared in all fields, and the country's defense power must not stagnate but rather be continuously upgraded in line with new threats," the cleric said.
He said the second point stressed by the Leader was enabling the armed forces to respond to all types of threats in a timely, revolutionary and effective manner.
"The enemy's threat is not merely military. The enemy may launch a cognitive and perceptual war, attempting to transform people's minds and replace the spirit of resistance with one of submission," he warned.
Warning to Arab states
Addressing the positions taken by some Arab states in the Persian Gulf, Safaei Bushehri criticized their condemnation of Iran's retaliatory strikes against US bases in the region.
"The condemnation of the Islamic Republic by these countries holds no value for our system and nation, because we pursue the path of steadfastness based on the Quran and the tradition of the Prophet," he said.
He quoted the Prophet as saying that those who remain steadfast will be victorious, adding: "We follow the path of the Quran and the Messenger of God, and we will confront any assault at any level."
Speaking directly to the rulers and sheikhs of the Arab states along the Persian Gulf, he asked: "Would the Prophet of Islam be pleased that you hand over your bases and territories to America and the Zionist regime so they can attack an Islamic country from there? Where in the Quran and the Prophet's tradition is such a thing sanctioned?"
He added: "If you are afraid of America, say so. But we know our duty, and we know how to confront America and how to help push back America's evil from the Persian Gulf region."
The cleric warned that cooperation with the enemy of Islamic countries would not guarantee the security or survival of their rule.
"America will not remain loyal to anyone. The countries of the region should be certain that by relying on America, they will fall into a well from which there is no way back," he said.
"The Persian Gulf belongs to the Islamic lands, and there is no place for America and its backers in this region," Safaei Bushehri declared.
Call to address needs of freed POWs
Commemorating the anniversary of the return of Iranian prisoners of war from Iraqi captivity, the Friday prayer leader praised the freed POWs as ambassadors of patience, resistance and struggle for Islamic Iran.
He called on officials to pay special attention to their situation, first by preserving the dignity and esteemed status of these veterans.
"These heroes endured years of captivity and devoted their lives to Iran and Islam. Wherever they are present — in any office or organization — their special respect must be maintained," he said.
He also urged action on housing for the former POWs, emphasizing that these veterans had endured years of captivity to preserve the ideals and values of the revolution, including allegiance to the Leader, national unity, modesty and hijab, and the spirit of resistance.
Enemy's multi-front assault
The cleric stressed that the enemy's assault is not limited to external military aggression, pointing to various schemes being pursued inside the country, including economic warfare.
He cited inflation, rising prices, sanctions and the activation of domestic elements linked to foreign powers as dimensions of this assault, saying it is the duty of the government and all economic institutions to enter the field seriously.
"The government must act with knowledge-based and dedicated programs to counter inflation and artificial price hikes, and must not allow economic pressure to undermine the people's resistance," he said.
Safaei Bushehri also warned of the enemy's social warfare, aimed at creating divisions among people, ethnic groups and religious communities, and of political warfare designed to pit political figures and factions against one another.
"All political currents and figures must unite around the axis of the Leadership and in the interest of the nation," he said.
Turning to the cultural front, he accused the enemy of seeking to sow doubt, undermine the intellectual and religious foundations of society, spread moral decay and promote social harms.
He called on cultural officials to fulfill their legal responsibilities in the areas of modesty and hijab, warning against allowing the domestic front to fall into crisis.
"We must resist on two fronts: against external aggression and against internal assaults — legally, systematically, comprehensively and inclusively," he said.
The cleric concluded his sermon by offering condolences on the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hassan Askari (AS) and congratulating Muslims and Shia worldwide on the beginning of the Imamate of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance), while also paying tribute to the martyrs of Karbala and the steadfastness of the household of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
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