TEHRAN – Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, met with Iranian officials who oversee the Hajj pilgrimage at Imam Khomeini Husainiya on Sunday.
During the meeting, he described the goals of Hajj and his perceptions and understanding of various aspects of the Hajj as the prelude necessary to properly fulfill this very important duty. He added that the use of the term “nath” (people) in many of the Quran poems related to Hajj indicates that God stipulates this obligation to manage the matters of all people, not just Muslims. Therefore, the proper act of Hajj is to serve all humanity.
Ayatollah Khamenei, who detailed the cognitive aspects of Hajj, called it the only duty that is 100% political in its form and composition, at one time, for a particular purpose, once and in place, and in its very nature is a political act. The leader of the Islamic Revolution added that, in addition to the political form and composition of the Hajj, its contents are completely spiritual and prayerful. Each of its components has symbolic and beneficial meaning and provides lessons linked to the essential problems of human life.
In clarifying the meaning of these symbols, Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned the lesson of tawaf (rotation) as the need to rotate around the axis of tawaf, saying that tawaf teaches mankind that all aspects of governance, daily life, economy, family and human existence must lay the foundations of tawaf. If this were to be achieved, there would no longer be any trace of such cruelty, child-killing, and insatiable greed. The world becomes a garden. The leader states that the sa’i (walking back and forth) between Safa and Malwa points to the need for constant effort in the mountains of hardships, saying:
Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned the moves towards Arafat, Muzdalifah (Mash’ar) and Mina, saying that he would convey lessons in continuing movements and avoiding stagnation. And sacrifice (Qurbani) is sometimes a symbolic reminder that you must let go of your most beloved possessions, or sacrifice, or even sacrifice. He described Rami al-Jamarath (the stone stone of the pillar) as God emphasized the fact that humans must identify the demon between Jin and mankind, and slammed him wherever the demon was found and crushed him.
The leader of the Islamic Revolution also described placing Ilam rap as a sign of humility and a leveling of any distinction between the people before the Lord, adding:
All these rituals help guide human life.
Referring to the noble poems of the Holy Quran of Surah Al Heidi, Ayatollah Khamenei has identified the purpose of what is being achieved, the words and stated of the interests of the human beings from which the Hajj gather.
“Today there is no greater benefit to Islamic Umma than unity. If such unity, harmony and mutual synergy existed, today’s tragedy in Gaza and Palestine would not have occurred.
He described the division and fragmentation within the Islamic world as the basis for colonialists, namely the US, the Zionist regime and other greedy forces, to embody their interests in the nation. He added: Through unity, Islamic countries can achieve security, progress and synergy. This is a lens that you need to look at Hajj. Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized the important roles and responsibilities of Islamic governments, particularly host states of pilgrims, and stated that it is mandatory for the truth and purpose of the Hajj, and that those who influence these countries, scholars, intellectuals, writers and public opinion, to clarify the truth of the people.
Early in his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei once again expressed sadness to the family of the deceased and injured in Bandar Abbas, praying for the perseverance and tranquility of the bereaved and affected families. He emphasized: In return for the patience shown in the face of such hardships, God gives him an immeasurable reward of unparalleled value. He said that damage to infrastructure in both natural and artificial disasters can be repaired through the efforts and capabilities of other agencies, adding that what really broke the heart is the ones that have lost their beloved families who have transformed this incident into a shared grief for all of us.
Before Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks, Hujjat al-Islam was Abdolfattah Nawab, representative of Haj and the leaders of the pilgrimage, and declared this year’s Hajj Slogan:
“Hajj: The Journey of the Qur’an, Convergence of Islam, Support for the Repressed People of Palestine.” He also outlined the organization’s pilgrim program during this Hajj season.