Sheikh Isa Qassim's message to unveiling ceremony of "Hikayat al-Sayyid"

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful 

Peace and blessings be upon the most noble of the prophets and messengers, Muhammad, and upon his pure and righteous Progeny. 

May God’s peace and mercy be upon you, dear brothers. 

1. The great Revolution and the righteous, trustworthy, guiding government of the great Imam Khomeini (may God elevate his station) emerged at a time when the Ummah had drifted away from Islam, both in terms of awareness and practice. Without Islam, neither a suitable, advanced, peaceful, prosperous human life can be realized, nor a good, glorious, secure, stable, wholesome, pure, ever-ascending final destination. This Revolution and this government arose to save the Islamic Ummah and indeed all of humanity from misery and suffering in this world and the Hereafter to the extent that the acceptance of Islam is earnest and effective. That is, this is achieved by embracing Islam as the path, leading one’s life based upon its guidance, adhering to its way, being faithful to its leadership, and uniting the Ummah around a single word that doesn’t lead its followers from truth to falsehood, from justice to oppression, or from righteousness to corruption.  

This Revolution and this blessed, guiding government came to bring about a return to Islam, to return Muslims to it, and to unite the Ummah around the single word of Islam. 

2. Ayatollah Khamenei (may God have mercy on him and increase his reward) was one of the prominent, insightful figures behind this revolutionary movement. A man of deep insight, firm will, and strong capability in planning, he was ready to sacrifice his life for the Revolution and its great Leader, Imam Khomeini (may God sanctify his soul). He was imbued with the principles and values of the great divine Revolution. He was a manifestation of sound thinking, prudent judgment, tireless effort, and strong resolve, never separating himself from the Revolution. 

After that too, he proved worthy of being the successor in the victorious system of the Revolution, and he was the true completer of the path leading to its great successes. He was an effective, capable, diligent man in the earnest, true return of the Ummah to Islam and in his reviving the unity of the Ummah on its honorable line in accordance with the true way of Islam, its righteous method of nurturing people, its constructive goals, and its successful policies. This objective is of immense importance in the long path of the Revolution and its government, and it remains an ongoing weighty responsibility of the leadership and all the branches of power, from political officials to the faithful, proud, revolutionary children of this nation. 

3. Imam Khomeini’s certainty (may God sanctify his soul) was firm along with that of the jurists and scholars who followed his leadership and worked with him in his great effort for the victory of the Revolution, the establishment of a government, and the realization of a return to Islam that was infused with faith, devotion, and love. Alongside them were the faithful, educated, truly aware scholars among the righteous, devoted followers of Islam in Iran. They all sacrificed everything precious they had on this path and made all kinds of sacrifices in establishing the state, defending its sanctity, and remaining firm and strong for the sake of God while compassionate among themselves, and stern and steadfast against Arrogance and the hypocrites. At the same time, the tyrants and Arrogant Powers ruling over the earth were fully aware that the success of the Revolution and the Islamic state in consolidating its existence, its vision, and its values posed a great danger to the hegemonic worldview dominating the world and their foolish interests that permit themselves - in order to survive - to destroy most of the world, commit every ugly act and evil, and leave no room for stability or security anywhere. 

Therefore, the ambushing of the Arrogant Powers, their followers, and their servants against this great Islamic revolutionary uprising began from the very start. They attacked with intense brutality, and their war against the Islamic Revolution has continued with an ever-increasing fervor. It’s a war for which no end is conceivable except by way of a devastating defeat. 

The fear of the Arrogant Powers about the existence of a visible, ruling Islamic system on earth - a system that stands as a living witness to the unique model of correct, just, wise, constructive, secure, uplifting governance for the life of the soul and body, which revives human brotherhood and exposes the weakness, corruption, incapacity, and oppression of other base, tyrannical, ignorant human systems prevalent in the world - is a fear incomparable to any other. 

The arrogant, tyrannical powers know well that Islam has the ability to create this unique, model system. It’s a system that has manifested itself in the blessed Islamic system of the Islamic Republic again today with its attractive appearance, leading various nations to connect deeply with its appeal in a practical, growing manner. 

The nations of the world, which are suffering under the oppression of the prevailing ignorant systems and their arrogance, long for a just, liberating system. They long for a system that rescues them from the sufferings in life, the chaos of affairs, the dominance of oppression, the humiliation of human values, and the trampling of human dignity. 

The faith of these nations and global populations has grown day by day, becoming ever more widespread. This liberating system is Islam. 

The fear of the arrogant, the tyrannical, and the worldly has always cast its shadow over any feelings of tranquility, robbing them of the ability to enjoy life and true peace of mind. Their fear stems from the possibility that the Islamic Ummah may genuinely return to Islam, refer to its true teachings, gather around its words and teachings, become devoted to its leadership, and make sacrifices for the sake of God’s pleasure. 

For this reason, the war of tyranny, arrogance, and hypocrisy against Islam and the Islamic Ummah won’t end except with that great, crushing victory promised by God Almighty and the global, universal rule of Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him). 

Reflecting on the ongoing war 

1. Today, a war is raging between the camp of ignorance and the camp of faith. The leadership of the camp of ignorance is in the hands of American tyrants and misguided Zionism. At the head of American leadership is “Pharaoh Trump,” and at the head of Zionist leadership is “Pharaoh Netanyahu.” These two are two of the evilest people of our time, the most destructive with regard to values and sanctities, the most debased in shedding blood, and the most insolent before God and what He has made sacred. 

Standing in opposition to this camp is the camp of faith, embodied in the broad front of the Resistance, which is made up of the children of the targeted Muslim Ummah. At its head is the blessed Islamic Republic and its courageous, faithful, heroic, wise leadership that guards values, blood, honor, human dignity, and all that is sacred. 

The front of deviation has provided evidence against itself by sinking into brutality and bestiality and by destroying whatever it could of the values that life on earth needs for its stability and by which its security is preserved. These are the very values that underpin trust in covenants and agreements, and upon which one can rely for honesty in dealings, integrity of rights, sanctity of blood, security of roads, and the preservation of dignity.  

On the other hand, the Resistance Front has revived the values and ethics which purify life and make it flourish, spread magnanimity, make roads safe, and cause peace to prevail everywhere. It has also rekindled the spirit of jihad on the path of God, the defense of legitimate rights, the restoration of human dignity that had become distorted, been trampled upon, and been humiliated under the feet of tyranny and global Arrogance.

The Islamic Resistance Front has revived the sacred duty of jihad on the path of God and the defense of rights and sanctities. In doing so, it has opened a wide, smooth path for the salvation of humanity from two devastating calamities.

The first calamity is a material one, toward which global Arrogance is driving the world. It seeks to destroy the lives of a large portion of the earth’s inhabitants in various regions, with various affiliations, and among various peoples. And by spreading chaos and global terror, it eliminates any pleasant taste of life. This is the material calamity. 

The second calamity is a spiritual one. It’s manifested in the fall of humanity leading to misguidance, bewilderment, humiliation, corruption, and humanity falling from the station of vicegerency of Almighty God, thus becoming unable to manage the movement of life, development, and proper growth. This applies to both within human beings and in the external conditions around them. All of this stands in contradiction to the truthful, just way that God Almighty has revealed [for humankind]. 

2. In its Islamic dimension, the ongoing war has shown how extensively Islamic leadership and Islamic nurturing of human society have truly been able to bring the children of the Resistance a sublime faith in Islam and show them the value of jihad and the defense of human rights. It has also granted them a rare courage; a burning awareness; a vast social cohesion; great self‑confidence; a widespread, lasting hope; a patience that shatters solid mountains but itself remains unbroken; a forward momentum and boldness that never retreat; a creativity that never stops; honorable self‑sacrifice; a rushing to sacrifice that includes men and women, young and old; a popular uprising; an extensive, voluntary participation in making sacrifices; a noble, unwavering sense of purpose, wisdom, and maturity; high ethics; and advanced, pioneering knowledge.

Yes, righteous Islamic leadership has granted the children of the Resistance the ability to strive sincerely and faithfully for the good of humanity, to set its path aright, to guide its choices for growth and righteousness, to strengthen its security, to ensure its welfare and well‑being, and to solidify brotherly, trusting relationships between its children. 

3. This war - with its honorable stances, its rare courage, its great sacrifices, and the commitment of the children of the Resistance to the path of truth, justice, and high ethics even when dealing with the enemy - has awakened a powerful feeling among both intellectuals and people who are neutral among the general public around the world. It’s given a feeling of the greatness of Islam; an understanding of its ability to build a healthy, strong human being; and a deep sense of the beauty of Islam and its rightful position in leading the world toward the shore of salvation, security, peace, success, dignity, love, and friendship. 

Taking a stance on this war 

O human being, regardless of which religion, which sect, which land, and which people you belong to, your stance on this war must be determined by realizing who started the war against whom, who ordered it, who was the initiator of the aggression, who threatened to raze all traces of the other’s civilization as if it had never existed, who seeks to destroy the identity and character of the other, who sought to slaughter the highest possible number of civilians and innocent people from the other side, and who made the attack on 140 children in the beginning of their aggressive war against the other. 

After this realization, ask yourself if any heavenly religion, any human character, or any system that has any righteousness in it say that there could be equality between the oppressor and the oppressed or between the aggressor and the aggrieved, let alone to side with the aggressor against the oppressed and with the oppressor against the victim? But how many are those who stand with the oppressor against the oppressed and with the aggressor against the aggrieved!

Islam and the Arabs 

Islam is a conclusive argument for every soul that has with sincerity, knowledge, accuracy, wisdom, mercy, justice, fairness, and with a lofty, great purpose attained even a small measure of understanding about it. 

But concerning the Arabs, the argument of Islam with respect to them is greater and clearer, its favor to them is more immense, its right upon them has been more firmly established, and their failure to support Islam is a more grievous injustice, a more sorrowful position, a more repugnant outlook, and a more astonishing deed. 

The Arabs had been around for a long time before the Islamic mission. After revelation descended and they joined it [the religion], they benefited from its light and followed its leadership. But they later turned away from it and began to distance themselves from it. They cast doubts on it until they had drifted far away from it, and some Arab governments rose up to fight against it. 

So, let the Arabs reflect upon the following. When were they guided? When were they united on this word that brings salvation? When were they victorious and proud? When did they gain a name and place among nations? What position did they achieve in civilization? When were people in need of them? When did their knowledge fill the earth? When did their guidance become widespread? All knowledge, every guidance, and every good that is found among the Arabs comes from Islam. Did they have the best of any of these things before Islam or after turning away from it? None of this existed for the Arabs before Islam or after they put it aside. 

Is there any excuse after this for abandoning Islam today, for ignoring it, for supporting its enemy against it, or for engaging in the fierce, flagrant effort to destroy Islam? Is it worthy of the intellect of a nation, the awareness of a nation, the humanity of a nation, the honor of a nation to behave in such a way? 

And with the deepest regret, all of these things are being carried out by Arab governments that proclaim their Islam and profess their belonging to the Ummah. How astonishing this is!

May God’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.