Rasa News Agency reports – This week, Hujjat al-Islam Habibollah Ghafouri led Frday prayers at Lady Zaynab Mosque in the Qom neighbourhood of Pardisan. He touched upon Ayatollah Khamenei’s surgery this week and of the importance of culture to society.
Referring to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution’s (Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei) successful prostate surgery earlier this week, Hujjat al-Islam Ghafouri said we should thank God that our leader is healthy and in good spirits after his operation. He further stressed that we should be thankful and grateful that God Almighty has blessed us with the precious gift of a great leader. He emphasized that God has protected Ayatollah Khamenei on the battlefield and from the fire of the enemies and from the terror of the hypocrites and has protected him and the Islamic Revolution until the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi.
Hujjat al-Islam Ghafouri prayed that God grant our Leader more honour, greatness and health. He expressed that he is certain that this prayer is also on the lips of many believers who believe that the development of Islam and proper preparation for the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi are only possible under the system of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurisprudent) led by Ayatollah Khamenei.
In another part of his sermon, Hujjat al-Islam Ghafouri said that the responsibility of the clergy and scholars in the Islamic Seminaries in regard to cultural matters is quite clear and important. He stressed that if knowledge is obtained without culture it will have no effect, but rather it will be to the detriment of society and will cause an “intellectual vacuum.” He stressed that the government must provide proper funding and support for cultural activities because “culture is the foundation of all of the country’s affairs.” It is the expectation of the nation’s clergy for the authorities to establish the divine religious values, including revolutionary values, in all arenas and to focus on the values determined by the Supreme Leader.
In closing, Hujjat al-Islam Ghafouri referr ed to the beginning of the new academic year in the seminaries, schools and universities of Iran and said that students should realize the blessings and value of their studies.
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