RNA – During his advanced jurisprudence class at Qom’s Masjid al-A’dham (Grand Mosque), Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi gave a broad and all-encompassing lecture on the recent events and concerns effecting Iran and the Middle East. He touched on Sacred Defence Week and Iran’s great sacrifices during the Iran-Iraq War and Iran’s ongoing water shortage.
Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi offered condolences to his students on the martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Imam Muhammad ibn Ali al-Jawad (A). He stated that Imam al-Jawad’s patience in the face of great calamities and suffering was a great principle of the Imam’s personality. He also stated that according to the advise of the ninth infallible Imam, we must strive to avoid worldly lusts and desires so we do not become the followers of Satan and destroy our destiny: “People who follow their lusts and desires are the playthings of Satan and will not achieve happiness in this world or in the hereafter. Imam al-Jawad (A) said one should realize that they’re always in the presence of God Almighty.”
In regards to Sacred Defence Week, His Eminence emphasized the need for Iranians to understand the great achievements and the sacrifices of the Islamic Revolution, especially the younger generation who were born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi reminded his students that the entire world supported Saddam at-Tikriti against the nascent Islamic Republic of Iran. Many Iranians were martyred to protect the country but eventually, Iran was successful over the enemies after eight long years of war.
Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi stated that Iran’s clergy gave the most during the Imposed War because the high number of martyred clergymen was out of proportion in comparison to other groups who gave their lives for the Islamic Revolution. “Despite the losses we suffered in the war, we have made great achievements since the beginning of the Revolution.”
His Eminence admired the defence and military achievements of the Islamic Republic of Iran and noted that Iran’s numerous innovations and inventions have made its armed forces strong. “One of our greatest achievements is that Iran has the Middle East’s most powerful army. They cannot do to the Islamic Republic of Iran that which they have done in Syria and Iraq because Iran is much more powerful. This result is due to the dedication and the sacrifices made during the Sacred Defence Era. No one dares to threaten us with the military option,” Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi stated.
He warned the people not to trample on the achievements made due to sacrifices made by martyrs Islamic Revolution by engaging in unwholesome activities, such as watching contaminated media sources and unchaste and impious actions.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi pointed to the water shortage in the country, saying it has reached a crisis level, and if we do not solve this serious problem, it will become more severe. He emphasized that wasting water is forbidden by Islamic law. “Unfortunately, the situation is such that some people waste water without realizing what they are doing. We hope that with the victory of an Islamic-based program, we can solve the water problem in the country,” he concluded.
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