RNA – Speaking at a ceremony marking the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Askari at Jamkaran Mosque in Qom, Ayatollah Kazem Seddiqi referred to the earthquake which struck western Iran on November 12 and referred to the assistance given to the survivors of the tragedy and said, “The people of this nation united to help the victims and survivors of the earthquake.”
Tehran’s temporary Friday prayer leader emphasized that under such circumstances, we must not just wait for others to help and just watch and said, “In regarding relief work, Shi’ahs always go beyond the limits and are at the forefront of this matter.”
Over 430 people were killed and thousands more in a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that jolted Iran’s Kermanshah Province on November 12. The Iranian government, military, humanitarian institutions and popular groups are still working to lessen the sufferings of the injured and those who have lost their loved ones and homes.
In another part of his speech, he mentioned the principle of melting the believer in the Imam and continued, “A person who melts in the Imam will have a special dignity and reputation and become the leader of others.”
In describing the characteristics of the believer who is obedient to the Imam of the Time [Imam al-Mahdi], Ayatollah Seddiqi stated, “The true believer does not have personal passions and desires, being a leader does not lead him toward lust and he is always in a state of humility in front of God. A believer is one who considers himself as the servant of the Imam of the Time and flees from fame.”
His Eminence described the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, as a clear and prominent example of obedient follower of the command of Imamate and stated, “At the height of sedition, we witnessed the Supreme Leader declare in his Friday prayer sermon [on June 19, 2009] that he was a soldier of the Imam of Time and added, ‘My Lord! All I have is my life. I am disabled. I also have a little reputation which you gave to me.’”
He argued that the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution is the reason for the power of the oppressed people of the world and emphasized, “God granted them victory over Daesh. In the first days when Daesh came into being and Syria was falling to them, he appointed Major-General [Qasem] Soleymani and [the Secretary-General of Hezbollah] Sayyid Hasan Nasrallah as the emissaries in charge of protecting Syria. Therefore, the brilliant leadership of the Supreme Leader led to the victory of the Islamic Resistance over the Takfiri terrorists.”
In conclusion, Ayatollah Seddiqi stated, “If the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution was not the representative of the Imam of the Time, until now the wolves would have looted and smashed this Islamic country. He is obedient to the authority of the Lord and considers himself as obedient to Imam al-Mahdi.”