RNA – Speaking at a ceremony commemorating the death anniversary of Ayatollah Mortaza Ashrafi-Shahroudi in Qom, Hujjat al-Islam Seyyed Ahmad Hoseyni-Khorasani referred to the status and virtue of knowledge and said, “In narrations, it has always been emphasized that the status of knowledge is higher than worship to the point where the narrations state that the status of the beneficiality of a scholar in regard to religion and society is higher than the status of a hundred thousand worshipers.”
The representative of the people of Khorasan Razavi province in the Assembly of Experts said, “From these sort of narrations we understand that that knowledge has importance and must benefit society and the people and answer their legitimate questions and needs.”
Referring to the role of the great scholars in the face of the evil plots of the enemies, he added, “These are scholars of religion have realized that the devils have opened their traps to eliminate the beliefs of the people and therefore, they are striving day and night to negate any acts of sedition and prevent innovations.”
Hujjat al-Islam Hoseyni-Khorasani explained that in the era of the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi, the great scholars and the Islamic Seminaries carry the message of the prophets and the divine vicegerents and said, “The era of occultation is an era of oppressive sedition and these sources of emulation, scholars and seminaries – as the pillars of religion – have prevented distortion, sedition and deviation and will continue to prevent them.”
Noting that the clergy are the shelters of the people at different levels, His Eminence said, “Today, apart from any prejudice, it can be said that the seminaries and religious scholars have the power to protect Islam and preserve it in various places. On this basis, we must be careful that this great power isn’t defeated by the enemies.”
He stated that one of the features of the Islamic Seminary is its modernity and emphasized, “By answering the needs of the day, the seminary is considered as the sanctuary of the people and is the protector of the territorial integrity of the Islamic countries and its mission is to protect Islam but it must be said that for the Shi’ah clergy, awaiting the Imam of Time means that they are ready to respond ahead of events – that is to say, the seminary must also look ahead to the needs and respond to the needs of mankind.”
Hujjat al-Islam Hoseyni-Khorasani said that the religious scholars are the guardians of the shari’ah, prophethood and imamate and said, “Today, the enemies are seeking to undermine the greatness of the seminaries and break the respect of the religious leaders. For this reason, we must all be careful. In addition to protecting the respect of the seminary and religious leaders, we must not partake in the enemies movements.”
Rasa News Agency
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