Leader Highlights Benefits of Muslim Unity

The Iranian officials in charge of conducting and organizing Hajj pilgrimage met with Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran on Sunday, May 4.

The meeting was held ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage season as Muslim pilgrims are preparing to visit Saudi Arabia for the annual event.

In remarks at the meeting, the Leader described awareness and understanding of the goals and various dimensions of Hajj as a necessary prelude to properly fulfilling this highly significant obligation.

Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the use of the term “nas” (people) in many of the Quranic verses related to Hajj indicates that God has prescribed this obligation for the management of the affairs of all people —not only Muslims. “Thus, the proper conduct of Hajj is a service to all of humanity.”

Elaborating on the cognitive aspects of Hajj, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to it as the only obligation whose form and composition are one hundred percent political, since it gathers people together each year, at one time and place, for specific purposes, an act whose very nature is political.

The Leader added that alongside the political form and composition of Hajj, its content is entirely spiritual and devotional. “Each of its components carries symbolic and instructive meaning, offering lessons tied to the essential matters of human life.”

In clarifying the meaning of these symbols, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the lesson of Tawaf (circumambulation) as the necessity of revolving around the axis of Tawhid, and mentioned that the Tawaf teaches mankind that governance, daily life, the economy, the family, and all aspects of human existence must be built upon the foundation of Tawhid.

“If this is realized, there will no longer be any trace of such cruelty, child-killing, and insatiable greed. The world will become a garden,” the Leader added, khamenei.ir reported.

The Leader described the Sa’I (walking back and forth) between Safa and Marwah as pointing to the need for constant effort amid the mountains of hardship, saying, “Man must always strive, and never remain still, confused, or idle.”

Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned the movement toward Arafat, Muzdalifah (Mash’ar), and Mina, saying that it conveys a lesson in continual motion and the avoidance of stagnation.

“And the sacrifice (Qurbani) is a symbolic reminder that sometimes, one must part with one’s most beloved possessions, offer sacrifice, or even become the sacrifice,” the Leader said.

He described Ramy al-Jamarat (the stoning of the pillars) as God’s emphasis on the fact that man must identify the devils among jinn and mankind, and wherever the devil is found, strike him and crush him.

The Leader also described putting on the Ihram wrap a sign of humility and the leveling of all distinctions between human beings before the Lord, adding, “All these rites serve to guide human life.”

Referring to the noble verse of the Holy Quran in Surah Al-Hajj, Ayatollah Khamenei identified the purpose of the Hajj gathering as the attainment of diverse human benefits, stating,

“Today, there is no benefit greater than unity for the Islamic Ummah. If such unity, harmony, and mutual synergy existed, today’s tragedies in Gaza and Palestine would not have occurred, and Yemen would not be under such pressure.”

The Leader described division and fragmentation within the Islamic world as the grounds upon which colonialists -the United States, the Zionist regime, and other greedy powers- impose their interests upon nations.

“Through unity, Islamic countries can achieve security, progress, and synergy. This is the lens through which Hajj must be viewed,” the Leader underlined.

Ayatollah Khamenei also emphasized the significant role and responsibility of Islamic governments, particularly the host country of the pilgrims, in articulating the truth and objectives of Hajj, saying that the officials of these countries, scholars, intellectuals, writers, and those who influence public opinion are obligated to clarify the truths of Hajj for the people.