In a meeting with officials, agents, and pilgrims of the Sacred House of Allah, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution emphasised the importance of having a correct understanding of Hajj and stated, "Hajj is a global and civilisational issue whose goal is promoting the Islamic ummah, bringing the hearts of the Muslims closer together and uniting the Islamic ummah against disbelief, oppression, arrogant powers and idols, both human and non-human."
Referring to verses of the Qur'an, His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei dubbed the Kaaba as the source of the rise and stability of human societies and said, pointing to the worldly and otherworldly benefits of this outstanding obligation, "If there is no Hajj, the Islamic ummah will collapse."
He called the Hajj an international place of congregation and a global tryst. He added, referring to the Lord's invitation to Humankind (al-Nās) to perform the Hajj, "Inviting the entirety of humankind throughout history to be present in a certain place and on certain days shows the important goals and manifold benefits that exist in this divine invitation."
The Leader of the Revolution listed the unity of the Islamic ummah and confronting the arrogant Satans amongst its goals, adding, "One of the many worldly benefits of the Hajj is that the Muslims declare their presence and strength against the Zionist regime and the influence of the arrogant powers and stand up to the oppressors across the world."
Explaining the otherworldly benefits of Hajj, His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei called each of the rites of this obligation an enlightening window towards the unseen realm of ideas. He told the pilgrims of the Sacred House of Allah, "Purify your hearts from everything that contradicts the remembrance of Allah through supplication, prayer, sincerity, and worship."
He considered it necessary to view the Hajj from a global and extraterritorial perspective, and he added, mentioning the necessity of staying informed about global issues and the situation of Muslim nations, "The days of Hajj are a golden opportunity to become properly acquainted with nations and global affairs so that the false news of the media and the lying news agencies do not lead people away and astray from the realities of the world."
The Leader of the Revolution mentioned that ignorance of the world destroyed every society, adding, "As mentioned many times, the people and officials must understand the enemy's goals, methods, policies, strengths, and weaknesses very seriously. If this happens, the nation will not be deceived as it has been in certain fields."
His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei continued, "If we are aware of global issues, we can understand the real goal of the enemy and the reason behind their insistence on certain issues. As in many issues, the officials have been cautious and acted correctly. Iran's overly positive progress in regional and global issues, which has angered the U.S., was the fruit of this caution."
According to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, one of the fundamental points of the obligation of Hajj is the practical manifestation of Islam's opposition to geographical, racial, class and other biases, adding, "The countries claiming to be civilised – but they haven't truly experienced civilisation – are still occupied with the black and white race, the European and non-European race. They value their pets much more than some people, and the constant drowning of migrants in the oceans is proof of this."
He mentioned that the uniformity and equality of all pilgrims from any race, background, and culture is one of the secrets of the Hajj. He stated, "The officials and those involved in Hajj must create a culture such that the word Hajj evokes fundamental concepts such as building a civilisation, unity against oppressors, cross-border perspective, and the elimination of current differences in human societies, especially in the minds of the youth today. If this happens, no one will worry about some pilgrims going to the market to buy low-quality goods as souvenirs."
His Eminence Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the importance of Iranian pilgrims taking part in congregational prayers in Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabi (SAWA) and communicating and conversing with other pilgrims, adding, "Reciting Dua Kumayl altogether is exceptionally good. Also, the grand movement of repudiating the polytheists, one of Hajj's vast and deep capacities, should be continued."
He said that the revival and recognition of the capabilities of Hajj are owed to the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, adding, "We must strive to revive all these capacities and reap the utmost benefit from them to realise the most fundamental goals of Hajj."
At the beginning of the meeting, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Sayyid Abdul Fattah Nawab, representative of the Supreme Leader in Hajj and pilgrimage affairs, discussed this year's slogan for Hajj for the Iranian pilgrims: 'Hajj: Qur'anic transformation, Islamic convergence, and support for the noble Quds.' Sayyid Abbas Hosseini, head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation, also spoke about efforts to reform processes and improve service quality for pilgrims to the Sacred House of Allah.