Ayat. Ahmad Marvi made the remarks on the evening of October 6 at the “Must Rise” event, held at Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, northeast Iran, to honor the families of tribal martyrs.

Welcoming the tribal representatives, he said: “We must take the Infallible Imams as our role models in every aspect of our lives in order to move toward prosperity.”

He identified opposition to oppression as a vital aspect of the conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), observing: “The Infallible Imams never remained silent or indifferent when faced with tyrants; they considered expressing hatred and abhorrence toward oppressors their duty.”

To illustrate this stance, the Custodian of Astan Qods Razavi cited a tradition concerning two Shias who traveled from Medina to Merv. When the two men asked Imam Reza (AS) about the ruling concerning their prayers, they said: “Why is the ruling concerning our prayers different when we departed from the same place, arrived at the same destination, stayed for the same period, and returned together?”

The Imam (AS) replied: “The one who was commanded to perform the full prayer did so because he had traveled with the intention of seeing Ma’mun—a tyrant—and his journey was an act of disobedience, which Islam does not endorse.”

He continued: “However, the other person came with the intention of visiting a Friend of God. Therefore, he is considered a traveler in the eyes of Islam and must shorten his prayer.”

Ayat. Marvi said: “The Imam (AS) highlights the issue of opposing oppression even while explaining a religious ruling concerning prayer.”

He explained: “This shows that opposition to and struggle against tyrants are based on the commands and teachings of Islam.”

He added: “In the lives of the Infallible Imams, we see that they never missed an opportunity to express their abhorrence of oppression, expose oppressors, confront them, and speak out against them. This is an important dimension of the lives of the Divine Saints.”

“We must take the Divine Saints as our role models in business, agriculture, child-rearing, trustworthiness, honesty, and interaction with people,” Ayat. Marvi underscored.

Citing the Quranic verse, “God does not task a soul beyond its capacity,” he noted: “We must look toward the summit and set it as our goal. We must take the Great Prophet and his successors as our role models and strive toward that summit. Once we are on that path, God does not ask more of us than our capacity allows. The condition, however, is that we must move toward the summit.”

The Custodian of Astan Qods Razavi identified resistance to oppression and refusal to submit to tyrants as critical lessons from the conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS).

“The dear nation of Iran has endured the most severe pressures and hardships from enemies and ill-wishers over the past half-century, but it has never bowed its head in submission before the enemy,” he declared. “This is the teaching of our religion, the teaching of the prophets and Divine Saints: We do not bow or yield before a tyrant.”

Addressing the conspiracies, the eight-year Sacred Defense, and sanctions, the top official remarked: “Over the past two years, two wars have been imposed on us, but the Iranian nation, following the example of the Prophet (AS) and the Divine successors, has endured the pressures and sanctions and left the enemy with its hopes of Iran’s surrender dashed.”

He asserted: “The enemy will take this hope to the grave and, God willing, will never see it realized.”

Referring to a statement by the Martyred Leader, Ayat. Marvi discussed the concept of a “resurrected nation.” He explained: “The Martyred Leader once said that if one day the people felt that the enemy was attacking, the people would rise; God would resurrect the people.”

Describing the statement as “highly profound,” he noted: “The Martyred Leader used the terms ‘resurrected nation’ and ‘the people will rise,’ and this actually happened. The enemy imagined that with the martyrdom of the Leader and the commander-in-chief, along with senior military commanders, the people’s morale would weaken and they would lose their capacity to resist.”

The Head of AQR explained: “From a material standpoint, the enemy may not have been entirely mistaken, and if such a thing had happened in another country, its system might have collapsed. However, in Iran, the result was completely the opposite.”

He continued: “The enemy expected the nation to lose its spirit, believing that because the Leader had been martyred and several important commanders had been killed, the nation would no longer have the ability to continue its resistance. Yet the result was the opposite.”

“Not only did the people not take refuge in their homes, and not only did fear and terror fail to prevail over them or weaken their morale, but they opened the doors of their homes and came into the field to confront the enemy,” he observed. “This is a new phenomenon. During the Islamic Revolution, the people were not silenced; rather, they took to the streets and raised their voices, and this presence continued with fervor, enthusiasm, and a sense of responsibility.”

Ayat. Marvi attributed this spirit to the teachings of the Quran, the Prophet (AS), the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), the late Imam, and the Martyred Leader. Referring to the famous words of Imam Hussain (AS) on the day of Ashura, he stated: “Far be it from us to accept humiliation.”

He observed: “Today, after 1,400 years, the meaning of this statement has manifested itself in our society. The message of ‘Far be it from us to accept humiliation’ from Aba Abdellah al-Hussain (AS) has resonated in our society, and the spirit of fighting oppression and oppressors has manifested itself among the people.”

Reflecting on the war, Ayat. Marvi recalled a statement by the U.S. president addressed to the Iranian people. “The U.S. president told the people of Iran that we had come to help and save them, and then addressed the military and security forces, asking them to lay down their weapons,” he said. “But not long afterward, the situation was reversed; the IRGC wrote a letter to the American people, asking them to save their country from these individuals.”

He described the response as wise, citing a Pentagon adviser who had noted: “This issue shows the self-confidence of the Iranian people, the Iranian government, and the Iranian military, as well as the invincibility of the Iranian nation.”

Ayat. Marvi noted: “The enemy’s analysis was that this war would last three days, or at most three weeks, and then it would be over, Iran would collapse, and the fragmentation of Iran into small countries would be inevitable.”

He added: “The enemy entered with this hope, but now six months have passed, and none of its plans or wishes have been realized.”

He warned: “Now the enemy is trying to extricate itself from this self-created quagmire with dignity. Therefore, it threatens war and intensifies the siege and sanctions, but we must not fear these threats.”

The top official cautioned: “The enemy tries to create despair, hopelessness, fear, and terror among the people and weaken their morale by exaggerating its actions. They bring a ship, make a decision, hold a meeting, or impose a sanction, and then magnify it hundreds of times. Their goal is to empty the people’s hearts and create the impression that one cannot confront America and must compromise and surrender.”

He clarified: “Negotiation is acceptable in its proper place, provided that it preserves the rights of the Iranian nation. But America is not seeking negotiation; its goal is the surrender of Iran.”

Ayat. Marvi criticized regional countries, stating: “The goal is for Iran to say that it has accepted America as the master of the world and has no will of its own, like some countries in the region that have accepted American lordship and endure humiliation and disgrace.”

Referring to the Quran, he said: “God will not give the disbelievers any way [of superiority] over the believers.” He argued: “America wants us to put on the robe of humiliation, disgrace, and obedience to criminal America. Does Islam allow such a thing? God has not permitted the disbelievers to rule over the Muslims.”

In the final part of his address, Ayat. Marvi turned to the tribal families, stating: “You, dear, heroic, and zealous tribes, have been among those groups in which the enemy counted on being able to create problems for the nascent Islamic system. But the zealous, brave, faithful, and patriotic tribes did not allow the enemy to achieve this objective.”

He concluded: “The late Imam said that the tribes are the ‘reserves of the country,’ and truly they are. You are outstanding in both the security and economic fields, and you are a source of pride for the nation and Islam.”

Keywords: Astan Qods Razavi (AQR), tribal resilience, anti-oppression, national security