Ayat Lankarani underscores religious propagators’ crucial mission

By: Sheikh Muhammad Khurasani

HOLY CITY OF QOM, Iran: Ayatullah Fazel Lankarani has expressed his emphasis on the crucial duties of muballeghin (religious propagators) in the present critical time.

He was speaking to a gathering of muballeghin (religious propagators) and clerics from the Islamic seminary of Holy Qom who are dispatched to different areas.

Expressing his thanks to the clerics for their taking part in the gathering the Ayatullah said: “Your purpose of this journey which you are going to have is to bring people close to the family of Ahlulbayt (a.s.). It is a spiritual and a valuable journey. Definitely, there are some people who want to eradicate Islam itself. That is why, for the time being our obligations differ from that of the past. Our duties have increased to a hundred fold and it is a matter of pity that they are using the media, satellite and Internet to drive them towards disbelief.”

“The day the vice-president of Iraq came here, I told him that the thing which upsets me in addition to the current situation of Iraq is that the world arrogance has been spreading its decadent and irreligious culture since it has entered Iraq,” he added.

Ayatullah Lankarani added, “I remember the time when I traveled for the first time to Mecca and met the Imam Jamaa’t (leader of congregational prayer) of Masjidul Haraam. I asked him, “Do you consider the gate of Ijtehad closed or open.” He said, “Open”. Then I said, “Whose verdicts are you following?" He said, "Shafei." I told him, "You are considering yourself a Mujtahid, then you should not be following other's verdicts?" Then he asked me, "Why are you following the opinions of your Marjas (jurisprudents) and why don't you follow ours?" I told him, "because we believe our marjas are more knowledgeable than yours." Then I asked, "do you have any books of Khassah in your library when you are claiming to be knowledgeable whereas there are books of Aammah in our libraries." He gave no answer.

Anyhow, we are held responsible in the hereafter and we will be answerable to the issues in our surrounding as well as things related to the issue of Tabligh (propagation). We will be even asked about the ins and outs of our work such as 'you were able to do Tabligh and propagate the righteousness of the religion but you were derelict.'

He said: “We are grateful to God Who through the Imams have granted us the loftiest meanings and stages of science.” I hope that you are successful in this way and you return insha Allah full handedly. I pray to God to help you because God is your goal. And I also pray to God to make your journey an asset for your hereafter.

END