He used to regularly release message on this auspicious occasion and advised the officials and masses to undertake serious efforts in order to spread Imam Ali (PBUH) justice and values.
Eid al-Ghadir is observed by millions of Muslims and free-minded people across the globe on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah in the Islamic calendar to commemorate the appointment of Ali ibn Talib (PBUH) by the honorable prophet of Islam as his immediate successor.
The great leader of the Muslim world also insisted on following footsteps of the holy prophet and Imam Ali (peace be upon them) in all arenas of society and lyres of society.
Imam Khomeini believed that the societies could be prevented by falling into moral and social decline if they follow the path of Imam Ali and his divine wisdom and guidance.
We bring here a precious speech by Imam Khomeini where he highlights significance of following the conduct of the divine leaders of Islam:
Date/ Time: Morning, August 24, 1986 [Shahrivar 2, 1365 AHS/ Dhi'l-Hijjah 18, 1406 AH ]
Place: Jamaran, Tehran
Subject: Wilayah and government, message of Ghadir
Occasion: The auspicious feast of Ghadir Khumm
Audience: Sayyid `Ali Khamene'i( Presiden ), Mir Husayn Mousawi( Prime Minister ), Akbar Hashimi Rafsanjani( Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly ), government and military officials, clerics and officials of the national defense headquarters
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Government of justice guarantees implementation of Islamic laws
The issue is the issue of government and politics. Government means politics, politics in its totality. God, the Almighty, commanded the Prophet to hand over this government and this politics to Imam `Ali just as the Messenger of God himself had politics. Government without politics is impossible. This politics and this government blended with politics were established on the day of `Id al-Ghadir for Imam `Ali. Narrations stating that" Islam is founded on five things" do not mean the general guardianship of leadership) imamah (. That leadership in which no action is acceptable and admissible except belief in imamah is not referring to the government. Well, most of our Imams had no government. Though we believe Imam `Ali ruled for a certain period; His Holiness Imam Hasan also ruled for a very short period; the rest of the Imams did not rule. That which God, the Almighty, ordained and thereafter ordained for the Imams of guidance is government, although they did not allow this government to bear fruit. Therefore, God has ordained government for Imam `Ali) `a (; this government means politics; that is, blended with politics. Among the crookedness that has unfortunately appeared, that is, so many crookedness have appeared but the most severe of which is that there appeared agents in the past, from the time of the Umayyad and `Abbasid caliphs( may Allah's curse be upon them)who would say that religion is confined to religious questions while politics is confined to government. Every party has come out and taken this power until such time that the global players realized that religion must be turn into a mere form of worship. These players came and did so while we also believed that religion had nothing to do with politics, that politics is the business of the emperors. It implies that we denigrate God, His Messenger and the Commander of the Faithful because government was politics; government is not reciting supplication; government is not praying; government is not fasting. The government, the government of justice, leads to their observances though the government itself is only a political instrument. One who says that religion is separated from politics has denied God, denied the Messenger of God, and denied the Imams of guidance.
That the voice of Ghadir has been raised so high and that Ghadir has been held in high esteem, as it is, is due to the fact that with the implementation of guardianship, i. e. with the turning over of government to the hands of its rightful owner, all these problems will be solved; all deviations will be removed. If the government of justice were established, had they allowed Hadrat Amir( `a )to establish the government he wanted, all the deviations would have been removed and the environment would have become a proper and wholesome environment, which would be an opportunity for all individuals who had thoughts, mystics who had thoughts, philosophers who had thoughts, jurists who had thoughts, and all others. In view of this," Islam has been founded on five things" does not mean that guardianship( wilayah )pertains to this; the essence of guardianship is the issue of government; the government is such; the government is not even from the branches of religion.
What has been there for our Imams before Ghadir and before anything else is a station which is the station of general guardianship, and that is the Imamate; it is narrated in the tradition that" Hasan and Husayn are Imams whether they are sitting or standing." [2]" Imam" does not mean government; that is another" Imam"; that is another issue. That issue is the issue that if someone does not accept him, if he does not accept the general guardianship, even if he performed the prayers according to the Shi`ite jurisprudence, they are invalid. These do not pertain to the government; these do not relate to it; these are among the roots of religion; belief in them is obligatory and they belong to the roots of religion. And the deviation that has taken place- apart from the other deviations- is that we have come to believe that politics is none of our business. Ghadir has come to let everybody understand that politics is related to all; in every period there must be a government; there must be politics but just politics so that through it prayers could be performed; fasting could be performed; Hajj could be performed; all the precepts could be performed; the way could be opened so that the thinkers could comfortably and confidently present their ideas. Therefore, it is not what we imagine that the guardianship they are referring to here is Imamate and that Imamate is in the realm of the branches of religion; it is not so. This guardianship means government; the government is the implementer of these things; it is the implementer of other affairs. These deviations are so many; one cannot rectify all of them.
Trouble-making of some sanctimonious individuals on the issue of war
Now, we are engaged in war. On this issue there is also a group that makes trouble. They are not those who are influential, but they exist. There are those who say," Let us make peace; let us make conciliation." We have to learn a lesson from history. Those sanctimonious individuals imposed it on Imam `Ali those whose front was" hot" and most harmful for the people imposed arbitration on Imam `Ali and imposed that there had to be an arbiter. Then, when Imam decided to resist against their pressure, they wanted to kill him had he refused; for, they had suggested what was supposed to be done;" Set the Qur'an as the arbiter; it is this Qur'an." Hadrat Amir had this affliction. Now, like him, we have also that. That they say here and there," Let there be arbitration; let the arbiters come; let there be an arbiter to do the job; he has to identify who is who; the world does not know who is the aggressor!?" We have to learn a lesson from the event and we should not submit to arbitration. During these eight years we knew who these arbiters are and who those who want to establish peace are. The account of Imam Hasan and the issue of peace, an imposed peace as it was, was due to the fact that his friends, viz. those traitors around him did something to him such that he could not resist against them and make peace; it was an imposed peace. It is exactly the same peace that they want to make us accept. According to the narrations and traditions, after they concluded the peace treaty Mu`awiyah mounted the pulpit and said:" I put under my feet all the things that I have said, like the tearing of the treaties. That imposed peace happened at the time of Imam al-Hasan and that imposed arbitration that happened during the time of the Commander of the Faithful- both of which were accomplished at the hands of frauds- guide us not to submit to the imposed peace and the imposed arbitration. Based on our own view and the view of our nation, just as the entire nation now says, we have to continue the war until such time that by the will of God victory is attained, and it is near, God willing. But if our nation wanted this victory to be nearer, to be very near- which is good for our nation, good for the Iraqi nation and good for the region- it should be prepared; during this period of time it should be prepared in all aspects for the warfronts.
The gentlemen said that in many places in the country there are many things surplus to needs which can be used by the Constitution Jihad in the warfronts. I would like to say that if there are additional things in a certain place, and the governors, governors-general and Friday prayer leaders realize that they are surplus to the needs and are no longer needed, it is necessary for these to be sent to the warfronts. If you want your country to flourish, your country to become Islamic, to become Islamic soon and not be delayed, then you must be prepared and you must be equipped with all powers so as to get rid of this man. Before it was said that Saddam would receive a blow, and Saddam has received a blow and now he is confused; he does not know what to do. Indeed, he does not know what to do; on one hand, he is making violence; on the other hand, he is requesting and begging. He is now in a state of confusion. And I fear that if he becomes more mad than what he is now, if due to defeat he becomes mad, he would inflict a certain damage to the country of Iraq saying," Now that he is drowning, let everybody drown also." He is such a creature. I fear that he would also attack the holy sites, and by His will, God would not give him that opportunity. Something must be done so that he would receive another blow and mind his own business, commit suicide or escape from here to another place and do other things.
sahife vol. 20, p. 105-113.