A celebration of justice and moral sovereignty.

These days, we Iranian Muslims celebrate a great occasion: Eid al-Ghadir, a holiday on which our Prophet proclaimed the fulfillment of his mission and the full dissemination of all his teachings. His final, fundamental exhortation was to follow the just and equitable; to this end, he recommended to all of us one of his best disciples, Ali ibn Abi Talib. This invitation to follow his example represents a symbol of the necessity and importance of justice, integrity, and competence for rulers and leaders. Who was Imam Ali (peace be upon him) in reality, and why do we celebrate his spiritual and ethical guidance?

Let's go back in history, around 657 AD. The streets of Kufa were bustling and the market crowded. A man of Jewish faith clutched a suit of armor, seeking a buyer. Suddenly, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, caught sight of that object, and the familiar lines engraved on the armor came alive in his memory: it was the same armor that had been lost on the way to the Battle of Siffin (one of the internal conflicts during Ali's reign).

Ali approached and said serenely, “This is my armor; I have not sold it nor given it to anyone.”

The Jewish man, seeing the caliph's insistence, although he appeared confused, adopted a firm tone: "This armor is in my hands and belongs to me! If you have a claim, let's go to the judge."

The head of the Islamic State, without using his political or military power, accepted. Both went to the court of the "Qadi" (the judge), who, seeing the caliph enter, was about to stand up in a sign of profound respect, but Ali's serious look forced him to remain seated.

The judge turned to Ali and asked, “O Abu al-Hasan, do you have witnesses to support your claim?”

Ali smiled and replied, "I have a valid witness, my son Hasan. However, I know that a son's testimony in favor of his father is not admissible in your court. Therefore, I have no witnesses."

The judge, aware that under Ali's rule the law was supreme and superior to the office of the caliph, turned to the Jewish man and declared: "Since the plaintiff has no witnesses, the armor belongs to you."

The Jewish man took his armor and headed toward the marketplace. His steps, however, were becoming increasingly heavy. His conscience had awakened. He thought to himself: "The highest authority of a government comes to court on a level of absolute equality with me, a foreigner; his own judge passes sentence against him, and he submits to the law with complete harmony and respect? This is not the behavior of a common ruler: this is the custom of prophets."

He hastily retraced his steps, handed back the armor, and exclaimed, "I swear by God, this is your armor, which fell from your camel, and I picked it up. I testify that there is no deity but the One God and that Muhammad is His Messenger.

Ali, sincerely rejoicing at his repentance, gave him armor and a highly prized horse. This man, at the height of his power, considered himself the father of orphans and maintained that if under his rule, due to injustice or insecurity, harm were inflicted on a citizen, a Muslim woman, or a woman belonging to a protected religious minority, and someone died of grief and indignation upon learning of this news, this would be fully understandable and justified.

Many of these positions, his political conduct, his strategies and visions on the proper administration of the state are found in the work “Nahj al-Balagha” (The Way of Eloquence), which throughout history has been, is and always will be a manifesto of justice, political ethics and good governance.

We, inspired by the values ​​of Ali ibn Abi Talib, wish peace and justice to all the peoples of the world, expressing gratitude towards every just ruler and firmly rejecting all forms of oppression.