(4) 24 April 1981 (4 Urdibihisht 1360 AHS) Felicitations to...

(4) 24 April 1981 (4 Urdibihisht 1360 AHS) Felicitations to the mighty nation of Iran, in particular its great women, on this blessed day of the woman, this illustrious day commemorating a lustrous being who lays the foundations on which mankind’s virtues and the exalted values of God’s representative in this world are built.

And even more blessed and precious is the most felicitous selection of the 20th day of Jumada II (as Women’s Day), the proud day of the birth of a woman who is one of history’s miracles and who is a source of pride for the world of creation. (5) 14 April 1982 (25 Farvardin 1361 AHS) I congratulate all you ladies and women in all Islamic countries on this joyous holiday marking the glorious birth of Hazrat Fatima Zahra, upon whom be peace.

I ask God, the Blessed and Exalted, to guide all the respected women along the path that He has laid down, so that they can achieve lofty Islamic goals. It is a source of great pride for the women that they have designated Hazrat Fatima’s birthday as Women’s Day; it is a source of pride and responsibility.

(6) 2 March 1986 (11 Isfand 1364 AHS) In fact, according to the traditions that have been handed down to us, the Most Noble Messenger (peace be upon him and his descendants) and the Imams (upon whom be peace) existed before the creation of the world in the form of lights[^2] situated beneath the divine throne; they were superior to other men even in the sperm from which they grew and in their physical composition.

Their exalted station is limited only by the divine will, as indicated by the saying of Gabriel recorded in the traditions on the mi‘raj :[^3] “Were I to draw closer by as much as the breadth of a finger, surely I would burn.”[^4] The Prophet himself said: “We have states with God that are beyond the reach of the cherubim and the prophets.”[^5] It is part of our belief that the Imams (upon whom be peace) too enjoy similar states, before the question of government even arises.

For example, according to the traditions, Hazrat Fatima Zahra, upon whom be peace, also possessed these states, even though she was not a ruler, a judge or a governor. These states are quite distinct from the function of government. So when we say that Hazrat Fatima Zahra, upon whom be peace, was neither a judge nor a ruler, this does not mean that she was like you and me, or that she has no spiritual superiority over us. Islamic Government, pp.