Declaration – 10 Sha‘ban 1410 (1990-03-08)

Reminder from His Holiness Haj Sultan Husayn Tabandeh, Reza Ali Shah
Regarding the Prohibition of Political and Social Discussions in Fuqara and Husayniyya Gatherings

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With greetings and blessings to the brothers of the Ni‘matullahi fuqara—especially those attending the Amir Soleymani Husayniyya—I offer this reminder as a reaffirmation of previously stated guidance:

The Amir Soleymani Husayniyya and fuqara gatherings are fundamentally for the worship and servitude of God. While they do not carry the exact sanctity of a mosque, the religious regulations that apply to mosques—such as barring certain individuals from entering—are relaxed in these spaces. So long as there is cleanliness and sincerity of intention, individuals may enter for worship and seeking intercession through the saints and the rightly guided Imams (peace be upon them). As emphasized before, no material or political discussions should take place in these gatherings. Everyone should be focused on remembering God and listening to religious teachings.

As it has been practiced in recent times at my instruction, a few essential legal rulings from the treatise of Imam Khomeini (may his secret be sanctified)—the great leader of the Revolution, whom the fuqara have supported from the beginning—are read aloud for the benefit of the fuqara. I myself wrote a letter of congratulations to the Imam in 1964. All fuqara must be familiar with essential religious rulings. I am absolutely not pleased that political matters be introduced into these God-centered assemblies.

Though I, regrettably, am no longer able to attend the gatherings and visit with the fuqara in person, the same prior discipline must be maintained, and obedience is expected. There should be no complaints expressed against the regime or the leaders of the Revolution. Like myself, the fuqara must follow and obey the Revolution. Should anyone hold a personal opinion, they must not express it during the fuqara gatherings, nor attempt to impose it on others. Doing so is contrary to my satisfaction and is a form of enmity toward me and the order. We must not allow our gatherings to be defiled by such inappropriate conduct. Anyone who speaks or behaves in contradiction to these principles in our sacred assemblies is not of us and is, in fact, acting in opposition to me, to faqr, and to the spiritual path.

I also respectfully ask guests who are not members of the fuqara but who attend our gatherings to refrain from making any remarks against the regime or the Revolution, as such behavior causes us distress and may lead to difficulties for them as well.