A low-rated poet and opium-addicted politician on the sidelines who, in February 1979 (as he described it), considered the rise of the clergy to power so strange and incredible that it struck him like a lightning bolt, perhaps a dream, finally declared divinity.
Ali Khamenei said on December 30th during a meeting with the family of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, about a session he had with commanders of the IRGC in the courtyard of the Supreme Leader’s residence twenty-some years ago. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic stated that the talks were “warm and effective,” and that day, “it was the word of God that was flowing from my mouth.”
“We prayed in the courtyard with 20 IRGC commanders. Afterward, I sat on the steps and spoke warmly and engagingly. I had never thought of it before. The Almighty was also speaking. In fact, it was my language, the word of God. It was a very strange session. It had a significant impact.”
The release of these remarks in the virtual space had widespread reactions. Prior to this, Ali Khamenei and his associates had gone through stages such as “special communications with the absent Imam” and “saying Ya Ali during childbirth.”
Even during Norooz 1399, when Ali Khamenei said, “The genies’ army is standing against us,” it was another stage in Khamenei’s narrative about himself: “We should not be surprised by enemies. Well, we have many enemies… both genies and human enemies exist, and they help each other.”
However, declaring the appearance of God in Khamenei’s body is a new and “dignifying” development that will make him more appealing to his followers. And of course, it is bad news for his “genie and human” enemies who probably did not know until December 30th that they were standing against God, not just Ali Khamenei.
The situation is clear for a significant portion of Khamenei’s opponents. Khamenei’s declaration of divinity to them is “a new illusion curtain of absolute dictatorship” and it is a concern for “eternal oppression of the people of Iran” to them.
However, the beauty of the story lies with Khamenei’s fascinated followers. For them, the exact level and quality of God’s appearance in Khamenei’s body is still uncertain. This question has probably been challenging in the past 24 hours among the few individuals who have faith in Khamenei. Is it common for God to speak through him from time to time, or is the phase of his appearance beyond the status of “prophethood” and Khamenei’s earthly body the same as the “incarnation of Allah on earth.”
The importance of determining the fate of this issue is vital for Khamenei’s adherents. Whether his acts, conduct, and statements are all “wholly” based on the will of God or not, and whether “some” of it is divine and another part is the product of Khamenei’s son Javad’s mind.
Whether not bringing in vaccines during the coronavirus, issuing orders to massacre during protests in his reign, not accepting the results of any of his commands, absolute consolidation of power in his hands, widespread corruption within his subordinates, and active participation in the massacre of the people in Syria and Iraq are all the will of God reflected from Khamenei’s language and pen or not. If not, which of these actions were carried out by Khamenei’s son Javad, and which ones were “mandated by God incarnated in Khamenei’s body.”
All of Khamenei’s daily actions are subject to questioning. Does Khamenei need to fulfill his needs, or is it like Kim Jong Un and his father, Kim Il Sung in North Korea, who don’t need to go to the toilet?
Another question is the continuation of the complete or partial appearance of God in the bodies of Khamenei and his family: Did God enter Khamenei after his appointment as the second leader of the Islamic Republic in 1989? Or was it from the beginning of his presidency in 1981? Or even earlier when he recited verses in the bustling market of Mashhad near Nasr al-Molk’s pond?
The importance of finding the exact timing for the divine appearance in Khamenei’s body is that it clarifies the behavioral system of Khamenei’s adherents towards his opponents. For example, can those who grew up at Khamenei’s table be considered enemies of Allah, or not? If not, which of those who stood against Khamenei at different times can be considered enemies of Allah?
Did Ayatollah Khomeini, as the first Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, know that God had manifested in Khamenei’s body? Shouldn’t he have immediately submitted to Khamenei if he didn’t know? If he didn’t know, shouldn’t Khamenei have given him this great news in their meetings? If Khamenei did so and Khomeini did not accept, can Khomeini be considered a discordant voice and be subject to divine punishment?
Another issue is the continuity of God’s manifestation in the bodies of Khamenei’s descendants. Can Khamenei’s children also be called the offspring of God, or is it only the production and birth of one of them that is the responsibility of God; the same “God has decreed” for his son to sit on the throne after his father’s demise.
Is Khamenei still the “Supreme Leader” or the “Most Exalted Lord”? In the constitution and relevant laws of the Islamic Republic, the commitment to the absolute authority of the Jurisprudent should not change to “absolute commitment to our Lord, Ali Khamenei.” In this case, should the constitution of the Islamic Republic be revised? Should there be a need for popular vote for the extension of the will of God on earth?
If God does not pass the good constitutional change, does He perform this change through a miracle, or does He use worldly means such as elections so that the will of “men and the masses” does not intervene?
In any case, the incident of December 30, 2023, is very decisive for those sitting at Khamenei’s table. God has once again manifested in the body of a human after 1400 years.