I welcome the dear studentswho will manage this country from now on, and who have attended this session.
My dear students, what is of importance to me is brotherhood and not leadership. God, the Exalted and the Blessed, has called us brethren in the Holy Qur’an: O the believers are but brethren. The concept of leadership is not brought up in Islam. Basically, our Islamic leaders, although they were spiritual leaders, never pretended to be material leaders. I prefer to call myself as your servant, rather than as your leader.
I hope I could help you and be at your service during the (remaining) days I am with you. I hope all of us will keep our ranks united in one line, with nobody ahead or behind one another as brothers in faith. We must move forward united. By relying upon the Blessed and Exalted God, we will triumph.
Sahifeh-ye-Imam, V 11, P 270