When the Father of Justice Is Born

Iran (IMNA) - In Iran, this birth has become Father’s Day, not by convention alone, but by recognition: because fatherhood, at its highest form, learned its language from Ali ibn Abi Talib.

Imam Ali was not only the father of Hasan and Husayn; he was the father of justice for the orphan, the father of dignity for the poor, the father of courage for the frightened, and the father of wisdom for those who sought truth. His hands carried both the weight of the sword and the tenderness of bread shared in the dark so that no needy soul would feel ashamed. In his life, strength never stood apart from mercy, and authority never rose above humility.

On this day, fathers are remembered not merely for providing, but for guiding. The memory of Imam Ali teaches that a father’s greatness is not measured by how loudly he commands, but by how deeply he listens; not by how high he stands, but by how willingly he bends to lift another. His justice was so precise that it spared even his enemies, and his love so vast that it included all who knocked at the door of need.

In Iranian homes, Father’s Day is wrapped in the quiet poetry of gratitude. It is a day to look into a father’s eyes and see the long road he has walked in silence, and to remember that Imam Ali, too, bore the loneliness of righteousness so that others might walk safely behind him. The celebration is not only for living fathers, but also for those whose absence has become a presence—whose values remain, like Ali’s words, etched into daily life.

The birth of Imam Ali is not an event that belongs to the past. It is a mirror held up to every generation, asking what kind of fathers we choose to be, and what kind of justice we are willing to inherit. On this day, Father’s Day in Iran is not simply a tribute—it is a reminder that the highest form of fatherhood is to be a shelter for the weak, a compass for the lost, and a living example of truth.

And so, as the name of Ali is whispered with reverence, Father’s Day becomes more than a celebration. It becomes a vow: that the light born in the Kaaba will continue to guide homes, hearts, and histories.