Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Main Challenges of the Islamic Civilization

Author:Rafed Network

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Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Main Challenges of the Islamic Civilization 5

1- The Threat of Alienation of the Society from Islamic-Indigenous Identity 6

2- Expansion of the Sphere of Power of Dictatorial 7

Governments in Islamic Societies 7

Solutions 8

1- Return to Indigenous-Religious Culture 9

2- Struggle Against Longstanding Dictatorial Rules in Islamic Societies 10

3- Consolidation the Cultural Elements of Society with Theoretical Backing 11

4- Uniting Various Islamic Social Strata (Islamic Ummah) 13

Chapter 1: Islamic Culture-World of Islam 14

Unlimited Capabilities 14

Characteristics of the Religious Government: Viewpoints of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei 16

Establishment of United Islamic Ummah;Unity, Key to Victory and Glory of Muslims 17

Defending the Disinherited and Downtrodden Against the Arrogance 19

All-Out Independence and Rejection of Dependence on Arrogant Powers 20

Hajj, Symbol of Unity and Islamic Might 22

Characteristics of Abrahamic Hajj in Viewpoints of Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei 25

A) Characteristics of Hajj and Its Spiritual Status 26

B) Social Aspects of Hajj 27

Hajj, the Manifestation of Unity of Islamic Ummah 27

Hajj, a Platform for Solving the Problems of the Muslims 28

C) Political Dimension of Hajj 29

Propagation and Awakening 29

Chapter 2: Arrogance: Greatest Challenge of the Islamic World 30

Introduction 30

Palestine, Main Challenge of Islamic World 32

Notes 35

Introduction

The main characteristic of the contemporary history of the Islamic civilization is full-fledge confrontation and conflict between the Islamic culture and the Western culture.1

However, regrettably, in the field of research the confrontation between the two great civilizations“ Islamic and Western “ is totally different. On the one hand, due to the longstanding dictatorial governments, keeping the masses away from the religious culture and confining the religious thought to the individualrites and rituals, a static, disappointing atmosphere, devoid of any innovation, permeates the Islamic World.

On the other hand, due to the renaissance and experiencing life in the ambiance of modernism, an atmosphere of creativity, modernization, social activities, and inclination towards discovery and domination of the unknown realms (sciences, territories,cultures and civilizations of other nations) permeate the Western world.

Hence, cultural interaction and exchange, which is possible only within the framework of a bilateral dialogue, has given its way to a unilateral monologue, that is, the all-out arrival of Western concepts and terms in the Islamic countries. This challenge is the main reason for the emergence of social-religious reformist movements of the Muslim intellectuals in the contemporary Islamic societies.

Having felt the threat of metamorphosis and destruction of cultural identity and originality of the Islamic societies, Muslim social reformers founded the movement for the revival of Islamic thought. The movement aimed to revise the religiousteachings and expurgate them from superstitions and intellectual residues and ultimately reinterpret the religious teachings according to the requirements of time and space in order to lay the foundations of cultural activities in the Muslim societies to spread and consolidate fundamentals of Islamic culture among the masses.2

“The rise of the European civilization and its domination of the Eastern territories, paralleled with the deterioration and decline of Islamic civilization in the nineteenth century, caused various reactions by the Muslim scholars. These reactions, stemming from national, religious emotions and human needs, compelled the scholars and believers to endeavor for finding a solution to restore their identity and reconstruct their civilization.Therefore the nuclei of reformist movements were formed one after another in the Islamic world… These movements can be designated as the Islamic Renaissance or Islamic Revivalism.”3

Main Challenges of the Islamic Civilization

The most fundamental questions and challenges of the Muslim thinkers in the contemporary world are as follows:

1- The Threat of Alienation of the Society from Islamic-Indigenous Identity

The arrival of the concepts and terms of the alien culture in the Islamic societies and their acceptance by the scholars, who were disappointed at the dictatorial rulers - who had distanced themselves from the religious-indigenous culture“ was spreading so quickly and irrationally that the danger of the destruction of cultural identity became quite palpable.

On the otherhand the approach of the Western culture to such human values as freedom, justice, citizenship rights and the definitions of these concepts was basically different from that of the Eastern Muslim man.Therefore the masses in the Muslim societies were alien to these concepts, which were interpreted through a Western outlook.

In every society, the scholars are the representatives and delineators of the course of movement of the society towards the future and they are the ones who intellectually feed the society.Therefore if they distance themselves from the society, a gap will appear between them and the masses. If this happens, the cultural foundations of the societywill be weakened and such a culture will lose its power of progress and fruition and therefore cannot meet the needs of the society.

Under the circumstances, the identity and originality of the societyare gradually eroded and a society without an identity cannot take any action to reform its body. The Muslim scholars had realized that without a scientific study of the basic concepts and principles of their own Islamic culture, and without revival and theoretical elaboration of such concepts as Islamicbrotherhood , Islamicummah , freedom and justice in Islamic viewpoint, etc.

vis-à-vis the alien concepts and terms of the Western culture, Muslims will not find their answers within their own indigenous culture and the end result will be stagnation of growth, dynamism and development of Islamic thought.Inevitably such a man will resort to the alien culture and ultimately as a result of conflict between indigenous cultural attractions and those of the alien culture, his mentality will be more and more split.

2- Expansion of the Sphere of Power of Dictatorial

Governments in Islamic Societies

The ruling system as well as the theoreticians of the ruling powers in the Islamic countries had well realized that the alien concepts did not enjoy an historical and cultural background in the Islamic countries. As aresult they lacked any theoretical backing and firmness of interpretation.Therefore in a crafty measure they changed their nature and through combination of these concepts with their own legitimizing issues transformed them into new instruments for the legitimization of their own authoritarian rules.

They expanded the sphere of their dictatorship and hid their violent face under the veneer of deceiving masks. Such concepts as progressive dictatorial rule, guided democracy, superior civilization and such strategies as extremist nationalism (chauvinism) pan Arabism, panIranism , etc. are among the most prevailing ones during this stage of political history of the Islamic world.

“Self-centeredness of authoritarian rulers in the world of Islam stems from this fact.For instance, self-centeredness in development justifies the political order through referring to economic disorderliness; nationalist self-centeredness on its part justifies relies on the role of the leader by referring to the need to resist foreign factors and military self-centeredness which previously used to rely on the justification of conquest, now emphasizes on the necessity of preservation of order through resort to the force.” 4

Imam Khomeini states: “In our time, the words and logics have beenmisplaced, open political atmosphere is in fact the very suppression and all-out censors. The “great civilization” is in fact savageries worse than that of the medieval ages. The reconciliation government kills the people with tanks,cannons and machineguns. Independence is military,economic and cultural dependence.”5

Solutions

Under the critical circumstances, Muslim scholars have laid the foundation of a reformist movement based on the indigenous-religious elements of their society, whichis designated as the movement for the revival of religious thought.

The outstanding solutions forwarded by the Muslim intellectuals in our contemporary worldmay be classified as follows:

1- Return to Indigenous-Religious Culture

Commenting on the issue,Nouruallah Qeisary states: “The ideas ofSeyed Jamaluddin Assadabadi , attention to religious thoughts, purification of Islam from superstitions, emphasis on the unity of Muslims in the light of the Islamic decrees and principles, and encouragement of the Muslimulema to take political stances became a headway for an inclination which entered Islam into the realm of politics and finally the leadership of the political religious activities of the Muslims since 1960s by Imam Khomeini and his book,Wilayat Faqih , a new theory of Islamic government,

turned the political Islamic tendency into the dominant tendency, uniting all the Muslim fighters under a single banner to lead the historical developments until the collapse of the Pahlavi regime and establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”6

2 - Struggle Against Longstanding Dictatorial Rules in Islamic Societies

The dictatorial systems had become one of the main obsessions of the Muslims thinkers. They considered the ruling dictatorial systems as one of the greatest problems of the Eastern societies.However the reason for the establishment of dictatorial rules in their opinion was not confined to the authoritarian tendencies of the rulers.

They maintained that submission to dictatorship, as a component of the Eastern culture, had prepared the grounds for the continuation of authoritarianism and dictatorship in these territories. Therefore, the Muslim thinkers maintained that in order to eliminate dictatorship, and prevent new dictatorial rules, the spirit of submission to dictatorshipshould be eliminated . In a message to the world Muslims, Imam Khomeiniwrites: “O, Muslims of the world, since you have been inflicted with gradual demise under the domination of rulers, you should overcome the fear of death and rely on the zealous, martyrdom-seeking youth who are ready to defeat the frontlines of infidelity and inequity.

Do not think of preserving the status quo, rather think of getting rid of captivity and redemption from slavery, for honor and dignity are achieved in the light of struggle and the first step of struggle is determination.”7

3- Consolidation the Cultural Elements of Society with Theoretical Backing

Many Muslim thinkers have tried to expand and develop the theoretical foundations of religious beliefs through revision, analysis, and purification of people’s religious beliefs in order to increase the intellectual, convictional capabilities of the Islamic society. In fact, in order to transform the metamorphosed indigenous-religious culture of the Muslims, they tried to give a human-centered definition of this culture based on the clear source of revelation.

This culture enjoys richer theoretical and rational foundations compared to the materialistic Western thought, particularly with regard to sociopolitical thoughts of Islam and its ideas about man’s dignity, individual rights, and his social status.

Islam is compatible with man’s primordial nature and its principles aim to preserve his honor and dignity. Man’s status in Islamic thought is so sublime that heis considered the “representative of God” on earth.

It should be borne in mind that a calculated, diabolic plotis being hatched by the arrogant camp, targeting the entire Islamic world. The main objective of this plot is to project the Islamic culture and civilization as an ineffective body and incapable of responding to man’s contemporary needs.

It also tries to make the Muslims believe that the main reason for the backwardness of the Islamic world is Islamic culture and thought.The arrogant camp did not confine its activities to this objective, rather through poisonous propaganda it tried to make the Muslims believe that the only solution for the salvation of the Islamic societies from backwardness and achievement of progress and social-material welfare was bidding farewell with the Islamic thought and turning back to indigenous-religious culture and in turn acceptance of the Western culture.

Without any doubt the inroad of Western concepts and terms as well as the presence of their agents in various social levels of the Islamic societies as well as application of colonial, exploitative thought, based on Western utilitarianism, underline the sensitivity of the prevailing situation and the crucial responsibility the Muslim thinkers shoulder in confronting the crises and directing the society towards acceptance, establishment and continuation of Islamic cultural values.

Realizing the existing problem, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, called on the Muslimummah to come out of the cocoon of isolation vis-à-vis the cultural invasion of the aliens, and encouraged them to dynamically revive the religious culture, for he maintained that the religious cultural values are the most effective weapons of the Muslims in this campaign:

“Islam is the religion of movement. The holy Quran is movement. Movement from nature to the unseen, from materialism to spiritualism, movement in the way of justice, and movement in the way of the establishment of justice; unfortunately, those who wanted to plunder the East and captivated the Muslim nations, made such a propaganda that even the Easterners themselves,

those who were ignorant of Islam and monotheistic books, believed them. The monotheistic schools were all schools of movement, but they propagated to the contrary and claimed that religion is the opium of the masses, that is, religion has come to destroy the people… This is exactly contrary to the fact.”8

4- Uniting Various Islamic Social Strata (IslamicUmmah )

The redefinition of the concept of Islamicummah and attempts to reinterpret it in accordance with the prevailing conditions and requirements of today’s Islamic society will provide the Islamicummah with a suitable strategy to confront the intellectual and identity crises the Muslims face andwill also help them systematize and define the fundamentals of the religious thought.

The incessant struggles and endeavors of the Muslims and Muslim thinkers in contemporary era to revive the sublime Islamic thought among the Muslims has to a great extent prevented the spread, invasion or progress of Western materialistic thought in the Islamic societies, preparing the grounds for the spread of self-confidence among the Muslims and their confidence on the unlimited capabilities of the Islamic culture.

The Muslim thinkers had to offer an alternative intellectual-cultural model. Particularly in the realm of sociopoliticalthought they had to offer a government model compatible with the religious-indigenous cultural conditions of the Islamic society. However, the contemporary Muslim thinkers enjoyed an advantage compared to other social thinkers of the non-Muslim Third World countries, that is, the experience of the Islamic civilization in the formation of religious government in the early years of the advent of Islam by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Through most perfect and humane laws, the Prophet (PBUH) could prepare the grounds for the glory and grandeur of the Muslims and spread of the divine religion of Islam across the world in the shortest possible time.

Therefore, Muslim thinkers enjoyed all necessary instruments for the presentation of a suitable government model, based on the Islamicprinciples and even had the experience of the establishment of the most perfect model of religious government in their store. What materialized in the form of the greatest and most principled popular movement of the history in the late twentieth century and astonished the entire world was the emergence and continuation of the religious revolution of the Iranian people whose final victory led to the establishment of a religious government in Iran.

By relying on the sublime religious values on one hand, and using the disappointing atmosphere prevailing in Iran “ which stemmed from the intermittent failures of the internationalist movements such as nationalism, Marxism, liberalism, reformism, etc. “ on the other, the father of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, chanted the slogan of struggle against the tyrannical, dependent regime and succeeded to depict a clear picture of the holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam, the infallible Imams and the society founded by the Prophet (PBUH)

[Jamiat un Nabi ] for the Iranian nation in order to encourage them to rise against all manifestations of oppression, inequity and dependency.”9

Chapter 1: Islamic Culture-World of Islam

Unlimited Capabilities

Establishment of Religious Government, Demonstration of the Capabilities of World of Islam One of the main characteristics of Islam, which also constitutes its main body, is being a social religion. The social principles of Islam are so comprehensive that their scopes go beyond mere recommendations on the nature of people’s relations with each other. Infact in order to implement these principles, the existence of a system with executive power is indispensable. The decrees on Imamate, following (obedience) consultation, commandment of good and prohibition of evil, and holy war, whichare called governmental decrees, belong to this category.

Islam is themost perfect divine religion and the holy Quran is the only divine book that has not been falsified.Moreover the Islamic laws, legislated by the divine lawgiver, are based on man’s primordial nature and project Islam as the most human-oriented culture. Therefore, Islamic political thought which stems from the sublime Islamic culture,

prepares the grounds for the establishment of the most sublime and perfect structure of a religious government - a government based on divine laws headed by the most merited and qualified member of the Islamicummah . Such government offers a path for material and spiritual felicity and perfection of man through revival and spread of sublime Islamic values in the society.

Throughout the history of the Islamic civilization “ since the advent of Islam till date “ Muslim thinkers, through proper understanding of the unlimited capabilities of Islam for the formation of an Islamic government and its role in guiding human beings, particularly the Muslims, as well as the restoration of the grandeur of the world of Islam have always been preoccupied with the establishment of a religious government.

“The concept of perfect man in the Islamic civilization and its materialization in the person of Prophet Muhammad (PBHU) (in the Sunni jurisprudence) and in the person of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the infallible Imams (PBHT) (in theShii jurisprudence) “ “Ye have indeed in the Apostle of God a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any of whose hope is in God and the Final Day ...”10

“and the social characteristics of Islam as well as its diverse principles and decrees about the method of formation and establishment of a religious government all in all are considered as valuable cultural-religious data for the Muslim thinkers in their endeavor for social reforms. Hence, in their endeavor to offer an alternative government model, Muslim thinkers enjoyed all the required means on the basis of human-based, sublime divine teachings; and even had the most perfect model of divine government is at their disposal.”11

Infact the prevailing issues and problems of every society takes new shapes depending on the conditions of time and space and hence require befitting reply. The concept of individual inference or individual reasoning (ijtihad ) in Islamic jurisprudence provides the qualified, pious Muslim jurisprudents to offer suitable answers to these questions on the basis of unambiguous principles of this discipline“ the Book, thesunnah , consensus, and reason. This is one of the secrets of the durability of Islam in the course of time. In thisregard Imam Khomeini states:

“I do not think that there is any method better than that of the previousulema for a thorough study of Islamic sciences. The millennium-old history of research and investigation of the veraciousulema of Islam bears testimony to our claim regarding the fruition of the sacred sapling of Islam.”12

Without any doubt the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini, was the most distinguished disciple of the rich Islamic culture, had the highest command of the Islamicteachings and was the greatest social reformer in the world of Islam. Relying on his deep knowledge and proper social insight, he could realize the challenges of the Islamic society and founded the popular, Islamic struggles through revival of religious thought and their spread among the Islamicummah by relying on the power of the Muslim masses.

Finally through his insightful leadership of the struggles, he founded the first religious government in the contemporary world“ a world that has distanced itself from spiritual values.

In sum, the establishment of the divine religion in the Arabian peninsula, the legislation of the most human-based social decrees which are based on human primordial nature, the experience of the establishment of religious government, spread of Islam across the universe, the splendor and glory of Muslims in the light of this government, the definition of new sublime concepts as a model for the religious leaders of the Islamic society (perfect man) and finally the creation of the discipline of individual inference by reliance on genuine Islamic sources, all underline the unlimited capability of Islam in establishing the most complete form of government (Islamic government).

Such a government sprouts from the clear spring of revelation and its leadershipis vested with the most righteous person who has the highest command of religious teachings. One can claim that it is only under such a government and the leadership of such an Imam that human societies can move towardsfelicity and material and spiritual perfection and will find the way of redemption and salvation in this world and in the hereafter.

Characteristics of the Religious Government: Viewpoints of Imam Khomeini and AyatollahKhamenei

One of the most important characteristics of religious government - which also distinguishes it from other forms of government based on materialistic cultures (non-religious governments) “ is that it is value-based, based on defense of truth and human dignity, and rejection of wrong including inequity, oppression, infidelity, paganism, exploitation, and colonization.Hence the religious government under the leadership of Imam is meant to safeguard right and reject wrong, which is a divine mission.

A review of the ideas of Imam Khomeini and AyatollahKhamenei as well as foreign and domestic policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran will demonstrate the unceasing struggle of the Islamic system, as the harbinger of right, against the camp of global arrogance, led by the United States.

Establishment of United IslamicUmmah;Unity , Key to Victory and Glory of Muslims

As a Muslim reformer and leader of the Islamic society, Imam Khomeini always considered unity of word, solidarity and utilization of the rich Islamic resources as the only strategy for the victory o the deprived, disinherited masses over the arrogant powers as well as the restoration of the magnificence and glory of the disinherited Muslims and always recommended the Islamic government andummah to observe these sacred issues:

“I have repeatedly invited the Islamic governments to unity and fraternity vis-à-vis the aliens and their agents who want to dominate our dear territories and colonize them and exploit their spiritual and material resources by diving the Muslims and Islamic governments.”13

Elsewhere, Imam Khomeini clearly states that the main reason for the backwardness and depravation of the Muslims, particularly the Palestinian Muslims, is lack of theoretical and practical unity among the Islamic countries and Islamicummah and once again underlines the need for unity and solidarity of the world of Islam on the basis of Islamic communalities as the only key to victory and success against the camp of arrogance.

“If the heads of the Islamic countries give up their differences and become acquainted with the sublime Islamic objectives and tilt towards Islam, they will not become captives and slaves of colonialists as such.”14

The Imam painfully warns that depravation, colonization, and exploitation of the material and human resources of the Islamic world will increase and there is no way for getting rid of from this problem except return of the Muslims to the cultural, religious principles and revival of Islamic unity of word.

“I have warned time and again that if the Islamicummah does not wake up and does not become aware of its duties, if the Islamiculema do not shoulder their responsibility and do not rise, if true Islam, which is the result of unity and movement of all Islamic sects against the aliens and is the guarantor of the mastery and independence of the Muslim nations and governments continue to remain under the black veil of colonialism, and if the flames of differences and disunity among the Muslims flare up, darker and more miserable days await the Muslim society and a destructive threat will endanger Islam and theQuranic principles.” 15

In order to perform its divine mission, the Islamic government of Iran considers the establishment of the universal Islamicummah as one of its duties and will not spare any efforts in this regard. Article 11 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic states:

“On the basis of theQuranic verse, “Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore Serve Me,”16 all Muslims belong to oneummah and the government of the Islamic Republic is duty-bound to base its policy on the coalition and unity of Islamic nations and make incessant efforts to materialize political, economic and cultural unity of the Islamic world.”

Commenting on the unity of Islamicummah , the Leader of the Islamic Revolution AyatollahKhamenei , states:

“The entire Islamicummah must remember this profound, precise recommendation of our dear Imam and should not forget unity of word on the basis of Islam.“ And hold fast, all together, by the Rope Which God (stretches out for you).”17

Hold fast to the rope of Allah andget united around the pivot of Islam. This unity is remedy to all illnesses and demolisher of all enemies.”18

Addressing the Islamicummah in the Islamic world, while elaborating on the role of unity in the glory of the Islamic nation of Iran, the Leader mentioned Iran as a role model for other Muslims:

“Unity of word has been the key to the victory of the Iranian nation in various stages and today it is the best means for the confrontation of our nation with the provocations and plots.”19

Defending the Disinherited and Downtrodden Against the Arrogance

“The founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran paid special attention to the protection of the disinherited masses against the arrogant powers so that only few months after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he put forth the idea of the establishment of an international party called the Party of the Disinherited.”20

In this regard, he states:

“I hope that one party called the Party of the Disinherited is established in the world and all the downtrodden of the world cooperate in this party to remove the problems existing in their way and rise against the arrogant powers and plunderers of the East and West and will no more allow the arrogant powers to oppress the downtrodden of the world.” 21

Clearly the Islamic system of Iran, in the light of its divine mission, cannot keep silent against inequity and oppression and considers campaign against oppression and support of the disinherited and oppressed people of the world particularly the oppressed Muslims as one of its objectives in the world and has full faith in the divine promise on the rule of the disinherited over the world: “And We wished to be gracious to those who were being depressed in the land, to make them leaders and make them heirs.” 22

Commenting on the same issue the Leader of the Islamic Revolution AyatollahSeyed AliKhamenei states:

“Whatever we have, we owe to the blessings of genuine, revolutionary Islam, which is concerned about the fate of the oppressed and disinherited classes… the Islam of the weak and barefooted.The Islam that grants dignity and mastery to the low classes of the society and rescues them from lowliness and wretchedness. The Islam that overthrows the bullying thugs and powerful oppressors from their seat of power. The Islam for whose spread our honorable Imam spent his entire life.”23

All-Out Independence and Rejection of Dependence on Arrogant Powers

Genuine Islam is capable of guiding the Muslims towards dignity and felicity and is able to empower them to confront the dominant materialistic powers of the world without any dependence on the Eastern and Western poles. The victory of the Islamic Revolution, which was a manifestation of this concept of Islam, demonstrates this truth for the entire world.Commenting on this issue, Imam Khomeini states: “If instead of relying on the Eastern and Western blocs, the Islamic governments and nations rely on Islam and hold fast to the illuminating, liberating teachings of the holy Quran… they will not be frightened by the United States nor will they fear the Soviet Union.” 24

Commenting on the comprehensive independence of the country and its preservation as well as its impact on the political insight of the Muslims, and their faith and awareness of the capabilities of Islam, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, AyatollahSeyed AliKhamenei , states:

“Up to the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the Muslim masses were told that Islam was not capable of bringing about dignity and honor for them and that in search of felicity they should go after Western models and European and American cultures or tilt towards imaginary hollow Marxist theories; but after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran, the honor and dignity the materialization of Islam granted to the Iranian nation,

thwarted all the longstanding achievements of the colonial powers and showed in practice that Islam can rescue a nation from indolence and oppression and direct it towards the apogee of dignity, courage, and self-confidence and also it is able to grant them a firm, independent system, capable of challenging the materialistic powers of the world.”25

Once again it should be borne in mind that the formation and victory of the Islamic Revolution, the establishment of an Islamic government in Iran, its honorable resistance against various plots of the global arrogance and its internal and external agents, in fact, demonstrated the unlimited capabilities of Islamic thought and culture in establishing the most perfect form of government system (Islamic government) which meets the demands of various societies with their indigenous cultures in all times and is capable of directing the societies towards perfection and felicity.

On the other hand, the formation of the Islamic government could represent the most prefect practical model of government for the disinherited and oppressed peoples of the world, particularly the Muslim masses, preparing the grounds for the revival of religious thought and culture and putting forth the need for return of the Muslim masses to the foundations of Islamic culture.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution AyatollahKhamenei has a clear remark on this topic:

“The impacts of the victory of the Iranian nation in the face of the world challenges did not remain confined to the Islamic world, rather, the Islamic breeze started blowing even in the non-Muslim countries where the iron cage systems of party dictatorship or ethnic oppression had not allowed the Muslims of those countries to even feel being Muslims; their dormant faiths started simmering and the herald of Islam disturbed the tranquility of the evils… This is an Islamic resurrection which has enlivened the dead souls and is preparing the grounds for the day when in response to the question“Whose will be the Dominion?”, it is said: “That of God, the One, the Irresistible.” (The Holy Quran, 40: 16). 26

Hajj, Symbol of Unity and Islamic Might

The divine religion of Islam appeared in the form of a complete religious culture from the very beginning of its emergence. It succeeded to establish a society with Islamic identity and an Islamic government under the leadership of the Messenger of Allah and in the shortest possibletime it prepared the grounds for its spread across the globe.

A cursory look at the early years of the development of Islam shows that the main divine mission of the Prophet (PBUH) was to implement the Islamic culture and ideas and establish a religious society in order to lead human beings towards felicity and perfection. As the founder of the Islamic culture and religious, and given human-oriented nature of Islam,27 the Prophet (PBUH) of Allah based his endeavors and struggles on cultural activities and by relying on the principle of the call, he tried to guide the people directly or indirectly (dispatch of representatives to other territories).

The history of human civilization shows that propagation of a new culture, particularly a new religious culture and advocacy of a new method of life, which calls for fundamental changes in the principles and pillars of the previous culture and civilization does not recognize the traditional power structures of the society, always faces certain problems and the first followers normally endure lots of hardship, particularly inflicted on them by the power-wielders, who found their interests endangered by the new religion.

The incessant struggles of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions for the propagation and introduction of Islam as well as the establishment of the first bases of the Muslim communities and finally the establishment of the first Islamic society and Islamic government along with the hardships and difficulties they endured in this way bear eloquent testimony to this very fact.

At thisstage we witness that the efforts of the holy Prophet (PBUH) and his companions for the establishment of the first perfect government structure (Islamic government) bears fruit. However, with the passage of time and as we go farther from the time of the departure of the Prophet (PBUH), the government systems in the Islamic territories gradually become alien to the religious government and get closer to monarchical dictatorial systems.

Also simultaneous with the decline and deterioration of the Abbasid dynasty and emergence of local governments which did not enjoy any religious legitimacy (they were neither based on Imamate ofShiism nor were they attributed to theQuraish “ legitimacy in Sunnite school)28 and hence the Islamic society and Muslim scholars started putting the legitimacy of the government into question and the ruling sultan was considered as an oppressor and usurper of therulership in the Islamic world. 29

By isolating and distorting the Islamic teachings, isolating the Muslim thinkers from amongst the masses and interpreting the religion to justify their own interests, the despotic rulers tried to consolidate the pillars of their rule and in the process presented a distorted image of religion to the society. However, by enduring hardships, the veracious Muslim thinkers and scholars tried to preserve the Islamic sources and spread Islamic teachings. Commenting on the role of the veraciousulema of Islam in preserving the perimeters of the religious principles, Imam Khomeini states:

“If the dearulema were not there, it would not be clear what would have been presented to the people today as theQuranic sciences, Islam and the Household of the Prophet (PBUT). The collection and preservation of theQuranic sciences and the sayings and traditions of the honorable Prophet and the precept of the infallible Imams; as well as their record and preservation at a time when … the sultans and oppressors had mobilized all resources to eliminate themwas not an easy task.”30

In the contemporaryera too the invading Western governments and some ruling systems spread a poisonous atmosphere31 against the Islamic world and level charges and accusations against Islam by relyingno their propaganda means. They also try to inculcate the idea that the main reason for backwardness and shortages in the Islamic world is the people’s commitment to religious principles.Therefore the committed Muslim scholars and thinkers, particularly Imam Khomeini, shouldered a heavy responsibility.

They had to purify the principles of religion and eliminate superstitions in order to revive religious thought and hence launched their cultural, propagation struggle in order to introduce genuine Islamic culture and thought. They therefore had toinnovate new value-based intellectual concepts.

Among the most important, profound concepts which was created and whose theoretical elaboration left an outstanding impact on the beliefs of the Muslims and made them realize the need for return to religious principles was genuine Mohammedan Islam which was introduced by the greatest and most pious disciple of the school of Islam, Imam Khomeini, that indeed introduced a new meaning of Islam to the world.

In this approach, Islam has been introduced as an anti-arroganceschool which rejects all manifestations of oppression and tyranny, supports all the disinherited and oppressed peoples of the world, preserves independence, rejects any kind of dependence, and safeguards such human rights as freedom and social justice.

Without any doubt in the light of such an image of Islam, all religious principles and decrees find a clear meaning, the rust of superstition is wiped out from religious principles, and the clear image ofJamiat unNabi “ the utopia of the Muslim in all stages of the Islamic civilization “ becomes clearly visible.

Among the Islamic decrees, which underwent a change in the light of the introduction of sociopolitical thought of genuine Mohammedan Islam, was Hajj ritual. Imam Khomeini introducedAbrahamic Hajj instead of the “American Hajj”, which in effect transformed Hajj ceremonies from mere ritualistic ceremonies to a political-ritualistic ceremony.Thus the Hajj occasion became a platform for the expression of the message of the oppressed and wretched of the world and a manifestation of the Islamic unity, cry of deliverance from the pagans and the arrogant camp and ultimately a platform for the demonstration of the power of the Islamic world in confronting the camp of arrogance.