صراط عشق صراط عشق
We are on the threshold of two important anniversaries in the recent history of Iran – both of which associated with the person who changed for good the destiny of the nation.
If Saturday, the 4th of June happens to be the 33rd anniversary of the passing away of the Father of the Islamic Revolution, the next day is the 59th anniversary of the 15th of Khordad Uprising on which people throughout the country had staged massive road rallies in protest to the arrest of their Beloved Leader, thereby igniting the first sparks of the grassroots movement against the British-installed and US-backed Pahlavi regime.
Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (RA) needs no introduction. He was a colossus in his lifetime, and although he is no longer physically present in our midst, he continues to wield larger-than-life influence on Iran and the world.
The fact that this year these two anniversaries almost coincide with the eve of the blessed birthday of Prophet Muhammad’s (SAWA) 8th Infallible Heir, Imam Reza (AS), who reposes in peace in Mashhad, is yet another proof of his dynamism in establishing the Islamic Republic system of government in Iran for arousing the conscience of the modern man for confronting tyrants and their unjust world order.
This makes us recall the famous hadith mentioned in “Bihar al-Anwaar” the Hadith Encyclopedia, from Imam Reza’s (AS) illustrious father, Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS) – the 7th Infallible Heir of the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger to all mankind with the universal message of Islam:
“A man from Qom will rise and invite people towards truth. Around him will gather people like slabs of iron (of iron-resolve), who will stand firm against strong winds and storms, and will never get tired of war. They know not fear and have trust in Allah. The outcome is for the pious.”
An analysis of this statement expressed over a millennium and two centuries ago, shows that no such event had occurred in the Iranian city of Qom in the past until the year 1963 when a venerable jurisprudent raised his voice against the Godless Pahlavi regime.
True to the words of this hadith, if the despots and the hegemonic powers quaked at the uprising of this man of God from Qom and put him under detention, the seekers of truth responded to his call and rallied to his side, forcing the fearful regime to release him from prison and exile him to Turkey and Iraq.
The loyal masses of Iran never for a moment desisted from expressing support for their Beloved Leader and in the years 1978-79 rewrote history by flocking to the streets in millions and bare-handedly defeating the armed-to-the teeth regime.
They then gathered in millions to welcome him home from 15 years of exile, and like slabs of iron stood beside him – never tired of war – when the US imposed on Iran the 8-year (1980-88) through its agent, Saddam of the tyrannical Ba’th minority regime of Baghdad.
No wonder, when he departed from the mortal world on 4th June 1989, tens of millions of Iranians bade him a fitting farewell, and since them have continued to gather in huge numbers every year at his mausoleum to renew allegiance to his ideals – this time two years of the Coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions it had placed on mass gatherings.
This was Seyyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, who was a descendant of Imam Kazem (AS), and had reached the status of ijtehad, earning the title “Ayatollah”, because of his erudite learning, wisdom and prudence that covered political developments as well. Subsequently, on the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, a grateful nation gave him the honorific title of “Imam” or Leader that should not be confused with the divinely-designated 12 Infallible Imams of the Prophet’s Household, whose loyal servant he was.
This humble scholar of the School of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt put into practice the heritage of Islamic learning and strove to enlighten mankind with higher humanitarian ideals which are conspicuously absent in bodies and souls burdened with animal instincts and traits. This was where the iconoclast came into open conflict with the materialistic West, especially with the US – the ‘Great Satan’ and its blinkered vision of life and culture.
Here was Imam Khomeini and his followers of iron-resolve frustrating every sinister plot to tarnish the image of Islam that devilish minds could conceive.
The man who foresaw the doom of communism, inspired the conscientious all over the world for the fast approaching weeding out of the cancerous tumour called Israel, predicted the end of capitalism, and whose dynamic decree hangs like the Sword of Damocles on the head of apostasy, also spoke of his views on economy, politics, arts, industry, culture, science and religion, all of which function as an integrated whole in human life.
Iran may not yet have reached the ideal stage of a truly Islamic state as desired by him, but the change he wrought has been positively profound, and in accordance with the principles of Shari’ah.
Among the dynamic steps he took was uplifting of the status of women by restoring to them their dignity and the freedom of the Hijab which the Pahlavi regime had brutally trampled upon by exposing their delicate feminine features to the plots and brazen attacks of depraved western culture.
He focused on Islamic Solidarity by building the bridge of Islamic Unity Week to span the 12th and 17th of the month of Rabi al-Awwal – the two days regarded by the Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims respectively as the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
He designated the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadhan as World Qods Day in order to mobilize masses all over the world for liberation of Islam’s first Qiblah, that is, Bayt ol-Moqaddas, which is under Zionist occupation.
Perhaps, one of the most brilliant measures of Imam Khomeini was the concept of Wilayat-e Faqíh or the Governance of the Supreme Jurisprudent in the physical absence of the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance).
As the person who lived and breathed Islam, as is evident from his words, deeds and writings, Imam Khomeini went on to state that the qualified ruler must also possess excellence in morals and belief, and he must be just and untainted by major sins. In other words, anyone who wishes to enact the penalties provided by Islam, to supervise the public treasury and the income and expenditures of the state must not be a sinner. Furthermore, he should not be ignorant and unaware of the law, lest in his ignorance he misleads the people. Nor must he fear big powers so that he seeks the friendship of some and treats others with enmity.
Imam Khomeini proceeded to give perfection to these rudiments of the rule of the righteous, as the concept of Wilayat-e Faqih, on the basis of his conviction that authority in state matters was not the prerogative of the infirm in faith, the unprincipled, the immoral, and the unjust.
He firmly believed in the hadith that “the fuqaha (jurisprudents) are the heirs of Prophets”, and thus in the absence of the 12th Infallible Imam (may God hasten his reappearance), it was the duty of the just “fuqaha” or the most able of them all, to administer state and social affairs according to the Book of God and the “Sunnah” (behaviour and practice) of the Prophet.
