DOCSLIB.ORG

Milestones in the Imam Moussa Sadr's Journey

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Milestones in the Imam Moussa Sadr's Journey Milestones in the Imam Moussa Sadr’s Journey Imam Moussa Sadr Cultural & Research Institute-Tehran www.imamsadr.ir Born in Qom on 4 June 1928, and disappeared in Libya on 31 August 1978. 1928 Musa As-Sadr was born on 4th June in the city of Qom, Iran, to a family of scholars originating from Jabal Amel (South Lebanon). His great- Imam Moussa Sadr great-grandfather, Sayyid Salih, during his years of was born in Shhur, a village in studying at the hawza southern Lebanon, and traces his (Muslim faculty of jurisprudence) in genealogy to the seventh Imam of Qom the Shi‘i tradition, Musa Ibn Ja‘far (d.799). 1934 Enrolled in Qom elementary school, finishing his secondary school 3 studies in 1947. 1941 Began his religious studies in the Qom seminary (hawza), and continued his scholarly education, reaching the rank of mujtahid (scholar authorized to issue rulings independently) at an unusually young age. 1950 Enrolled in the faculty of law, within the department of economics at the University of Tehran. Graduated in 1953. Sadr was the first religious scholar to also receive a modern degree in law while continuing his studies and teaching in the hawza. Members of the Relief Committee for the South, Kfarshouba, following the Israeli aggression, 10/6/1975. Left to right: Pastor Basile Khoury, Maronite bishop of Saida and Deir el-Qamar; Sheikh Najib Qais, 1954 Druze cadi of Hasbaya; Imam Moussa Sadr, Chairman of the Committee; Pastor Boulos Khoury, Travelled to the holy city of Najaf to pursue higher religious studies. Greek-Orthodox bishop of Saida, Tyre and Marjeyoun; Sheikh Ahmad Zein, Sunni cadi of Saida and Hasbaya; Pastor Georges Haddad, Greek-Catholic bishop of Tyre and Marjeyoun Participated in the “Muntada Al-Nashr” group in Najaf and became Imam Moussa Sadr blessings and encouragements of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Borujerdi. with his paternal cousin, Ayatollah 1961 martyr Sayyid Sadr launched his social and institutional work, beginning with the Mohammad Baqer reorganization of Al-Birr wal-Ihsan Association”, a local charity which Sadr, summer of 1969 he overhauled and enlarged. This was followed by the establishment of educational, vocational training, healthcare, social and religious institutions, seeking in particular to empower women in social development work. He ran literacy courses, succeeded in abolishing beggary in Tyre and its environs, and established a charity fund for a vocational school in Jabal Amel. He appointed Dr. Mustafa Shumran to administer the vocational school which eventually graduated the leading figures in the resistance to Israeli repeated aggressions against Lebanese territory. 4 member of its administrative committee. The Muntada organized 5 cultural fora with the leading intellectual figures of the city. 1958 Returned to the hawza in Qom, where he participated in the establishment of Maktab-i Islam Magazine and became soon its chief editor. Maktab-i Islam was the first Islamic cultural magazine published in Qom, and was important in Iran’s intellectual renaissance. 1959 Participated with other leaders (including Ayatollahs Beheshti, Azari Qomi, and Makarem Shirazi) in the draft reforming the academic curricula in the hawza. At the end of the year, Sadr arrived in the city of Tyre (Sur) in Dr. Mustafa Shumran surrounded by Lebanon (after two previous visits in 1955 and 1957), where he started students at the Jabal working as cleric (imam with a small i), succeeding Sayyid Abd Al- Aamel Technical Hussein Sharafaddin, the leading Shi‘i scholar in the country, with the School 1963 1969 After a two-month visit to Europe, Sadr announced that the tour’s May 23 Sadr voted head of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council. Called objective was to get acquainted with new cultures and reach a better for the unification of religious rituals between all Muslim sects. understanding of their progress. He hoped that this would reflect on Warned about the rising Israeli threats, and emphasized his support for the development of work methodologies in charity, social and religious Palestinian resistance. institutions. June In a speech on 2 June, stated that the many sects of Lebanon are 30 June Sadr participated in the coronation of Pope Paul VI upon an windows of culture to the entire world. official invitation. He is the only Muslim cleric to be invited to the ceremony. In his meetings in the Vatican, exposed the suffering of the 1970 Iranian people and religious scholars under the rule of the Shah. Launched a media campaign to defend South Lebanon against Israeli Imam Moussa Sadr violations. Requested arming citizens and training them for defense giving a lecture in 1964 and called on people to stand their ground in their villages and not Dakar, Senegal, 1967 Began a cooperation with the members of “Al-Nadwa Al-Lubnaniyya emigrate. Also called for the activation of the conscription laws and the (the Lebanese Cénacle)”, which hosted him several implementation of development projects in the South. times for lectures on Lebanon. This forum, founded and directed Michel Asmar, was an important venue for May Formed “the Commission for Assisting the South” with the 6 intellectuals and scholars, and became a celebrated forum participation of the heads of the Lebanese sects. Called for a peaceful 7 for participants from all Lebanese communities. national strike. On 26 May, some fifty thousand people gathered near the Supreme Islamic Shia Council in Hazmiyya, Beirut. In response, 1966 the Lebanese government formed the “Council of the South”, with the August Held a press conference at the Press Syndicate aim of developing the south and alleviating its poverty. for a better organization of Lebanese Shi‘is. Based on wide-ranging studies and consultations, his efforts made August Toured several European countries to support the Palestinian cause, the Lebanese Parliament approve a law establishing the and held a press conference in Bonn to condemned the Judaization of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council in 1967. holy city of Jerusalem to the detriment of the other two world religions. 1967 Speech at a press meeting in France: “The catastrophe of Palestine is a Travelled to West Africa to meet with leading members black smear on the world’s conscience. The struggle of the Palestinian of the Lebanese community and connect them more people is in defense of all religions and the sanctity of Jerusalem. Israel intensively with the homeland. Met the presidents of Côte is a racist and expansionist state, and Lebanon’s coexistence of religions d’Ivoire and Senegal. President of Senegal and man of is a religious and cultural need for the world.” letters Léopold Sédar Senghor praised the Imam’s efforts March Mentioned again in Cairo that the coexistence of the sects in to spread kindness and nonviolence among citizens. Lebanon as a unique cultural experience in the world. 1971 1973 Sadr, now widely referred to as Imam (with a capital I), left Lebanon Imam Sadr announced in successive Friday prayers that efforts to seek on a tour which included Morocco, where, upon the invitation of freedom in Palestine also free Islamic and Christian holy sites, and King Hassan II, he lectured at the University of Al Qarwiyyin in Fes. humankind. Upon the outbreak of the October/Ramadan war between Visited Mauritania, Nigeria, and Egypt, where he participated in the Israel and the Arab countries, called for jihad and led a campaign to sixth conference of the Azhar Islamic Research Academy. Imam Sadr collect donations for the families of fighters. had been an active member of the Academy since 1968. Presented the Azhar public with 1974 several suggestions on national and Islamic Called in March for a rally in Baalbek, attended by a hundred thousand issues. people, and another in Tyre in May, attended by 150,000 people. Participants took an oath to stay mobilized until no deprived person or Visited in Egypt the front at Suez, where he area remain in Lebanon. The rallies led to the creation of the Movement spent several weeks and met the military of the Disinherited, and the issuance of the “Document of intellectuals” staff, acting as imam for prayer in its in support of the Movement. The document was signed by more than Imam Moussa Sadr mosques. Called for upholding religion and 190 leading public figures in Lebanon, representing all sects and at the Tyre rally, 5/5/1974 for jihad to free Palestine. Also suggested segments of society. a project of “jihad bonds” to activate grass root participation in the war against Israel. In a letter to British vicar Herbert Adams, talked about the harsh reality of the human condition in the Middle East. Emphasized the positive role of sects in Lebanon, but denounced the country’s sectarian regime as evil that covers up political feudalism. Imam Moussa Sadr dur- 1972 ing the sixth conference of the Islamic Research Issued a call from Jwaya, South Lebanon, on the dangers of Israeli Institute (Majma’), Cairo, aggression. To support the resilience of the people in the region, he 30/3/1971; Grand Imam intensified his political and media activities in statements to the national of Al-Azhar, Sheikh and international media, lectures and preaches in mosques, churches Mohammad Fahham, can and universities, warning from the consequences of the government’s also be seen in the picture neglect of its responsibilities in defending the South and in developing Lebanon’s deprived regions. Called for a regime based on religious values to replace both secular and sectarian regimes. Imam Moussa Sadr during a and end the sectarian conflict in Imam Moussa Sadr press conference, 1/1/1974; the two villages. protesting against the Sheikh Mohammad Yaacoub civil war in Lebanon at and Mr. Nabih Berri can also Announced the birth of the Al-Safa Mosque, summer be seen in the picture Lebanese Resistance Detachments, of 1975 ‘Amal’ in the Arab acronym.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Alexander Von Nordheim Mphil Thesis
    IRAN'S ISLAMIC REVOLUTION: THE ULAMA, THE WEST, NATIONALISM, AND THE GROWTH OF POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS Alexander von Nordheim A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of MPhil at the University of St. Andrews 2012 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3231 This item is protected by original copyright SUBMISSION OF PHD AND MPHIL THESES REQUIRED DECLARATIONS 1. Candidate's declarations: ...... , hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately ..... words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in [month, year] and as a candidate for the degree of ..... in [month, year]; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between [year] and [year]. (If you received assistance in writing from anyone other than your supervisor/s): I, ......, received assistance in the writing of this thesis in respect of [language, grammar, spelling or syntax], which was provided by ....... Date .......signature of candidate .......... 2. Supervisor's declaration: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of ...........in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date .......signature of supervisor ..........
    [Show full text]
  • Iran 2019 International Religious Freedom Report
    IRAN 2019 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary The constitution defines the country as an Islamic republic and specifies Twelver Ja’afari Shia Islam as the official state religion. It states all laws and regulations must be based on “Islamic criteria” and an official interpretation of sharia. The constitution states citizens shall enjoy human, political, economic, and other rights, “in conformity with Islamic criteria.” The penal code specifies the death sentence for proselytizing and attempts by non-Muslims to convert Muslims, as well as for moharebeh (“enmity against God”) and sabb al-nabi (“insulting the Prophet”). According to the penal code, the application of the death penalty varies depending on the religion of both the perpetrator and the victim. The law prohibits Muslim citizens from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs. The constitution also stipulates five non-Ja’afari Islamic schools shall be “accorded full respect” and official status in matters of religious education and certain personal affairs. The constitution states Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians, excluding converts from Islam, are the only recognized religious minorities permitted to worship and form religious societies “within the limits of the law.” The government continued to execute individuals on charges of “enmity against God,” including two Sunni Ahwazi Arab minority prisoners at Fajr Prison on August 4. Human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continued to report the disproportionately large number of executions of Sunni prisoners, particularly Kurds, Baluchis, and Arabs. Human rights groups raised concerns regarding the use of torture, beatings in custody, forced confessions, poor prison conditions, and denials of access to legal counsel.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Unwavering Israel-Hatred
    Iran’s Unwavering Israel-Hatred Dr. Doron Itzchakov BESA Center Perspectives No. 1,104, March 6, 2019 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Four decades ago, the revolutionary movement led by Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Pahlavi dynasty and established the Islamic Republic of Iran on its ruins. Since then, significant changes have taken place in the discourse and concepts of its leaders. However, the Iranian political establishment has never wavered in its relentless hostility towards Israel. Once a friend to Israel, Tehran overnight became an archenemy dedicated to its destruction. Iran’s overnight shift from Israel’s friend to its archenemy was a strange and shocking turn of events. The two countries do not share a common border, and there is no conflict between them regarding the presence of an ethnic or religious minority – including the Jewish community living in Iran. So what was the source of such virulent and apparently indestructible hostility? To answer this question, it is helpful to examine the pattern of bilateral relations that developed between the countries not long after the establishment of the State of Israel. Bilateral relations between monarchist Iran and Israel began to warm gradually upon Iran's de facto recognition of Israel in March 1950. Iran was the second Muslim country after Turkey to recognize Israel and even opened consular representation in Jerusalem. The relationship was established during a period of global and regional change that influenced Tehran's geopolitical status, both as a buffer between East and West and within the Muslim world. Iran had to position itself in the new international order. It was a Shiite monarchy in the heart of a volatile Sunni region that was being shaken by new waves of Arab nationalism.
    [Show full text]
  • Manifestation of Religious Authority on the Internet: Presentation of Twelver Shiite Authority in the Persian Blogosphere By
    Manifestation of Religious Authority on the Internet: Presentation of Twelver Shiite Authority in the Persian Blogosphere by Narges Valibeigi A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfilment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2012 © Narges Valibeigi 2012 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. Narges Valibeigi ii Abstract Cyberspace has diversified and pluralized people’s daily experiences of religion in unprecedented ways. By studying several websites and weblogs that have a religious orientation, different layers of religious authority including “religious hierarchy, structures, ideology, and sources” (Campbell, 2009) can be identified. Also, using Weber’s definition of the three types of authority, “rational-legal, traditional, and charismatic” (1968), the specific type of authority that is being presented on blogosphere can be recognized. The Internet presents a level of liberty for the discussion of sensitive topics in any kind of religious cyberspace, specifically the Islamic one. In this way, the Internet is expanding the number and range of Muslim voices, which may pose problems for traditional forms of religious authority or may suggest new forms of authority in the Islamic world. The interaction between the Internet and religion is often perceived as contradictory, especially when it is religion at its most conservative practice. While the international and national applications of the Internet have increased vastly, local religious communities, especially fundamentalists, perceived this new technology as a threat to their local cultures and practices.
    [Show full text]
  • ?Free Speech, Scholarly Critique, and the Limits of Expression in Islam?
    Al-Mahdi Institute?s 9th Annual VIRTUAL Contemporary Fiqh? Issues workshop ?Free Speech, Scholarly Crit ique, and t he Lim it s of Expression in Islam ? 1st & 2nd July 2021 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Many western liberal democracies uphold the right to free speech and expression as a fundamental freedom, which albeit not an absolute right, extends to the mockery of venerated figures. Critique of Islam and ridicule of the Prophet Muhammad have disconcerted some Muslim factions. As a result, some Muslim jurists condemn many expressions that fall under the rubric of free speech in liberal 1. INTRODUCTION democracies as blasphemy, which they consider to be a punishable crime. Considering ongoing tensions and the perception that critique of religion is not tolerated in Islam, the 9th Annual Contemporary Fiqh? Issues Workshop, hosted by the Al-Mahdi Institute, seeks to provide a 2. SPEAKERS BIOS & ABSTRACTS virtual forum for discussions surrounding free speech, scholarly critique, and the limits of expression in Islam. The Workshop invites papers from seminarian trained jurists or those with an understanding of the traditional seminarian system that shed light on how freedom of expression and its limits are understood in the Muslim legal discourse and the extent to which it may be influenced by various socio-political factors. These important contemporary questions at the intersection between political theory and jurisprudence are positioned within broader discussions regarding the parameters of expression within Islam. As such, the Workshop will feature a range of papers from multidisciplinary backgrounds dealing with, but not limited to: - Philosophical, theological, and ethical analysis regarding freedom of expression.
    [Show full text]
  • Jurisprudential Principles of the Cultural System of the Is- Lamic Republic of Iran
    Propósitos y Representaciones Sep. 2020, Vol. 8, SPE(3), e764 ISSN 2307-7999 Special Number: Teaching for University Students in the Context of Quarantine Measures During Pandemics e-ISSN 2310-4635 http://dx.doi.org/10.20511/pyr2020.v8nSPE3.764 CONFERENCE Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Is- lamic Republic of Iran Principios jurisprudenciales del sistema cultural de la República Islámica del Irán Majid Sabzikaran Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Gholam Hassan Delavar Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Mohammad Reza Javaheri Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran. Received 06-14-20 Revised 08-10-20 Accepted 09-01-20 On line 09-30-20 *Correspondence Cite as: Email: [email protected] Sabzikaran, M., Hassan Delavar, G., & Reza Javaheri, M. (2020). Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Propósitos y Representac- iones, 8 (SPE3), e764. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.20511/pyr2020.v8nSPE3.764 © Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Vicerrectorado de Investigación, 2020. This article is distributed under license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Jurisprudential principles of the cultural system of the Islamic Republic of Iran Summary Our revolution, unlike other movements and revolutions of the twentieth century, which often had economic and political foundations, was a cultural revolution, and we find carefully in the main slogans of the revolution (independence, freedom, republic and Islam) that Apart from the word "republic", which has a socio-political meaning, other slogans show the cultural foundations of this movement.
    [Show full text]
  • New Analysis of Shia Politics
    POMEPS STUDIES 28 islam in a changing middle east New Analysis of Shia Politics December 2017 Contents Introduction . .. 3 The Ayatollahs and the Republic: The religious establishment in Iran and its interaction with the Islamic Republic . 6 Mohammad Ali Kadivar, Brown University The Najafi Marja‘iyya in the Age of Iran’s Vali-ye Faqih (Guardian Jurist): Can it Resist? . 10 Elvire Corboz, Aarhus University The Source of Legitimacy in the Guardianship of the Jurist: Historical Genealogy & Political Implications . 15 Roozbeh Safshekan, University of Alberta and Farzan Sabet, The Graduate Institute, Geneva Becoming Hezbollahi: Religion and the Unintended Consequences of Propaganda in Post-2009 Iran . .. 20 Shirin Saeidi, The European Centre for the Study of Extremism Unpacking the Welfare-Politics Nexus in the Islamic Republic of Iran . 26 Kevan Harris, University of California-Los Angeles Sectarian Unity as a Form of Governmentality: Assessing the dynamics of Development Policy Making in Lebanon’s Shia Territories . 31 Diana Zeidan, École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, IRIS, Paris The Iranian Revolution and Sunni Political Islam . 36 Toby Matthiesen, University of Oxford The Transformation of Shia Politics in the Gulf Monarchies . 39 Laurence Louër, Sciences Po CERI, Paris, France Tilly goes to Baghdad: How the War with Da'esh can create a Shi'a State . 43 Marsin Alshamary, MIT Alawite revivalism in Syria . 48 Hussein Abou Saleh, Sciences Po University, Paris Bringing the ‘Other Islamists’ back in: Sunni and Shia Islamism(s) in a sectarianized new Middle East . 52 Morten Valbjørn, Aarhus University The Project on Middle East Political Science The Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) is a collaborative network that aims to increase the impact of political scientists specializing in the study of the Middle East in the public sphere and in the academic community .
    [Show full text]
  • Ontology and Cosmology of the ʿaql in Ṣadrā's Commentary on Uṣūl Al-Kāfī
    Ontology and Cosmology of the ʿaql in Ṣadrā's Commentary on Uṣūl al-Kāfī Seyed Amirhossein Asghari Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, Volume 10, Number 2, Spring 2017, pp. 157-182 (Article) Published by ICAS Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/isl.2017.0011 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/731658 Access provided at 16 Sep 2019 03:20 GMT from Indiana University Libraries Journal of Shi‘a Islamic Studies Spring 2017 . Vol. X . No. 2 Ontology and Cosmology of the ʿaql in Ṣadrā’s Commentary on Uṣūl al-Kāfī SEYED AMIRHOSSEIN ASGHARI Indiana University, Bloomington, USA ABSTRACT: Mullā Ṣadrā’s (c 1571-1640) commentary on Uṣūl al- Kāfī is one of the more famous commentaries on this signiicant Shi‘i hadith collection. For his philosophical and Sui background, Ṣadrā’s approach to the hadith is slightly different and in some ways contrary to the earlier commentators such as`Allāma Majlisī in Shi‘aand Ibn Taymīyya in Sunni Islam. This paper aims to shed light on the way Ṣadrā interprets al-Kāfī and particularly to determine his understanding of the ʿaql (intellect) at the cosmic (as irst created- being) and human levels as presented in the Kitāb al-ʿAql wa al-Jahl (The Book of Intellect and Ignorance). Ṣadrā, already well-versed in the philosophical discourses on ontology and cosmology, inds al-Kāfī as a fertile ground to develop and extend his vision of cosmos and existence. This paper, furthermore, investigates and reviews some later and contemporary scholars’ critiques of Ṣadrā’s view on hadith and intellect.
    [Show full text]
  • Iran's Transformation from Revolutionary to Status Quo Power
    Iran’s Transformation from Revolutionary to Status Quo Power in the Persian Gulf Mohsen M. Milani* The following article was written by Mohsen Milani in connection with his participation in the conference entitled “Iran After 25 Years of Revolution: A Retrospective and a Look Ahead,” which was held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on November 16-17, 2004. The opinions expressed here are those of the author and in no way represent the views or opinions of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. In March 2003, the United States did for Iran what Iran itself tried but failed to achieve after eight long years of bloody war with Iraq, namely to overthrow Saddam Husayn. As a result of this momentous event, the strategic cards in the Persian Gulf were shuffled, creating new opportunities as well as existential threats for Iran. On the one hand, Iraq, Iran’s archenemy, was defeated and its historically oppressed Shi’i majority—a potential ally for Iran—was liberated and energized, and Iran solidified its position as the most powerful indigenous force in the region. On the other hand, the United States virtually encircled Iran with its more than 150,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, elevating Iran’s threat perception to an unprecedented level. In what follows, I will discuss the transformation of Iran’s Persian Gulf policy since 1979, its role in past regional security regimes, its reaction to the emerging strategic situation in the region, and its current policy toward Iraq. I will make four main arguments. First, the collapse of Saddam Husayn has accelerated Iran’s transformation from a revolutionary to a regional status quo power in search of creating “spheres of influence.” One of Iran’s ultimate strategic goals is to become a hub for the transit of goods and services between the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan, Central Asia, and possibly China.
    [Show full text]
  • Khomeini's Theory of Islamic State and the Making of the Iranian
    Khomeini's Theory of Islamic State and the Making of the Iranian Revolution 1 Mehdi Shadmehr2 1I wish to thank Hassan Ansari, Charles Cameron, Jose Cheibub, Amaney Jamal, Ali Kadivar, Mehran Kamrava, Charles Kurzman, Paulina Marek, Charles Ragin, Kris Ramsay and seminar par- ticipants at the University of Rochester and the University of South Carolina, and MPSA Conference for helpful suggestions and comments. 2Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. E-mail: [email protected]. Phone: (305) 747-5896. Abstract The Iranian Revolution is one of the most influential events of the late twentieth century, with far-reaching consequences that still echo through the rise of Islamic state. Drawing from both primary (interviews, autobiographies, documents, and data) and secondary sources, the paper shows that Khomeini's the doctrine of the Guardianship of the Jurist played a decisive role in the making of the Iranian Revolution by changing the goals and strategies of the religious opposition from reforming government policies to establishing an Islamic state. Khomeini's doctrine was first published in 1970 in his treatise, Islamic State. The paper argues that Khomeini's ideological innovation can account for the sharp contrast between the outcomes of widespread protests in the early 1960s and the late 1970s: they both shook the Pahlavi regime, but the former protests dissipated, while the latter culminated in the Iranian Revolution. Expanding the scope beyond Iran and Islam, the paper explores the role of ideological innovations in the Russian and American Revolutions, and discusses the potentially critical role of ideological innovations in democracy movements in Islamic countries. The revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations..
    [Show full text]
  • Importance and Effects of Exercising Lenience in Islamic Hadiths
    Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 Importance and Effects of Exercising Lenience in Islamic Hadiths Majid Roohi Dehkrdi1, Mohammad Shariati Kamal Abadi2, Ehsan Roohi Dehkordi3 Abstract Lenience is one of the highly repeated ethical recommendations in Islamic teachings and Muslims have been encouraged to act out and stay adherent to this ethical virtue as stated in many hadiths that express its lofty position and importance and mention its advantages. People’s differences in notions, perspectives, tastes, intellectual capabilities and so forth and their flaws are amongst the matters more revealing the necessity and high position of lenience and exercising it. Lenience means soft and mild treating of the others for such a reason as repelling their wrongdoings towards one’s own self or for such a purpose as not offending them and making them go away from one’s own self or even both. Descriptions like the most admired virtue, being of the same rank as the fulfilling of the obligations, being one of the best deeds, being the fruit of the intellect, being the prelude of wisdom and so forth about lenience in the Islamic hadiths are alone reflective of the importance of this action as viewed by the religion; the followings can be pointed out amongst its effects and advantages: keeping oneself safe against the damages, evildoings and deceits of the others, keeping religion and the human world sound, attracting the opponents to the religion and emergence of friendship and brotherhood. Keywords: Exercising Lenience, Importance of Lenience, Effects of Lenience, Islamic Hadiths 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Sufism in Post-Revolutionary Iran Seema
    The Social Life of Gnosis: Sufism in Post-Revolutionary Iran Seema Golestaneh Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Columbia University 2014 ©2014 Seema Golestaneh All rights reserved Abstract The Social Life of Gnosis: Sufism in Post-Revolutionary Iran Seema Golestaneh My research examines the social and material life of gnosis for the contemporary Sufi community in post-revolutionary Iran. In contrast to literatures which confine Sufism to the literary and poetic realms, I investigate the ways in which gnosis (mystical epistemology) is re- configured as a series of techniques for navigating the realm of the everyday. In particular, I focus on the ways in which mystical knowledge (ma'arifat-e 'erfani) is utilized by the Sufis to position themselves as outside of the socio-political areana, a move that, within the context of the Islamic Republic, in and of itself possesses vast political and social repercussions. I approach gnosis in two ways: both as object of study but also as critical lens, utilizing the Sufis' own mystical epistemology to guide me in understanding and interpreting my ethnographic case studies. In my dissertation, I address the following questions: What is the role of the Sufis, a group positioned on neither side of the orthodoxy-secular divide, within post-revolutionary Iran? How does a religious group attempt to create and maintain a disavowal of the political realm in a theocracy? More broadly, what is the role of mysticism within late modernity, and how might such a question be answered anthropologically? At the heart of my dissertation is the analysis of four ethnographic case studies.
    [Show full text]