Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi Politics The very heart of Islam Translated by Salim Rossier fountain books In association with Rasul Akram Foundation www.shirazi.ir and Teachings of Islam www.ImamShirazi.com English edition, 2015 ISBN 1-903323-42-8 © fountain books All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of fountain books . British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ii Content Foreword .................................................................................................. v Author’s introduction ................................................................................... 1 Chapter One Islam and Politics .................................................................... 5 Passages from the Sharia .......................................................................... 7 Two types of politics ............................................................................... 13 Firstly from Islamic Politics ............................................................... 14 Secondly from Modern Politics .......................................................... 28 Chapter Two Prophet Muhammad’s Wise Policies .................................... 31 Policy of Steadfastness and Forbearance ........................................... 32 Policy of Courage ............................................................................... 34 Policy of Great Forgiveness ............................................................... 36 Hospitality towards delegations ......................................................... 43 A Winning Policy ............................................................................... 54 Policy of Keeping Promises ............................................................... 55 Policy of Universal Mercy ................................................................. 58 Giving Gifts to Friends and Foes alike ............................................... 63 Mingling with the community to teach them ..................................... 72 Throughout His History ..................................................................... 80 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 82 Chapter Three Imam Ali’s Enlightened Policies ........................................ 85 The policy of his personal life ............................................................ 87 His policy in dealing with relatives .................................................. 103 His policy with his civil servants ..................................................... 109 Freedom under Imam Ali’s government .......................................... 115 Imam Ali’s Equality Policy .............................................................. 142 Imam Ali’s Forgiveness ................................................................... 148 Always among the people ................................................................ 156 iii Precise implementation of Islam ...................................................... 161 No to nationalism .............................................................................. 163 Some other policies of Imam Ali ...................................................... 165 Chapter Four On Some Key Islamic Policies ........................................... 171 Islamic Policy on Freedom ..................................................................... 171 Islamic Policy on Economics Affairs ....................................................... 178 Islamic Policy on Social Security ............................................................ 187 Islamic Policy on Urbanisation and Agriculture ..................................... 193 Islamic Policy on Education and Culture ................................................ 198 Islamic Policy on Health ......................................................................... 203 Islamic Policy on Procreation ................................................................ 209 Islamic Policy on Fighting Crime ............................................................ 212 Chapter Five Islam’s Policy on War and Peace ........................................ 215 Chapter Six On Islam’s Foreign Policy and International Relations ........ 237 Islamic Foreign Policy ............................................................................ 237 Globalising Justice ............................................................................ 237 Rescuing the oppressed..................................................................... 243 Islam takes precedence ..................................................................... 244 Muslim Unity .................................................................................... 248 Islamic Policy on International Relations ............................................... 257 Chapter Seven Islamic Policy on Leadership ............................................ 261 Chapter Eight Imam Ali’s Guiding Principles on Governance ................. 273 To al-Ashtar al-Nakha‘i .......................................................................... 279 Chapter Nine Muslim Scholars and Politics ............................................. 303 Sources .................................................................................................. 327 Endnotes ............................................................................................... 337 Appendix 357 iv Foreword The Islamic religion consists of a set of teachings designed for the well- being and prosperity of mankind in this world and in preparation for the hereafter. It does not only aim for the spiritual dimension but also for the material world. Therefore, one of the Prophet’s priorities was to address people’s material needs and bring about their worldly prosperity and progress. The holy Qur’an describes one of the Prophet’s objectives as follows: [... and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear...] 7:157 After he settled down in the city of Medina, and the wars waged against him had abated, Prophet Muhammad introduced – amongst others – three laws, which are significant even by today’s standard, fourteen centuries later. When people at the time, particularly non-Muslims, learned of these laws and saw their practical implications, those very enemies who had waged wars against him and his followers showed respect and honour for Allah’s Messenger. Not only Jews and Christians, but even pagans and polytheists converted. People had much awe and admiration for this Meccan prophet and his laws; and everyone could see their own success, security and peace of mind in these laws. One of these was a set of three laws, set out by Prophet Muhammad fourteen hundred years ago, that cannot even be matched in its entirety by any twenty-first-century civilised system of governance today. People throughout the land embraced this Prophet’s religion and its teachings, because they could see they had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The scale of this convergence was massive and unprecedented, such that a surah was revealed in this respect to honour and allude to this noticeably great event. v [In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. When Allah’s succour and the triumph comes, and you see people enter Allah’s Religion in troops , then hymn the praises of thy Lord ... ] 110: 1-3 The three laws which captivated everyone’s imagination, and relieved them of their burden, to which they were subjected, were simple, fair, and humane. Prophet Muhammad said: 1. Whoever develops a disused land, it is his. For the land belongs to Allah and whoever develops it. 2. Whoever dies and leaves behind dependants or a family without financial support, they would be my responsibility as head of state. 3. Whoever dies and leave behind a bequest, it is his heirs’. In other words, land belongs to all to develop and is not “public estate”, thus laying down the foundation for unrestricted economic activities and flourishing progress and development, the state provides welfare system for the needy, and there is no inheritance tax as per the teachings of Islam. It is unfortunate that not only is such a package incomplete in developed countries – insofar as they only provide some limited welfare support, and the government owns disused land and imposes inheritance tax – but also in Muslim countries, because Muslim countries do not implement the teachings of Islam, adopting instead ‘modern’ laws and systems imported from outside, and as a result the suffering of the masses goes on relentlessly in this world today. It is only when the three laws are implemented together that they work. [Those who follow the Messenger – the Meccan Prophet – whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them. He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him: they are the successful. ] 7:157 vi Furthermore, the Meccan Prophet also prohibited VAT – value added