Supreme Leader’s Speech in Asalouyeh
28/03/2011
The following is the full text of the speech delivered on March 28, 2011 by Ayatollah Khamenei to the employees of the National Oil Company in Asalouyeh, Bushehr province.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I am very happy that today's visit to this sensitive and important part of the country resulted in a meeting with you dear brothers and sisters, the employees of this important industrial center and the local residents. This meeting is the last part of my trip. I am very happy to meet you dear brothers and sisters.
Fortunately in every part of the country and in every sector, there are clear signs that our dear nation is making progress in theoretical and practical arenas. Bushehr province is one of the oldest provinces of our country, and its people have emerged victorious out of the test. Anybody who is familiar with the history of this region knows that the people of this area have made selfless efforts for the sake of our country, our independence and our dignity. Having realized the importance of this region, the belligerent and hegemonic powers decided to completely dominate this rich part of the Persian Gulf region during a certain historical stage. The same colonial powers whose presence had done irreparable damage to the people of the Indian subcontinent - as well as the people of North Africa and East Asia - were not prepared to give up this region. At that time the people on the coast of the Persian Gulf - especially the people of Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces - rendered a lot of services to the country. They resisted bravely and proved the power and resistance of the Iranian nation. This is the historical background of this region, and such things will never be erased from history.
Today we are going through another historical stage. Aggressive hegemons of the world are thinking of new methods to spread their domination over different parts of the world and to promote their illegitimate interests - even at the cost of destroying the identity and dignity of other nations. Over the past years this is what they have been doing in different parts of the world, especially in this region.
What has happened in Iran is exactly the opposite of the goals and interests of global arrogance. The government which has been established in Iran relies on the people and their hearts, religious faith and emotions. Our government pursues Islamic and Quranic goals - the goals that have been specified in "and to Allah belongs the might and to His Messenger and to the believers." [The Holy Quran, 63: 8] It relies on the kind of belief that cannot be shaken by any pressure. It is an Islamic system. This resistance against the greed of foreigners is enough to enrage the centers of global power. It is 30 years that they have been expressing their anger in one way or another, but the willpower of the Iranian people - which depends on the will of Allah the Exalted and on their faith in the divine promise of victory - has disappointed the enemies, and the Iranian nation has been treading the path of progress, growth and transcendence every day.
I named this year as "The Year of Economic Jihad". This means that this year the Iranian nation should focus the major portion of its efforts on the economic arena. I travelled here to visit this region today. This region is an economic region which relies on production, and production - particularly production that is based on knowledge - is the most important factor which can bring about sustained growth for the economy of a country. This is true of this region, which is both an economic region and a region for production and knowledge. The production is knowledge-based. This is what the Iranian nation deserves. There was a day when the people of this region and the people of other parts of our country used to stand up against the bullying and greed of plundering and aggressive governments in a particular way, but today the situation is more complicated. Today resistance against such powers requires serious efforts which are profound and carefully planned.
Fortunately our nation is familiar with the culture of jihad. We are not alien to the concept of jihad. Our nation is experienced in different areas of jihad: military jihad during the eight-year Sacred Defense Era, political jihad since the beginning of the Revolution, economic and scientific jihad. We are familiar with jihad. The kind of jihad that we should engage in - namely, economic jihad - is not more difficult than the other kinds of jihad that the Iranian nation has engaged in so far. But we should know what we want to do.
Economic jihad is not limited to economic efforts. Jihad has a particular meaning. Not every effort can be called an instance of jihad. Jihad includes the concept of confrontation with the enemy. Sometimes one may make an effort without being faced with an enemy: this is not jihad. But sometimes you decide to make an effort because an enemy is standing in front of you. This is an instance of jihad. Sometimes this jihad may be in the form of a military confrontation. Other times it may be in the form of scientific jihad. Yet other times it may be in the form of technological jihad. These are all different kinds of jihad. A good contemporary equivalent for jihad would be "battle". Economic jihad means economic battle.
And everybody is responsible in this regard. The efforts made by faithful men - some of whom I met today - are an instance of jihad. And many of you are among those faithful men, and your efforts are an instance of jihad. The work that is being done in this impressive industrial and economic center is an instance of jihad. If your intentions are divine, your efforts will be jihad in the way of God. When a person makes efforts to promote justice and Islam and to bring about glory for the Islamic Ummah and the faithful people of Iran, his efforts are jihad in the way of God. And such efforts enjoy the blessings and greatness of jihad in the way of God.
I would like to thank all the people who are active in this area, and I demand from them that they should consider their work as jihad in the way of God. Do not get tired. You should know that Allah the Exalted has promised success for jihad in the way of God. If you move forward for the sake of God and on His path, you will succeed. This year all our people and government officials from across the country should make such efforts for the sake of God. And Allah the Exalted will bless their efforts. Allah the Exalted will definitely help the people whose efforts, work and determination have this orientation, just the way He has assisted us during the past 32 years. Without God's assistance it was not possible for a nation to stand up against global arrogance.
There are rich sources of natural gas in this region, which we share with the neighboring countries. I do not want to refer to the neighboring countries as our rivals. You see that all those who are dissatisfied with the progress of the Iranian nation have joined hands against the Iranian nation in this regard. They help the neighboring countries as much as they can, and when it comes to us, they create as many obstacles as they can. This shows the meaning of jihad: having a hostile enemy in front of you. In this case and in similar cases, every step that you take will enrage and upset the enemy. And they will engage in as much obstructionism as they can. They will try to focus on whatever you need for this progress, and they will try to limit your access to those things.
What is the solution? The solution is to rely on ourselves and utilize our own capacities: the inexhaustible source of determination and talent that our people and youth enjoy.
There are many things that should be discussed in this regard. Today the officials in charge of this center discussed some of these things during this long visit, and I offered some recommendations. Everybody has to play a role in this economic jihad, and this is the point that I would like to address to the entire Iranian nation. As far as managing the economy of a country, consumption is an essential pillar: appropriate consumption, consumption that is not wasteful. And this is something that is constantly recommended.
Now I would like to speak about the necessity of creating the culture of hard work for the sake of God. Even as a teacher, you can play a role in this economic jihad. You can engage in economic jihad by teaching this culture of hard work to the youth in your class - who are going to be tomorrow's workforce. No matter where you work, you can play a role in this economic jihad.
It is necessary to help promote justice. This decade is the decade of progress and justice for us. From an Islamic perspective, progress minus justice is not progress at all.
For example, the people of Asalouyeh have their own needs. Contributing to the fulfillment of these needs is an instance of economic jihad. It is part of the great work that we are supposed to do. Today I had several discussions with the managers and officials in charge of different sectors about ecological issues, pollution and problems of the local residents. By Allah's favor, they will follow up these issues. It is necessary to address the problems of the people. These are all different aspects of a great and comprehensive economic jihad. This nation can achieve the position that it deserves through cooperation, solidarity, sense of brotherhood and good deeds.
The spiteful enemies want to hurt the Iranian nation with whatever they have. This is because the Iranian nation supports justice, because it is independent, because it refuses to give in to the bullying of the enemies. They want to impose their will on the Iranian nation. They want to bully and hurt the Iranian nation. It is possible to stand up against these enemies through unity, solidarity, cooperation and jihad. The Iranian nation has managed to overcome its enemies and preserve its dignity so far, and it will be the same in future.
What I would like to recommend to the honorable officials in charge of different sectors, especially this economic center, is that they should make serious efforts to rely on our domestic capacities and to become self-sufficient. They should know that God will pay attention to these efforts and that their efforts are an instance of jihad in the way of God only if their intentions are divine. The intention to serve the people and the country is a divine intention. And Allah the Exalted will bestow victory on their jihad. They should not stray away from this path and this orientation. They should work hard.
What I saw during this visit was satisfactory. Of course there are certain shortcomings. They should think of a way to address these shortcomings. I feel that they are already thinking of a way to address the shortcomings. Great achievements have been made, and this shows that the Iranian nation can do anything that it wants. Feeling of self-confidence is the greatest spiritual asset that a nation can have. Our nation has this feeling of self-confidence, and the signs can be seen in all areas.
It is necessary to do certain things in this regard. Regarding the issue of oil and gas, we should definitely work on the legal and economic issues as well as the technical issues. We should think about these issues and carry out scientific investigations. Our youth will be able to work on these things and by Allah's favor, they will make progress in this regard. This source of wealth belongs to the Iranian nation. Natural gas is a source of wealth. Oil is a source of wealth. But having a talented, enthusiastic and competent workforce is more important than these sources of wealth. We have this source of wealth, and this is the most important thing. If a nation enjoys such a workforce, it can make use of its natural sources of wealth. But if a nation does not have such a workforce, its natural sources of wealth will be used to serve the interests of foreigners. Its natural sources of wealth will benefit foreigners more than itself. Thankfully we have this source of wealth.
Fortunately the general atmosphere of the country is in favor of hard work and solidarity. This situation is the result of the selfless efforts that have been made in the past. The families of some of our dear martyrs are present in today's meeting. We should know that every achievement we make today is the result of the selfless efforts of our martyrs and their blood: selfless efforts of our martyrs, disabled soldiers and war veterans. Some of our people went to the battlefields and laid down their lives, but they were not martyred. Allah the Exalted saved their life, and they are still serving the Revolution and the country. These selfless efforts helped our nation achieve this glory. These efforts gave our nation the opportunity to make great achievements.
I pray to Allah the Exalted to increase the power, dignity and progress of the Iranian nation on a daily basis. I pray to Allah the Exalted to help us do our share of work in this great public endeavor and make God satisfied with us.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings
http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1440
Monday, April 4, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Day of Nature
Day of Nature
Iranian families were outdoor Saturday to mark a Day of Nature, the last day of the New Year break, according to IRNA.
On the day, also known in Iran as the national 'Picnic Celebration', Iranians leave houses and head for parks, beaches and greenspaces to celebrate a happy and healthy holiday season by eating traditional food, munching nuts and playing games.
This fun and exciting outing involves all family members and is intended to end the holiday season on a relaxing and positive note.
http://english.iribnews.ir/IranVision_body.aspx?ID=324
Iranian families were outdoor Saturday to mark a Day of Nature, the last day of the New Year break, according to IRNA.
On the day, also known in Iran as the national 'Picnic Celebration', Iranians leave houses and head for parks, beaches and greenspaces to celebrate a happy and healthy holiday season by eating traditional food, munching nuts and playing games.
This fun and exciting outing involves all family members and is intended to end the holiday season on a relaxing and positive note.
http://english.iribnews.ir/IranVision_body.aspx?ID=324
Islamic Republic Day in Iran
Islamic Republic Day in Iran
The country of Iran holds a yearly gathering every April 1st in remembrance of the country’s Islamic Republic constitution that was officially proclaimed on 1979.
Islamic Republic Day is one of Iran’s most historic celebrations.
It was proclaimed to be a national holiday approximately two months after the success of the Islamic Revolution on 1979.
History of Iran’s Islamic Republic Day
The Iranian people were unified by a common purpose were able to oust the Pahlavi regime and restored the Islamic laws and the country’s sovereignty.
This regime was established under the ruling power of the British and was supported by the Americans as well.
The Iranian Revolution started on 1978 all aiming to bring down Shah, the King.
On the 30th and 31st of March which is the 10th and 11th of Farvadin to the Islams, the government passed a referendum aiming to replace the monarchy with an Islamic Republic.
The referendum was a success since almost 98.2 percent of the people voted for approval of Islamic system.
April 1, 1979 was the official affirmation of Iran as an Islamic Republic and since then, the 1st of April has been observed yearly by the people to commemorate the Islamic Republic Day.
Iranian people look to this day with honor and salutation because it is considered as one of the triumphs and accomplishments of Iran as a nation.
Several rallies and activities are also held nationwide during this special day.
Declared as an official non-working public holiday, the Iranians also celebrate the Islamic Republic Day as a family day or a chance to meet up and be reunited with friends and loved ones.
http://english.iribnews.ir/NewsBody.aspx?ID=13243
The country of Iran holds a yearly gathering every April 1st in remembrance of the country’s Islamic Republic constitution that was officially proclaimed on 1979.
Islamic Republic Day is one of Iran’s most historic celebrations.
It was proclaimed to be a national holiday approximately two months after the success of the Islamic Revolution on 1979.
History of Iran’s Islamic Republic Day
The Iranian people were unified by a common purpose were able to oust the Pahlavi regime and restored the Islamic laws and the country’s sovereignty.
This regime was established under the ruling power of the British and was supported by the Americans as well.
The Iranian Revolution started on 1978 all aiming to bring down Shah, the King.
On the 30th and 31st of March which is the 10th and 11th of Farvadin to the Islams, the government passed a referendum aiming to replace the monarchy with an Islamic Republic.
The referendum was a success since almost 98.2 percent of the people voted for approval of Islamic system.
April 1, 1979 was the official affirmation of Iran as an Islamic Republic and since then, the 1st of April has been observed yearly by the people to commemorate the Islamic Republic Day.
Iranian people look to this day with honor and salutation because it is considered as one of the triumphs and accomplishments of Iran as a nation.
Several rallies and activities are also held nationwide during this special day.
Declared as an official non-working public holiday, the Iranians also celebrate the Islamic Republic Day as a family day or a chance to meet up and be reunited with friends and loved ones.
http://english.iribnews.ir/NewsBody.aspx?ID=13243
Ayatollah Khatami slams military interference of US, and its allies in Libya
Ayatollah Khatami slams military interference of US, and its allies in Libya
Friday, 01 April 2011 15:27
Tehran's interim Friday Prayers Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami, has castigated the US and Europe for taking advantage of the developments in Libya.
Referring to recent uprisings in Islamic countries, Ayatollah Khatami said the Libyan people were bombarded by the Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's forces for thirty days before the very eyes of the US and Europe. But, the US and Europe did not enter the scene. Meanwhile, their recent military interference has taken place solely for fulfillment of their own interests.
The military interference of the US and its Western allies continues in Libya, while the informed sources in this country say that during these attacks at least 114 people, including a significant number of civilians, have been killed and 445 others have been wounded.
Tehran interim Friday Prayer leader also slammed the muted reaction of the US and other so-called supporters of human rights in regard to suppression of popular protests in a number of Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain.
The Bahraini security forces have largely suppressed the anti-governmental demonstrations, martyring at least 25 people.
The Manama administration has also recruited Saudi, Kuwaiti, and UAE troopers for suppression of protesters.
http://english.irib.ir/news/political/item/72730-ayatollah-khatami-slams-military-interference-of-us-and-its-allies-in-libya
Friday, 01 April 2011 15:27
Tehran's interim Friday Prayers Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami, has castigated the US and Europe for taking advantage of the developments in Libya.
Referring to recent uprisings in Islamic countries, Ayatollah Khatami said the Libyan people were bombarded by the Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi's forces for thirty days before the very eyes of the US and Europe. But, the US and Europe did not enter the scene. Meanwhile, their recent military interference has taken place solely for fulfillment of their own interests.
The military interference of the US and its Western allies continues in Libya, while the informed sources in this country say that during these attacks at least 114 people, including a significant number of civilians, have been killed and 445 others have been wounded.
Tehran interim Friday Prayer leader also slammed the muted reaction of the US and other so-called supporters of human rights in regard to suppression of popular protests in a number of Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain.
The Bahraini security forces have largely suppressed the anti-governmental demonstrations, martyring at least 25 people.
The Manama administration has also recruited Saudi, Kuwaiti, and UAE troopers for suppression of protesters.
http://english.irib.ir/news/political/item/72730-ayatollah-khatami-slams-military-interference-of-us-and-its-allies-in-libya
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Supreme Leader’s View of Self-Improvement
The Supreme Leader’s View of Self-Improvement
20/03/2011
The greater jihad
The meaning of self-improvement
The necessity of self-improvement
The importance of providing moral education for children
Self-improvement in one’s youth
Moral education and moral coercion
Methods of self-improvement
Constant self-improvement
Self-purification
The purpose of self-purification
Spiritual exercise
Moral improvement
Self-purification, more important than moral education
Self-education: easy and difficult
Moral security
The Supreme Leader’s View of Self-Improvement
The greater jihad
Having returned from a tough battle, the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.) said, “This was the lesser jihad, and now it is time for the greater jihad.” The greater jihad is the fight against one’s passions. Fighting one’s inner self should not be limited to personal matters. Of course fighting one’s carnal desires, hedonistic tendencies, laziness, greed and inappropriate behavior constitutes an instance of fighting one’s inner self, and it is important. That is to say, one should constantly fight one’s inner demons and try to harness them so that they cannot force one to do bad deeds.
The meaning of self-improvement
Self-improvement does not always mean that there is a flaw which should be eliminated. No, sometimes there is no tangible flaw. Rather, self-improvement means that we should guard against the factors that cause flaws: different kinds of microbes that enter our healthy souls and corrupt us.
The necessity of self-improvement
Self-improvement is the essential requirement for improving other people and the world. It is a prerequisite for introducing change and treading difficult paths. All evils originate from man’s inner self and passions. The most dangerous idol is one’s inner self, one’s narcissistic tendencies, one’s selfishness. Man’s inner self is also the source of all blessings, beauties and virtues. If people manage to free themselves from the clutches of their negative passions and carnal desires, they will gain access to the source of blessings.
The importance of providing moral education for children
It is very important for all countries and human communities to provide moral education for their children and teenagers. This is because an Islamic community – a community which is supposed to be founded on Islamic thought and Islamic teachings – will definitely have to engage in a battle that is beyond the battle fought by ordinary communities. All human communities have to fight a battle, and no community can find the path to prosperity without fighting. It is not possible to achieve prosperity in a society in the absence of a battle. That is to say, it is not possible to achieve prosperity without putting up a fight against the opposing forces. This is because in every society there are factors which encourage children to engage in theft, corruption and laziness, factors which cause them to go off in the wrong direction – as defined by different cultures. And children are affected by these factors.
Self-improvement in one’s youth
If I was asked to summarize what I expect from the youth in a sentence, I would say, “I expect them to study, engage in self-improvement and do sports.” I believe the youth should enjoy these three characteristics.
People can easily avoid committing sins when they are young. They can easily get closer to God. Of course it is possible to do all these things at an old age, but it becomes very difficult. Some people think that one’s youth is the time for committing sins and that old age is for repentance. This is a mistake. Youth is the time both for repentance and for praying. In fact youth is the time for everything.
Moral education and moral coercion
Some people wrongly believe that the issue of providing moral and religious education for the youth is not important and that the youth should be free. However, this is an instance of neglecting the future of the young generation. Of course it goes without saying that moral education is different from moral coercion. Moral coercion is not something pleasant, and it is not what Islam has demanded from us. Forcing individuals into hypocrisy is not something good. However, education is a very important matter. Through appropriate methods of education, we should educate our youth to be religious. The essential goal is to educate youth who are religious and enjoy Islamic characteristics.
Methods of self-improvement
According to a narration from the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.), “A person who considers himself a leader should educate himself before trying to educate other people.” It is obvious that we should first improve ourselves. We should be careful in this regard. The first and the most important step in self-improvement is to critically analyze one’s own behavior. The first step is to clearly identify one’s own flaws and try to eliminate them. This is a duty that lies on our shoulders. We should control ourselves and reduce our mistakes. And we should ask Allah the Exalted for assistance on this path.
We should identify the ugly and inappropriate aspects of our behavior, and this is a difficult part of the greater jihad. We should not be narcissistic. We should try to see our flaws. And we should keep the list of our flaws in front of our eyes. We should try to eliminate some of the flaws from the list. If we are envious, we should try to do something about it. If we are obstinate, we should try to eliminate this flaw from our character. If we are lazy and lethargic on the path of life, we should address this lack of energy. If we bear grudges against other people, we should get rid of our grudges. If we constantly fail to keep our promises, we should do something about it. Allah the Exalted will help those who make efforts on this path. Allah the Exalted does not abandon those who strive towards perfection. Those who practice self-improvement are the first to benefit from their efforts. Moreover, the benefits of self-improvement and fighting one’s inner self – namely, the greater jihad – are not limited to personal matters. Rather, self-improvement benefits one’s society and helps improve the political, international and economic conditions of one’s country. In brief, self-improvement helps improve people’s life in this world and in the hereafter.
Paying attention to God, getting closer to Him, thinking before taking action, showing love towards all good-natured people in the world and all sincere servants of God, being benevolent to everybody – it is possible to engage in self-improvement by observing these principles.
Constant self-improvement
Islam and its divine world view has taught man not to stop anywhere on the path of perfection and not feel satisfied with any level of achievement. This is the nature of man: Allah the Exalted has created man like this. Human beings should make progress and improve themselves on a daily basis. As far as personal matters are concerned, one should improve oneself and become more pious on a daily basis. One should try to keep away from corruption and deviation.
Human beings have a flexible nature, and if they manage to shape it into a superior form, they will have accomplished their mission in life. This is the goal of life. Some people fail to improve themselves and leave this world the way they were born – these people are failures. Faithful people should constantly try to improve themselves. If people take care not to engage in prohibited and unlawful actions and if they make serious efforts to tread the divine path, they will be successful. This is known as constant efforts to improve oneself, and the plan presented by Islam is in line with constant self-improvement. Daily prayers, engaging in dhikr, repeating “You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help” [the Holy Quran, 1: 5], bowing and prostrating in prayer, praising Allah the Exalted – what is the purpose of these things? The purpose is to let man engage in constant self-improvement.
Self-purification
“He indeed shall be prosperous who purifies himself.” [The Holy Quran, 87: 14] This Quranic verse means that a person who engages in self-purification and cleanses his heart and soul of corruption will achieve prosperity. The Quranic term “prosperous” means being successful in the arena of life and achieving the goals of creation.
Self-purification is what saves human beings, and what creates problems is corruption – moral corruption, corruption that results from carnal desires, grudges, greed, envy and other moral vices. Some people have created darkness in the world through their evil actions, and they have been ungrateful for the blessings God has bestowed on them.
If the world is full of oppression, if the arrogant powers are bullying the people of the world, if many nations bring about humiliation for themselves by remaining silent, if many governments oppress their people, if there is poverty and lack of education, if there are devastating wars, if there are chemical weapons, if there is oppression, transgression, lies and deception in the world – they are all the result of lack of self-purification. Human beings have failed to engage in self-purification.
The purpose of self-purification
The purpose of self-purification is to cleanse people of spiritual corruption – just like a doctor who does not just tell his patient what to do and what not to do, rather he puts the patient in a special room and gives him what he needs and withholds what is detrimental to his health. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) adopted this course of action during the 23 years of his prophethood, especially during the 10 years when he was establishing the foundations of Islamic rule in Medina.
Spiritual exercise
All the different kinds of worship and religious responsibility which have been placed on our shoulders are in fact the tools of self-purification or moral education. They have been recommended so that we can achieve perfection. They are like physical exercise – if you do not have regular physical exercise, your body will grow weak and vulnerable, and if you want to make your body strong and beautiful, you must work out. Daily prayers, fasting, charitable donations, avoidance of sins, honesty and benevolence towards other human beings are spiritual exercise, and they make our souls beautiful, strong and perfect. If we fail to do these things, we may still look very good on the surface, but deep down, we will be flawed, weak and vulnerable.
Moral improvement
According to a narration from Imam Sajjad (a.s.), “O children of Adam, as long as you have a preacher inside you, as long as you evaluate your actions, as long as you fear God and restrain yourself, your situation will be good.” It is useful to listen to the preaching of other people, but self-preaching is more effective. “As long as you evaluate your actions, your situation will be good.” Self-evaluation can be more accurate than the evaluation done by other people. This is because one cannot hide anything from oneself. “As long as you fear God and restrain yourself, your situation will be good.” This means that people should fear Allah the Exalted and take care not to bring divine wrath on themselves by making mistakes. If you observe these principles – that is to say, if you preach to yourself, if you evaluate your actions, if you fear God, if you try to avoid His punishment – everything will be alright. If you observe these principles, you will have a good life in this world and in the hereafter. Your behavior will be good. Your life will be more pleasant. You will not suffer from insecurity, and your life will get better.
Self-purification, more important than moral education
Moral education is different from self-purification. If moral education is offered through an appropriate method, it will contribute to self-purification as well, but self-purification is an independent process.
There is a wrong belief that anybody who enters the arena of science should drift away from spirituality and human virtues. This belief is an imported concept which is totally wrong. It originates from Christian Europe, and it is totally incompatible with Islamic understanding and teachings. This is because if a scientist is a virtuous and moral man, it will be possible to hope that he will contribute to the improvement of humanity and the improvement of his own country, no matter what his specialty is. Such a scientist will choose valuable goals, and he will move towards benefitting humanity and contributing to justice and moral virtues. He will work against the strange aberrations of the modern world.
Self-education: easy and difficult
Spiritual self-education is easy and at the same time difficult. From one point of view it is easy, and from another it is difficult. Spiritual self-education is easy because it is a vast arena which we can enter and get a positive result. It is also difficult in that every step of the way there are demons that whisper temptations to our ears. Therefore, it is necessary to be steadfast.
Moral security
Social security is not limited to prevention of theft, robbery or burglary. Moral security is one of the most important things that people need in society. Moral insecurity is when people cannot walk in the street without facing a scene that goes against their religious values. People do not want their youth to be negatively affected when they go out into society.
http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1436
20/03/2011
The greater jihad
The meaning of self-improvement
The necessity of self-improvement
The importance of providing moral education for children
Self-improvement in one’s youth
Moral education and moral coercion
Methods of self-improvement
Constant self-improvement
Self-purification
The purpose of self-purification
Spiritual exercise
Moral improvement
Self-purification, more important than moral education
Self-education: easy and difficult
Moral security
The Supreme Leader’s View of Self-Improvement
The greater jihad
Having returned from a tough battle, the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.) said, “This was the lesser jihad, and now it is time for the greater jihad.” The greater jihad is the fight against one’s passions. Fighting one’s inner self should not be limited to personal matters. Of course fighting one’s carnal desires, hedonistic tendencies, laziness, greed and inappropriate behavior constitutes an instance of fighting one’s inner self, and it is important. That is to say, one should constantly fight one’s inner demons and try to harness them so that they cannot force one to do bad deeds.
The meaning of self-improvement
Self-improvement does not always mean that there is a flaw which should be eliminated. No, sometimes there is no tangible flaw. Rather, self-improvement means that we should guard against the factors that cause flaws: different kinds of microbes that enter our healthy souls and corrupt us.
The necessity of self-improvement
Self-improvement is the essential requirement for improving other people and the world. It is a prerequisite for introducing change and treading difficult paths. All evils originate from man’s inner self and passions. The most dangerous idol is one’s inner self, one’s narcissistic tendencies, one’s selfishness. Man’s inner self is also the source of all blessings, beauties and virtues. If people manage to free themselves from the clutches of their negative passions and carnal desires, they will gain access to the source of blessings.
The importance of providing moral education for children
It is very important for all countries and human communities to provide moral education for their children and teenagers. This is because an Islamic community – a community which is supposed to be founded on Islamic thought and Islamic teachings – will definitely have to engage in a battle that is beyond the battle fought by ordinary communities. All human communities have to fight a battle, and no community can find the path to prosperity without fighting. It is not possible to achieve prosperity in a society in the absence of a battle. That is to say, it is not possible to achieve prosperity without putting up a fight against the opposing forces. This is because in every society there are factors which encourage children to engage in theft, corruption and laziness, factors which cause them to go off in the wrong direction – as defined by different cultures. And children are affected by these factors.
Self-improvement in one’s youth
If I was asked to summarize what I expect from the youth in a sentence, I would say, “I expect them to study, engage in self-improvement and do sports.” I believe the youth should enjoy these three characteristics.
People can easily avoid committing sins when they are young. They can easily get closer to God. Of course it is possible to do all these things at an old age, but it becomes very difficult. Some people think that one’s youth is the time for committing sins and that old age is for repentance. This is a mistake. Youth is the time both for repentance and for praying. In fact youth is the time for everything.
Moral education and moral coercion
Some people wrongly believe that the issue of providing moral and religious education for the youth is not important and that the youth should be free. However, this is an instance of neglecting the future of the young generation. Of course it goes without saying that moral education is different from moral coercion. Moral coercion is not something pleasant, and it is not what Islam has demanded from us. Forcing individuals into hypocrisy is not something good. However, education is a very important matter. Through appropriate methods of education, we should educate our youth to be religious. The essential goal is to educate youth who are religious and enjoy Islamic characteristics.
Methods of self-improvement
According to a narration from the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.), “A person who considers himself a leader should educate himself before trying to educate other people.” It is obvious that we should first improve ourselves. We should be careful in this regard. The first and the most important step in self-improvement is to critically analyze one’s own behavior. The first step is to clearly identify one’s own flaws and try to eliminate them. This is a duty that lies on our shoulders. We should control ourselves and reduce our mistakes. And we should ask Allah the Exalted for assistance on this path.
We should identify the ugly and inappropriate aspects of our behavior, and this is a difficult part of the greater jihad. We should not be narcissistic. We should try to see our flaws. And we should keep the list of our flaws in front of our eyes. We should try to eliminate some of the flaws from the list. If we are envious, we should try to do something about it. If we are obstinate, we should try to eliminate this flaw from our character. If we are lazy and lethargic on the path of life, we should address this lack of energy. If we bear grudges against other people, we should get rid of our grudges. If we constantly fail to keep our promises, we should do something about it. Allah the Exalted will help those who make efforts on this path. Allah the Exalted does not abandon those who strive towards perfection. Those who practice self-improvement are the first to benefit from their efforts. Moreover, the benefits of self-improvement and fighting one’s inner self – namely, the greater jihad – are not limited to personal matters. Rather, self-improvement benefits one’s society and helps improve the political, international and economic conditions of one’s country. In brief, self-improvement helps improve people’s life in this world and in the hereafter.
Paying attention to God, getting closer to Him, thinking before taking action, showing love towards all good-natured people in the world and all sincere servants of God, being benevolent to everybody – it is possible to engage in self-improvement by observing these principles.
Constant self-improvement
Islam and its divine world view has taught man not to stop anywhere on the path of perfection and not feel satisfied with any level of achievement. This is the nature of man: Allah the Exalted has created man like this. Human beings should make progress and improve themselves on a daily basis. As far as personal matters are concerned, one should improve oneself and become more pious on a daily basis. One should try to keep away from corruption and deviation.
Human beings have a flexible nature, and if they manage to shape it into a superior form, they will have accomplished their mission in life. This is the goal of life. Some people fail to improve themselves and leave this world the way they were born – these people are failures. Faithful people should constantly try to improve themselves. If people take care not to engage in prohibited and unlawful actions and if they make serious efforts to tread the divine path, they will be successful. This is known as constant efforts to improve oneself, and the plan presented by Islam is in line with constant self-improvement. Daily prayers, engaging in dhikr, repeating “You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help” [the Holy Quran, 1: 5], bowing and prostrating in prayer, praising Allah the Exalted – what is the purpose of these things? The purpose is to let man engage in constant self-improvement.
Self-purification
“He indeed shall be prosperous who purifies himself.” [The Holy Quran, 87: 14] This Quranic verse means that a person who engages in self-purification and cleanses his heart and soul of corruption will achieve prosperity. The Quranic term “prosperous” means being successful in the arena of life and achieving the goals of creation.
Self-purification is what saves human beings, and what creates problems is corruption – moral corruption, corruption that results from carnal desires, grudges, greed, envy and other moral vices. Some people have created darkness in the world through their evil actions, and they have been ungrateful for the blessings God has bestowed on them.
If the world is full of oppression, if the arrogant powers are bullying the people of the world, if many nations bring about humiliation for themselves by remaining silent, if many governments oppress their people, if there is poverty and lack of education, if there are devastating wars, if there are chemical weapons, if there is oppression, transgression, lies and deception in the world – they are all the result of lack of self-purification. Human beings have failed to engage in self-purification.
The purpose of self-purification
The purpose of self-purification is to cleanse people of spiritual corruption – just like a doctor who does not just tell his patient what to do and what not to do, rather he puts the patient in a special room and gives him what he needs and withholds what is detrimental to his health. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) adopted this course of action during the 23 years of his prophethood, especially during the 10 years when he was establishing the foundations of Islamic rule in Medina.
Spiritual exercise
All the different kinds of worship and religious responsibility which have been placed on our shoulders are in fact the tools of self-purification or moral education. They have been recommended so that we can achieve perfection. They are like physical exercise – if you do not have regular physical exercise, your body will grow weak and vulnerable, and if you want to make your body strong and beautiful, you must work out. Daily prayers, fasting, charitable donations, avoidance of sins, honesty and benevolence towards other human beings are spiritual exercise, and they make our souls beautiful, strong and perfect. If we fail to do these things, we may still look very good on the surface, but deep down, we will be flawed, weak and vulnerable.
Moral improvement
According to a narration from Imam Sajjad (a.s.), “O children of Adam, as long as you have a preacher inside you, as long as you evaluate your actions, as long as you fear God and restrain yourself, your situation will be good.” It is useful to listen to the preaching of other people, but self-preaching is more effective. “As long as you evaluate your actions, your situation will be good.” Self-evaluation can be more accurate than the evaluation done by other people. This is because one cannot hide anything from oneself. “As long as you fear God and restrain yourself, your situation will be good.” This means that people should fear Allah the Exalted and take care not to bring divine wrath on themselves by making mistakes. If you observe these principles – that is to say, if you preach to yourself, if you evaluate your actions, if you fear God, if you try to avoid His punishment – everything will be alright. If you observe these principles, you will have a good life in this world and in the hereafter. Your behavior will be good. Your life will be more pleasant. You will not suffer from insecurity, and your life will get better.
Self-purification, more important than moral education
Moral education is different from self-purification. If moral education is offered through an appropriate method, it will contribute to self-purification as well, but self-purification is an independent process.
There is a wrong belief that anybody who enters the arena of science should drift away from spirituality and human virtues. This belief is an imported concept which is totally wrong. It originates from Christian Europe, and it is totally incompatible with Islamic understanding and teachings. This is because if a scientist is a virtuous and moral man, it will be possible to hope that he will contribute to the improvement of humanity and the improvement of his own country, no matter what his specialty is. Such a scientist will choose valuable goals, and he will move towards benefitting humanity and contributing to justice and moral virtues. He will work against the strange aberrations of the modern world.
Self-education: easy and difficult
Spiritual self-education is easy and at the same time difficult. From one point of view it is easy, and from another it is difficult. Spiritual self-education is easy because it is a vast arena which we can enter and get a positive result. It is also difficult in that every step of the way there are demons that whisper temptations to our ears. Therefore, it is necessary to be steadfast.
Moral security
Social security is not limited to prevention of theft, robbery or burglary. Moral security is one of the most important things that people need in society. Moral insecurity is when people cannot walk in the street without facing a scene that goes against their religious values. People do not want their youth to be negatively affected when they go out into society.
http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1436
Ethics and Man
Ethics and Man
20/03/2011
Spiritual problems
The essential characteristic of a Muslim
The root of human afflictions
The reason behind the decline of civilizations and nations
Ethics and society
The main values of a society
The line between an Islamic society and an ignorant society
Ethics and life
Heaven on earth
The relationship between wealth and ethics
Ethics and management
Ethics and knowledge
Knowledge must be accompanied by ethics
Separation of ethics from knowledge
Medical ethics
Ethics and politics
The dangers of separating politics from ethics
Ethics and art
Uniqueness of ethics and art
Ethical deviations
Freedom minus ethics
Drifting away from ethics
Spiritual problems
The effect of moral corruption on the family
Ethics and Man
Spiritual problems
The essential characteristic of a Muslim
A Muslim is not somebody who simply believes in Islamic principles and engages in Islamic rituals. Rather, an essential characteristic of a Muslim is that he acts according to Islamic ethics. Otherwise, a person may have Islamic beliefs and may engage in Islamic rituals such as daily prayers and fasting, but at the same time he may be envious, tight-fisted, spiteful, malevolent, lethargic and indecisive – such a person is not really a Muslim. A true Muslim should be educated in an Islamic way, should have Islamic knowledge and should act according to Islamic principles.
The root of human afflictions
Human afflictions can be traced back to spiritual corruption of man. Wherever there is a shortcoming or an affliction, it is because of discord, greed, malevolence, fear, fear of death, indulging in carnal desires or having a life of intemperance. These things are the main source of human afflictions.
The reason behind the decline of civilizations and nations
The decline of civilizations is the result of deviations. When civilizations reach their peak, they start to decline due to their weaknesses, shortcomings and deviations. Today we can see the signs of this decline in western civilization, which is the civilization of science without ethics, material life without spirituality, and religion and power without justice.
The decline of nations is not sudden – it is gradual. The keen eyes of western intellectuals in America and Europe have noticed this gradual decline. Normally in western societies the youth have a tendency towards promiscuity. They end up being immodest. They develop a tendency towards delinquency. They are submerged in moral corruption. In any community, such a young generation would act like termites and destroy the foundations of that community, no matter how much knowledge or wealth the community has.
Ethics and society
The main values of a society
The ethical identity of a society is the real identity of that society. That is to say, the ethical framework of a society is the main characteristic of that society, and everything else in that society revolves around this axis.
If a society takes care of its ethics, social justice will be taken care of. That society will prosper, and it will become heaven on earth. We see throughout the world that the majority of the tragedies human beings are suffering from are the result of moral corruption of the people of the world. Social justice mostly depends on ethics. Of course a major portion of social justice is related to the laws and regulations of a certain society. But laws and regulations will not be very effective if the people of a society do not enjoy divine and Islamic ethics. There are some people who earn huge amounts of money. They should not spend all their money on their own needs. This is materialistic ethics. This is satanic ethics, or more precisely, animal ethics. Whatever an animal has belongs to that animal alone. Human ethics, especially Islamic ethics, would not allow this. After addressing his essential needs, a human being should spend the rest of what he has on addressing the needs of the people of his society.
The line between an Islamic society and an ignorant society
There may be a society whose members enjoy appropriate ethical principles. The people of that society are selfless, intellectual, wise, benevolent, helpful, patient, steadfast and well-behaved. The opposite situation may also exist. That is to say, there may be a people whose relationships are based on greed rather than compassion, equity and good ethics. In such a society people tolerate each other as long as they do not pose a threat to each other’s interests, otherwise they would be prepared to destroy each other. Such a society is called an ignorant society, and it is different from a society ruled by moral virtues, which is called an Islamic society. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) was sent down to invite people to moral virtues. Therefore, we can say that ethics is in fact one of the characteristics that distinguish an Islamic society from an ignorant society.
Ethics and life
Heaven on earth
Islam has demanded human beings to be kind towards one another. It has demanded human beings to care about one another’s destiny and interests. It has demanded people to share in each other’s grief. It has asked people to pray for each other. It has asked human beings to treat each other kindly. “And exhort one another to show compassion.” [The Holy Quran, 90: 17] Friendship, emotional bonds, benevolence and kindness among brothers, sisters, friends and members of an Islamic nation – these are very prominent characteristics. We need to strengthen these characteristics in ourselves. Putting oneself and one’s material interests first is one of the worst human characteristics. Being prepared to get many people into trouble just to fulfill a personal need is one of the worst characteristics.
A society in which there is no envy, miserliness, injustice, crime, greed, suspicion, plotting and malevolence is in fact heaven on earth. An Islamic society that has been purified is like heaven.
The relationship between wealth and ethics
Some people simplistically look at certain wealthy countries of the world and say, “These countries have wealth, yet they do not have religious faith and ethics, so we must follow the same path.” They wrongly believe that these countries have become wealthy because they do not have religious faith or ethics. This is a mistake. The power and wealth of those countries are the result of certain factors which bring about power and wealth. Wherever there is wisdom and hard work, there will be an outcome. This is a divine rule. Even those who are after material achievements will achieve what they want if they work hard and make appropriate strategic decisions. “We aid everybody – these as well as those – out of the bounty of your Lord.” [The Holy Quran, 17: 20] This Quranic verse says this explicitly. When efforts are made for the sake of material gains, wealth and power will be achieved. But it will not be possible to achieve spiritual prosperity.
Ethics and management
Try to make your management as Islamic as possible. Islamic management means respect plus decisiveness. “So when you have decided, then place your trust in God.” [The Holy Quran, 3: 159] After the Battle of Uhud, Allah the Exalted told His Messenger, “Thus it is due to mercy from God that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough and hard-hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you. Pardon them therefore and ask pardon for them, and take counsel with them in the affair. So when you have decided, then place your trust in Allah.” [The Holy Quran, 3: 159] Allah the Exalted tells His Messenger, “When you have made up your mind, trust God and go ahead.” This is the art of management: gentle but at the same time decisive, decisiveness and reliance on God in all conditions.
Ethics and knowledge
Knowledge must be accompanied by ethics
Somebody who is after knowledge needs to be pious. The more pious he is, the more he will come to like and appreciate knowledge. Knowledge must be accompanied by ethics, and industrial and scientific progress must be accompanied by ethical growth. Paying attention to God is the main factor that can bring about ethical growth.
If a society enjoys spirituality and ethics but lacks knowledge, this lack of knowledge will cause that society to collapse. This is because the enemy will come and sell his knowledge to that society but will take away its spirituality. Such a society may refuse to import knowledge for a while, but ultimately it will have no choice but to import the knowledge it needs. This happens when a society does not have a firm academic base. What happens if a country has good universities but lacks spirituality and ethics? This is even worse because knowledge will progress in the country, but this progress will work against human values. Knowledge will be at the service of oppression, arrogance, discrimination and immorality. Knowledge will even be at the service of betraying national ideals.
Separation of ethics from knowledge
Today the reason why the advanced knowledge and super modern civilization of the west is not capable of delivering mankind is that their civilization is not accompanied by human values. Wherever there is knowledge, but human conscience, spirituality, morality, and emotions are absent, mankind will not be able to benefit from that knowledge. Knowledge in the absence of spirituality and morality would turn into an atomic bomb and take the lives of innocent people. This type of knowledge was used to manufacture weapons and kill civilians in Lebanon, occupied Palestinian lands and other parts of the world. This type of knowledge produced lethal chemical weapons which were used in Halabcheh and other parts of the world to kill women, children and young men and to destroy human beings and animals alike. Where did these chemicals come from? These deadly chemicals were produced by the scientific centers of European countries. They were the ones who produced these chemicals and gave them to a regime which was not considerate enough. Weapons and different scientific products have not been able to bring about happiness for human beings, for families and for men, women and children. This is because they were not accompanied by ethics and spirituality.
Medical ethics
A doctor should pay a lot of attention to the issue of ethics in two areas: Learning and teaching. We have Islamic ethics for learning. That is to say, learning is one area for practicing Islamic ethics: how to learn and what to learn from whom and for what purpose. These are all related to learning. "God bless those who take on a responsibility and do it appropriately." The same is true of learning. That is to say, learning well is one stage of ethics.
The next stage is to practice what one has learnt with a patient at hospital or with a student at university. The writings of Hippocrates contain a lot of interesting and important points, which are mostly about patients. And this is the second area of medical ethics.
Ethics and politics
The dangers of separating politics from ethics
The world has come to accept that the leaders of human communities have special characteristics. Arrogance, extravagant lifestyle, obstinacy, selfishness – the people of the world have come accept that heads of governments should have these characteristics. Even the leaders of revolutionary governments, who used to live in tents and hide in dirty places, change their lifestyle as soon as they come to power. Their attitude changes, and they become exactly like other leaders and kings in the world.
Imam Khomeini (r.a.) changed this wrong belief and showed that the popular leader of a nation and Muslims of the world can have a simple lifestyle. He showed that a popular leader can entertain his guests in a Hussayniyyah instead of a sumptuous palace. He showed that a leader can treat the people like divine prophets.
Two things pose a threat to politics. The first danger is that politics may drift away from ethics, spirituality and moral virtues. That is to say, evil motives may take over politics. Passions of certain individuals may take control of politics. The interests of wealthy and powerful people of society may take control of politics and drag it in different directions. If politics suffers from this malady, then all aspects of social life will be affected. The second danger is that short-sighted, childish and incompetent individuals may push aside competent people and take control of politics.
Ethics and art
Uniqueness of ethics and art
If human beings are honorable, their hearts and minds also deserve respect. It is not right to present everything to the audience simply because they are paying attention to what the artist is saying. We need to see what the artist is trying to say. Considering what one wants to say is a virtue. If I remember correctly, I once quoted Romain Rolland (French Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature 1915, 1866 - 1944) as saying every artistic work is one percent art and ninety nine percent ethics. To be more cautious, let us say every artistic work is ten percent art and ninety percent ethics. I realized that Rolland's comment is not a precise comment. If I were asked a similar question, I would say every artistic work is 100 percent art and 100 percent ethics. These two are not necessarily inconsistent. One should present 100 percent of one's artistic work through artistic innovation and fill 100 percent of it with content that promotes virtues and lofty and enlightening ideas. Therefore, "committed art" is a consistent phrase. Some of the people who care about artistic issues are worried that the artist may act against human virtues and ethics under the pretext of freedom of imagination and artistic freedom. This is a very important point.
Ethical deviations
Freedom minus ethics
Western democracy is rooted in liberalism. They say because man is free, dictatorship should be abolished and replaced with democracy. The kind of freedom that liberalism is based on is absolute freedom. That is to say, if they want, the people can accept something which is certain to harm them. For example, just as the English legalized homosexuality in their parliament, so they may legalize heroin or incest only if they decide to do so. In this case there is no logical reason why they should not listen to us. They have to accept what we say. What is the difference between homosexuality and incest? In this case they do not have a logical justification for what they do. Therefore, there are no logical limits to restrict this western freedom. If they say, “This is the point where freedom goes against ethics”, we can say, “What ethics? There are no ethical limits. Everybody is free.” This is because liberalism is based on freedom, and no limits can restrict this freedom unless one kind of freedom goes against another kind of freedom or against the essence of communal freedom. This is the only red line that they have. In fact by relying on the philosophy of liberalism, western democracy proves its hollowness. Then all ethical values may be destroyed in society. Today those who believe in western democracy are not prepared to acknowledge this. But this is the inevitable consequence of accepting the philosophy behind liberal democracy.
Drifting away from ethics
Westerners have destroyed the foundations of ethics with their own hands. Since 50, 60 years ago, the foundations of ethics have been continually undermined. That is to say, the uncontrolled boost in individual freedoms and letting people be totally free to indulge in whatever they want – these things have destroyed the culture of society from within. This shows that westerners are in a critical situation in terms of culture and personality.
In spite of its great wealth, numerous facilities and scientific advances, the American society is suffering from a kind of spiritual poverty and severe ethical deficiency, which is why such crimes and tragedies happen there. This is a consequence of drifting away from spirituality. How can a mother murder her own children because of a passing desire? If pleasure is grounds enough for unlimited freedom, then why are there so many restrictions on drug abuse? Why stop those who want to use drugs? They do not have an answer for this. When ethical foundations of a society are destroyed, it will be impossible to control anything. Westerners are in such a situation today.
Spiritual problems
Some people who go after material interests suffer from spiritual and moral problems. This is the result of drifting away from the divine, spiritual and monotheistic world view. Selfishness, narcissism, creating a pharaoh in one’s heart – these are the root of the problems that nations and government officials suffer from. A person may not reveal any pharaonic characteristics, but he may be a pharaoh at heart. Selfishness, narcissism, obstinacy and putting one’s interests and desires first are the main source of corruption in life. Therefore, it is necessary to move towards self-purification.
The effect of moral corruption on the family
Break-up of the family is an inevitable consequence of carnal desires, decadence and moral corruption. And if moral corruption continues, then the consequence will be the same thing that has happened in western countries. This is especially tangible in societies where decadence is more prevalent. In such societies the family has lost its real meaning. For example, if a husband and wife decide to get together and drink tee with their children, then they should make arrangements so that everybody comes home at a particular time. That is to say, there is no warm family environment in such societies. Therefore, the most important issue is that members of a family should love each other and try to build trust.
http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1438
20/03/2011
Spiritual problems
The essential characteristic of a Muslim
The root of human afflictions
The reason behind the decline of civilizations and nations
Ethics and society
The main values of a society
The line between an Islamic society and an ignorant society
Ethics and life
Heaven on earth
The relationship between wealth and ethics
Ethics and management
Ethics and knowledge
Knowledge must be accompanied by ethics
Separation of ethics from knowledge
Medical ethics
Ethics and politics
The dangers of separating politics from ethics
Ethics and art
Uniqueness of ethics and art
Ethical deviations
Freedom minus ethics
Drifting away from ethics
Spiritual problems
The effect of moral corruption on the family
Ethics and Man
Spiritual problems
The essential characteristic of a Muslim
A Muslim is not somebody who simply believes in Islamic principles and engages in Islamic rituals. Rather, an essential characteristic of a Muslim is that he acts according to Islamic ethics. Otherwise, a person may have Islamic beliefs and may engage in Islamic rituals such as daily prayers and fasting, but at the same time he may be envious, tight-fisted, spiteful, malevolent, lethargic and indecisive – such a person is not really a Muslim. A true Muslim should be educated in an Islamic way, should have Islamic knowledge and should act according to Islamic principles.
The root of human afflictions
Human afflictions can be traced back to spiritual corruption of man. Wherever there is a shortcoming or an affliction, it is because of discord, greed, malevolence, fear, fear of death, indulging in carnal desires or having a life of intemperance. These things are the main source of human afflictions.
The reason behind the decline of civilizations and nations
The decline of civilizations is the result of deviations. When civilizations reach their peak, they start to decline due to their weaknesses, shortcomings and deviations. Today we can see the signs of this decline in western civilization, which is the civilization of science without ethics, material life without spirituality, and religion and power without justice.
The decline of nations is not sudden – it is gradual. The keen eyes of western intellectuals in America and Europe have noticed this gradual decline. Normally in western societies the youth have a tendency towards promiscuity. They end up being immodest. They develop a tendency towards delinquency. They are submerged in moral corruption. In any community, such a young generation would act like termites and destroy the foundations of that community, no matter how much knowledge or wealth the community has.
Ethics and society
The main values of a society
The ethical identity of a society is the real identity of that society. That is to say, the ethical framework of a society is the main characteristic of that society, and everything else in that society revolves around this axis.
If a society takes care of its ethics, social justice will be taken care of. That society will prosper, and it will become heaven on earth. We see throughout the world that the majority of the tragedies human beings are suffering from are the result of moral corruption of the people of the world. Social justice mostly depends on ethics. Of course a major portion of social justice is related to the laws and regulations of a certain society. But laws and regulations will not be very effective if the people of a society do not enjoy divine and Islamic ethics. There are some people who earn huge amounts of money. They should not spend all their money on their own needs. This is materialistic ethics. This is satanic ethics, or more precisely, animal ethics. Whatever an animal has belongs to that animal alone. Human ethics, especially Islamic ethics, would not allow this. After addressing his essential needs, a human being should spend the rest of what he has on addressing the needs of the people of his society.
The line between an Islamic society and an ignorant society
There may be a society whose members enjoy appropriate ethical principles. The people of that society are selfless, intellectual, wise, benevolent, helpful, patient, steadfast and well-behaved. The opposite situation may also exist. That is to say, there may be a people whose relationships are based on greed rather than compassion, equity and good ethics. In such a society people tolerate each other as long as they do not pose a threat to each other’s interests, otherwise they would be prepared to destroy each other. Such a society is called an ignorant society, and it is different from a society ruled by moral virtues, which is called an Islamic society. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) was sent down to invite people to moral virtues. Therefore, we can say that ethics is in fact one of the characteristics that distinguish an Islamic society from an ignorant society.
Ethics and life
Heaven on earth
Islam has demanded human beings to be kind towards one another. It has demanded human beings to care about one another’s destiny and interests. It has demanded people to share in each other’s grief. It has asked people to pray for each other. It has asked human beings to treat each other kindly. “And exhort one another to show compassion.” [The Holy Quran, 90: 17] Friendship, emotional bonds, benevolence and kindness among brothers, sisters, friends and members of an Islamic nation – these are very prominent characteristics. We need to strengthen these characteristics in ourselves. Putting oneself and one’s material interests first is one of the worst human characteristics. Being prepared to get many people into trouble just to fulfill a personal need is one of the worst characteristics.
A society in which there is no envy, miserliness, injustice, crime, greed, suspicion, plotting and malevolence is in fact heaven on earth. An Islamic society that has been purified is like heaven.
The relationship between wealth and ethics
Some people simplistically look at certain wealthy countries of the world and say, “These countries have wealth, yet they do not have religious faith and ethics, so we must follow the same path.” They wrongly believe that these countries have become wealthy because they do not have religious faith or ethics. This is a mistake. The power and wealth of those countries are the result of certain factors which bring about power and wealth. Wherever there is wisdom and hard work, there will be an outcome. This is a divine rule. Even those who are after material achievements will achieve what they want if they work hard and make appropriate strategic decisions. “We aid everybody – these as well as those – out of the bounty of your Lord.” [The Holy Quran, 17: 20] This Quranic verse says this explicitly. When efforts are made for the sake of material gains, wealth and power will be achieved. But it will not be possible to achieve spiritual prosperity.
Ethics and management
Try to make your management as Islamic as possible. Islamic management means respect plus decisiveness. “So when you have decided, then place your trust in God.” [The Holy Quran, 3: 159] After the Battle of Uhud, Allah the Exalted told His Messenger, “Thus it is due to mercy from God that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough and hard-hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you. Pardon them therefore and ask pardon for them, and take counsel with them in the affair. So when you have decided, then place your trust in Allah.” [The Holy Quran, 3: 159] Allah the Exalted tells His Messenger, “When you have made up your mind, trust God and go ahead.” This is the art of management: gentle but at the same time decisive, decisiveness and reliance on God in all conditions.
Ethics and knowledge
Knowledge must be accompanied by ethics
Somebody who is after knowledge needs to be pious. The more pious he is, the more he will come to like and appreciate knowledge. Knowledge must be accompanied by ethics, and industrial and scientific progress must be accompanied by ethical growth. Paying attention to God is the main factor that can bring about ethical growth.
If a society enjoys spirituality and ethics but lacks knowledge, this lack of knowledge will cause that society to collapse. This is because the enemy will come and sell his knowledge to that society but will take away its spirituality. Such a society may refuse to import knowledge for a while, but ultimately it will have no choice but to import the knowledge it needs. This happens when a society does not have a firm academic base. What happens if a country has good universities but lacks spirituality and ethics? This is even worse because knowledge will progress in the country, but this progress will work against human values. Knowledge will be at the service of oppression, arrogance, discrimination and immorality. Knowledge will even be at the service of betraying national ideals.
Separation of ethics from knowledge
Today the reason why the advanced knowledge and super modern civilization of the west is not capable of delivering mankind is that their civilization is not accompanied by human values. Wherever there is knowledge, but human conscience, spirituality, morality, and emotions are absent, mankind will not be able to benefit from that knowledge. Knowledge in the absence of spirituality and morality would turn into an atomic bomb and take the lives of innocent people. This type of knowledge was used to manufacture weapons and kill civilians in Lebanon, occupied Palestinian lands and other parts of the world. This type of knowledge produced lethal chemical weapons which were used in Halabcheh and other parts of the world to kill women, children and young men and to destroy human beings and animals alike. Where did these chemicals come from? These deadly chemicals were produced by the scientific centers of European countries. They were the ones who produced these chemicals and gave them to a regime which was not considerate enough. Weapons and different scientific products have not been able to bring about happiness for human beings, for families and for men, women and children. This is because they were not accompanied by ethics and spirituality.
Medical ethics
A doctor should pay a lot of attention to the issue of ethics in two areas: Learning and teaching. We have Islamic ethics for learning. That is to say, learning is one area for practicing Islamic ethics: how to learn and what to learn from whom and for what purpose. These are all related to learning. "God bless those who take on a responsibility and do it appropriately." The same is true of learning. That is to say, learning well is one stage of ethics.
The next stage is to practice what one has learnt with a patient at hospital or with a student at university. The writings of Hippocrates contain a lot of interesting and important points, which are mostly about patients. And this is the second area of medical ethics.
Ethics and politics
The dangers of separating politics from ethics
The world has come to accept that the leaders of human communities have special characteristics. Arrogance, extravagant lifestyle, obstinacy, selfishness – the people of the world have come accept that heads of governments should have these characteristics. Even the leaders of revolutionary governments, who used to live in tents and hide in dirty places, change their lifestyle as soon as they come to power. Their attitude changes, and they become exactly like other leaders and kings in the world.
Imam Khomeini (r.a.) changed this wrong belief and showed that the popular leader of a nation and Muslims of the world can have a simple lifestyle. He showed that a popular leader can entertain his guests in a Hussayniyyah instead of a sumptuous palace. He showed that a leader can treat the people like divine prophets.
Two things pose a threat to politics. The first danger is that politics may drift away from ethics, spirituality and moral virtues. That is to say, evil motives may take over politics. Passions of certain individuals may take control of politics. The interests of wealthy and powerful people of society may take control of politics and drag it in different directions. If politics suffers from this malady, then all aspects of social life will be affected. The second danger is that short-sighted, childish and incompetent individuals may push aside competent people and take control of politics.
Ethics and art
Uniqueness of ethics and art
If human beings are honorable, their hearts and minds also deserve respect. It is not right to present everything to the audience simply because they are paying attention to what the artist is saying. We need to see what the artist is trying to say. Considering what one wants to say is a virtue. If I remember correctly, I once quoted Romain Rolland (French Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature 1915, 1866 - 1944) as saying every artistic work is one percent art and ninety nine percent ethics. To be more cautious, let us say every artistic work is ten percent art and ninety percent ethics. I realized that Rolland's comment is not a precise comment. If I were asked a similar question, I would say every artistic work is 100 percent art and 100 percent ethics. These two are not necessarily inconsistent. One should present 100 percent of one's artistic work through artistic innovation and fill 100 percent of it with content that promotes virtues and lofty and enlightening ideas. Therefore, "committed art" is a consistent phrase. Some of the people who care about artistic issues are worried that the artist may act against human virtues and ethics under the pretext of freedom of imagination and artistic freedom. This is a very important point.
Ethical deviations
Freedom minus ethics
Western democracy is rooted in liberalism. They say because man is free, dictatorship should be abolished and replaced with democracy. The kind of freedom that liberalism is based on is absolute freedom. That is to say, if they want, the people can accept something which is certain to harm them. For example, just as the English legalized homosexuality in their parliament, so they may legalize heroin or incest only if they decide to do so. In this case there is no logical reason why they should not listen to us. They have to accept what we say. What is the difference between homosexuality and incest? In this case they do not have a logical justification for what they do. Therefore, there are no logical limits to restrict this western freedom. If they say, “This is the point where freedom goes against ethics”, we can say, “What ethics? There are no ethical limits. Everybody is free.” This is because liberalism is based on freedom, and no limits can restrict this freedom unless one kind of freedom goes against another kind of freedom or against the essence of communal freedom. This is the only red line that they have. In fact by relying on the philosophy of liberalism, western democracy proves its hollowness. Then all ethical values may be destroyed in society. Today those who believe in western democracy are not prepared to acknowledge this. But this is the inevitable consequence of accepting the philosophy behind liberal democracy.
Drifting away from ethics
Westerners have destroyed the foundations of ethics with their own hands. Since 50, 60 years ago, the foundations of ethics have been continually undermined. That is to say, the uncontrolled boost in individual freedoms and letting people be totally free to indulge in whatever they want – these things have destroyed the culture of society from within. This shows that westerners are in a critical situation in terms of culture and personality.
In spite of its great wealth, numerous facilities and scientific advances, the American society is suffering from a kind of spiritual poverty and severe ethical deficiency, which is why such crimes and tragedies happen there. This is a consequence of drifting away from spirituality. How can a mother murder her own children because of a passing desire? If pleasure is grounds enough for unlimited freedom, then why are there so many restrictions on drug abuse? Why stop those who want to use drugs? They do not have an answer for this. When ethical foundations of a society are destroyed, it will be impossible to control anything. Westerners are in such a situation today.
Spiritual problems
Some people who go after material interests suffer from spiritual and moral problems. This is the result of drifting away from the divine, spiritual and monotheistic world view. Selfishness, narcissism, creating a pharaoh in one’s heart – these are the root of the problems that nations and government officials suffer from. A person may not reveal any pharaonic characteristics, but he may be a pharaoh at heart. Selfishness, narcissism, obstinacy and putting one’s interests and desires first are the main source of corruption in life. Therefore, it is necessary to move towards self-purification.
The effect of moral corruption on the family
Break-up of the family is an inevitable consequence of carnal desires, decadence and moral corruption. And if moral corruption continues, then the consequence will be the same thing that has happened in western countries. This is especially tangible in societies where decadence is more prevalent. In such societies the family has lost its real meaning. For example, if a husband and wife decide to get together and drink tee with their children, then they should make arrangements so that everybody comes home at a particular time. That is to say, there is no warm family environment in such societies. Therefore, the most important issue is that members of a family should love each other and try to build trust.
http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1438
The Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Ethics
The Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Ethics
20/03/2011
The Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Ethics
Relationship with God
The basis of Islamic ethics
Islamic immaculate life
Ethics from an Islamic point of view
The effect of daily prayers on one’s ethical values
Ethics and the Islamic Revolution in Iran
What causes revolutions in human communities?
The main goal of the Islamic Revolution
The greatness of Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) accomplishment
Ethics and the western world
Freedom from ethics
Ethics in western liberalism
European war-mongering
The Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Ethics
The Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Ethics
Relationship with God
If a person wants to receive blessings from God, he should observe Islamic ethics and divine teachings. One’s relationship with God depends on adjusting one’s actions, feelings and behavior according to what God wants. This relationship depends on avoiding selfishness, lies, slander, deception and making human passions dominant over one’s life. It depends on remembrance of God, fighting one’s passions and increasing the amount of one’s worship on a daily basis.
The basis of Islamic ethics
By presenting a wise and profound view of man and the world, by presenting a pure form of monotheism and ethical guidelines, by introducing firm and comprehensive political and social regulations, and by formulating religious and individual responsibilities, Islam calls on all human beings to cleanse their inner self of ugliness, weakness and corruption. It calls on all human beings to infuse their soul with the light of faith, purity, salvation, sincerity, love, hope and dynamism. It calls on all human beings to cleanse their world of poverty, ignorance, oppression, discrimination, backwardness, stagnation, bullying, imposition, humiliation and stupidity.
Islamic immaculate life
God and His Messenger have called man to the immaculate life. Immaculate life is not simply eating, enjoying oneself and indulging in carnal desires. There is no need for God and His Messenger to call man to this kind of life because human passions automatically call people to a lower form of life, the life of animals. All animals go after food and try to fulfill their instinctive desires, and they all fight for food and survival. Immaculate life requires that people live for the sake of God and try to achieve lofty goals in life. The goal of human life is not to satisfy one’s hunger at any cost: this is the most basic goal that an animal would pursue. As far as human beings are concerned, lofty goals include achieving justice, getting closer to God and acquiring divine characteristics. Acquiring divine characteristics is not a means to an end – it is the end. Justice is a means to acquiring divine characteristics. Islamic government and the rule of divine prophets are also a means. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) says, “I was appointed as Prophet to perfect moral virtues.”
Ethics from an Islamic point of view
Islam is not indifferent to the issue of ethics and morality. From an Islamic point of view part of justice is related to the issue of ethics and beliefs. That is to say, if we fail to prevent somebody from becoming corrupt, we have done him injustice. If we fail to provide ethical guidance and education for a person, we have done him injustice. “For this reason We prescribed to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for corruption in the earth, it is as though he slew all men. And whoever saves a person’s life, it is as though he kept alive all men.” [The Holy Quran, 5: 32] Explaining this verse, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) says that this applies to those who literally save the life of a person. According to another narration, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) says the best interpretation is that “slay” and “save” have been used figuratively: slay means preparing the ground for somebody’s corruption and saving the life of a person means preparing the ground for his guidance, then “it is as though he kept alive all men”. Guiding a human being is as valuable as guiding the entire humanity. This is because human nature is the same, no matter if it belongs to one single person or the entire humanity. When you help one human soul and guide it onto the right path – ideologically or ethically – you help human nature in general. Therefore, helping one human being is as valuable as helping the entire humanity. This shows that guiding human beings and contributing to their salvation is the duty of everybody who is capable of guiding people. “Then let man look at his food.” [The Holy Quran, 8: 24] According to a narration, this “food” is spiritual food: it is religion and ethics. Pay attention to what you are consuming or what you give to another person to consume: this is what the Quranic verse means. This shows the importance of spiritual food.
The effect of daily prayers on one’s ethical values
Daily prayers are the best means to help all Muslims achieve moral purification and spiritual transcendence. Daily prayers provide the heart and soul of worshippers with the peace and confidence that is necessary for success in all arenas of life. Daily prayers also eliminate weakness and anxiety, which are great obstacles in the way of moral education.
Ethics and the Islamic Revolution in Iran
What causes revolutions in human communities?
When a revolution takes place in a country, the purpose of the revolution is to change the conditions and the social system. The purpose is to transform the government and the existing social and economic relationships. These are the goals of a revolution. But what is the purpose of transforming social conditions? The purpose is to change the behavior of the people. This is because people are educated inappropriately when a corrupt, oppressive and satanic regime is in power. People end up being materialistic. They end up being disloyal and dishonest. They drift away from mercy, equity, friendliness and cooperation. These are the effects of a corrupt and wrong lifestyle. Revolutions take place to change societies, and the purpose of changing societies is to change the behavior of people and to educate them in an appropriate way. Social justice is a basic principle. But social justice can be actualized in a society only when the people of that society are educated to avoid oppressing others and being oppressed.
The main goal of the Islamic Revolution
Purification of the soul is not possible except under an Islamic and righteous government, and Allah the Exalted has not deprived any religion of the right to rule. Purification of the soul has been the essential goal of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Everything is a means to achieve purification of the human soul. Social justice and establishment of Islamic rule in human communities are great goals, yet they are just a means to bring about transcendence and growth for man – both of which are embodied by purification of the human soul. Prosperity in both material and spiritual life depends on purification of the soul. Prosperity of man – namely, reaching the ultimate destination – depends on purification of the soul.
The greatness of Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) accomplishment
The greatness of Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) accomplishment was due to his relationship with God and his efforts to purify his soul. Imam Khomeini (r.a.) had a purified soul. Even his enemies inside and outside the country acknowledged that he had this characteristic. They all admitted that he was a faithful man. The American diplomat who had been held hostage in Iran for 444 days – and understandably he must have blamed the entire hostage situation on the Imam (r.a.) – said in an interview that he was not happy about Imam Khomeini’s demise. He said that the Imam had his own ethical values and that he was unrivalled in this regard.
Ethics and the western world
Freedom from ethics
Women’s freedom is the primary slogan shouted in the west. Freedom has a lot of meanings: freedom from captivity, freedom from ethics – because ethical rules are a kind of restriction – freedom from unequal wages for men and women, freedom from regulations which force women to remain devoted to their husband. Freedom can include all of these meanings.
Ethics in western liberalism
Because the truth and ethical values are relative in western liberalism, freedom is not restricted. Why? Because as a person who believes in a set of ethical values, you do not have the right to criticize somebody who attacks the values you believe in. This is because he may not believe in your set of values. Therefore, there are no limits to freedom – that is to say, there are no spiritual and ethical limits. Logically speaking, freedom is not limited. Why? Because the truth is not fixed and absolute. Because they believe the truth and ethical values are relative.
The materialist western world adopts a certain position on beliefs and ethics. But when it comes to power and wealth – which are examples of tangible material interests – it adopts a different position. Whenever the west feels that there is an opportunity to gain power and wealth or whenever it feels there is a rival, it enters the arena in a violent and prejudiced manner and does not show any kind of tolerance or leniency. But they do not have the same attitude when it comes to ethics and ideology. They are very lenient and tolerant in the case of ethical and ideological matters – at least, this is what they claim. That is to say, they do not care who believes in what. Of course in some cases one can see that they have a very prejudiced attitude to certain cultural matters. That is to say, whenever cultural matters are related to economic and political interests, expansionist policies and domination, you see that they enter the arena of culture in a strict, violent and prejudiced manner. But they are basically indifferent to cultural and ideological matters, and they do not adopt any positions. This is what is known as laicism: being impartial and refusing to adopt any positions on ethical and ideological matters. In the west ethical values do not impose any limits on freedom. For example, the gay movement in America is a widespread movement, and they are proud of this. They stage demonstrations. They publish their photos in magazines. They proudly announce that a certain businessman or political figure is a member of this group. Nobody feels ashamed and denies being gay. More importantly, some people who oppose this movement are severely criticized in certain newspapers. This means that ethical values do not impose any limits on freedom.
European war-mongering
A strange monopolistic attitude dominates the spirits and ethics of Europeans. When you take a look at the past few centuries, you see that Europeans have fought the most violent wars. The worst and the most violent wars have always taken place between European countries – for example, between Germany and France. They have always been at war as long as there was not a non-European enemy. But when faced with a non-European enemy, they have formed a unified front against that enemy. So far Europeans have caused two world wars. National borders have been changed most in Europe, or they have played a key role in changing national borders outside Europe – in the Middle East, in the Balkans, in Africa and in Arab countries. These are degenerate ethical norms.
http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1437
20/03/2011
The Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Ethics
Relationship with God
The basis of Islamic ethics
Islamic immaculate life
Ethics from an Islamic point of view
The effect of daily prayers on one’s ethical values
Ethics and the Islamic Revolution in Iran
What causes revolutions in human communities?
The main goal of the Islamic Revolution
The greatness of Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) accomplishment
Ethics and the western world
Freedom from ethics
Ethics in western liberalism
European war-mongering
The Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Ethics
The Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Ethics
Relationship with God
If a person wants to receive blessings from God, he should observe Islamic ethics and divine teachings. One’s relationship with God depends on adjusting one’s actions, feelings and behavior according to what God wants. This relationship depends on avoiding selfishness, lies, slander, deception and making human passions dominant over one’s life. It depends on remembrance of God, fighting one’s passions and increasing the amount of one’s worship on a daily basis.
The basis of Islamic ethics
By presenting a wise and profound view of man and the world, by presenting a pure form of monotheism and ethical guidelines, by introducing firm and comprehensive political and social regulations, and by formulating religious and individual responsibilities, Islam calls on all human beings to cleanse their inner self of ugliness, weakness and corruption. It calls on all human beings to infuse their soul with the light of faith, purity, salvation, sincerity, love, hope and dynamism. It calls on all human beings to cleanse their world of poverty, ignorance, oppression, discrimination, backwardness, stagnation, bullying, imposition, humiliation and stupidity.
Islamic immaculate life
God and His Messenger have called man to the immaculate life. Immaculate life is not simply eating, enjoying oneself and indulging in carnal desires. There is no need for God and His Messenger to call man to this kind of life because human passions automatically call people to a lower form of life, the life of animals. All animals go after food and try to fulfill their instinctive desires, and they all fight for food and survival. Immaculate life requires that people live for the sake of God and try to achieve lofty goals in life. The goal of human life is not to satisfy one’s hunger at any cost: this is the most basic goal that an animal would pursue. As far as human beings are concerned, lofty goals include achieving justice, getting closer to God and acquiring divine characteristics. Acquiring divine characteristics is not a means to an end – it is the end. Justice is a means to acquiring divine characteristics. Islamic government and the rule of divine prophets are also a means. The Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) says, “I was appointed as Prophet to perfect moral virtues.”
Ethics from an Islamic point of view
Islam is not indifferent to the issue of ethics and morality. From an Islamic point of view part of justice is related to the issue of ethics and beliefs. That is to say, if we fail to prevent somebody from becoming corrupt, we have done him injustice. If we fail to provide ethical guidance and education for a person, we have done him injustice. “For this reason We prescribed to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for corruption in the earth, it is as though he slew all men. And whoever saves a person’s life, it is as though he kept alive all men.” [The Holy Quran, 5: 32] Explaining this verse, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) says that this applies to those who literally save the life of a person. According to another narration, the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) says the best interpretation is that “slay” and “save” have been used figuratively: slay means preparing the ground for somebody’s corruption and saving the life of a person means preparing the ground for his guidance, then “it is as though he kept alive all men”. Guiding a human being is as valuable as guiding the entire humanity. This is because human nature is the same, no matter if it belongs to one single person or the entire humanity. When you help one human soul and guide it onto the right path – ideologically or ethically – you help human nature in general. Therefore, helping one human being is as valuable as helping the entire humanity. This shows that guiding human beings and contributing to their salvation is the duty of everybody who is capable of guiding people. “Then let man look at his food.” [The Holy Quran, 8: 24] According to a narration, this “food” is spiritual food: it is religion and ethics. Pay attention to what you are consuming or what you give to another person to consume: this is what the Quranic verse means. This shows the importance of spiritual food.
The effect of daily prayers on one’s ethical values
Daily prayers are the best means to help all Muslims achieve moral purification and spiritual transcendence. Daily prayers provide the heart and soul of worshippers with the peace and confidence that is necessary for success in all arenas of life. Daily prayers also eliminate weakness and anxiety, which are great obstacles in the way of moral education.
Ethics and the Islamic Revolution in Iran
What causes revolutions in human communities?
When a revolution takes place in a country, the purpose of the revolution is to change the conditions and the social system. The purpose is to transform the government and the existing social and economic relationships. These are the goals of a revolution. But what is the purpose of transforming social conditions? The purpose is to change the behavior of the people. This is because people are educated inappropriately when a corrupt, oppressive and satanic regime is in power. People end up being materialistic. They end up being disloyal and dishonest. They drift away from mercy, equity, friendliness and cooperation. These are the effects of a corrupt and wrong lifestyle. Revolutions take place to change societies, and the purpose of changing societies is to change the behavior of people and to educate them in an appropriate way. Social justice is a basic principle. But social justice can be actualized in a society only when the people of that society are educated to avoid oppressing others and being oppressed.
The main goal of the Islamic Revolution
Purification of the soul is not possible except under an Islamic and righteous government, and Allah the Exalted has not deprived any religion of the right to rule. Purification of the soul has been the essential goal of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Everything is a means to achieve purification of the human soul. Social justice and establishment of Islamic rule in human communities are great goals, yet they are just a means to bring about transcendence and growth for man – both of which are embodied by purification of the human soul. Prosperity in both material and spiritual life depends on purification of the soul. Prosperity of man – namely, reaching the ultimate destination – depends on purification of the soul.
The greatness of Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) accomplishment
The greatness of Imam Khomeini’s (r.a.) accomplishment was due to his relationship with God and his efforts to purify his soul. Imam Khomeini (r.a.) had a purified soul. Even his enemies inside and outside the country acknowledged that he had this characteristic. They all admitted that he was a faithful man. The American diplomat who had been held hostage in Iran for 444 days – and understandably he must have blamed the entire hostage situation on the Imam (r.a.) – said in an interview that he was not happy about Imam Khomeini’s demise. He said that the Imam had his own ethical values and that he was unrivalled in this regard.
Ethics and the western world
Freedom from ethics
Women’s freedom is the primary slogan shouted in the west. Freedom has a lot of meanings: freedom from captivity, freedom from ethics – because ethical rules are a kind of restriction – freedom from unequal wages for men and women, freedom from regulations which force women to remain devoted to their husband. Freedom can include all of these meanings.
Ethics in western liberalism
Because the truth and ethical values are relative in western liberalism, freedom is not restricted. Why? Because as a person who believes in a set of ethical values, you do not have the right to criticize somebody who attacks the values you believe in. This is because he may not believe in your set of values. Therefore, there are no limits to freedom – that is to say, there are no spiritual and ethical limits. Logically speaking, freedom is not limited. Why? Because the truth is not fixed and absolute. Because they believe the truth and ethical values are relative.
The materialist western world adopts a certain position on beliefs and ethics. But when it comes to power and wealth – which are examples of tangible material interests – it adopts a different position. Whenever the west feels that there is an opportunity to gain power and wealth or whenever it feels there is a rival, it enters the arena in a violent and prejudiced manner and does not show any kind of tolerance or leniency. But they do not have the same attitude when it comes to ethics and ideology. They are very lenient and tolerant in the case of ethical and ideological matters – at least, this is what they claim. That is to say, they do not care who believes in what. Of course in some cases one can see that they have a very prejudiced attitude to certain cultural matters. That is to say, whenever cultural matters are related to economic and political interests, expansionist policies and domination, you see that they enter the arena of culture in a strict, violent and prejudiced manner. But they are basically indifferent to cultural and ideological matters, and they do not adopt any positions. This is what is known as laicism: being impartial and refusing to adopt any positions on ethical and ideological matters. In the west ethical values do not impose any limits on freedom. For example, the gay movement in America is a widespread movement, and they are proud of this. They stage demonstrations. They publish their photos in magazines. They proudly announce that a certain businessman or political figure is a member of this group. Nobody feels ashamed and denies being gay. More importantly, some people who oppose this movement are severely criticized in certain newspapers. This means that ethical values do not impose any limits on freedom.
European war-mongering
A strange monopolistic attitude dominates the spirits and ethics of Europeans. When you take a look at the past few centuries, you see that Europeans have fought the most violent wars. The worst and the most violent wars have always taken place between European countries – for example, between Germany and France. They have always been at war as long as there was not a non-European enemy. But when faced with a non-European enemy, they have formed a unified front against that enemy. So far Europeans have caused two world wars. National borders have been changed most in Europe, or they have played a key role in changing national borders outside Europe – in the Middle East, in the Balkans, in Africa and in Arab countries. These are degenerate ethical norms.
http://english.khamenei.ir//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1437
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