As
reported by the news agency of Imam Reza (A.S.) Foundation for Culture and Arts,
the minster continued: “Justice is the ultimate aim of this heavenly religion.
We refer to reason as the inner prophet. Islam is approved by reason and a government
is approved by the extent of justice administration. In Imam Khomeini’s pattern
of thought, rationality is one of the most important elements in formation of
the Islamic society and move towards sublimity. In Explanation of Forty
Hadiths, he emphasized the fundamental role played by reason and
contemplation and considered them to be paving the way in order to get rid of
sensual vices. In other words, in Imam’s thought, rationality is considered as
a human virtue, negligence of which leads to one’s destruction.”
Imam
Khomeini (R.A.) believes that the path to achieving rationality and justice in
a society is dependent not only on moral and economic factors but also on
social and cultural ones. That is, when rationality is appreciated by rulers
and welcome by people, the majority of the people will act rationally.
The
turning point of Imam Khomeini’s reason-centered and justice-oriented thoughts
is his careful attention to religion from the perspective of rational religion.
Imam taught us that there is no contradiction between reason and faith, and the
chief obstacle in this regard is rigidity and fanaticism. Fight against
dogmatism and fanaticism was an indispensable part of Imam’s fighting from the
50s and 60s up to the end of his blessed lifetime. Imam considered distance
from rationality and contemplation to be the origin of all deviations and
misunderstandings. As an Islamic thinker and founder of an Islamic and republic
regime, he always stood against regressive ideas. In memories recounted from the
period of his education, there are numerous instances which reflect the
difficulties he experienced to authenticate rationality and teaching philosophy
and metaphysics in the atmosphere of seminaries of those days. However, Imam’s
resolution to end the dogmatism as the first step of the fight yielded a result
and led to the victory over fanatic ideas.
Fight
against deviations and atheistic, eclectic, and regressive currents of thought
during Imam’s lifetime after the revolution has protected the young seedlings
of the Islamic republic against the pests. Nevertheless the regressive current
of thought has never left this society alone and has always threatened our
insights. However, thanks to the society’s awareness and Imam Khomeini’s
disciples such as Shahid Beheshti, Shahid Mofateh, Shahid Motahari, the late
Ayatollah Hashemi Rafasanjani, and the Supreme Leader, people have come to
recognize the right path, and are not deceived by extreme sanctimonious,
superficial, and imprudent attitudes.
Today,
and after 54 years after the enlightening uprising of June 5, 1963, we can
proudly tell Imam that our people chose the path of rationality in the election
held on May 19th, and proved that they have well learned the
teachings of Imam’s school of thought. During a time when the dogmatic and
violent thoughts have damaged the reputation of the holy Islam and made the
Middle East a resort for the extremists, proud Iranians are preserving the
heritage of the pure Islam taught by Imam, and today the Supreme Leader is the flag
bearer of rationality, moderation, and morality.