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February 2017
No. 314
Islam Brings Peace for All
The Islamic Revolution triumphed in
Iran on 22nd Bahman (Feb. 11, 1979),
under the leadership of Imam Khomeini
(RA) and participated by overwhelming
majority of people. The revolution paved
the way for establishment of the Islamic Republic Government. All people
took part in the revolution, and women
played a vital role there.
Women have devotedly played a crucial role in the Islamic Revolution by
uncovering the enemies’ conspiracies
and have been a firm support for the
society. They have been as active as
men in all arenas and have contributed
to the growth of the Islamic Revolution.
In some cases, they have involved in
much more important, active roles than
men. They have been fighting not only
directly but also indirectly by encouraging their husbands and children.
Imam Khomeini (RA) used to say, “In
the revolution, women have more rights
than men.”
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No. 314
Feb. 2017
February 2017
No. 314
Dear Readers,
February 2017
Monthly Magazine
No. 314
ISSN 1019-0767
Managing Director:
Hamid Reza Azadi
[email protected]
Editor-in-Chief:
Mina Salimi
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Nayyereh Towhidi, Shiva Mirhassani,
Zahra Ibrahimi, Roya Salimi,
Morteza Afradian
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February 2017
No. 314
Islam Brings Peace for All
Thirty-eight years have now passed since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran under the Divinely guided leadership of
Imam Khomeini(RA) on 22nd of Bahman 1357 of solar Hijra(1979),
followed by the establishment of the sacred system of Islamic Republic in our country. This Revolution, as you most probably know,
has, from the very start, been opposed by all world arrogant powers and their agents. Their plots and attacks against our Islamic country and nation during these years have been ceaseless,
numerous and all-sided, the imposed 8-year-war (1980-1988),
and continuous sanctions being among them. Yet, the wise, truly
Islamic leadership, coupled with the sacrificial spirit of the faithful
Iranians served and is continuing to serve as a firm shield against
the imperialists’ aggressions and thus today we see a flourishing,
thriving Islamic Republic of Iran, presenting a praise-worthy model
of resistance in the face of world bullies and also of defending the
other oppressed nations of the world.
True, during these evenful years, tens of thousands of the best
Iranian men and women have been martyred either in warfronts or
at the hands of the hypocrites and mercenaries of the world-devouring powers who as per their violent, malevolent nature are
against the independence and prosperity of the world nations and
who know that the success of the revolutionary Iran will urge the
other nations to follow the model of Islamic resistance. But by
Allah’s grace, martyrdoms have served to strengthen the determination of the followers of Imam Khomeini (RA) and his rightful
successor, Ayatollah Khamenei. As admitted by friends and foes
alike, the Islamic Republic of Iran has attained amazing success
in various scientific fields during these 38 years, in spite of many
obstacles, including anti-human sanctions. And in spite of various
ups and downs which are unavoidably faced by all freedom-fighters, the Islamic Iran already emerged as a great power in the world
scene. All these magnificent achievements are no doubt owing to
the Iranians’ adherence to Divine commands and their reliance on
Allah – The Best Helper. They like all other truly faithful men and
women in the whole world know that if God is on their side, no
body, nor any group, no matter how apparently powerful, can overcome them. And of course, the revolutionary Iranian nation feel
duty-bound to follow Imam Hussein (AS) – The Master of Martyrs
and resist oppressors to the last moment of their lives. Our salutations be upon that symbol of Godliness and upon his followers
worldwide.
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12
10
16
18
Iran’s Islamic Revolution and Women
Faith and Modesty
10
Islam and Social Development
The Great Sage
22
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12
16
The Characteristics of Successful Woman Entrepreneurs
Mother as Viewed by Divine Religions
22
The Holy Mother and Son Revered by the Holy Qur’an
Woman in the Family
26
29
Wisdoms behind Islamic Decrees
The Blessings
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32
26
33
The Fragrance of the Beloved (God)
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38
29
34
32
Iran’s Islamic Revolution and
Women
Compiled by: Fatemeh Khazaii
Translated by: Ayoob Dehghankar
goals of the Islamic Revolution,
i.e. Independence, Freedom,
the Islamic government, but also
from this viewpoint that it was
since the revolution in 1979 that
the women’s self-awareness of
discriminations began as well
as from viewpoint of their awareness of their impact on political
and social revolutions.
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Including half a part of the
society’s human force, women
possess a particular stance in
educating every society’s resources, i.e. children and wouldbe useful members of society.
When a woman, besides educating children and satisfying
her husband’s needs, manages
to achieve social and scientific
fulfillments, she can play a more
successful role in children’s education and pedagogy, through
relying on her experiences and
knowledge. That’s why, satisfying all needs of progressive hu-
man, Islam has paid a great significance to this sort of society.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution
can be dealt with from different
points of view. In this article,
however, the status of women
has been considered. As far as
the status of women in Islamic
Revolution is concerned, what
is worth paying much attention
is that the Islamic Revolution
is considered as a milestone in
women’s political life. It was due
to the fact that not only a great
number of women played a very
active role aiming at fulfilling the
Women in Society
The Holy Qur’an is the most
important source indicating the
legitimacy of women’s political
rights. In surah Mumtahanah
(verse 12), Qur’an states that:
“O Prophet! If faithful women
come to you, to take the oath of
allegiance to you, [pledging] that
they shall not ascribe any partners to Allah, ….”
Allegiance is the nations’ commitment and devotion to follow
him and not to disobey his orders. In the day of conquering
Mecca, the holy prophet (PBUH)
did receive allegiance from
men. Then when women came
to submit their allegiance, this
verse was descended to the holy
prophet and God ordered him
to accept women’s allegiance
and expressed its conditions
and qualifications. According to
some narrations, some followers
asked about the qualifications
and conditions, and the holy
prophet answered them totally.
Expressing the women’s allegiance in Hudaybiah peace and
Mecca conquer indicates that
according to Islam, women have
this right to, accompanying men,
express their ideas in political
and social affairs, and as far as
they can, share the responsibilities.
Hossein
Shafaee,
some
phrases on the woman’s status
in Qur’an, Siraj, no.1, Fall 1372,
p.64
The Holy verse, “……women
have the same [rights in relation
to their husbands] as are expected in all decency from them…”
(Baqarah, 228) indicates that for
women worthy rights have been
considered on the basis of their
duties and responsibilities.
“Should anyone argue with
you concerning him, after the
knowledge that has come to you,
say, ‘Come! Let us call our sons
and your sons, our women and
your women, our souls and your
souls, then let us pray earnestly
and call down Allah’s curse upon
the liars’.” (Al-i Imran, 61)
So, we can see that according
to Qur’an and on the basis of
above-mentioned verses it can
be stated that women’s rights in
political affairs is quite preserved.
Zahra Mostafavi, a glance at
women’s rights in Islam and other religions, Neda, no. 4, Winter
1369, pp. 24-26
The history of early Islam indicates the women’s political roles
as well; Khadijah (SA)’s direct
function and effective role in Islam’s establishment and prevalence is crystal clear in that she
was the holy prophet’s proponent both financially and emotionally.
The role of women
during and after the
Islamic Revolution,
in the holy defense,
is undeniable.
Iranian woman, in
her presence in the
Islamic Revolution,
aimed two important
goals; fighting
oppression, and
demanding a basic
evolution in society’s standpoints
towards women.
From two decades before the
Islamic Revolution; i.e. 40s and
50s, women gradually stepped
in social professional and educational arenas of life. The Iranian
society, in the age of 1979 revolution, had already experienced
a particular amount of consumerist modernism and women
were present at social activities
and were getting gradually familiar with deprivations and political
and social discriminations. All
these were under the dictatorship of the imperial regime. The
reason for this claim is that the
previous regime had been dealing with women as a stuck and
they considered turpitude and
immorality as the signs of civilization; that is why the moral and
ethical values collapsed. Consequently some committed revolutionary women did resist against
the immoralities and tried to illuminate peoples’ thoughts and
as a result they were prisoned.
However, the revolution’s sparkles shone gradually. At this time
women played a more active
role than they did before.
In line with women’s historical
background in Iran’s evolution,
which cannot be touched upon
here, the most effective and
dominant presence of women
in social and political evolutions
is related to their oppositions
during the Islamic Revolution.
These oppositions were, under
Imam Khomeini’s leadership and
his followers’ guidance, led deliberately and they were on the basis of people’s belief in freedom
and religious faith. Marvelously,
according to historians, the role
of housewives in the revolutionary demonstrations was more
eminent than that of those women who were studying in universities or those who were working
in administrations.
Some theorists believe that
the considerable number of
women participating in revolutionary demonstrations and activities did facilitate and prepared
the ground for the Islamic Revolution in that women included
half of the society’s population
and were acting a significant role
during the revolution. The sensitivity of women’s role is due to
their deep influence on all arenas of life.
The role of women during and
after the Islamic Revolution, in
the holy defense, is undeniable.
Iranian woman, in her presence
in the Islamic Revolution, aimed
two important goals; fighting oppression, and demanding a basic evolution in society’s standpoints towards women.
Imam Khomeini did put more
emphasis on women’s role and
their presence in society. The
new role of woman was signified
in the Islam’s framework and
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Feb. 2017
following Her Holiness Fatimah
(SA). During the holy defense, it
was revealed that women have
played a very important role without which no achievement could
be fulfilled. Indicating the key
role of women, Imam Khomeini
stated that: “…whatever do we
have, is due to women…”
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The fundamental role of
Women in the Islamic Revolution
Before the achievement of
the Islamic revolution, the Iranian women had played various
roles. However, we are going to
deal with two fundamental roles
of women which have frequently been touched upon in Imam
Khomeini’s speeches.
a) Women; leaders of the Islamic movement
The founder of the Islamic
Revolution, Imam Khomeini who
never used to exaggerate or understate in his speech, on the
role of women during the Islamic Revolution stated: “Men held
During the holy
defense, it was
revealed that women have played a
very important role
without which no
achievement could
be fulfilled. Indicating the key role
of women, Imam
Khomeini stated
that: “…whatever do
we have, is due to
women…”
demonstrations as a result of
following women.” and “Iranian
women in Qom and other cities
are the pioneers of the revolution.”
Not only in his speech, but also
in his practical manner, Imam
Khomeini has adjudged women
as the leaders of the revolution.
b) Women’s promoting
people toward the Islamic
Revolution
Imam Khomeini frequently
used to utter: “women encouraged men; our nation is indebted to our brave women’s courage.” In so many cases, Imam
Khomeini has introduced women as invigorating and vitalizing
men in critical arenas of the revolution.
In the Iranian pre-revolutionary
society, due to the dominance of
alien culture and as a result of
forming a specific social class,
women were deprived of every
kind of political movement or activity. Before the revolution, the
society dealt with the status of
women on the basis of two viewpoints; 1) a viewpoint according
to which woman was viewed
as a beautiful enchanting and
charming factor used for the entertainment of the capricious immoral men. 2) a viewpoint which
considered woman as a weak
ivy tolerating no strength or duress and consequently good
for no important undertaking.
Simultaneous with the Islamic
Revolution, Iranian woman did
break the cage of unchastity and
degeneracy and accompanying
men did resist against the society as iconoclasts.
Playing an Effective Role in
the Victory
“Iran’s Islamic Revolution enjoys some unique and irreplaceable features and characteristics
that distinguish it from world’s
other revolutions, one of which
is the role of women.” The great
theologian, Martyr Mortaza Motahari, on the Islamic Republic,
Qom, Sedar, 1374
Upon the first signs of the rev-
olution whose bases had been
revealed in demonstrations and
public parades, Iranian woman
overcame the dam of ignorance
and entered the realm of science
and work and consequently vanquished the colonialist policies
which had ignored her. During
the Islamic Revolution, women
have always been regarded as
the powerful arms and the prime
mover of revolutionary actions
and their role has been considered as great as possible, as
Imam Khomeini uttered: “in this
movement, women played a
more active role than men did.”
Sahifeh Noor, Vol.5, p.153
Post-revolution Women
Another specific merit of the
Islamic Revolution is that women’s presence was not confined
to demonstrations and struggles.
Women, indeed, played a very
active role in furthering the goals
of the revolution. After the victory
of the Islamic Revolution, Iranian
women, like men, participated in
country’s all affairs.
In fact, Imam Khomeini, the
great leader of the Islamic Revolution reflected on the status of
women in the advancement of
the society and its Islamic revolutionary growth. This is true and
actually demands the continuous
efforts of Iranian Muslim women
so that they do not yield to Western-led temptations that consider women as a tool for fulfilling
their evil and ruinous goals. The
supreme leader of the Islamic
Revolution has always emphasized on the role of women in
social and political goals of the
Islamic Revolution.
Woman in the Constitution
The constitution of the Islamic
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Feb. 2017
Republic of Iran has paid a special attention to women’s rights
and providing facilities for participating in social activities as well
as their equality and fairness before the law the same as men.
In the section 14 of the third
principle of the constitution, it has
been stated that: ‘providing all-inclusive rights of men and women
and providing juridical security
for all as well as the equality of
all against law’ are of the general obligations of the Islamic
government. It has been stated
in the principle 21 that: ‘the government is obliged to guarantee
all rights of women on the basis
of Islamic scales.’ According to
this principle, the government
has to do the following affairs: 1Providing the sound basis for the
development of growth of women’s characteristics as well as reviving their financial and spiritual
rights. 2- Protecting and supporting women especially during
pregnancy, and the guardianship of orphans. 3- Providing a
fair court to protect the basis of
family. 4- Providing a special insurance supporting elderly woman. 5- Giving the guardianship of
children to fair mothers in case of
the absence of a legal guardian.
In this sense, women of the
society who had been suffering
from lots of social damages and
were deprived from their Islamic and human rights were provided with pure Islamic support
and ease. The constitution firstly emphasizes on the maternal
role of women in family as their
first primitive role and secondly considers women’s business
in cultural, social, economic
and administrative roles as the
pre-requisites of the social justice and the society’s elevation.
Faith and Modesty
Nayyereh Towhidi
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Imam Sadiq (AS): “There is
no Iman (true faith) in the person who has no Haya’a (sense
of modesty and shyness).”
As inferred from the above
Hadith, the sense of shyness
(regarding improper actions) is
intertwined with one’s faith, and
that the absence of this Divine
gift (Haya’a) in an individual
indicates his/her being devoid
of the belief in God and in His
Messengers (AS). All of us now
and then come across some
people who are indeed very
rude and do not feel ashamed
because of their wrong conduct
neither in presence of the others
or when they are alone. And ob-
viously we try to keep a distance
between ourselves and such
shameless persons because
we know that they are not to be
trusted with anything and that
they easily act dishonestly and
harm the others recklessly. And
likewise modest, polite and disciplined people are those whom
wise, informed people trust and
befriend, because among others every wise person knows
that such qualities are invaluable virtues making their possessors trust-worthy and worthy of
companionship.
Here it is very interesting and
beneficial to reflect upon a remark of Imam Ali (AS) regarding
Haya’a or shyness: “the most
valuable Haya’a (shyness) is
to be shy before God”. Clearly
this shyness is most particularly valuable in connection with
sins and prohibited tendencies,
namely one feels shy of his/her
Omnipresent Creator to commit
what He has forbidden and so
one avoids sinning against his/
her God. Obviously, being shy
of God can strongly prevent one
from trampling upon the rights
of the others in any ways and so
we can conclude that those who
trample upon the rights of the
whole mankind through making
and selling atomic and chemical
weapons are totally faithless,
and disbelieving people. If they
had even a little faith in God and
the last Day and some sense of
shame of sinning, they would
never allow themselves to do
so even for lots of money or
possessions. Likewise, we can
easily conclude that those who
make murderous groups such
as Da’esh, Al-Qaedah, Al-Nusra and the like are not only not
Muslims but also are devoid of
even the least bit of faith in God
and in His Messengers (AS).
They have no doubt sworn oath
of allegiance to Satan, though
they most shamelessly call
themselves followers of Islam.
In another Hadith, Imam Ali
(AS) considers being shy of
God as the main cause of elimination of many wrongdoings.
From this illuminating remark,
certain life-giving advices can
be inferred, including the fact
that the very virtue of being con-
scious and shy of God prevents
one from committing many sins.
Also Imam Ali (AS) refers to another condition of shyness; that
is being sure of one’s inner self
and soul. In this connection, the
Imam (AS) has also stated that
“honor” totally depends upon
shyness before oneself and
feeling inwardly ashamed about
wrong-doings.
Also, we have been taught
by our Divine teachers about
feeling shy (regarding the prohibited acts) before the other
people and in the society. As
inferred from related Ahadith,
such sense of shyness is closely connected to the above-mentioned. Imam Hasan Al-Askari(AS) has been quoted as
saying: “The one who is shameless before the people is also
shameless before Allah.” This
fact is quite easy to understand,
because obviously the one
who is shameless before those
whom he/she can see with his/
her physical eyes, will feel no
shame of God Whom he/she
does not see with those eyes.
This point has also been clearly
expressed by Imam Ali (AS)who
elsewhere has been quoted as
saying: “The worst of people is
the one who is shameless before the people.”
Thus, we can conclude that
the more indecency and indecent trends and acts like wearing indecent revealing clothes
by the women, alcoholic drinks,
narcotics and cheating prevails
in a society, the faster that society rushes towards ruin, since
the repetition of evil-doings can
also cause shamelessness.
That is why Islam so strongly
emphasizes the duties of ‘commanding the others to do good’
and ‘forbidding them evil-doing.’
It goes without saying that the
enemies of Islam know about
the evil consequences of the
prevalence of shamelessness
and indecency in societies and
so, for years they have been engaged in spreading corruption
through pornography, misguiding films, various sorts of harmful drugs and drinks and the
like, particularly targeting the
youth and the women in Muslim countries. They know that
if they succeed in corrupting a
society, they can easily dominate and plunder their whole
belongings, without even bothering to embark on a military
attack; they know that shamelessness is inconsistent with the
sense of honor – the very sense
which urges the youth to defend
their country with their strength
against the savage aggressors
like the Zionists-backed Da’esh.
In the same vein, it can be
Imam Hasan
Al-Askari(AS) has
been quoted as
saying: “ The one
who is shamelessbefore the people
is also shameless
before Allah.”
concluded that any society in
which humane values including
chastity, modesty and respect
for the rights of others are wiped
out, is in no way fit for human
life, since in such a polluted atmosphere only wild animals can
have sort of existence.
So it is our duty to prevent
ourselves and/or the others
from being indifferent to anything vice and dishonorable,
since such indifference paves
the way for the spread of corruption and injustice and thus
the ruin of humanity. Pondering
on a Prophetic Hadith is useful
here: “Command each other to
do good and to prohibit each
other from doing evil, for otherwise the worst of people will
gain power and dominate you.
Then the good people among
you will pray to God for His help
against those bad rulers, but
their prayers will not be heard
by God.” This Hadith, plus many
others teaches us that our just
being chaste and nice is by no
means enough to guarantee the
health and growth of our society
and that, all of us have certain
duties in relation to the conduct
of the others too.
So, let us look out for the
devils’ temptations and plots
against all, in particular against
the youth and never turn blind
eyes to any deviation. Never let
your dear daughters and sons
get attracted to what the enemies of God present to them in
the media, since otherwise you
might end up regretting your
negligence. Remember that as
Imam Ali (AS) has stated, “The
youths’ hearts are as fertile
farms, ready to grow any seed
sown in them.”
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Islam and Social Development
By: Majid Rashidpour
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Feb. 2017
Excerpts from the book ‘Islamic point of view on social development’
Allamah Tabataba’I, the great
Muslim theologian, held that Islamic rules and regulations are
not new restrictions imposed on
human beings and rather they
are the very needs and requirements of human beings’ inborn,
unaltered nature, presented to
humanity as religious decrees
and rules and that in fact, the
religion expresses what human
nature calls for.
Man is by nature a social being. He/she is born and raised
in the society of family and after growing up, he/she starts a
family. Moreover, a great deal of
his/her evolution and progress
takes place in the society outside the home environment and
in his/her dealings with the other
members of the society where
he/she is supposed to serve
and help in cooperation with the
others.
So, human nature is inseparable from the society. Certainly by ‘society’ in this context,
things like buildings, farms,
gardens and deserts are not
meant. Rather human community or human society is meant
here.
All human beings naturally
feel themselves in need of the
society, including the family society which is formed through
marriage. The fact that in every
human being’s body, there are
Translated by: Shiva Mirhasani
sexual organs points to the inborn need for a mate and marital life.
Another proof for mankind’s
being naturally social creature
is that no one ever desires to
live in an isolated lonely island,
even if that island is equipped
with everything which meets
human beings’ material needs,
such as the need for food, clothing and shelter. This is because
human beings really need to
have contact and association
with each other.
And Islam as the last and
most perfect faith rejects monasticism and emphasizes the
significance of marriage, rais-
ing children and being helpful,
cooperative members of the
society. Islam is the religion of
peace, lawfulness and sociability. According to Islamic teachings, man’s perfection can be
fulfilled through his fruitful social life, and instead of seclusion and living lives of celibacy,
man should try to find asceticism in living and working with
his fellow-human beings while
carefully observing Divine
laws, rules and limitations in his
dealings with the others, trying
hard to avoid even the least bit
of harm and/or injustice to the
others, while of course defending his own rights and the rights
No doubt, the
Muslim community
will attain true
growth when
the members of
that worldwide
community attain
such sublime
attitude.
of the others as well.
A thorough, thoughtful survey
of this Divine outlook gives one
the understanding that no asceticism is worthier than being
in a society while abiding by all
Divinely-ordained decrees and
humane regulations and never
exceeding the boundaries of
human values and more over,
taking upon one’s shoulders
the burden of supporting one’s
family through lawful means
and bearing the responsibility of raising children in a way
that they grow up to be useful,
responsible members of the society. Islam praises such efforts
and discourages living in loneliness. In a Prophetic Narration
we read,: “No institution is loved
by Allah more than marriage.” .
Likewise, the Holy Prophet
(PBUH) of Islam would promptly condemn any deviation in
the family life of Muslims. In the
book ‘Safinatul-Bihar’ a hadith
has been narrated which briefly
goes as follows: A Muslim woman came to the Holy Prophet(PBUH) of Islam and complained
about her husband’s neglecting
his marital duties towards her,
since he had chosen to spend
all days in fasting and nights
in prayers. Upon hearing this,
the Holy Prophet (PBUH) got
angry and went immediately
to the man and addressed him
thus. “Allah has not appointed
me as a Prophet to preach monasticism. I myself pray and fast
and also fulfill my marital duties
towards my wife. So, anybody
who wants to be a follower of
my religion should act according
to my teachings and manners,
including marriage and being a
dutiful good spouse.”
On another occasion, the
Holy Prophet(PBUH) of Islam
was informed about the condition of a Muslim man who upon
the death of his child, had built
a mosque inside his own house
and would constantly engage
himself in prayers there, avoiding association with the others
and refraining from participation in Muslims’ gatherings and
circles. This time too, the Holy
Prophet (PBUH) went to the
man and said to him: “Allah
– The Almighty has not commanded me to preach monasticism. Truly for my followers,
monasticism is struggle in the
way of Allah.”
From the Hadith it can be inferred that to be otherworldly,
a Muslim should struggle and
endeavor in the way of Allah,
whether that struggle be in battle-fields or serving the people,
or in the purification of one’s
soul which is itself, according to
the Holy Prophet(PBUH) of Islam the greatest Jihad.
These all share in common
endeavor in the way of Allah
which takes its full shape when
one is in the society and in association with the other human
beings. A careful study of various authentic Ahadith and Narrations reveal the fact that it is
absolutely necessary for Muslim communities to be devoid of
dispersions and disputes, and
that there should be perfect unity among Muslims both in their
own societies and also at the
world level. Obviously, for the
fulfillment of such worthy goals,
gigantic efforts
are needed.
Imam Hussein (AS) has been
quoted as saying, “A Mu’amin
(a faithful person) is the brother
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of another Mu’amin, for they are
related to each other like parts
of a body.”
Likewise in the sources on Islamic history we read that when
the verse “Innamal Mu’aminoona Ikhwah” (truly the faithful
are brothers) was revealed, the
Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam
ordered the Muslims to become
brothers, and His Holiness the
Holy Prophet (PBUH) himself
made the brotherhood contract
with His Holiness Ali (AS).
And in this regard, Imam
Sadiq (AS) has stated, “A Muslim is another Muslim’s brother
and included among the rights
of a Muslim over his Muslim
brother is that the latter should
not feed himself up while his
(Muslim) brother is hungry and
should not fully satisfy his thirst
while his brother is thirsty and
should not dress himself up
while his brother lacks enough
clothing. It is indeed very interesting and thought-provoking to
know that in certain Ahadith the
Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam
has warned the Muslims that
the one who regards himself a
No doubt, the
Muslim community
will attain true
growth when
the members of
that worldwide
community attain
such sublime
attitude.
Muslim and yet does not care
about the problems of troubled
Muslims and who is just concerned about his own life and
his personal wants is not a true
Muslim. Likewise, there is a
Hadith from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as follows: “The
one who passes a night (and
reaches the morning) without
thinking about the affairs of
Muslims is not a Muslim.”
From the numerous Ahadith
in this regard and also from the
Qur’anic verses, we can conclude that no good act is more
reward-worthy to Allah than
serving the people. The following Ahadith from Imam Sadiq
(AS) are particularly noteworthy
in this connection: “By Allah, the
right(s) of a Mu’amin is superior
to the right(s) of Ka’bah.”
“The one who goes to visit his
faithful (Mu’amin) brother to fulfill that brother’s needs will be
regarded (and rewarded) as Allah’s pilgrims.”
“Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
said: “The one who helps a
Mu’amin with his problem(s),
will be helped and granted safety by Allah on the Day of Judgment, when there will be no
shade from bad ending.”
All such invaluable Divine
teachings lead us to conclude
among other things that each
Muslim should desire for the
others what he/she desires for
himself/herself and should likewise avoid the conducts to the
others which(conducts) he/she
does not like the others to do to
him/herself.
No doubt, the Muslim community will attain true growth when
the members of that worldwide
community attain such sublime
attitude. Here, it must be emphasized that Islam attaches great
significance to Muslims’ taking
active part in their congregational rituals and social affairs.
In fact, Islam is a religion all decrees and rules of which are in
harmony with social growth and
welfare. According to Islamic
teachings, acts of worship done
in gatherings and congregations are more rewarding than
those performed in isolation.
The congregational (Jama’at)
and Friday (Jum’ah) prayers are
no doubt outstanding examples
of highly meritorious congregational acts of worship in Islam.
Likewise, the Hajj Pilgrimage,
while an act of worship to be fulfilled for getting nearer to Allah,
has distinguished social and
group benefits too. As inferred
from the Qur’anic verses and
the Ahadith from the Infallible
in this regard, Allah desires the
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Muslims to, through the religious-political Hajj rituals, create
firm, unshakable ties with each
other and that at the magnificent Hajj gatherings which is as
a massive congress, the world
Muslims should become aware
of each other’s problems and
conditions, exchange views and
opinions, embark upon removing the afflictions and troubles
faced by each Muslim community and attempt to help the advancement of Muslim communities on a collective basis and in
collaboration with each other.
In various Ahadith, we read
that to Allah, prayers and supplications done in groups and congregations are superior to those
done individually and alone and
that if one prays for the others,
Allah will fulfill his/her own wishes besides accepting his prayer
for the others. Basically, Islam
does not approve of a Muslim’s
choosing to live a life of seclusion and celibacy. Read this
Hadith from the Infallible to get
better acquainted with Islam’s
outlook towards unity, solidarity and compassion: “Truly the
Prophet (PBUH) has cursed the
one who chooses to eat alone,
and the one who embarks on a
journey through a desert alone
and the one who chooses to
sleep in a house alone.”
And Imam Ali (AS) has said,
“Allah’s hand is with congregations.” There are also certain
other Ahadith telling us that the
greater the number of people
sharing a meal with each other,
the more blessed that meal will
be and that the best of meals
(to Allah) is that shared with
as many people as possible. It
has been narrated that at meal
times, Imam Reza (AS) would
always urge all people around,
even those who were in charge
of keeping the poultry to sit
down and share the meal(s).
Thus Muslims everywhere,
of whatever religious sect they
might be, are brothers (and
sisters) in Islam, and have to
regard and treat each other as
such. They should unite and
prove to the enemies of Islam
who are also the enemies of humanity as a whole that the evil
plots they hatch for dispersing
Muslims will backfire.
The Great Sage
Nayyereh Towhidi
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No. 314
Feb. 2017
Ayatollah Khamenei: “This
Revolution is nowhere in the
world known without the name
of Imam Khomeini (RA).”
On the eve of the victory
of the Islamic Revolution of
Iran, we present our heartfelt
salutations and homage to
the late leader - Imam Khomeini(RA) - the true man of
God, the reviver of Islam and
human dignity in not only Iran
but also in the whole world.
We pray to God to exalt his
pure soul and help all of us
be his faithful followers just
as he himself was a faithful
follower of Allah’s Messenger
(PBUH). In fact Imam Khomeini (RA) gave new life to
the weakened morale of the
world oppressed peoples.
He taught them that they
have the right and in fact the
duty of standing up against
the oppressive and the corrupt rulers no matter how
heavy-handed, armed-to-theteeth those rulers might seem.
Imam Khomeini(RA), being
from the blessed progeny of
Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)
and Imam Ali (AS), had true
and unwavering faith in God’s
words, teachings and promises. So, he never hesitated to
oppose the tyrant of his time
for the latter’s treacherous actions and corrupt measures.
Not even a single moment of
his blessed life was spent in
pursuit of selfish interests or
worldly welfare. He proved to
all that like his exalted Imam the Master of Martyrs - Imam
Hussein(AS), he was quite
ready and willing to sacrifice
his life and the lives of his
family for defending Allah’s
cause; for protecting Divine
values and speaking for the
oppressed people against the
brutal agents of the mercenary puppet regimes. He was
arrested, jailed and later exiled for several years but his
efforts in the way of God and
His Messengers (AS) were
ceaseless. This way, he also
taught all that being a man of
God should never be taken to
mean indifference to the so-
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cial and political conditions.
Likewise, the Imam(RA) revealed to the world of humanity the fact that spiritual religious leaders are duty-bound
to stand up against the bullies, the plunderers, the torturers and the murderers and
to inform the peoples of their
rights and duties in this regard. This was exactly what
the hirelings of colonialists
had propagated for years; the
separation of religion from
politics. That really steadfast
man of God, that true religious
authority - Imam Khomeini
(RA) declared that none of
Allah’s Messengers (AS), nor
their rightful successors have
regarded religion as separable from the political and social affairs of their respective
eras and that all of them have
struggled against any tyranny
and/or corrupt behavior they
witnessed with all their means
and power. Another very significant teaching of Imam
Khomeini (RA) has been his
emphasis on the necessity of
Another very
significant teaching
of Imam Khomeini
(ra) has been his
emphasis on the necessity of the unity of
the Islamic ummah.
In this connection,
the Imam would
repeatedly state that,
“Those who create
discord between the
Shiite Muslims and
the Sunni Muslims
are themselves
neither Shi’a, nor
Sunni.”
the unity of the Islamic ummah. In this connection, the
Imam would repeatedly state
that, “Those who create discord between the Shiite Muslims and the Sunni Muslims
are themselves neither Shi’a,
nor Sunni.” This illuminating
remark clearly shows that
Imam Khomeini (RA) well
knew that it is the enemies
of Islam and of the Muslims
who have invariably been engaged in dividing Muslims, as
per their ominous policy of
‘Divide and Rule.’
And as we see today, this
policy of the colonialist is being implemented today more
seriously than before. The
formation of Takfiri terrorist
groups including: Al Qaeda,
Daesh and their likes are obviously the result of such evil
goals. Of course, by the grace
of Allah – The Almighty world
Muslims have known the satanic nature of these groups
and started serious struggles against them. And here,
it should be noted that Imam
Khomeini (RA) as a divinely-guided leader was not just
for Iran or for the world Muslims. Rather, that prominent
man of God sympathized with
all the oppressed peoples of
the world and prayed for their
Liberation. May Allah bless
him and help his followers the
world over.
The Characteristics of Successful
Woman Entrepreneurs
Translated by: Behrouz Khorram
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No. 314
Feb. 2017
All around the world, women play big roles in the national
economy of their countries. In
the developed countries, the low
birth rate, along with the aging
of the population, has alarmed
the governments about the necessity of the women’s participation in the economic sectors
because they constitute about
half of the population, and exclusion of them from working and
economic activities will cause
serious harms to the economy.
In this respect, with the revision
of the labor laws and the establishment of workshops and the
financing of the entrepreneurs,
the governments have tried to
help them enter the workforce.
Characteristics of the successful
woman entrepreneurs are mentioned as follows:
1) Positive attitude: A positive
attitude is a major factor in turning the ideas into practical programs and putting them into action. With a positive attitude, the
ground for invention and solution
will be provided and that will lead
to the flow of energies. Entrepreneurship is a difficult task, and if
negative attitudes dominate the
mind, the endeavors will come
to a stop at the instance of facing the first obstacles. Keep
your mind under supervision,
and don’t allow for the negative
thoughts to weaken your morale. Being realistic is necessary;
however, observing the obstacles is far different from having a
negative attitude.
2) Overcoming the obstacles:
Studies show that about 70 percent of the newly established
companies of the United States
are dissolved within the first 3
years of their activity. However,
the rate of the bankrupt companies that are founded by the
women is lower than average.
The women can turn the threats
into opportunities for the company. The woman entrepreneurs
must learn to take a lesson from
every problem that shows up.
Gradually, they will realize that
the problems are not as big as
they have imagined.
3) High self-confidence: Being
powerful and self-confident do
not mean being aggressive and
bold. On the contrary, self-confidence and power mean creativity and moving in the right
path. When the individual has a
positive image from herself and
is responsible, she has a stronger sense of entrepreneurship,
and the others will cooperate
with her in a more confident and
sure manner. Statistics show
that among the men and women
entrepreneurs, about 45 and 51
percent possess this characteristic respectively.
4) The sense of being helpful to others: Studies show that
women have a higher capability to become influential on others by being helpful to them. A
hopefulness to make a positive
change in the lives of others is
one of the most important characteristics of the entrepreneur
women, and it is counted an important factor in their economic
activities. Polls show that among
different motives such as a high
income, the demonstration of
capabilities, making use of university degrees, etc. the sense
of being helpful to others and
making a positive change in the
lives of others are the most important factors for the women
entrepreneurs.
5) Honesty: For sure in order
to be successful you do not need
any aggression. There is no
need to step on others in order
to reach high. Negative sense of
competitiveness is more common in men rather than women.
Observing the laws and avoiding
unjust measures against others
are common among entrepreneur women in Asia. This factor
arouses the sense of trust on
others for everyone likes to work
with trustful and honest people.
6) Balancing between life and
work: Although women are usually responsible for their private
and family lives, those who can
balance life and work tend to
be more successful. A balanced
life helps the mind for creative
ideas. In the progressed member countries of the Organization
for Development and Cooperation the statistics show that the
entrepreneur women who have
family responsibilities are more
successful. This factor is the
characteristic of the women because they are more influential
on their families than men.
7) Goal-directedness: the
goals are the dreams that are
supplemented by clear practical programming. If the goals
are not written down they remain dreams and wishes. The
researches show that the women who have clear and detailed
programs tend to be more successful. This applies for both the
woman and man entrepreneurs;
however, because the women have family responsibilities,
having programs helps them to
make a good balance between
life and work.
8) Precision: The detection
of vacuums in the market to be
filled with entrepreneurship is a
strategic task in every program.
The discovery of the unfulfilled
needs is the key to successful
production. The women, due to
their watchfulness and high precision, are more capable than
men in recognizing those needs.
On the other hand, the statistics
show that almost in all countries
women’s average of economic
knowledge is higher than men’s.
Therefore they have a clearer
view of the needs of the markets, and their productions may
meet the needs of the market.
9) Training: Most entrepreneur
women transfer their working
knowledge to their successors,
and a form of the transference of
the experiences is visible in the
company they found, that which
is far greater than what takes
place in the companies founded by men. This characteristic
also leads to their ability to take
The highest resistance often takes
place before a success. Cautiousness
and forethought
are among the
special characteristics of the woman
entrepreneurs.
Because of the
long-term vision of
the women in facing
the problems their
resistance against
failure is higher in
them.
advantage of the experience of
others, as well.
10) Long-term vision: The
highest resistance often takes
place before a success. Cautiousness and forethought are
among the special characteristics of the woman entrepreneurs. Because of the long-term
vision of the women in facing
the problems their resistance
against failure is higher in them.
However, cautiousness does not
make obstacles for the successful women to take the next step.
Although throughout the world
the number of woman entrepreneurs is lower than the men’s,
but all things being equal their
success rate is higher.
Although in most countries
the labor laws are still not suitable for the women’s presence
in the work scene, and there is
not sufficient confidence in their
entrepreneurship; however, the
amount of their growth in this
field is being increased. Among
the 500 most successful companies in the U.S., only 10 of their
managers are women. In the
small businesses and medium
size companies, the presence
of the women in high ranks of
management and ownership is
evident.
Adapted from Sarmayeh
newspaper
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Mother
as Viewed by Divine Religions
Compiled by: Mohammad Ehsani
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It goes without saying that
all Divine religions have held
mothers in great reverence,
given them a very high position and advised all people to
respect and pay homage to
their mothers and try their best
to be of service to them. Divine
Messengers (AS) have certainly defined values for human
beings throughout the human
history and hence they have
introduced and clarified the
position and rights of parents,
particularly mothers in the best
way, thus letting all know that
they are duty-bound, as per Divine commands to love, respect
and serve their parents, in particular their mothers, to the last
moment of their lives. In verse
41 of chapter 14 (Ibrahim) of
the Holy Qur’an we read that
prophet Ibrahim (AS) beseeches Allah to grant His forgiveness
to him, to his parents and to the
faithful on the Day of Judgment:
“Our Lord! Forgive me and my
parents, and all the faithful, on
the day when the reckoning is
held.”
This prayer of Prophet Ibrahim, Abraham, (AS) points to
the greatness of the position
of parents and is also very educative in that it teaches the
monotheists how to pray for
Translated by: Mina Salimi
their parents. From this verse of
the Holy Qur’an it can also be
inferred that Prophet Ibrahim
(AS), as a great Messenger of
Allah had great respect for his
parents, since he knew that parents should be highly revered.
Likewise, Prophet Musa –
Moses - (AS), another great
Divine Messenger has been
informed by Allah about the
significance of holding one’s
parents in respect and serving
them. It has been narrated that
once during supplication to Allah, Prophet Musa (AS) asked
Allah to let him know who would
be his companion in paradise.
And his prayer was heard and
he was told (by Allah) to go to
a certain place where he met a
young butcher. Prophet Musa
(AS) kept a careful eye upon
the young man all day long to
see which praise-worthy acts
that youth did due to which he
had received such a lofty position with Allah. Yet he did not
find any extraordinary conduct
on the part of that youth, and
so in the evening when the
youth was leaving for his house,
Prophet Musa (AS), without introducing himself requested the
youth to receive him as a guest
in his house on that night. For,
Prophet Musa (AS) wanted
to find the reason behind that
young man’s getting so near to
Allah as to have been granted
the position of the companionship of a Prophet in paradise.
The young man accepted the
request of Prophet Musa (AS)
and they both entered the former’s house, and the host – that
blessed youth, on arriving in his
home first prepared a meal and
then went to an aged woman
who was crippled in both hands
and legs and unable to move.
Prophet Musa (AS) observed
that the young man put morsels of food in her mouth quite
attentively, respectfully and patiently and the aged disabled
And Islam stands at the
head of all Divine faiths
in honoring and giving
respect to the position
of parents, particularly
mothers. Islam, viewing
mothers as the chief
trainers, and educators
of human beings, holds
that it is chiefly through
mothers that societies
prosper and/or deviate,
and thus all should
consider themselves indebted to their mothers
for all success and happiness they achieve.
woman would look up toward
the sky and utter some words
after receiving each mouthful.
And that the youth gave the old
woman a bathing and changed
her clothes with the same politeness, care and devotion. On
leaving that house and bidding
farewell, Prophet Musa (AS)
introduced himself and demanded to know who that old
disabled woman was and what
she said when she looked up towards the sky. In reply to Prophet Musa (AS), that young man
said: “She is my mother and
each time I feed her and attend
to her needs, she prays to God
to make me the companion of
Musa- the son of Imran in paradise.” Then Prophet Musa (AS)
gave the youth the tiding that
his mother’s prayer for him had
been heard by God.
As for the teachings of Prophet Isa, Jesus Christ, (AS) in this
regard, suffice it to mention
this verse of the Holy Qur’an in
which His Holiness has said that
Allah has made him beneficent
towards his mother. “He has
made me blessed, wherever I
may be, and He has enjoined
me to [maintain] the prayer and
to [pay] the Zakat as long as I
live, and to be good to my mother, and He has not made me
self-willed and wretched. (The
Holy Qur’an; Maryam, 31, 32)
The fact that Prophet Isa (AS)
as a great Divine Messenger
had been endowed with many
honors and blessings to thank
Allah for and yet particularly mentions his goodness towards his mother (we know that
Prophet Isa (AS) was by Allah’s
will born without a father) as a
blessing to be thankful to Allah
for, signifies the high reverence
he had for the position of a
mother. And Islam stands at the
head of all Divine faiths in honoring and giving respect to the
position of parents, particularly
mothers. Islam, viewing mothers as the chief trainers, and educators of human beings, holds
that it is chiefly through mothers that societies prosper and/
or deviate, and thus all should
consider themselves indebted
to their mothers for all success
and happiness they achieve.
The Holy Qur’an, as Allah’s
last revealed Book, refers to the
status of mothers on various
occasions with very glorious
expressions, including the direct divine revelation to Prophet
Musa (AS)’s mother (verse 7 of
chapter 28 – Qisas), Prophet
Isa (AS)’s words regarding his
mother and also Allah’s command to honor and be good
and respectful to one’s parents,
particularly to mothers. These
words of Allah can be considered as divine glorification of the
mother’s status.
In chapter 31 (luqman) –
(verse 14) Allah mentions the
fact that mothers suffer numerous pains during pregnancy and
giving birth and also in chapter
46 (Ahqaf, verse 15) Allah mentions the same point and again
emphasizes the command to
be good to one’s parents. A very
noteworthy point regarding the
Qur’anic verses dealing with the
subject of duties towards parents is that Allah first commands
goodness to one’s parentsboth the mother and the father
and then without mentioning the
fathers, speaks about the pains
and sufferings mothers bear (in
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connection with child bearing
...).
This point can also be regarded as an indication of the sublime position of mothers. And
accordingly Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Infallible
Imams (ma’sumin) (As) have
presented very enlightening directions. In this regard, Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) has said:
“Paradise lies at the feet of your
mothers.” This hadith clarifies
the fact that without having
been good to one’s mother and
having achieved her satisfaction
and pleasure, one cannot enter
the paradise, and cannot gain
access to celestial blessings,
and that the one who desires to
attain high degrees in paradise
and to please Allah to a great
extent, should do his/her best in
serving and respecting his/her
mother and pleasing her.
And Imam As-Sadiq (AS) has
been quoted thus: “A young man
asked Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) as to whom he should
serve (in order to achieve Allah’s pleasure).” In reply, the
Holy Prophet (PBUH) said:
“your mother”. The youth asked
His Holiness this question for
three times and each time received the same reply. And on
repeating the question for the
fourth time, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam said: “your
father”. This Hadith also points
to the significance of serving
mothers as per divine directions, and shows the greatness
of the position of motherhood
It has also been
narrated that
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
would also hold his
foster – mothers
in utmost respect,
thus honoring the
rights they had
gained through
suckling over His
Holiness.
which might to some extent be
due to many sufferings a mother bears throughout the period
of pregnancy, during labour and
child- birth and after that when
she feeds her child and takes
great care not to let any harm
afflict her infant. It is an undeniable fact that the more pains
and troubles a servant of Allah
bears in His way, the greater
rewards and loftier positions
will be granted upon him/her by
Allah - the Gracious and hence
the mother’s great rewards and
positions with Allah, and Allah’s
messengers (AS).
We know that Allah’s last
and most exalted messengerProphet Muhammad (PBUH)
lost his beloved mother - Her
Holiness Ameneh (SA) in childhood. It has been narrated that
while Her Holiness Ameneh was
in her death-bed, her beloved
child – Muhammad (PBUH)
would press his blessed face
upon her face, looking at her
with grief and shed tears. And
after she had passed away, that
exalted orphan - Muhammad
(PBUH) threw himself on his
dear mother’s corpse and cried
and when the relatives around
separated His Holiness from his
(demised) mother, His Holiness
threw himself on his mother’s
corpse again and cried. And
His Holiness would repeatedly visit his dear mother’s grave
and pray there, which honorable conduct on the part of Allah’s most perfect messenger
signifies the great reverence in
which mothers should be held.
It has also been narrated that
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
would also hold his foster –
mothers in utmost respect, thus
honoring the rights they had
gained through suckling over
His Holiness. In just the same
vein, Imam As-Sajjad (AS) has
given instructive guidance concerning the rights of mothers,
including: “Included among your
mother’s rights upon you is that
you should know that she carried you the way nobody else
does, fed you on the fruit of her
heart which no (other) one gives
you and embraced you whole –
heartedly and was ready to suffer hunger in order to feed you
and to suffer the heat of the sun
in order to keep you in a shade
and that she renounced sleep
in order to take care of you and
that you will not be able to thank
her for all these services unless
through seeking help from Allah.”
These words of the Infallible
also prove the greatness of
the position of mothers and the
rights of the mothers over their
children, particularly since the
Imam (AS) has made success
in being thankful to one’s mother conditional on asking Allah
for help in this connection.
Here, mention must certainly
be made of the great respect
the Infallible Imams (AS) had
for Ummul–A’emmah – the
mother of the (11 Infallible)
Imams – Her Holiness Fatimah
Al – Zahra (SA). It has been
narrated that once one of Imam
As-Sadiq (AS)’s friends told His
Holiness that Allah had given
him a daughter and in reply to
the Imam (AS)’s question as to
what name he had given the female infant, the man said that
he had named his new – born
daughter “Fatimah”, upon hearing which name – “Fatimah”,
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Feb. 2017
the Imam (AS) put his blessed
hands upon his forehead as a
sign of respect, gave a deep
sigh and repeated the name
three times and then addressed
the man thus: Now that you
have named your daughter
“Fatimah”, take great care never to swear at her. Her name is
a very honorable name and you
should observe the reverence
owed to her name.
Thus we came to know that
all Divine religions, particularly Islam as the last and most
perfect Divine religion hold the
status of mothers in great reverence, and regard serving parents particularly mothers as an
act of worship and the same
as obedience to Allah. Thus all
sons and daughters are duty –
bound as per Allah’s commands
to serve and respect their parents, in particular their mothers,
most particularly when the parents reach old age and naturally
need more help and deserve
greater respect. No doubt any
failure in this regard will cause
the descent of Allah’s displeasure upon the (failing) person.
In this regard, special attention
should be paid by the God –
fearing to verses 22 – 23 of
chapter 17 (Asraa’) of the Holy
Qur’an which openly prohibit
the least disrespectful treatment
towards one’s parents and command being good to them. May
Allah help all of us to be dutiful,
respectful and loving daughters/
sons for our parents!
Source: www.tebyan.2n.ir
The Holy Mother and Son
Revered by the Holy Qur’an
Processed by: Zahra Ejlal
Translated by: Shiva Mirhasani
Messiah (Jesus Christ) in
the Holy Qur’an
The personality presented
by the Holy Qur’an regarding
Prophet Jesus Christ- The
Messiah (AS) - is by far more
sublime and lofty than that presented in the Bible(s) presently available. The Holy Qur’an
confirms certain beliefs of the
Christians about Prophet Jesus Christ (AS) and rejects
some others, including trinity
and the crucifixion.
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The Birth of Christ
Jesus is the son of Mary who
is the daughter of Imran. The
wonderful life of Mary with its
story has come in the Holy
Qur’an with certain details. It
is said that due to the vow of
her mother, Mary went to Jerusalem, then after an event
Prophet Zachariah accepted
her guardianship through a
draw.
To give an answer to those
who claim that Jesus is God, in
verse 45 of Al-I Imran and other verses of the Holy Qur’an,
Jesus is introduced as the son
of Mary. For one who is born by
a mother and goes through all
the stages of evolution of fetus
which is the characteristic of
matter cannot be considered
as God. And as we know God
-The Almighty is not subjected
to any change or evolution.
The Holy Qur’an says: “He
said, ‘So shall it be. Your Lord
says, “It is simple for Me.” And
so that We may make him a
sign for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a matter
[already] decided.’ Thus she
conceived him, then withdrew
with him to a distant place. The
birth pangs brought her to the
trunk of a date palm. She said,
‘I wish I had died before this
and become a forgotten thing,
beyond recall.’ Thereupon he
called her from below her [say-
ing] ‘Do not grieve! Your Lord
has made a spring to flow at
your feet. Shake the trunk of
the palm tree, freshly picked
dates will drop upon you. Eat,
drink and be comforted. Then
if you see any human, say,
“Indeed I have vowed a fast to
the All-beneficent, so I will not
speak to any human today.”
Maryam 21-26
When people found out that
Mary was pregnant, they started to denounce her by saying:
“Your father was a good man,
then how come you have become a bad girl and became
pregnant while you are not
married….”
When Mary was laboring,
she asked the Lord: “Oh God!
what should I do?” Then the
voice of angel said to her:
“Leave the city.” Then Mary
deed I am a servant of Allah!
He has given me the Book and
made me a prophet. He has
made me blessed, wherever I
may be, and He has enjoined
me to [maintain] the prayer
and to [pay] the Zakat as long
as I live, and to be good to my
mother, and He has not made
In order to put the
bulk of accusations
away from Virgin
Mary, for she gave
birth to that child
without a husband,
and to console her,
the Holy Qur’an
says: “He will
speak to people
in the cradle and
in adulthood, and
will be one of the
righteous.” Al-i –
Imran 46
went to a place outside the
city where there was a dry
date tree, and then God asked
Mary to sway the tree, then
there were fresh dates ready
from that dry tree by miracle
and occult power, Mary ate
from those dates and eventually she gave birth to her child.
Mary gave birth to his son
away from the sight of people
and then she went among the
people, she was reprimanded
by them. By God’s command,
Mary told those people to ask
the child. “Then Jesus said, ‘In-
me self-willed and wretched.”
The Holy Qur’an, Maryam 3033. By this way God saved
Mary from their accusations in
a miraculous way.
Mary, the choice of God
As Qur’an said: “And when
the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah has chosen you and purified you, and He has chosen
you above the world’s women.
O Mary, be obedient to your
Lord, and prostrate and bow
down [in worship].’ ” The Holy
Qur’an , Al-i Imran 42-43
Mary, the interlocutor to
angels
Indeed Islam has regarded women with great values.
In fact whereas women were
looked down upon in societies, the Holy Qur’an describes
women with high values, women can reach to a position
that they can talk to angels
of God. As the Holy Qur’an
says: “When the angels said,
‘O Mary, Allah gives you the
good news of a Word from Him
whose name is Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, distinguished
in the world and the Hereafter,
and one of those brought near
[to Allah].” The Holy Qur’an,
Al-i Imran 45-46
“We revealed to Moses’
mother, [saying], ‘Nurse him;
then, when you fear for him,
cast him into the river, and do
not fear or grieve, for We will
restore him to you and make
him one of the apostles.’ ” The
Holy Qur’an, Al-Qasas 7
“Thereupon he (that is the
angel Gabriel, or the baby Jesus, whom she was carrying
in the belly) called her from
below her [saying,] ‘Do not
grieve! Your Lord has made a
spring to flow at your feet.” The
Holy Qur’an, Maryam 24
In order to put the bulk of
accusations away from Virgin Mary, for she gave birth to
that child without a husband,
and to console her, the Holy
Qur’an says: “He will speak
to people in the cradle and in
adulthood, and will be one of
the righteous.” Al-i – Imran 46
Mary, is the guest of God
God will entertain Mary
during her pregnancy. As
we read in the Holy Qur’an:
“Shake the trunk of the palm
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tree, freshly picked dates will
drop upon you.” Maryam, 25
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Jesus is a servant of God
as the others are!
Christ’s birth without the father can never be a reason to
believe he is God, because the
creation of Adam was even
harder, since he did not even
have a mother.
The first word that Jesus said
after he was born was: “Indeed
I am a servant of Allah! He has
given me the Book and made
me a prophet. He has made
me blessed, wherever I may
be, and He has enjoined me
to maintain the prayer and
to [pay] the Zakat as long as
I live, and to be good to my
mother, and He has not made
me self- willed and wretched.” The Holy Qur’an, Maryam 3033 Trinity
According to the Holy Qur’an,
Trinity is considered as idolatry and blasphemy, and Jesus
himself has renounced it.
As the Holy Qur’an says:
“They are certainly faithless
Christ›s birth without
the father can never
be a reason to
believe he is God,
because the creation of Adam was
even harder, since
he did not even
have a mother.
who say, ‘Allah is the Messiah,
son of Mary.’ But the Messiah
had said, ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and
your Lord. Indeed whoever
ascribes partners to Allah, Allah shall forbid him [entry into]
paradise, and his refuge shall
be the Fire, and the wrongdoers will not have any helpers.’
They are certainly faithless
who say, ‘Allah is the third
[person] of a trinity.’ while there
is no god except the One God.
If they do not relinquish what
they say, there shall befall the
faithless among them a painful
punishment.” Al-Ma’idah 7273
They never killed or hanged
Jesus Christ, but by mistake
they hanged another man who
had similarity to him. Those
who argued about Jesus, they
themselves were in doubt
about their own beliefs, and
they were following some illusions and false ideas.
“And for their faithlessness,
and their uttering a monstrous
calumny against Mary, and
for their saying, ‘We killed
the Messiah, Jesus son of
Mary, the apostle of Allah’though they did not kill him
nor did they crucify him, but
so it was made to appear to
them. Indeed those who differ
concerning him are surely in
doubt about him: they do not
have any knowledge of that
beyond following conjectures,
and certainly they did not kill
him. Rather Allah raised him
up toward Himself, and Allah
is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” The
Holy Qur’an, Al-Nisa 156-158
But in a verse we read:
“When Allah said:”O Jesus,
I shall take you[r soul], and I
shall raise you up toward Myself, and I shall clear you of
[the calumnies of] the faithless, and I shall set those who
follow you above the faithless
until the Day of Resurrection.”
Al-i Imran 55
Jesus is mentioned about 33
times in the Holy Qur’an and
we Muslims hold Prophet Jesus (AS) in great reverence.
Woman in the Family
Compiled by: Fatimah Khaz’aii
As you know, a woman plays
various roles in the family. In the
previous issue, we discussed
her role regarding her parents
and also her role regarding her
husband. In this issue, you will
read about her role as a mother
in the family.
Woman and her children:
Undoubtedly children are a
source of great joy and delight;
they make life sweet, bring
more rizq into a family’s life and
give hope. Islam places responsibility on the shoulders of every
individual; not one person is left
out. Parents - especially mothers - are made responsible for
providing their children with a
solid upbringing and sound Is-
Part two
lamic education, based on the
noble characteristics that the
Prophet (PBUH) declared that
he had been sent to complete
and spread among people:
Motherhood is a long-term
duty. From the time the embryo
is formed in woman’s womb,
she begins raising the child
up to school time. Afterwards,
though the child is independent,
s/he is affected by the mother in
some way throughout the life. Of
course, mother’s evident role is
very important in the period of
breastfeeding and childhood.
During this long period, all aspects of the child’s personality
are shaped by the mother. In
fact, the child receives major
assets from the mother and his
future is formed accordingly. Educational situations, too, affect
the child in the same way as the
mother wishes. That is why Islam
has many recommendations to
mothers in pregnancy, delivery,
breastfeeding, and other periods. Physical guidelines such as
proper nutrition and mental relaxing ones should be followed.
All these aspects are effective
in motherhood and well-educating of children. This is the most
beautiful skill of woman; a skill
exclusively in her own hands.
As a result, in benevolent education and support of woman’s
rights, this great aspect of woman’s life should be considered,
not sacrificing it for other transitory social roles. The mottos
of freedom and equality should
not undermine this great mission of motherhood. All logical
scholars are concerned about
family issues and woman’s role
in family, so that the family does
not break up and woman plays
her role inside it. They are worried that woman accepts manly
responsibilities and forgets her
own mission; a mission greater
than manly works and imitating
the male gender.
The mother’s responsibility in bringing up the children
and forming their characters
is greater than that of the father, because children tend to
be closer to their mother and
spend more time with her; she
knows all about their behavioral, emotional and intellectual
development during their childhood and the difficult years of
adolescence.
Hence the woman who understands the teachings of Islam and her own educational
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role in life, knows her complete
responsibility for the upbringing
of her children, as is referred to
in the Qur’an: “O you who have
faith! Save yourselves and your
families from a Fire whose fuel
is people and stones . . .” The
Holy Qur’an, Al-Tahrim 6
The family home is a microcosm of society in which the
children’s mentality, intellect,
attitudes and inclinations are
formed when they are still very
small and are ready to receive
sound words of guidance.
Hence the parents’ important
role in forming the minds of their
sons and daughters and directing them towards truth and
good deeds is quite clear. Muslim women have always understood their responsibility in raising their children, and they have
a brilliant record in producing
and influencing great men, and
instilling noble values in their
hearts. There is no greater proof
of that than the fact that intelligent and brilliant women have
produced more noble sons than
have intelligent and brilliant
men, so much so that you can
hardly find any among the great
men of our ummah who have
controlled the course of events
in history who is not indebted to
his mother.
Understanding the psychology of her children and being
aware of their differences in attitudes and inclination is one of
the most important characteristics of a wise mother. She tries
to penetrate her children’s innocent world and plant the seeds
of noble values and worthy
characteristics, using the best
and most effective methods of
parenting.
A Wise Mother
* Is naturally close to her children, and she endears herself
to them so that they will be open
with her and will share their
thoughts and feelings with her.
She hastens to correct them
and refine their thoughts and
feelings, taking into account
each child’s age and mental
level. She plays and jokes with
them sometimes, complimenting them and letting them hear
words of love, affection, compassion and self-denial. Thus
their love for her increases,
and they will accept her words
of guidance and correction eagerly. They will obey her out of
love for her, for there is a great
difference between sincere
obedience that comes from the
heart, which is based on love,
respect and trust, and insincere
obedience that is based on oppression, violence and force.
The former is lasting obedience,
strong and fruitful, whilst the latter is shallow and baseless, and
will quickly vanish when the violence and cruelty reach extreme
levels.
* Treats all her children fairly
and equally. She understands
that children are a gift from Allah
and that Allah’s gift, be it of sons
or daughters, cannot be rejected or changed: “To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates
whatever He wishes; He gives
females to whomever He wishes; and gives males to whomever He wishes, or He combines
them males and females, and
makes sterile whoever He wishes. Indeed He is All-Knowing,
All-Powerful.” The Holy Qur’an,
Al-Shura 49-50
* She does not prefer one of
them over another in any way,
because she knows that Islam
forbids such actions on the part
of the parents, and because of
the negative psychological impact that this may have over the
child whose sibling is preferred
over him. The child who feels
that he is not treated equally
with his brothers and sisters
will grow up with complexes
and anxiety, eating his heart
out with jealousy and hatred. In
contrast, the child who grows up
feeling that he and his siblings
are treated equally will grow up
healthy and free from jealousy
and hatred; he will be content,
cheerful, tolerant and willing to
put others before himself.
This sound upbringing will fill
them with optimism, trust, hope
and proper ambition. Thus the
caring Muslim mother demonstrates her love and affection for
her children on every occasion,
flooding their lives with joy and
happiness and filling their hearts
with confidence and security.
* Is aware of things that may
have an influence on her children, she keeps her eyes open
as far as her children are concerned. She knows what they
are reading and writing, the
hobbies and activities they pursue, the friends they have chosen, and the places they go to in
their free time. She knows all of
this without her children feeling
that she is watching them. If she
finds anything objectionable in
their hobbies, reading-materials,
etc., or if she sees them hanging
around with undesirable friends,
or going to unsuitable places,
or taking up bad habits such as
smoking, or wasting time and
energy on haram games that
teach them to get used to trivialities, she hastens to correct her
children in a gentle and wise
manner, and persuades them
to return to the straightway. The
mother is more able to do this
than the father, because she
spends much more time with
the children, and they are more
likely to open up and share their
thoughts and feelings with her
than with their father. Hence it is
quite clear that the mother has
a great responsibility to bring up
her children properly and form
their characters in a sound fashion, in accordance with Islamic
principles, values and traditions.
Successful upbringing of children depends on a mother who
is alert and intelligent, and understands her responsibility towards her children, so that she
does a good job and raises children who will be a boon to their
parents and society in general.
Children would not become a
source of evil if their parents,
The wise Muslim
woman knows how
to reach her children’s hearts and
instill these worthy
qualities, using the
best and most effective methods, such
as setting a good
example, coming
down to their level,
treating them well,
encouraging them,
advising and correcting them, and
being compassionate, kind, tolerant,
loving, and fair.
especially the mother knew
their responsibility and took it
seriously.
* Tries hard to instill in her children’s hearts the best qualities,
such as loving others, upholding
the ties of kinship, caring for the
weak, respecting elders, showing compassion to little ones,
deriving satisfaction from doing
good, being sincere in word and
deed, keeping promises, judging fairly, and all other good and
praiseworthy characteristics.
The wise Muslim woman
knows how to reach her children’s hearts and instill these
worthy qualities, using the best
and most effective methods,
such as setting a good example, coming down to their level,
treating them well, encouraging
them, advising and correcting
them, and being compassionate, kind, tolerant, loving, and
fair. She is gentle without being
too lenient, and is strict without
being harsh. Thus the children
receive a proper upbringing,
and grow up open-minded, mature, righteous, sincere, good,
and able to give and prepared
to make a constructive contribution in all aspects of life. Not surprisingly, the Muslim mother’s
upbringing produces the best
results, for she is the first school
and the first teacher.
May Almighty Allah support all
modest women in playing their
crucial role in making a better
society for a better life! Amen.
Sources:
* Ideal Nowadays Muslim Woman,
By: Abbas Ramazani
* Defending the Women’s Rights,
By: Mohammad Hakimi
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Wisdoms behind the Islamic Decrees
Reza Yarjibadi
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No doubt, Divine commands
and prohibitions can, through using mind, reason and sciences,
be proven to be based on what
is good for us as human beings,
i.e. our Gracious Creator, being
aware of everything has commanded us to do what is good for
us and forbidden what is harmful. Here, we will briefly deal
with certain Islamic commands
and inhibitions and the wisdom
behind them. In verses 30 and
31 of Chapter 24 (Al- Noor) of
the Holy Qur’an, the faithful are
first commanded by Allah to
guard their eyes (against illegitimate, lustful looks). This Divine
decree which is followed by the
command to guard one’s private
parts (against illegitimate sex)
certainly reveals the fact that
to be pure and devoid of sexual misconducts, faithful women
and faithful men should primarily
mind their eyes and avoid forbidden looks. And from Allah’s last
and most perfect Messenger –
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) it
has been narrated that: “Gazing
(at non-Mahram) is a poisonous
arrow from Satan’s arrows.” Biharul-Anwar
Likewise, Prophet Muhammad ’s(PBUH) successor and
the most exalted pupil, Imam
Ali (AS), has been quoted: “A
gaze can be the seed of many
unlawful infatuations.” With the
advance of sciences, we can
now prove certain wisdoms
behind these and in fact every
other divine teaching more ef-
fectively. After comprehensive
researches, scientists have
found out that lustful looks and
gazes bring about certain harms
on one’s physical, mental and
emotional health and cause
various disorders in life including insomnia, nervousness and
loss of appetite and also push
(impious) men towards sadism
and the (impious) women towards masochism, among other health problems.
As for the Islamic teachings
on eating and drinking within limits, here we would like to
draw the esteemed attention of
the readers to verse 31 of Chapter 7 (A’raf) of the Holy Qur’an
in which Allah – The Wise has
commanded us to avoid extravagant consumption (of every-
thing). This Divine Command,
according to Qur’anic commentators includes the prohibition
of haram (forbidden) foods and
drinks too.
Regarding the harms caused
by eating and/or drinking too
much, many findings have so
far been presented by physicians and researchers including
gastronomical and heart diseases and kidney problems, plus of
course disorders in one’s mental
functions and loss of emotional
well-being.
As you probably know, gluttons are mostly lazy, dizzy and
lacking in intelligence and are
also more lustful (and hence
sex-obsessed) than people
who eat less. In this connection,
Imam Ali (AS) has been quoted
as saying: “Eating (and drinking) less
prevents many diseases.” There are
also many other wise sayings from the
Infallible (AS) regarding what to eat
and drink, how to eat and drink, how
much to eat and drink and…..
A particularly note-worthy useful
advice given by our Divine teachers
is that on using salt before and after
each meal. Imam Ali (AS) has said:
“Start your meals by eating (a little)
salt.” Likewise, Imam Sadiq (AS) has
quoted the Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam as having advised Imam Ali (AS),
thus: “O Ali! Start and end your meals
with salt, for the one who does so will
be immune from 72 afflictions including
insanity, leprosy and alphosis.”
Also, it has been narrated from the
Holy Prophet (PBUH) of Islam that
eating a little salt both before and after each meal removes the white and
black spots from one’s face. In this
connection, scientific researchers have
had a lot to say in proof of the truth and
wisdom behind such Divine teachings:
salt contains an acid which is the best
disinfectant, because no microbe can
grow in salt.
Also, in his book titled “Hygienic
Rules in Islam”, Dr. Tompanpance has
dealt with the good effects (on one’s
health) of eating salt before meals,
presenting certain medical findings in
this regard, including the fact that salt
removes the microbes from the mouth
in which many sorts of microbes can
develop, and that eating salt before
meals is a good help for one’s digestive system.
Regarding the desirable effects of
other Divine directions and teachings
including Ghusl and Wudhu there are
also certain scientific findings presented by researchers, of which the discussion will take many pages. So, here
we conclude the article by praying to
Allah – The Beneficent to illuminate our
hearts and minds with the knowledge
we need for our salvation. The Blessings
Ehsan Ghazneii
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Sure all of you have read and/ or heard some very interesting facts about the miraculous properties of fresh
fruits and vegetables. Certainly, you admit that they are
among great blessings Allah has bestowed upon us.
Here, we have selected, for your benefits, some material on the Qur’anic view on some of these blessings
such as: dates, olives, figs, bananas, pomegranates.
“It is He Who produces gardens trellised and without
trellises, and palm-trees and crops of diverse produce,
olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of
its fruits when it fructifies, and give its due on the day
of harvest, and do not be wasteful; indeed He does not
like the wasteful.” The Holy Qur’an, Al- Anam 141
“In the earth are neighboring terrains [of diverse kinds]
and vineyards, farms and date palms growing from the
same root and from diverse roots, [all] irrigated by the
same water, and We give some of them an advantage
over others in flavor. There are indeed signs in that for a
people who apply reason.” The Holy Qur’an, Al-Ra’d 4
“With it He makes the crops grow for you and olives,
date palms, vines, and fruits of all kinds. There is indeed
a sign in that for a people who reflect.” The Holy Qur’an,
Al-Nahl 11
“…and clustered spathes…” The Holy Qur’an,
Al-Waqiah 29
“ By the fig and the olive.” The Holy Qur’an, Al-Tin 1
“Shake the trunk of the palm tree, freshly picked dates
will drop upon you.” The Holy Qur’an, Maryam 25
continued from page 9
The active participation of
women in different realms and
areas showed that Islam provides the best form of protecting
women’s rights. As far as education is concerned, it should
be stated that the status of
women’s education has been
elevated up to a satisfactory position. The women’s deprivation
from education dates back to a
long time before, however, after
the revolution, women and girls
were provided with necessary
facilities for literacy and education.
Females’ education in preliminary and higher levels of education should receive a large
amount of consideration. The
result of various researches by
social scientists shows that in
recent years the enthusiasm
and zest for higher education
and success in scientific tests
has considerably increased.
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Women and Education
The key factor of societies’
development in different ages of
history as well as the evolution
and elevation of human beings
have always been due to mental and spiritual education and
pedagogy in scientific and professional grounds. Different societies in order to grow and develop in various aspects need to
be equipped with science, and
consequently all individuals in
society including both men and
women should be paid their deserved attention.
As a result of the emphasis
on the women’s education, they
gradually demanded the im-
provement of their status and
attaining some unfulfilled rights.
After the revolution, lots of efforts
were undertaken to improve
the status of women and some
of them did accept the key responsibilities of society, through
which the Iranian woman succeeded to reveal her abilities in
society and it was found out that
the issue of woman’s political
activity from Islam’s viewpoint
is not in contrast with renovating the contemporary Islamic
thoughts and the problems of
the Islamic society today cannot
be removed without the active
participation of women in reform
and development.
Education and the educational system is the outcome of a
society’s policies and strategies
in teaching and training from the
most preliminary to the highest levels of education; consequently the first step in optimally
utilizing all human forces and
eliminating illiteracy is providing
equal facilities and equipments
for the education of individuals
including both men and women. Women’s elevation and advancement in education is one
of the most important improvements and fulfillments of the Islamic Revolution.
Imam Khomeini not only does
not consider woman as a puppet for seduction, but he also
introduced woman as the origin
of all virtues and happiness and
he aimed to promote the society
using the capacities of women.
He thought of woman as a respectable and magnificent being on whom the happiness or
misery of the society depends.
A happy society, according to
Imam Khomeini, is a society in
which women are well educated
and trained in line with progress
and development. Woman is
not a secondary side-factor in
society; but she is the central
axis of the society. Imam Khomeini considered women as the
origin and commencement of
Iran’s revolutionary evolutions.
On the basis of his particular beliefs, Imam Khomeini did
broaden the horizon of women’s outlook and gave rise to the
women’s movement towards
perfection. Imam Khomeini’s
ideas and beliefs had a very
deep influence on women’s
culture, ideology and way of
thinking. Imam did teach them
that Islam aims at preserving
the women’s dignity. Consequently, women participated
in social roles while observing
Islamic dressing. They did not
think of Islamic dressing as violating their rights and in contrast
with their freedom. They actively participated in revolutionary
movements and caused all to
wonder and admire them.
Woman in Imam Khomeini’s Ideology
Upon the beginning of his
movement in 1960, Imam Khomeini paid special attention to
women and their significant
roles in social changes. In his
speeches in 1979, Imam Khomeini has put emphasis on
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some important issues dealing
with women:
1. Rejecting the idea of thinking of women as dolls: Imam
Khomeini stressed on the role
of woman in the society’s structure. Imam Khomeini believed
that ‘like men, women as human beings can share a role
and cooperation in constructing the society. Neither women
should degrade themselves nor
should men think of them as humiliated.
The active participation of women in
different realms and
areas showed that
Islam provides the
best form of protecting women’s rights.
As far as education
is concerned, it
should be stated
that the status of
women’s education
has been elevated
up to a satisfactory
position.
2. Rejecting the obsolete fossilized way of thinking about
women; stressing women’s dignity and respect, Imam Khomeini believed that: ‘Islam saved
women from the fossilized way
of thinking. Islam has served
women much higher than men.
Islam wants women to do as
much basic activities as men
do. Islam wants to preserve
woman’s dignity and honor.’
3. Stressing the role of women in forming the society; Imam
Khomeini believed that: ‘women
play a very substantial role in
forming the society. Islam promotes woman to such a high
degree that she can accept
serious responsibilities and undertakings in the structure of the
Islamic government.’
4. Islam’s special attention to
woman; In this part, Imam Khomeini elaborated on the positive approach of Islam towards
woman and its significance in
humane values. Imam Khomeini considered the presence
of woman in country’s basic ordainments as needed.
5. Stressing on the educational role of woman; ‘woman is a
human being; a great human
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Feb. 2017
being and the trainer of society.
Men are brought up by women. Happiness and misery of a
country depends on women.’
6. Stressing the role of Islam in
women’s guidance; Imam Khomeini believed that: ‘during the
previous regime, women were
suffering from much more agonies than they did in pre-Islam
period. In both periods women
were suffering and it was Islam
that saved them.’
7. Freedom in Selection; emphasizing the equality of men’s
and women’s rights, Imam Khomeini laid strong stress on the
legal freedom of women in all
social aspects. In an interview
with Al-Safir at the threshold
of Islamic Revolution, Imam
Khomeini uttered that women
should be free in selecting, being selected, thinking, educating
as well as working in every kind
of economic activity.’
Therefore, Imam Khomeini
rejected the current view and
negative propaganda that Islam
will isolate women, and this new
approach encouraged women
to retrieve themselves and their
standpoints.
Imam Khomeini put strong
emphasis on the key role of
women before and after the
revolution as an important strategy and consequently focused
attention on cultural activities
Females’ education in
preliminary and higher
levels of education
should receive a large
amount of consideration. The result of
various researches
by social scientists
shows that in recent
years the enthusiasm and zest for
higher education and
success in scientific
tests has considerably
increased.
related to women. Qods Newspaper, “The Status of Woman”,
Vol. 2003, p.12
Imam Khomeini’s Approach
towards Woman’s Social Cooperation
From
Imam
Khomeini’s
speeches and writings during
the first two decades of the
Islamic Revolution, it can be
found out that he owned a positive approach to women’s social
and political collaboration. After
the Islamic Revolution, Imam
Khomeini has stressed the significant role of women as well
as their vital cooperation during
the holy defense. In one of his
speeches on women’s freedom,
Imam Khomeini has enunciated
that: “Women are free in the Islamic society. They are not prevented from entering university
or administrations or the parliaments. What is forbidden is
ethical immorality against which
men and women are equal and
it is prohibited for both of them.”
Imam Khomeini’s ideas and
viewpoints expressed during
and after the establishment of
the Islamic Republic system on
the women’s cooperation is a
milestone and turning point in
the topics related to this important issue. According to Imam
Khomeini: ‘as far as human
rights are concerned, there is
no difference between man and
woman in that both are human
beings and woman, like man,
has the right to determine her
fate. In some cases there are
differences between men and
women and it is related to their
human prestige and status.’
Rah e Imam az Kalam e Imam,
Zan, Ministry of Islamic Guidance, p.11
Imam Khomeini also emphasizes that: ‘woman should possess equal rights with those of
man. Islam has stressed the
equality of men’s and women’s rights in determining their
fates. This means that they both
should enjoy all kinds of freedom. They should be free in selecting, being selected, thinking,
educating as well as working in
every kind of economic activity.’
Imam Khomeini frequently encouraged women to participate
in elections; “What I feel necessary to notify is the participation
of brave revolutionary women in
the referendum. Women who,
beside men and even more
than men, had a vital role in the
Islamic revolution should notice
that in their voting to the Islamic
Republic today are playing their
roles in constructing the country and this is the meaning of
free women and free men.” For
more info. refer to ‘woman from
Imam Khomeini’s viewpoints’.
In another speech, Imam Khomeini says: ‘There are different
During the Islamic
Revolution, Iranian
women revealed
that the Iranian
Muslim women do
participate in all
social and political
arenas and their
religious beliefs do
not forbid them to
collaborate in social
activities.
rules and principles related to
men and women. Some orders
are specific to men, and some
orders are specific to women.
This does not mean that Islam
has differentiated between men
and women.” P.149
As far as social activities are
concerned, women should participate in the country’s substantial affairs. This does not mean
that women should isolate
themselves in their houses.
In his will, Imam Khomeini
addressed women and called
them to participate in cultural
and economic as well as military arenas for fulfilling Islam
and the holy Quran’s goals.
The supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution, on different
occasions, has emphasized the
women’s participation and cooperation in social and political
aspects. Zan Annually (Tehran;
the presidential office of women’s affairs)
“Islam desires woman to get
the highest levels of mental political and scientific growth….
we, on the basis of the supreme
trainings of Islam, believe that
in each human society, women
are obliged to do their bests for
the social and political growth
and they should accept responsibilities and prepare the
required opportunities.” Zan e
Rooz, Vols. 1437 & 1438
As it can be found out, Imam
Khomeini considers women’s
social participation quite legal
if it is in line with Islamic rules
and standards. Moreover, he
has considered women’s political participation as mandatory: “woman should participate
in Islamic ordainments. As you
used to play an active role in
social movements, you should
maintain your collaboration and
provide your share in the victory
and do not forget that whenever needed, you should rise and
demonstrate.”
In general, from Imam Khomeini’s speeches and lectures
it can be found out that he regarded women’s education,
participation in political affairs,
business and economic activities quite legal and according to
Islam’s emphasis and assertion.
During the Islamic Revolution,
Iranian women revealed that
the Iranian Muslim women do
participate in all social and political arenas and their religious
beliefs do not forbid them to
collaborate in social activities.
They proved that while observing their honesty and chastity,
they can change the history.
References:
Tehran e Emrooz Newspaper,
Aa’zam Bahrami Tatmaj, “Women’s Role in the
Islamic Revolution”
Fatemeh Mo’meni, “Women in the Contemporary History”
37
No. 314
Feb. 2017
The Fragrance of the Beloved (God)
By: Imam Khomeini (RA)
38
No. 314
Feb. 2017
We are unaware that we are all in love with Him.
That is all lovingly everywhere for Him!
Heedless of both worlds, we still need to know,
That we are thirsty to drink from His Cup of Love
We all reside at the threshold of the House of Love,
From the beginning of life we longed to be there
Every fragrance we smell is from His (God’s ) Garden,
It is the fragrance of the Beloved (God)
That we all desire to smell.
There is no beauty and beautiful but Him,
It is just out of longing for Him that we all argue.
Unaware of the fact that what we wander about for,
Is so close to us, face to face, embracing us.
I said: “I feel so lonely.”
You said: “….I am indeed nearmost….”
(Al-Baqarah, 186)
I said: “You are always near, but I am faraway…. I wish! I were near You…”
You said: “And remember your Lord
within your heart beseechingly and reverentially, without being loud, morning and
evening and do not be among the heedless.” (Al- A’raf, 205)
I said: “This too requires Your help.”
You said: “…Do you not love that Allah
should forgive you? And Allah is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.” (Al-Nur, 22)
40
No. 314
Feb. 2017