Imam Khomeini will be remembered at the 30th Anniversary Celebrations

By Saybhan Samat

(February 03, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) February 10th, 2009, marks the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution of Iran and presently this day is designated as the National Day of Iran. 30 years indeed is a long time and this sacred country has gone through turbulent times to achieve its present state of stability.

Iran has now emerged as the regional power in the middle-east and is a powerful and influential player on the world stage, not second to any of the other nations. Only a few days ago, President Ahamadinejad refused to have talks with President Obama unless the US apologized for all crimes it perpetrated against Iran in the last 60 years. Indeed it was Iran that was calling the shots, much to the chagrin of the super-power US.

In a space of 30 years the progress and development in Iran are unbelievable. This progress, development and leap forward was entirely due to the determined efforts of a theologian who guided by the Holy Quran stamped the struggle to overthrow the Shah, a stooge of the US. The struggle involved, persecution, incarceration, death to his followers, torture and exile. Imam Khomeini returned to Iran from exile 11th February 1979, triumphant and in splendor of glory to establish the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Islamic Revolution in Iran was by its very nature, a religious movement. It’s main aim was to restore the forgotten relationship between man and God as defined in the Holy Quran and explained in the traditions of the Prophet (S). Its leader was multi-talented with a strong, unbending resolute personality, a man who had developed his faculties in several fields. He was commentator and interpretator of the Quran, a jurist, a statesman, a theologian, a philosopher, a poet and above all a mystic.

Irfan (Islamic mysticism) was dominiant in the Imam’s many sided personality, so much so that all other aspects of his life was coloured by his mystical (Irfani) approach towards Islam. In this sense it can be said that in order to understand the Imam’s character, his methods for achieving goals, and his stands on issues be they political, social, moral or cultural was coloured by his mystical views..

Imam Khomeini elaborated his theory of Islam in such a coherent way that his views concerning jurisprudential issues, theological doctrines, political conceptions and mystical interpretation were consistent with the Shariah.

One can see how the theory of Vilayat-e-Faqih ( the guardianship of the jurist) stems from the mystical notion of Vilayat and how the two are direct corollaries of mystical interpretation of the Quran and its traditions.

Before Imam’s mystical views on his political conception are explored his departure from the traditional life of the Muslim mystics who lived earlier and during his times must be studied in the light of the authentic traditions for the Prophet (S). For a long time Muslim mystics and theologians were apolitical, Imam Khomeini using his mystic approach politicized Islam and pronounced Vilayat-e-Faqih ( the guardianship of the Jurists)

At most, mystics and devout theologians only accomplish the first three parts of four part spiritual journey. The journeys according to mullah Sadra in the four Journey’s consists of :-

(1) The journey from the material, fleeting life unto God with God.

(2) The journey into God with God

(3) The journey from God back to the material world with God

(4) The journey in the material world with God.

The first three parts are exclusively personal, a theologian or mystic

travels alone and accomplishes his unitary experiences according to his capacity and his endeavor. Indeed in all 3 stages, the traveler must cut himself off from his surroundings, keep himself in isolation, and be sure that his period of asceticism (zuhud), self – contemplation, and self discipline is not violated by any outside intrusion.

These parts are covered by some theologians, all mystics and all Prophets alike, although the types of unitary experiences in these stages differ in depth and comprehensiveness for each individual. Only the Prophets go through the last phase and complete the circle. Allama Iqbal wrote “ The Prophet’s return is creative. He returns to insert himself into the sweep of time with a view to control the forces of history, and thereby creates a fresh world of ideals. A Prophet may be defined as a type of mystic consciousness in which unitary experience tends to overflow its boundaries and seeks opportunities of redirecting or refashioning the force of collective life.

In his “ Reconstruction of Religions Thought in Islam” Allama Iqbal of Lahore, Pakistan refers to an important difference between the consciousness of Muslim mystics and that of the Prophet (S). Iqbal quotes the great Muslim saint Abdul Uddus of Gangoh, “Muhammad of Arabia ascended the highest heaven and returned I swear by God that if I had reached that point, I should never have returned.” Iqbal goes on to explain that the mystics do not wish to return from the repose of “ unity experience” and even when they do return, as they must, their return does not mean much for mankind at large. Imam Khomeini’s irfan or mystical practice was in line with the unique journey, entering an active socio-political life. Imam Khomeini though not a Prophet faithfully followed the Prophetic tradition of socio-political life as the supreme political leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran from 1979 to 1989 and left a glorious legacy for his supporters to follow.

On the National Day of Iran on 10th February 2009, hundreds of thousands of Iranians will flock to his mausoleum to pray for this great-man and supplicate to God Almighty to bestow on their Imam His choicest blessing.. Amidst the celebrations that lasts from the 1st to the 10th of February Iranians will time and again mention the name of Imam Khomeini in their speeches and conversations. Even today at his mausoleum men, women and children who were present when the Imam himself was living will weep, while they pray for him. The National Day of Iran always turn out to be a remembrance day of the late and great Imam Ruhollah Al-Musawi-Al-Khomeini. -Sri Lanka Guardian