A magazine on Islamic Revival

Islamic
awakening

Muhammad
Abduh’s
Life

2

Muhammad Abduh’s Thoughts

7

Islamic Awakening:
From Wave to Power
Paradigm

14

Leader: The Present
Era Is an Era of
Awakening

23

Islamic
Awakening
in the
Quranic
Teachings

26

The Ideal of the Islamic
Revolution: Identification and
Awakening of the Muslim World

34

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2

Islamic
awakening

No. 9, December 2013

Muhammad
Abduh’s Life
Compiled by Ibrahim Ali Khani

T
Abduh attended
the Mosque School
in Tanta and
subsequently alAzhar University
in Cairo, receiving
the degree of alim
(scholar) from the
latter in 1877.
After an early
infatuation with
mysticism, in 1872
he was influenced
by Jamaladdin
Assadabdi, the
revolutionary panIslamic preacher
of Persian origin
who had settled
in Cairo and
who stimulated
Abduh’s interest
in theology,
philosophy, and
politics.

he Egyptian reformer
and Muslim apologist
Muhammad Abduh was
born in 1849, Nile Delta area,
Egypt and passed away on July
11, 1905, near Alexandria. He
was a religious scholar, jurist,
and liberal reformer, who led the
late 19th-century movement in
Egypt and other Muslim countries
to revitalize Islamic teachings
and institutions in the modern
world. As mufti (Islamic legal
counsellor) for Egypt (from
1899), he effected reforms in
Islamic law, administration, and
higher education and, although
resisted by conservatives, broke
the rigidity of some ritual and
dogma.
Abduh attended the Mosque
School in Tanta and subsequently
al-Azhar University in Cairo,
receiving the degree of alim
(scholar) from the latter in
1877. After an early infatuation
with mysticism, in 1872 he
was influenced by Jamaladdin
Assadabdi, the revolutionary panIslamic preacher of Persian origin
who had settled in Cairo and who
stimulated Abduh’s interest in
theology, philosophy, and politics.
Although he was a pupil and
friend of Jamaladdin Asadabadi
and deeply influenced by
him, Abduh was less inclined
to political activism and
concentrated on religious, legal
and educational reform.
In punishment for his political
activities, Assadabadi was

expelled from Egypt in 1879
and Abduh was exiled to his
village, but the next year Abduh’s
fortunes changed. He became
editor of the government’s
official gazette, which he made a
platform for preaching resistance
to Anglo-French political
encroachment and the need for
social and religious reform. He
was implicated in Urabi Pasha’s
rebellion against foreign control
in 1882 and, following the British
military occupation of Egypt,
was exiled. Rejoining Assadabadi
in Paris for several months in
1884, Abduh helped his mentor
publish the revolutionary journal
al- Urwat alwuthqa (“The Firmest
Bond”), which was smuggled to
Egypt, India, and elsewhere.
After brief visits to England and
Tunisia, Abduh settled for three
years in Beirut and taught in an
Islamic college there.
In 1888 Abduh was permitted
to return to Egypt, where he
began a judicial career that
spanned the rest of his life. He
was appointed a judge in the
National Courts of First Instance,
then in 1891 at the Court of
Appeal; in 1899, he became mufti
of Egypt. In the latter post he
effected several reforms in the
administration of Islamic law
and of religious endowments.
He also issued advisory opinions
to private petitioners, including
such controversially liberal
judgments as the permissibility
of eating meat slaughtered by

Islamic
awakening

No. 9, December 2013

ar

zh
Al-A

3

ity

ers
v
i
n
U

Christian and Jewish butchers.
Abduh also lectured at al-Azhar
and, against much conservative
opposition, induced reforms
in the administration and
curriculum of that ancient
institution. He established a
benevolent society that operated
schools for poor children.
He served on the Legislative
Council, preaching political
cooperation with Britain and a
long-term effort to bring about
legal and educational reforms
in Egypt; these views, differing
markedly from those he had
espoused earlier in life under
Assadabadi’s influence, earned
him the approval of Lord Cromer,
the British Resident, but also
the hostility of the khedive
(ruling prince) Abbas Hilmi and
of the nationalist leader Mustafa
Kamil. Late in life Abduh learned

French and pursued an interest in
European thought.

Achievements

In addition to his numerous
articles in the official gazette
and al-Urwat al-wuthqa, Abduh’s
most important writings included
Risalat at-tawhid (“Treatise
on the Oneness of God”); a
polemic on the superiority of
Islam in its inherent receptivity
to science and civilization; and
a fragmentary commentary on
the Quran, completed after his
death by a disciple. In theology
Abduh sought to establish
the harmony of reason and
revelation, the freedom of the
will, and the primacy of the
ethical implications of religious
faith over ritual and dogma. He
deplored the blind acceptance of
traditional doctrines and customs

and asserted that a return to the
pristine faith of the earliest age
of Islam not only would restore
the Muslims’ spiritual vitality but
would provide an enlightened
criterion for the assimilation of
modern scientific culture.
In matters of Islamic law,
which governed Muslim family
relationships, ritual duties, and
personal conduct, Abduh tried
to break through the rigidities of
scholastic interpretation and to
promote considerations of equity,
welfare, and common sense,
even if this occasionally meant
reinterpretation of the literal
texts of the Quran. From his
death to the present day, Abduh
has been widely revered as the
chief architect of the modern
reformation of Islam.
Ibrahim Ali Khani is a PhD
student at Pune University, India.

4

Islamic
awakening

Renaissance
of Political

Islam
By: Ahmad F. Islam

No. 9, December 2013

No. 9, December 2013

Islamic
awakening

A

bduh favorably embrace
the ideas of modernity,
which principally geared
to the advancement of Muslim
society. The basic foundation
of modern ideal proposed
by him was largely grounded
in rationalism, liberalism,
nationalism and universalism of
Islam. “Abduh believed the rigid
structures of Islamic culture were
holding back what was essentially
a logical and fluid religion.”
The practice of Islam is
essentially rooted in ontological
premise of rational and logical
truth and its teaching is lucid and
clear for common understanding
and comprehension. He crafted
essential framework for reform
clamoring for change and
“advocating a more modern
conception of Islam”, making
significant effort to enlighten
classical tradition and ideas. The
struggle represents his ground for
revival of Islamic ideals in modern
society, and the expansion of
freedom and the renaissance of
political Islam.
Abduh advocated the necessity
to accept modernity founded in
Islamic construct and civilization,
for “it is only as Islam is reformed
to agree with modern conditions,
it is believed, that its true
character as a world religion
will be apparent.”(C.C. Adams,
204). Abduh’s modern ideals and
inspirations can be seen from
various impacts he made in the
field of tafsir (exegesis), hadith
(tradition), philosophy, science,
‘aqidah (Islamic theology),
traditional ruling and commentary
and modern Islamic movement, as
clearly mentioned by Muhammad
Asad in his explanation of the
Qur’an: “His importance in the
context of the modern world of
Islam can never be sufficiently
stressed. It may be stated
without exaggeration that every
single trend in contemporary

5
Islamic thought can be traced
back to the influence, direct or
indirect, of this most outstanding
of all modern Islamic thinkers.
The Qur’an commentary planned
and begun by him was interrupted
by his death in 1905; it was
continued (but unfortunately
also left incomplete) by his
pupil Rashid Rida under the title
Tafsir al-Manar, and has been
extensively used by me.”
Abduh’s formidable work in
espousing his modernist ideas
is Tafsir al-Manar, his greatest
legacy and contribution in
exposing modern and rational
interpretation of the Qur’an.
Abduh “believed that it was not
only possible but imperative to
show how “modern” values and
institutions could be reconciled
with authentically Islamic ideals.”
His inclusivity in taking “more
conciliatory and evolutionary
approach” characterized his
worldview and principle outlook
of modernism, with strong
conviction that adopting the
Western ideals will liberate
the Muslim from stagnation,
decadence and backwardness,
leading the ways to reap the
benefit of science and technology.

Modern Reform Movement
Inaugurated by Abduh

Muhammad Abduh is the
first advocate and pioneer
of Islamic reform in Egypt
and a great modernist of the
20th century with immense
contribution in the revival and
reform of Islamic intellectual
thought and movement. The
principle characteristic of reform
movement inaugurated by
Abduh was chiefly determined
by three individuals, “who
are chiefly responsible for
this movement”: Jamal al-Din
Assadabadi, Muhammad Abduh
and Muhammad Rashid Rida.
They have direct influence

6

Islamic
awakening
in the reform plan, and determine to
furnish significant and vital influence
to realize its objective, sharing the
common platform and commitment to:
(1) reproduce the genuine and most
characteristic of religious ideas, in its
inward and outward form; (2) reform
the religious conception of Islam and
revive the religious practices and beliefs
of the Muslims of to-day; (3) emphasis
upon the direct study and exegesis of the
Qur’an rather than the ponderous tomes
of theology, in order that faith might
be derived from its proper source (4)
to bring the dogmas of theology within
the comprehension of the common
people; (5) fight against the bid‘ah and
corruption of to-day; (6) reclaimed
the right of independent investigation
(ijtihad) and went back to first sources
and principles in everything.
The idea of reform has been
germinated and magnified from his
encounter with Europe, and the dynamic
influence he received from the leading
exponent of Pan Islam, Jamal al-din
Assadabadi. (Youssef Michael 1985, 54)
Assadabadi, the revivalist and great
reformist from Asadabad, was described
as “the Socrates of the (modernist)
movement” (Zaki Badawi 1978, 7) and
the “Awakener of the East”, seeks to
integrate the entire ummah and to
revive and crafted the political destiny
of Islam.
During his campaign in Egypt, India,
Sudan, Iran and Istanbul he called for
social reform and independent thinking
and the dismantling of taqlid (blind
following or emulation) which has been
pervasive in the traditional norms of
Muslim society. Assadabadi violently
critic the colonial agenda in the East,
as stated in his famous and momentous
journal, al-‘Urwatul-Wuthqa: “The
English deny the wealth of India to the
Indians. They take it as their own simply
because the Indians are weaker than
themselves.” He also rejected the notion
of European
supremacy, and the notorious tactic
of imperialist to control the sources
and wealth of the conquered land,
by their deceitful propaganda and

No. 9, December 2013

machinery: “All the scientific gains and
whatever good these (Western) nations
(civilizations) have, if weighed against
the wars and sufferings they cause,
the scientific gains would undoubtedly
prove to be too little and the wars and
sufferings too great. Such a progress,
civilization and science in this fashion
and with these results are undiluted
ignorance, sheer barbarism and total
savagery. Man in this respect is lower
than animal.” (Ana Belen Soage 2008,
1). Abduh was greatly influenced by
Assadabadi’s profound aspiration, and
became his arduous supporter and
student, trying to emulate his voice and
character, and expanding his effort and
struggle. Abduh’s world of socio-political
activism has broaden his philosophical
enquiry to embrace philosophy, theology,
law, social and political science and
mysticism, which strengthen his resolve
to reinterpret classical Islamic text and
espoused radical change and reform
in al-Azhar. This was partly inspired
by the creative and dynamic ideas of
Assadabadi, in instilling and proclaiming
to his students, “the urgency of resisting
European intervention in the life of
their country and the importance of
seeing the Islamic peoples as one unified
community.”
Ahmad F. Ismail is a member of
Kulliyyah of Engineering, International
Islamic University Malaysia.

References

Adams, Charles. C. 1929. Mohammed
Abduh: The Reformer, Moslem World,
xix, Jan, 266. Adams, C. C. 2010. Islam
and Modernism in Egypt: A Study of the
Modern Reform MovementInaugurated
by Muhammad ‘Abduh. Kuala Lumpur:
Islamic Book Trust.
Ana Belen Soage. 2008. “Rashid Rida’s
Legacy” The Muslim World. vol. 28.
The Open Press.
Youssef, Michael. 1985. Revolt Against
Modernity: Muslim Zealots and the West.
Leiden, The Netherlands: E.J. Brills.
Zaki Badawi. 1978. The Reformers of
Egypt: A Critique of al-Afghani, ‘Abduh
and Ridha. N.p.:

No. 9, December 2013

Islamic
awakening

7

Muhammad Abduh’s Thoughts
By Neal Robinson

A

bduh’s best-known
writings are a theological
tareatise, Risalat altawhid (translated into English as
The Theology of Unity), and an
unfinished Quranic commentary,
Tafsir al-manar (The Manar
Commentary), on which he
collaborated with Rashid Rida.
One of the key themes of these
works is that since modernity is
based on reason, Islam must be
compatible with it. But Abduh’s
‘modernism’ went hand in hand
with returning to an idealized
past, and his ‘rationalism’ was
tempered by a belief in divine
transcendence which limits the
scope of intellectual inquiry. In
ethics as in theology, he regarded
the classical debates as arid and
divisive, although on the issues
of free will and moral law his
position was in fact similar to
that of the Mu’tazila.

Faith and Reason

Abduh trained as an alim

(religious scholar) at al-Azhar
where, under Seyed Jamal’s
influence, he developed an
interest in Islamic philosophy
and a revulsion for traditional
teaching methods which
encouraged taqlid, the
acceptance of received opinion
in certain religious issues. The
rational liberalism which he
imbibed from Seyed Jamal was,
however, only one facet of his
thought. In his youth he was
drawn to Sufism and, despite his
subsequent attacks on popular
superstition, he seems never to
have lost his respect for those
who in some conditions ‘have
access in part to the ultimate
mysteries and true insights into
the visionary world’ (Risalat
al-tawhid, in Musaad and Cragg
1966: 97) (see Mystical philosophy
in Islam). A third influence - the
one which is dominant in the
Risalat al-tawhid (The Theology
of Unity) and the Tafsir al-manar
(The Manar Commentary) - is that

of Hanbalite teachings. Abduhhad
an unrest desire to purify Islam
of later accretions and return
to the essentials of the faith as
practiced by the first generations
of Muslims.
Abduh believed that Islam was
the one true religion based on
reason and revelation, but that
in the course of time some of
Islamic teachings had become
distorted by various extrinsic
factors. For instance, whereas
the Quran fosters the scientific
spirit by directing man to inquire
rationally into the workings
of the universe, the Islamic
philosophers had uncritically
accepted the theories of matter
and physics propounded by Plato
and Aristotle, with the result
that the Islamic world had come
to lag behind Europe in science
and technology. His rejection
of Greek philosophy in favor of
modern science was, however,
only partial. He accepted the
distinction between necessary

8

being, possible things and
impossible things, using it to
prove the existence of God. He
also accepted the distinction
between essences and accidents,
arguing that reason gives us
knowledge of the latter but
not of the former. A corollary
of this is that it is pointless for
theologians to argue about the
divine attributes because we
cannot know their nature.

Ethics

On the issue of free will versus
predestination, Abduh’s starting
point is the recognition that the
man of sound mind is conscious of
acts which stem from his volition:

Islamic
awakening

He weighs them and their
consequences in his mind and
evaluates them in his will, and
then effectuates them by an
inward power. To deny any of this
would be tantamount to a denial
of his existence itself, so opposed
would it be to rational evidence.
(Risalat al-tawhid, in Musaad and
Cragg 1966: 62)
However, Abduh is equally
insistent that all events in the
world are ordered by God in
accordance with his knowledge
and will.
In discussing the moral law,
Abduh again begins with an
appeal to common sense, arguing
that we have no difficulty in

No. 9, December 2013

recognizing our voluntary actions
as good or bad in themselves or
by reference to their particular
or general consequences.
In matters of right and
wrong, rational proof will not
obviate conflict because people
differ in intelligence, the
vast majority being unable to
understand Platonic philosophy
or Aristotelian logic. Moreover,
because of its stress on God’s
pleasure and wrath, religion has
a greater impact on ordinary folk
than the moralist’s claim that
some acts are beneficial and
others harmful. In any case there
are some elements of the Quranic
revelation which could not be

No. 9, December 2013
known by unaided reason. These
include the certainty of the
afterlife, and the various ritual
prescriptions.
All this is far-removed from
the traditional Asharite position.
It is possible that here Abduh
was influenced by Mu’tazilism
as mediated by Seyed Jamal’s
thoughts based in Shi’ism, or
less probably that we should
detect the influence of Kantian
philosophy. There seems little
doubt, however, that his ethical
thinking was molded by the needs
of apologetics. This is particularly
clear in his essay on Islam and
Christianity, in which he replied
to Hanotaux, a French cabinet
minister who had contrasted
the Semitic mentality of Islam
- with its transcendentalism,
predestinarianism and contempt
for individuals - with the Aryan
humanism of Christianity, which
through the Trinity raised human
dignity to that of God.

List of Works

Abduh, M. (1874) Risalat
al-waridat (Treatise of Mystical
Inspirations), Cairo.
Abduh, M. (1876) Hashiyya
ala sharh al-Dawwani li ‘l-aqa’id
al-adudiyya (Gloss on Dawwani’s
Commentary on the Sentences of
Adud al-Din al-Iji), Cairo.
Abduh, M. (1897) Risalat altawhid (The Theology of Unity),
Cairo; trans. I. Musaad and K.
Cragg, The Theology of Unity,
London: George Allen & Unwin,
1966. (One of Abduh’s major
works on philosophical theology.)
Abduh, M. (1902) al-Islam
wa-’l-nasraniyya maa al-’ilm
wa ‘l-madaniyya (Islam and
Christianity in Relation to Science
and Civilization), Cairo.
Abduh, M. and Rida, M.R.
(1927-36) Tafsir al-Quran alhakim (Commentary on the Wise
Quran), Cairo. (Commentary on
the Wise Quran usually referred

Islamic
awakening

9

to as Tafsir al-manar because it
originally appeared in instalments
in the journal al-Manar).

References

Abu Rabi, I. (1996) ‘The Arab
World’, in S.H. Nasr and O.
Leaman (eds) History of Islamic
Philosophy, London: Routledge,
ch. 64, 1082-1114. (Detailed
description of the various ways in
which modern Arabic philosophy
has responded to the issues of
modernity and Westernization.)
Adams, C.C. (1933) Islam and
Modernism in Egypt, London:
Oxford University Press. (Classic
work, unsurpassed despite its
early date.)
Amin, O. (1944) Muhammad
Abduh essai sur les idées
philosophiques et religieuses
(Muhammad Abduh, Essay on
his Philosophical and Religious
Ideas), Washington, DC. (English
translation of the standard Arabic
biography.)
Badawi, M.A.Z. (1978) The
Reformers of Egypt, London:
Croom Helm. (Critical analysis by
an Egyptian scholar of the views
of al-Afghani, Abduh and Rida.)
Hourani, A. (1983) Arabic Thought
in the Liberal Age 1798-1939,
Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press. (Devotes only thirty pages
specifically to Abduh, but strongly
recommended for anyone who
wishes to situate his work in its
historical context.)
Jomier, J. (1954) Le
commentaire coranique du
Manar: tendances modernes de
l’exégèse coranique en Égypte
(The Manar Commentary on
the Quran: Modern Trends in
Quranic Exegesis in Egypt),
Paris: Maisonneuve. (Painstaking
thematic analysis of the Quranic
commentary by a French
Dominican; particularly valuable
because of the way in which it
distinguishes between the views
of Abduh and Rida.)

It is possible that
Abduh was influenced
by Mu’tazilism as
mediated by Seyed
Jamal’s thoughts
based in Shi’ism, or
less probably that
we should detect the
influence of Kantian
philosophy. There
seems little doubt,
however, that his
ethical thinking was
molded by the needs
of apologetics. This
is particularly clear
in his essay on Islam
and Christianity, in
which he replied to
Hanotaux, a French
cabinet minister who
had contrasted the
Semitic mentality
of Islam - with its
transcendentalism,
predestinarianism
and contempt for
individuals - with the
Aryan humanism of
Christianity, which
through the Trinity
raised human dignity
to that of God.

10

Islamic
awakening

No. 9, December 2013

Gender

Equality
A

By Abdi O. Shuriye

bduh is a strong
advocate of women’s
rights. His struggle
for the “education of women
and reforms on their behalf”
(Charles Adams, 232) had
significant impact on many great
Muslim idealists and reformists
such as Zainal Arifin Abbas,
(Azyumardi Azra 2002, 184-5)
Qasim Amin (1863-1908), Zainal
Abidin Ahmad (1895-1973),
Syed Sheikh Ahmad al-Hadi
(1867-1934), Syeikh Muhammad
Tahir Jalaluddin (1869-1956)

and others. Abduh’s principal
struggle was to correct “the
misconceptions of the status of
women among Muslim society”
(zanariah Noor, 2007) and reform
the law relating to Egyptian
family life, emancipation of
woman, and uplifting their
status and rights. (Charles
Adams, 232). He maintained that
“men and women are equal in
rights and duties; they are also
equal in reason, feelings and
sense of self.” Many influential
fatwa (legal opinion) issued

No. 9, December 2013
by Abduh in Fatawa al-Manar
(Charles Adams, 205) confirm
and strengthen this notion
whene “he spoke out strongly
for family reform and the rights
of women”, championing issues
regarding the status and position
of women, and espoused his
stand on polygamy’s issues, and
propose rulings to enhance the
position of women in politics
and society. (Zanariah Noor
2007).
Abduh also spoke relentlessly
about the nature of Islamic
feminism which he distinguished
from the Western-style
feminism. It was a genuine
framework based on ‘Islamic
model’ which he ideally
constructed according to the
spirit of the Quran and Sunnah.
His struggle to uphold the right
of women was meticulously
propounded by Dr. Ahmad Farouk
Musa in his article entitled
‘Feminism through the lens of
Islamists’: “It was in the late
19th and early 20th centuries
that the struggle for what is
known as feminism started in the
Muslim world. And it was from
the work of one exceptionally
brilliant man that this movement
had spread across the Muslim
continents and reached the
shores of our country. This
exceptional man was Muhammad
Abduh.” (Farouk Musa,2011).
Abduh advocates thorough
reform in legal sphere, which
affects the rights of Muslim
women. He consistently
upheld the dignity and equal
rights of women and man and
maintained that polygamy “was
only permissible when equal
justice and impartiality were
guaranteed.” He concluded that
considering the impossibility
of achieving this, the Qur’anic
ideal must be monogamy. This
was practically consistent with

Islamic
awakening
the text’s highest and ultimate
aim to preserve equality. It was
a significant moral foundation of
the Qur’an, which he skillfully
articulated in Tafsir al-Manar:
“God has ordained that the basis
of His legislation (concerning
marriage) is the condition that
one keep far from injustice. This
confirms the fact that justice
is enjoined as a condition and
that duty consists in thriving
for it. Polygamy is like one of
those necessities which are
permitted to the one to whom
it is allowed (only) with the
stipulation that he act fairly with
trustworthiness and that he is
immune from injustice. In view
of this restriction, when one
now considers what corruption
results from polygamy in modern
times, then one will know for
certain that people cannot be
trained so that their remedy lies
in polygamy, since, in a family
which a single man has two
wives; no beneficial situation
and no order prevails.” (Farouk,
2011).
Abdi O. Shuriye is a member
of Kulliyyah of Engineering,
International Islamic University
Malaysia.
References
Azyumardi Azra. 2002.
Jaringan Global dan Lokal Islam
Nusantara. Bandung: Mizan.
Adams, Charles. C. 1929.
Mohammed ‘Abduh: the
Reformer, Moslem World, xix,
Jan, 266.
http://en.harakahdaily.net/
index.php/columnist/ahmadfarouk-musa/388-feminismthrough-thelens-of-islamists.
html.
Zanariah Noor. 2007. “Gender
Justice and Islamic Family Law”,
Kajian Malaysia, 40:4, 512517.

11
Abduh also spoke
relentlessly about
the nature of Islamic
feminism which he
distinguished from
the Western-style
feminism. It was a
genuine framework
based on ‘Islamic
model’ which he ideally
constructed according
to the spirit of the
Quran and Sunnah.
His struggle to uphold
the right of women
was meticulously
propounded by Dr.
Ahmad Farouk Musa
in his article entitled
‘Feminism through
the lens of Islamists’:
“It was in the late
19th and early 20th
centuries that the
struggle for what is
known as feminism
started in the Muslim
world. And it was
from the work of one
exceptionally brilliant
man that this movement
had spread across the
Muslim continents and
reached the shores
of our country. This
exceptional man was
Muhammad Abduh.”
(Farouk Musa,2011).

12

Islamic
awakening

No. 9, December 2013

Abduh’s Contributions to

Modernity
By: Ahmad N. Amir

No. 9, December 2013

T

he reform movement
inaugurated by Shaykh
Muhammad Abduh
in Egypt had significantly
contributed to reforming and
liberating the educational
system, and reviving the
religious ideals and thoughts.
His work and struggle has
brought unprecedented
change in legal, social, and
political structures of Egypt,
and helped to revitalize
modern Islamic aspiration.
The modern worldview he
projected had significant
impact on engineering the
force of rational spirit and
reviving modern and liberal
ideas and contributing to
dynamic change in social,
cultural, educational, political
and religious paradigms of
modern Egypt.
Educational Reform
Abduh’s passion for reform
had begun to develop at
Ahmadi Mosque, Tanta
and Jami‘ al-Azhar, Cairo.
The encounter with the
conservative system of
learning inspired him to
undertake reforms and
embark on transforming the
obsolete curricula where: “the
students were to read texts,
their commentaries, the
glosses on the commentaries,
and the superglosses on the
glosses,” (Amin, Uthman
1953, 3) without critical
analysis and comprehension.
He introduced groundbreaking
initiatives to systematize the
teaching classes, syllabus and
method of learning, capable
of competing with scientific
styles of Western education.
He included relevant ethical
and moral disciplines,

Islamic
awakening
science, philosophy, history
and other classical literary
traditions in his style. Abduh’s
strategic focus to endeavor
and undertake change at
al-Azhar institution was
highlighted by Yvonne Haddad
in an article on Abduh’s
reform program: “His first
experience with learning
by memorizing texts and
commentaries and laws for
which he was given no tools of
understanding was formative
in his later commitment to
a thoroughgoing reform of
the Egyptian educational
system”. Shaykh Muhammad
Mustafa al-Maraghi described
the condition of such
unmotivated learning activity:
“[Muhammad Abduh] grew
up in a lusterless age…he,
and others like him, went on
studying dull, lifeless rules cut
off from their wellsprings in
the Qur’an and the canonical
writings, shorn of their
roots in the language of the
Arabs…”
In his letter to his European
compatriot, Abduh criticized
the educational policy
introduced by Egyptian
government and administered
by the British. He tried to
embark on reform initiative
and
transforming the whole
structure of curricula,
fees, subject, and teaching
components as well as
improving basic necessities
of schools and teachers.
He emphasized the need to
uplift the level and standard
of al-Azhar University: “The
Egyptian government spends
only two hundred thousand
Egyptian pounds on education
out of an income of twelve

13
million pounds. It also keeps
raising schools fees to the
point where education is
becoming a luxury that
ornaments a few rich homes…
There are only three schools
for higher education in
Egypt: the schools of law,
medicine and engineering.
The other components of
human knowledge are denied
to the Egyptian who is only
superficially exposed to some
of them in secondary schools…
The government’s plan seems
to be first: to assist primary
schools where reading and
writing are taught. Second:
reducing the spread of
education in the country
as much as possible. Third:
limiting secondary and higher
education to very narrow
circles…I do not see what the
British will gain from this. On
the contrary, it should be in
the interest of the British to
have a strong and free nation
in Egypt. The more wealthy
we are, the richer the source
they draw upon.” (Khoury,
Nabil Abdo 1976, Muhammad
Imara 1972, 170-172).
Ahmad N. Amir is a member
of Kulliyyah of Engineering,
International Islamic
University Malaysia.
References
Amin, Uthman. 1953. Muhammad Abduh. Translated by
Charles Wendell. Washington,
D.C.: n.p.
Khoury, Nabil Abdo. 1976.
“Islam and Modernization
in the Middle East: Muhammad Abduh, An Ideology of
Development” (Ph.D. Thesis,
State University of New York,
Albany).

14

Islamic
awakening

Morteza Mutahari

No. 9, December 2013

Ali Shariati

Islamic

Awakening:

From Wave to
Power Paradigm
By Mahdi Goljan (PhD)

Sayyid Qutb

No. 9, December 2013

Sayyid Jamaluddin Assadabadi

T

he first sparks of new wave
of Islamic Awakening over
the past few years began
with the uprising of the Tunisian
people against the dictatorship
of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and
soon after engulfed a large part
of the Middle East and North of
Africa. These popular revolutions
in the Arabian and African
countries, which led to the fall of
dictatorships of  Hosni Mubarak
in Egypt, Muammar Gaddafi in
Libya, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
in Tunisia, Ali Abdullah Saleh in
Yemen…, caused many academic
theories in the field of humanities
to face serious challenges in
addition to causing a major
change in the security and politic
structure of the Middle East and
North of Africa.
Western and Zionist media

Islamic
awakening

Muhammad Rashid Reza
including BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera,
etc tried to prevent the spread
of “Islamic Awakening” phrase
in the media literature by using
terms such as “Arab Spring”
or “Arab Awakening.” But the
prudence of the Leader of the
Islamic Revolution in using
and repeating the “Islamic
Awakening” term foiled their
plot. Time and again the Leader
described the uprising of Muslim
people in the Arab and African
countries as Islamic Awakening
and inspired by the Islamic
Revolution of Iran; for example
in a meeting with Palestinian
resistance groups Ayatollah
Khamenei said, “Today we are in
a sensitive period, and if I want
tell you my take on the issue,
it is that the global arrogance
centers are making their last

15
The wave of
Islamic Awakening
is not limited to
Muslim countries
in the Middle
East and North of
Africa, and has
gradually spread
to European
countries and
even the United
States. A protest
movement has
begun in the
West, Occupation
Movement, the
most famous of
which is Occupy
Wall Street.
efforts in countering the Islamic
movement, the real symbol of
which is the Islamic Republic,”
or said in his message to Hajj
pilgrims that, “the spread of
Islamic Awakening wave in
today’s world is a truth that
heralds a bright future for the
Islamic Ummah. This powerful
uprising began three decades ago
with the victory of the Islamic
revolution and the establishment
of the Islamic Republic, and
out great nation has progressed
and removed obstacles from its
path.”
The wave of Islamic Awakening
is not limited to Muslim countries
in the Middle East and North of
Africa, and has gradually spread
to European countries and even
the United States. A protest
movement has begun in the West,

16
Occupation Movement, the most
famous of which is Occupy Wall
Street. Thousands of people in
the European countries and the
US took to the streets in protest
to economic problems, class
discriminations and injustice of
their rulers, demanding change
and reform.
Professor Joan Martos,
the head of Islam and Arab
department of Complutense
University in Madrid, said in
reference to these protests and
movements that, “A new wave
of approach towards Islam has
spread in the world. Even the
propaganda wave against Islam
(Islamophobia) has led people
to seek more information about
Islam. Revolutions in the Arab
countries, that some call Arab
Spring, shows that Islamic
Awakening has spread in the
world and has even reached
the Europe and the Western
countries. This is what the global
Zionism is terrified of.
The movement that has swept
across many Arabian and African
countries and has even fanned
out to Europe and the US did
not take place overnight, it is
rooted in a movement that was
founded by Seyyed Jamal adDin Asadabadi more than 150
years ago and has been referred
to as the first wave of Islamic
Awakening.
150 years ago, Seyyed Jamal
said the only salvation for the
people of the East, particularly
Muslims enslaved by the
colonialism was “awakening”,
returning to the pure principles
and basics of Islam. He
considered the awakening of
Muslims from ignorance the only
way of this-worldly and other
worldly salvation; a path that
leads to salvation in the material
life on one hand and spirituality
on the other hand.
Seyyed Jamal introduced

Islamic
awakening
several issues as the foundations
of Islamic Awakening which
are still fighting strategies for
achieving independence, progress
and development in the Muslim
world after more than one
century. The first pivot is fighting
despotism of dictators who rule
Muslim countries like pharaohs.
The next step is returning to
the original Islam, an Islam
without heresy and superstition
which also reviving the spirit of
Jihad and fighting in the Islamic
society.
The third step is fighting
foreign colonialism; colonialists
are one of the reasons of
underdevelopment in Muslim
countries. Another point stressed
by Seyyed Jamal and one of
the issues of Islamic Awakening
is maintaining the unity in the
Muslim world. Not only religious
but also political unity in order
to form a united front against
colonialism.
The second wave was initiated
by Imam Khomeini, the founder
of the Islamic awakening, in the
20th century and in the form of
Islamic revolution. The Islamic
movement of Imam Khomeini
was the epitome of all Islamic
movements during the history of
Islam and Shiism and embodiment
of all revolutionary ideals of
previous movements.
Imam Khomeini’s movement
had its roots in Madīnat alNabī (city of the prophet)
and the Islamic civilization,
and revived the lost glory of
Muslims. By relying on original
Islamic theology and complete
knowledge about Islamic
civilization and the situation of
Muslims and the latest ploys of
the West, Imam Khomeini tried to
revive Islam and carried out his
mission in the best way possible.
Religious and civilization model
of Imam Khomeini, which is
rooted in Islamic teachings,

No. 9, December 2013
provides suitable responds to
the needs of humanity and its
comprehensiveness has enabled
this model of political Islam to
continue on its path towards
realization.
Currently the third wave of
Islamic Awakening has begun in
the Muslim world, a wave that
has targeted puppet regimes
controlled by colonialism and has
overthrown many of them. The
most important characteristic
of the third wave is that it has
overthrown dictators who had
powerfully ruled more than 30
years through creating terror and
fear, but their era came to an
end in a few month after people
lost their patience with them.
Given the current situation
of the world and particularly
given the increasing awareness
of the Muslims of the world, the
wave is expected to form a new
aspect of Islamic civilization
with the support of the Islamic
revolution and turn into a
paradigm for countering the
dominant paradigm of the West,
i.e. globalization.
The prominent aspect
of Islamic Awakening and
particularly the third wave is
people’s move towards fighting
the hegemonic order and its
puppet governments, reforming
and/or replacing it with a
government based on Islamic
principles and democracy. The
third wave of Islamic Awakening
heralds Muslims movement
towards establishing Islamic
Ummah based on the theory of
“power paradigm.”
Islamic Ummah is a
complicated concept comprised
of the various views of
commentators during different
periods that has not been
realized except for the duration
of Caliphate. This concept
has been mostly used during
the contemporary era in the

No. 9, December 2013
literature of idealist
reformers in the Muslim
world such as Seyyed
Jamal ad-Din Asadabadi,
and its literature has
become a common
concept for certain
theoretic formulations
in political literature of
Muslim thinkers. Realizing
the concept of Islamic
Ummah at first requires
comprehensive theorizing
and then executives who
try to materialize it in line
with developments in the
Muslim world. Although
realizing the concept of
Islamic Ummah is difficult,
but acceleration in the
formation of this framework
is not implausible just
as the people of the
world witnessed swift
developments in the Middle
East and Africa.
The concept of “power
paradigm” is different from
the concept of power in the
theories of Thomas Cohn
and Sheldon Wolin (Sattari,
2011, 45, 73). The concept
of “power paradigm”
is used in reference to
“structure of dominant
power in the society” (such
as the power paradigm of
the Islamic Republic) and
for explaining the relation
of this power paradigm
with the society and social
forces.
According to this
approach, every
paradigm has agency and
unique structure and is
incomparable to any other
power paradigm. The
avant-garde of a power
paradigm, such as Imam
Khomeini in the power
paradigm of the Islamic
Republic, is considered
its founder and also a

Islamic
awakening
turning point in the history
of developments in the
society (such as Iran’s
contemporary society).
The theories and ideas of
the founder of a paradigm
gradually form the core
or its structural causality.
These theories and
thoughts are interpreted
and promoted by the main
commentators of this power
paradigm (Sattari, 2011,
45, 73). Therefore, as the
main agents of a power
paradigm, the founder of
the paradigm and its main
commentators produce
new values and explain
the content of structural
causality or central core
of that paradigm based
on “knowledge system,
cognitive collection and
their perceptions.”
This knowledge system
has a historic characteristic
and is on one hand under
the influence of sources
such as “tradition” (like the
traditions of political Islam
in the power paradigm of
Islamic Republic) and on
the other hand is affected
by the “mental image
caused by class structure”
of the main commentators
of the power paradigm
(such as class, social origin,
economic situation of
commentators of the power
paradigm of the Islamic
Republic).
Islamic Revolution of Iran
is the prime example of
this definition. By founding
the Islamic Revolution
through using spiritual
power, Imam Khomeini
disrupted the structure
of hegemonic order that
has been formed based on
material power and offered
a new translation of power

17

18

paradigm by using the concept
of just jurisprudence, causing
developments in the region and
outside of it.
In one of his speeches in 1982,
Imam Khomeini said, “We have
revived Islam, before there only
remained a name from Islam but
it was not the real Islam, they
wanted to destroy Islam.”
The importance of this
achievement is so great that
Ayatollah Khomeini described
it as one of the two feats
of revolution: “The Islamic
Revolution managed two great
feats, one was establishing the
Islamic system and the other
reviving Islamic identity in the
world.”
Therefore every power
paradigm enforces a certain
order and certain model of
identity and legitimacy in the
society which is compatible with
a certain knowledge system,

Islamic
awakening

cognitive system and perceptive
experience of the founder and
commentators of that paradigm
which distinguishes it from other
paradigms.
Power paradigm in Islam is
connected to Imam and the
Prophet. Its components are
hizbollah (party of God) and
Jundallah. Although some might
have prevented the possibility
of a favorable interpretation by
misrepresenting Jundallah and
al-Qaeda, but misunderstanding
does not always spoil the origin
and the essence.
Structural causalities of a
power paradigm must be viewed
as a structural whole which
first, there are dynamic and
powerful relations between its
components and second, any
change in one component of
structure will cause relative
transformation in other elements
of structural causalities because

No. 9, December 2013

of interrelation between these
components (Sattari, 2011, 45,
73).
In the current situation,
power paradigm of the US
and the Europe dominates the
international arena. But there
are weak and marginal power
paradigms in various societies
particularly in the Middle East
and Africa some of which depend
on the dominant power paradigm
and some of them have risen
against it.
Therefore according to the
theory of power paradigm it can
be said that Islamic Awakening is
an agent for creating solidarity
among weak and marginal
paradigms and forming a united
power paradigm according to the
characteristics of Islamic Ummah.
The Islamic Awakening
movement, comprised of
public and their authorities
including reformers, elite and

No. 9, December 2013

intellectuals, will engage in a
historic and perpetual conflict
with the dominant international
paradigm in the form of the
Islamic Awakening paradigm.
This conflict will be driven by a
demand to revive and reconstruct
the Islamic civilization and will
challenge the dominant power
paradigm and its structure or
its desired order at least in the
Middle East.
Needless to say, power
paradigm of the Islamic Ummah
requires founder or leaders
who will be turning point in
the history of social-political
developments of the Middle East
(Just like the Islamic revolution
and the leadership of Imam
Khomeini), and this founder and
the main commentators should
explain the identity structure
and legitimacy of this power
paradigm within the framework
of their own knowledge system.
The founder and commentators
of this power paradigm must
think globally and according to
the Islamic civilization and have
no thoughts other than reform
(against Quranic vices).
Structural base of this power
paradigm is a ethical society
based on monotheistic teaching
of Quran and its focal point is
creating justice, rationality,

Islamic
awakening

knowledge and attention to the
material and spiritual aspects
of the man. Islamic Awakening
seeks an Islamic solution to the
problems of Muslim countries;
and seeks generosity, glory,
politic and economy within its
Islamic culture and civilization
not in other cultures and
civilizations.
Mahdi Goljan (PhD) is an
assistant professor at Tarbiat
Modarres University, Tehran.

Sources

Sattari, Sadjad, Power
Paradigm as a New Theoretical
Approach and Alternative for
Theories on Government and
Political System, Political
Sciences Journal, Vol. 6, No, 3,
September 2011.
Tabatabaei, Mohammad Mohit,
1973, Role of Seyyed Jamal al-Din
Assadabadi in the Awakening of
the East, Qum, Dar ul Tabligh
Islami.
Malakotian, Mostafa, 2008,
Reviewing the Theoretical
Reasons of Islamic Revolution,
Tehran, Tehran, Islamic
Culture and Thought Publishers
Organiztion.
Alami Fariman, Hadi, Can
Islamic Ummah be Built According
to the Power Paradigm Theory?

19

Structural causalities of a
power paradigm
must be viewed
as a structural
whole. First,
there are dynamic and powerful relations
between its components and second, any change
in one component of structure
will cause relative transformation in other
elements of
structural causalities because
of interrelation
between these
components.

20

Islamic
awakening

No. 9, December 2013

Street Politics

in Middle East and North Africa
By Mohammad Khajouei

F

rom the moment that
the opponents of the
overthrown Egyptian
President Mohamed Morsi started
to gather on the streets and
insist on his ouster up to the
positive answer that the Egyptian
military gave to the opposition’s
demand by staging a coup against
Morsi’s government, the recent
political developments in Egypt
can be considered a major
turning point in the North African
country’s political life since its
original revolution triumphed on
January 25, 2011. This turning
point, however, more than being
encouraging has been actually a
cause for concern.
Apart from Mohamed Morsi’s

performance in office, which
has been characterized by
various degrees of approval and
opposition, the reality which
cannot be ignored is that he was
the legal president of Egypt who
had come to office about a year
ago and following the country’s
popular revolution through a free
election whose healthiness had
been confirmed by all parties.
Therefore, it was not befitting to
the Egyptian revolution to have
its new government, which had
emerged out of people’s votes,
overthrown only a short time
after the revolution which ended
three decades of the military and
authoritarian rule of the country’s
former dictator, Hosni Mubarak.

However, it seems that the main
development which paved the
way for the Egyptian army to
stage the coup was a phenomenon
that has more or less turned
into an epidemic in the political
atmosphere of Egypt following
the rule of Mubarak. This
phenomenon, which is rapidly
spreading not only in Egypt, but
also through other countries in
the Middle East and North Africa,
is nothing but what the analysts
call the “street politics.”
From about two and a half
years ago, the streets in many
Middle Eastern countries,
which were once only a passing
route for various vehicles and
pedestrian traffic, have turned

No. 9, December 2013
into an effective element
that has influenced largescale political equations in
many countries of the Middle
East, including Egypt. In fact,
the widespread and colorful
presence of people from various
theoretical and political schools
on the streets and in the squares
of important Middle Eastern cities
was the main factor which made
such dictatorial rulers as those of
Egypt (Hosni Mubarak) and Tunisia
(Zine El Abidine Ben Ali) to step
down after having been in power
for many long years.
Although streets have played
a positive role in the overthrow
of dictatorial regimes, they have
gradually turned into an obstacle
on the way of later developments
in revolutionary countries
following the victory of the
popular uprisings. It seems that
the persistent presence of people
on the streets for a diversity of
reasons is turning into a routine
development as everybody is
reaching the conclusion that
the street is the sole means
which can be used effectively to
achieve their political goals.
Although streets are one of
the most important public places
which can be used to bring up
people’s political and social
demands, they can only play
a positive role in the political
process as long as they are not
used for the purpose of taking
the political process out of its
main logical path, which is rivalry
over power through legal and
lawful means.
During recent days, however,
a group of the Egyptian people
sought to overthrow the country’s
legal president by gathering
on the streets and they finally
achieved their goal. This
development can be considered
the climax of the phenomenon
which is known as the street
politics. To make a long story

Islamic
awakening

short, bringing the politics
onto the streets will amount
to total standstill of legal and
institutional procedures that
are related to such political
developments as establishing
and changing the government. In
this state, people prefer to bring
about the aforesaid changes by
gathering on the streets, where
emotions usually take precedence
over rationality.
All revolutions and democratic
movements can only bear
fruit under conditions when
all the necessary institutions
which give strength to and

21

protect democracy have been
established. One of the most
important pillars of democracy
is the central role played by
the ballot boxes and elections
in determining or changing
people who should run the
power institutions. Therefore,
the overthrow of an elected
government, regardless of the
motives and goals behind it, will
be a clear ignorance of legal and
lawful processes which should
guide the normal transfer of
power. Bringing politics onto the
streets will act like a two-edged
sword. If today, the opponents of

22

Morsi succeeded to achieve their
goal through this means, there
may be a tomorrow when they
would be also deposed of power
through the same means.
Perhaps, one may accept the
allegations by the opponents
of Morsi that he and the
Muslim Brotherhood aimed
to monopolize the political
power and phase out all other
political currents. However,
even in that case, it does not
seem that the path chosen by
his opponents to achieve their
goal – that is, to overthrow
the elected government by, in
fact, ignoring the importance
of election as an institution –
would be less harmful than the
performance of Morsi and the
Muslim Brotherhood. In other
words, damages resulting from
staging a coup against an elected
government and turning it into
a routine procedure will be
much more destructive than the
performance of Morsi and the
Muslim Brotherhood during the
whole period that they swayed
the political power.
One cannot claim to be
promoting democracy merely
on the ground that they are
pursuing democratic motives
and goals. Although the goal is

Islamic
awakening

the most important issue, the
way one chooses to achieve
their goals is also very important
from a logical viewpoint. The
main damage during the latest
political developments in Egypt
has been done to the election as
an institution and to the central
role of the ballot boxes. As a
result, it would be very difficult
to restore that institution to its
original state, forge national
consensus over it, and guarantee
everybody’s compliance with
democratic mechanisms.
Bringing the politics onto
the streets, like what we have
been witnessing in Egypt, will
present various political players
with a new model: that having
enough force in the faceoff on
the streets is the most important
factor that influences a country’s
political processes. It goes
without saying that there will
be no end to this process as all
political players will keep inviting
their supporters to carry out
street protests. In fact, the most
important outcome of this model
will be nothing but an epidemic
of anarchy and instability.
It seems that settling political
scores on the streets has not
remained limited to Egypt. Just
a while ago, protesters in Turkey

No. 9, December 2013

took to the streets calling on
the government [of the Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan] to
step down. Even now, a similar
Tamarod movement (meaning
“disobedience” in Arabic) has
been already launched in Tunisia,
which pursues the declared goal
of overthrowing the Tunisian
government and the Constituent
Assembly [National Constituent
Assembly (NCA)] both of which
are the results of free elections
in the North African country.
This article is by no means
trying to defend the performance
of such Middle Eastern
governments as that of Morsi.
However, it aims to provide a
clear image of the new and great
problem and challenge which is
currently facing the entire Middle
East region. If an urgent solution
is not found for this problem,
it will soon face the regional
movements, which seek change
in their respective countries
and aim to build law-abiding
and democratic societies, with
unimaginable challenges and
risks, and will bar them from
achieving their real goals.
Mohammad Khajouei has
Master’s Degree in Middle East
Studies.

No. 9, December 2013

Islamic
awakening

23

Leader: The Present Era
Is an Era of Awakening
The present era is an era of awakening, one in which Muslims can find their true identity. The opposing
camp which cannot tolerate Islamic Awakening and the dignity of Muslims has entered the arena with all
its power and it is using all kinds of psychological, military, security, economic and propaganda tools to
suppress Muslims, make them inactive and busy them with trivial things.

A

yatollah
Khamenei,
the Leader of
the Islamic
Revolution,
delivered a
message to
this year’s Hajj
pilgrims. The following is the full
text of this message issued on
October 11, 2013.

In the Name of Allah, the
Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the
Lord of the Worlds and peace
and greetings be upon the Master
of Prophets and Messengers
and upon his immaculate and
pure household and chosen
companions.
The arrival of the Hajj season
should be regarded as the great
Eid of the Islamic Ummah. The
great opportunity which these
precious days provide for Muslims
throughout the world is like a
miraculous elixir. If the value of
such days is appreciated and if
we benefit from such days in an
appropriate way, many of the
maladies of the world of Islam
will be cured.
Hajj is the bubbling spring of
divine blessings. Each and every
one of you happy pilgrims has
gained the opportunity to cleanse
your hearts and souls with these
religious practices, which are full
of warmth and spirituality, and
to collect many blessings for your

entire life by using this source of
mercy, dignity and power.
In this divine arena of selfedification you can express
your humility before Allah
the Merciful, carry out the
responsibilities which have fallen
on the shoulders of Muslims,
show enthusiasm and dynamism
in the affairs of the world and
in your religious duties, offer
mercy and forgiveness when you
interact with Muslim brothers,
demonstrate your courage and
determination in the face of
difficult events, become hopeful
about divine assistance in all
arenas and, finally, build your
human character the way Muslims
should.
When you are ornamented
with these precious resources
and when you have benefitted
from them, then you can offer
yourselves as gifts to your
country, your nation and the
Islamic Ummah.
More than anything else, the
Islamic Ummah needs individuals
who can utilize thoughts
and actions as well as faith,
sincerity and purity, who can
show resistance in the face of
the spiteful enemies as well as
exercising self-purification and
piety. This is the only way for the
liberation of the great Muslim
community from the problems
which have been created, either
by the enemy, or as a result of
the lack of determination, faith

and foresight among Muslims.
Muslims have suffered from these
things for a very long time.
Without a doubt, the present
era is an era of awakening, one
in which Muslims can find their
true identity. This truth can
be easily discovered through
the challenges which Muslims
are faced with. It is exactly
in such conditions that our
determination- which is based on
faith, reliance on God, foresight
and wisdom- can help Muslim
nations achieve victory against
these challenges and bring about
a dignified and honorable fate for
Muslims.
The opposing camp which
cannot tolerate Islamic
Awakening and the dignity of
Muslims has entered the arena
with all its power and it is
using all kinds of psychological,
military, security, economic and
propaganda tools to suppress
Muslims, make them inactive and
busy them with trivial things.
 Taking a general look at
the conditions of West Asian
countries such as Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Palestine
and countries surrounding the
Persian Gulf, and North African
countries such as Libya, Egypt,
Tunisia, Sudan and a number of
other countries- reveals many
truths.
The existence of civil wars,
religious and denominational
prejudices and political

24
instabilities, the prevalence of
cruel terrorism, the emergence
of extreme groups and
orientations- which like savage
tribes in history, cut open the
chests of human beings and
rip their hearts out with their
teeth- the emergence of armed
mercenaries who kill women and
children, cut off the heads of
men and rape women and who
do such horrible and disgusting
crimes in the name of religion are
all the products of the satanic
and arrogant plots of foreign
intelligence services and their
regional agents.
Such plots are implemented in
countries in which the ground is
prepared before-hand and as a
result, they create a disastrous
situation for these nations and
peoples. In such conditions, it
is clear that one cannot expect
Muslim nations to remedy
their material and spiritual
shortcomings and to achieve
security, welfare, scientific
progress and international dignity
which are the results of achieving
awakening and finding one’s true
identity.
These disastrous conditions
can abort the progress of
Islamic Awakening, destroy the
mental awareness which has
been created in the world of
Islam, drag Muslims- once moretowards stagnation, isolation and
decline and consign to oblivion
important and fundamental issues
such as the liberation of Palestine
and other Muslim nations from
the transgressions of the USA and
Zionism.
The most important cure for
this situation can be summarized
in two key phrases, both of which
are among the clearest lessons of
Hajj:
First: unity and brotherhood
of Muslims under the flag of
monotheism.
Second: knowing the enemy

Islamic
awakening
and confronting his plans and
methods.
Strengthening the spirit of
brotherhood and cooperation is a
great lesson of Hajj. During Hajj,
even quarrelling and arguing
with others is forbidden. During
Hajj, wearing the same clothes,
following the same practices,
making the same moves and
behaving in a kind way,all mean
equality and brotherhood for all
those who believe in and rely on
monotheism.
This means that Islam strongly
rejects any idea and belief
which views a number of Muslims
and believers in Ka’bah and
monotheism as people who are
outside the circle of Islam. These
orientations which are based on
takfirism, which have become
playthings in the hands of the
treacherous Zionist politicians
and their western supporterscommit serious crimes and
shed the blood of Muslims and
innocent people, and the people
who claim to be religious, who
call themselves clerics and who
fuel the fire of fitna between
Shia and Sunni and other
denominations- should know that
the Hajj pilgrimage will thwart
their claims.
I, like many Islamic scholars
and sympathetic personalities in
the Islamic Ummah, announce
that any statement or action
which fuels the fire of discord
among Muslims, any insult to the
sacred beliefs of each one of the
Muslim denominations and any
act of takfirism against Islamic
denominations equals serving the
camp of atheism and polytheism
and betraying Islam. All of these
things are haraam.
 Knowing the enemy and its
methods is the second important
factor. First, we should not forget
about the existence of a spiteful
enemy. Performing the ritual of
the stoning of the jamarat during

No. 9, December 2013

Hajj is a symbolic sign of this
awareness. Second, we should
not make a mistake in knowing
the main enemy, who in the
present time is global arrogance
and the criminal Zionist network.
Third, we should properly
identify the methods of this
hostile enemy which is creating
discord among Muslims,
promoting moral and political
corruption, threatening
and tempting outstanding
personalities, exerting economic
pressures on all nations and
arousing doubts about Islamic
beliefs. Moreover, we should
identify their agents and those
who are, knowingly or ignorantly,
dependent on them.
Arrogant governments, headed
by the USA, conceal their true
character with the help of
comprehensive and advanced
propaganda tools. By claiming
that they support human rights
and democracy, they deceive

No. 9, December 2013

public opinion in different
countries. They speak about the
rights of all nations while each
day Muslim nations feel- with
their bodies and souls- the fire of
discord more than the past.
For decades, the oppressed
Palestinian nation has been
receiving strikes as a result of the
crimes of the Zionist regime and
its supporters. In the countries of
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq,
terrorism - which originates from
the policies of global arrogance
and its agents in the region - has
ruined the lives of the people.
Syria has come under the
attack of arrogant powers
and their regional agents
because of supporting antiZionist orientations and it has
experienced a bloody civil war.
In Bahrain and Myanmar, Muslims
have been ignored and their
enemies are supported. Other
nations are threatened by the
USA and its allies with military

Islamic
awakening

attacks, economic sanctions
and different acts of sabotage.
Taking a general look at all these
countries can reveal to all people
throughout the world the true
face of these leaders of global
arrogance.
Political, cultural and religious
personalities throughout the
world of Islam should consider
it their responsibility to draw
everyone’s attention to these
facts. This is the moral and
religious responsibility of all
of us. North African countries,
which are unfortunately suffering
from deep domestic conflicts
today, should pay attention to
this responsibility more than
other countries. They should pay
more attention to the issue of
knowing the enemy and its plots
and methods.
The continuation of these
conflicts among nationalist
orientations and Muslims’
negligence about the threat of

25
domestic wars in such countries
is a great danger. The loss that
may be inflicted on the Islamic
Ummah because of such events
will not be quickly compensated
for.
Of course, we have no doubts
that the people who have risen
against global arrogance and who
have become the embodiment
of Islamic Awakening in such
countries will not, by Allah’s
favor, allow time to go back
so much so that the era of
the corrupt, dependent and
dictatorial rulers starts again.
However, ignorance about the
role of arrogant powers in
creating discord and bringing
about destructive interference
will create a difficult situation
for such countries and will cause
a very long delay in achieving
an era of dignity, security and
welfare.
We believe, from the bottom
of our hearts, in the capability of
nations and in the power, faith,
determination and foresight which
Allah the Omniscient has offered
to the masses of the people.
For more than three decades,
we have seen this in the Islamic
Republic with our own eyes and
we have experienced it with
all our hearts and souls. Our
determination is an invitation
forall Muslim nations, to this
experience of their brothers in
this dignified and indefatigable
country.
I ask Allah the Exalted to
bestow peace on Muslims and
to foil the plots of the enemies.
I ask Him to accept your Hajj
pilgrimage and bestow physical
and spiritual health on you. I
ask Him to provide you pilgrims
of the House of God with an
overflowing supply of spiritual
blessings.
Greetings be upon you and
Allah’s Mercy
Sayyid Ali Khamenei

26

Awakening has its
own objectives.
There are certain
objectives
mentioned in
the Quran for
awakening.
Some of these
objectives
are discussed
below. Complete
awakening
materializes
when Muslims
attain dignity
and honor,
freedom,
liberation
from political
and cultural
domination of the
aliens and when
social justice
and equity is
established in the
society.

Islamic
awakening

Islamic

No. 9, December 2013

Awakening

in the Quranic

Teachings
By Bahaman Akbari (PhD)

Definition of Awakening

A

wakening is the result of
awareness or cognition;
demand or aspiration;
and will or action of human
beings. Hence, Islamic Awakening
is a conscious reaction, stemming
from the demand and reaction of
the Muslims to hostile behavior
against them. It is within the
framework of Islamic teachings
and its objective is to revive
Islamic identity and dignity. The
slogans of awakening include
freedom, justice and Islamic
ideals.
Islamic Awakening leads to
a fundamental transformation
in the spirit of Muslims and in
the world of Islam. The main
objective of Islamic Awakening
are:
1 – Restoration of hope and
dignity of the Muslim ummah.
2 – Preparation of the grounds
for acceptance of global Islamic
scheme as a plan for redemption

of mankind.
3 – Creation of consensus
among Muslims and preparing
the grounds for a united Muslim
Ummah.
4 – Applying the teachings of
Islam in practical life through
raising a generation who is
committed to implementation of
Islam in all fields.
5 – Confronting the cultural
and political invasion of the
arrogant powers.

Contexts of Awakening in
the Quranic Teachings

Since awakening is a reaction
to the hostile behavior of
the enemies, particularly the
despotic rulers or alien powers,
the contexts for its emergence
in the Quran are: spread
of injustice, extravagance,
oppression, corruption and
dishonesty of the rulers and
above all forgetting the power
and blessings of Allah.

No. 9, December 2013
Spread of Injustice and
Prodigy of Rulers

In fact, one of the main
objectives of the establishment
of an Islamic government is to
promote justice and prevent
inequity and oppression. The
following verses of the holy
Quran shed light on this issue:
“Then we fulfilled the promise
unto them. so we delivered them
and whom we would, and we
destroyed the prodigals”. (9:21)
“See they not how many a
generation we destroyed before
them, whom we had established
in the earth more firmly than we
have established you, and we
shed on them abundant showers
from the sky, and made the
rivers flow beneath them? Yet we
destroyed them for their sins,
and created after them another
generation.” (6:6)

Atrocity or Brutality of the
Rulers

Another factor that prepares
the grounds for awakening of
the masses according to the
Holy Quran is prodigy or
the rulers. The following
verses of the Quran
elucidate this point:
“We destroyed the
generations before
you when they did
wrong; and their
messengers (from Allah) came unto them
with clear proofs (of
his sovereignty) but
they would not believe. thus do we reward the guilty folk.”
10:13
“Say: can ye
see yourselves, if the
punishment of Allah come
upon you unawares or openly?
would any perish save wrongdoing
folk?” 6:47
“And (all) those townships! we
destroyed them when they did

Islamic
awakening

27

28

wrong, and we appointed a fixed
time for their destruction.” (18:59)
“Are they better, or the folk
of tubb’a and those before them?
We destroyed them, for surely
they were guilty.” (44:37)

Corruption and Inequity of
Rulers

Another reason for the
awakening of the masses is
corruption of the rulers. Once
the rulers become corrupt, the
masses awaken and fight to
overthrow them.
“And when we would destroy a
township we send commandment

Islamic
awakening

to its folk who live at ease,
and afterward they commit
abomination therein, and so
the word (of doom) hath effect
for it, and we annihilate it with
complete annihilation.” (17:16)

Forgetting God and His
Blessings

Once the rulers strengthen
their foothold, they forget God
and His blessings. In the next
step they become arrogant and
selfish and therefore turn cruel
and brutal. At this stage, citizens
awaken to fight their injustice.
“Then, when they forgot

No. 9, December 2013

that whereof they had been
reminded, we opened unto them
the gates of all things till, even
as they were rejoicing in that
which they were given, we seized
them unawares, and lo! they
were dumbfounded.” (6:44)
“This is because thy lord
destroyeth not the townships
arbitrarily while their people are
unconscious (of the wrong they
do).” (6:131)

Objectives of Awakening in
the Quranic Teachings

Awakening has its own
objectives. There are certain

No. 9, December 2013
objectives mentioned in the
Quran for awakening. Some of
these objectives are discussed
below. Complete awakening
materializes when Muslims attain
dignity and honor, freedom,
liberation from political and
cultural domination of the
aliens and when social justice
and equity is established in the
society.

Islamic Dignity

Dignity, power and honor
belong to Allah. The dignity of
the Muslims is a manifestation
of that of Allah. The Holy Quran
states:
“And let not their speech
grieve thee (o Muhammad). lo!
power belongeth wholly to Allah.
He is the hearer, the knower.”
(10:65)
“Those who chose disbelievers
for their friends instead of
believers! do they look for power
at their hands? lo! All power
appertaineth to Allah.” (4:139)

Human dignity

Besides Islamic dignity,
awakening will bring about
human dignity for the Muslims as
well. In fact, God the Almighty
has preferred human being over
all other creatures. Therefore,
once the dignity of human beings
is trampled upon they awaken to
restore it.
“Verily we have honored the
children of Adam. We carry them
on the land and the sea, and have
made provision of good things
for them, and have preferred
them above many of those
whom we created with a marked
preferment.” (17:70)

Freedom

Freedom is another result of
awakening. This freedom will also
cause liberation from cultural
and political domination of the
aliens.

Islamic
awakening
“Those who wait upon occasion
in regard to you and, if a victory
cometh unto you from Allah, say:
are we not with you? and if the
disbelievers meet with a success
say: had we not the mastery of
you, and did we not protect you
from the believers? - Allah will
judge between you at the day of
resurrection, and Allah will not
give the disbelievers any way (of
success) against the believers.”
(4 141)

Justice and Equity

An Islamic government is a just
one and one of its objectives is
establishment of equity among
citizens. Hence, social justice is
one of the results of awakening
of the Muslims.
“We verily sent our messengers
with clear proofs, and revealed
with them the scripture and
the balance, that mankind may
observe right measure; and
he revealed iron, wherein is
mighty power and (many) uses
for mankind, and that Allah may
know him who helpeth him and
his messengers, though unseen.
lo! Allah is strong, almighty.
(57:25)

Methods of Achieving
Awakening in the Quran

A cursory look at the history
of Islamic Awakening and the
slogans raised by Muslims who
engaged in liberation struggles
would bring home to us that
referring to the Quran is the best
way to achieve the objectives
of Islamic Awakening. Hence,
through faith in the divine
assistance, holding fast to the
Rope of Allah and teachings
of the Holy Quran, gaining
knowledge of the enemy and
fighting the enemy, Muslims can
achieve the peak of awakening.

Consulting the Quran

In fact, consulting the Holy

29

In fact, consulting
the Holy Quran
means regulating
our lives in
accordance to the
teachings of the
Quran. Practicing
the teachings of
the Quran can
help Muslims solve
their intellectual
problems and find
out ways to settle
their material
problems as well.
At the same time,
holding fast to
the Rope of Allah
can help Muslims
achieve unity and
solidarity to fight
illegal regimes.
“And he who
rejecteth false
deities and
believeth in Allah
hath grasped a firm
handhold which will
never break. Allah
is hearer, knower.”
(2:256)

30

Islamic
awakening

Quran means regulating
our lives in accordance to
the teachings of the Quran.
Practicing the teachings of the
Quran can help Muslims solve
their intellectual problems and
find out ways to settle their
material problems as well.
At the same time, holding
fast to the Rope of Allah can
help Muslims achieve unity
and solidarity to fight illegal
regimes.
“And he who rejecteth false
deities and believeth in Allah
hath grasped a firm handhold
which will never break. Allah is
hearer, knower.” (2:256)

Unity of Brethren

So long as Muslims are
disunited, they cannot fight the
enemies or the illegal regimes
dominating them. The Quran
recommends the Muslims to get
united in order to protect their
own interests.
“And hold fast, all of you
together, to the cable of Allah,
and do not separate. And
remember Allah’s favor unto
you: how ye were enemies and
he made friendship between
your hearts so that ye became
as brothers by his grace; and
(how) ye were upon the brink
of an abyss of fire, and he did
save you from it. Thus Allah
maketh clear his revelations
unto you, that haply ye may be
guided.” (3:103)
“And obey Allah and his
messenger, and dispute not one
with another lest ye falter and
your strength depart from you;
but be steadfast! lo! Allah is
with the steadfast.” (8:46)

Faith in Divine Assistance

Disappointment is one of
the reasons for frustration
and inaction. Muslims should
always have faith in the
divine assistance to avoid

disappointment in the course
of their struggles against
domestic and foreign enemies.
“As for those who strive in
us, we surely guide them to our
paths, and lo! Allah is with the
good.” (29:69)
“O you who believe ! if you
help (the cause of) Allah, he
will help you and make firm
your feet.” (47:7)

Resistance and
Steadfastness

The course of struggle is
very tumultuous and requires
resistance and steadfastness,
else, the fighters may give up
their struggle when they face
hardship and difficulties. Those
who have faith in Allah, do not
fear the enemy and are not
grieved when they fail in their
struggle, for in the long-run
victory belongs to them.
“(As for) those who say: our
Lord is Allah, then continue
in the right way, the angels
descend upon them, saying:
fear not, nor be grieved,
and receive good news of
the garden which you were
promised.” (41:30)
“Surely those who say,
our lord is Allah, then they
continue on the right way, they
shall have no fear nor shall
they grieve.” (46:13)
“And be not infirm, and be
not grieving, and you shall
have the upper hand if you are
believers.”(3:139)
“And be not weak hearted
in pursuit of the enemy; if you
suffer pain, then surely they
(too) suffer pain as you suffer
pain, and you hope from Allah
what they do not hope; and
Allah is knowing, wise.” (4:104)

Knowledge of the Enemy

Without a proper knowledge
of the enemy, Muslims cannot
fight them. Hence, the Holy

No. 9, December 2013
Quran recommends the Muslims
to have a proper understanding
of the enemies and then fight
them.
“Muhammad is the
messenger of Allah, and those
with him are firm of heart
against the unbelievers,
compassionate among
themselves.” (48:29)
“O you who believe! do
not take my enemy and your
enemy for friends: would you
offer them love while they
deny what has come to you
of the truth, driving out the
messenger and yourselves
because you believe in Allah,
your Lord? If you go forth
struggling hard in my path and
seeking my pleasure, would
you manifest love to them?
And I know what you conceal
and what you manifest; and
whoever of you does this, he
indeed has gone astray from
the straight path.” (60:1)
“O you who believe! do
not take the Jews and the
Christians for friends; they
are friends of each other; and
whoever amongst you takes
them for a friend, then surely
he is one of them; surely Allah
does not guide the unjust
people.” (5:51)
Bahaman Akbari (PhD) is a
researcher of Islamic Studies
and former cultural counselor
of Iran in Tashkent and
Tanzania.

References

The Holy Quran.
Nahj al-Balagha.
Will and Testament of Imam
Khomeini.
Nouri, Mohammad (1997).
Bibliogrpahy of Revival
of Islam, Proceedings of
International Congress of Imam
Khoemini Religious Thought,
Tehran.

No. 9, December 2013

Islamic
awakening

31

Sociopolitical Tsunamis in the
Middle East and North Africa
The regional developments in the Middle East are social and political tsunamis,
which are growing very fast. These developments share many common features.
By Hossein Amir-Abdullahian

T

he sociopolitical
developments in the Middle
East and North Africa have
been interpreted as sociopolitical
tsunamis. They have some
common features, some of which
are: Relying on a historical
background based on Islam; being
inspired by the Islamic Revolution
in Iran and its influence; strong
participation of the young
generation in the center of
this Islamic liberation wave;
leadership of the movement by
educated elite; and, reliance on
profound Islamic values seeking
to promote religious democracy
and improve the living standards
of the people in the Middle East.
Besides major reasons behind
the popular uprisings such as the
new wave of Islamic Awakening
demanding civil rights and
economic reforms, certain other

elements also have contributed
to the recent movements. In
fact, the humiliating attitude
of the United States and Israel
towards the people of the region
and neglect of their dignity as
well as the despotic nature of
their ruling systems are among
other factors underlying the
current developments.
The uprisings have taken place
in the Middle East countries
with a longstanding Islamic
civilization. This is in sharp
contrast with the undemocratic
nature of their political regimes
and their rulers.
A longstanding history of
popular movements in these
countries have increased the
political awareness of the
people, particularly over the past
three decades – after the victory
of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The recent movements have
had the advantage of using
modern means of communication
in an era of a communication
revolution.
Any attempt to study the
regional movements may
take the following points into
consideration:
Contrary to the arguments of
many politicians and strategists,
the ruling regimes and leaders
of regional countries have a
wrong perception of the recent
developments and Islamic
uprisings in the region.
Over the past few decades,
the United States and some
Western countries have focused
their attention on the rulers in
the Middle East, North Africa
and the Persian Gulf states. They
have overlooked the role of the
people. Therefore, the West lacks

32

Islamic
awakening

a realistic understanding of the Islamic nature of
the Middle East societies. That is why they have
failed to present a coherent analysis of the ongoing
popular movements.
Despite aggressive attitude of the United States
and the West towards the developments in the
Middle East and North Africa and also despite harsh
crackdown of the uprisings in some countries such
as Bahrain, people in the region will keep moving
forward by relying on their Islamic redemptive
beliefs.
The United States and the Zionist regime have
been caught by surprise by the developments in
the Middle East, North Africa and the Persian Gulf
states. As a result, with the help of certain Western
and Arab countries, they are trying to take control
of the waves of uprisings in the region and hijack
the popular revolutions in order to reorient them
towards their own objectives.
Some analysts argue that the developments
in the Middle East are engineered in the context
of the United States project of ‘the Greater
Middle East’. Indeed, in that project the pace of
developments is slow and long-term. Furthermore,
any popular uprising or revolution contradicts
the principles of the Greater Middle East project.

No. 9, December 2013

The United States has failed to incorporate the
sociological patterns of the Middle East, especially
the role of religion and culture, into its project.
The US-Israeli plan contained a set of reforms
based on liberal democracy. But, the demands of
the people and the reforms pursued by the people
are of Islamic and religious nature. This is a major
shortcoming in the US project of the Greater
Middle East and the main reason for its failure.
The Chairman of Center for Strategic Studies is of
the opinion that since the West has lost its control
of the growing movements in the Middle East, the
White House should strengthen its military presence
throughout the region, especially in countries
struck by uprising. He also argues that the US
should extend its military presence in Iraq.
All countries engulfed by the recent waves
of Islamic movements have had rulers strongly
supported by the United States and the West. This
support has greatly eroded the public trust in the
United States in the region. Adopting a doublestandard towards the demands of the people of
Yemen and Bahrain compared to those of the
people of Libya and Egypt in its early stages as well
as the West’s support of terrorists in Syria clearly
depict the contradictory approach of the United

No. 9, December 2013

Islamic
awakening

States towards the regional developments.
The US intelligence services were
seemingly aware of the fact that at a certain
point popular uprisings would surface in the
Middle East, but the White House lacked a
realistic understanding of the sociological
patterns in these countries. It also lacked
detailed information about the time,
location and the pace of these movements.
Therefore, the US, Israel, the West and Arab
governments were quite caught by surprise
when the regional movements broke out.
Today, these movements are gaining
momentum and moving forward. There
are several points to consider in this
regard. First, in the process of transition
of power in the regional countries,
the United States and its allies will be
trying to divert the process of power shift
towards their own interests. This is while
the influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran
on the Middle East nations and its stances
towards these developments are against the
interests of the United States and the Zionist
regime. Secondly, the transition of power in
the region will lead to the formation of new
regional coalitions and permutation of forces
which will be ethnic in nature.
Taking into consideration the sociological
characteristics of the regional nations,
the Islamic nature of these movements
and the national pride of the people,
any future ruling system shall be based
on Islam and ethnic features of Muslim
communities and nations, The role of Islam
as an ideology is quite prominent in all
the countries of the region. Each regional
country has its own particular characteristics
but Islam provides a common ground for all
of them.
Despite all the efforts made by forces
inside and outside the region to take control
of the popular uprisings, these movements
will ultimately get rid of foreign domination,
which is a longstanding aspiration of all
Muslims. Islamic democracy will be the
role-model of these countries which will
bring them independence, sovereignty and
material and spiritual prosperity.
Hossein Amir-Abdullahian is Deputy
Foreign Minister for North Africa and Middle
East Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Islamic Republic of Iran.

33

Islamic
awakening

Iranians
found Islam
compatible
with their
nature which,
combined
with the then
prevailing
social
injustices and
issues, caused
the pure soul
of the nation
to accept
and embrace
the Islamic
thought, thus
creating a
civilization
adorned and
substantiated
with Islamic
thought.

By Azam Hosseini (PhD)

34

No. 9, December 2013

The Ideal of the
Islamic Revolution:
Identification and
Awakening of the
Muslim World

No. 9, December 2013

T

he history shows that
Iranians have always
acted thoughtfully and
had a conscious presence at the
international scene. Parts of
Iran’s history clearly show that
Iranians have been superior to
other nations in various fields
during different periods and led
humanity to new paths.
Before the advent of Islam, the
world was ruled by two empires,
Sassanid and Roman, and these
two powerful poles determined
the fate of the world.
After the advent of Islam,
monotheistic Iranians who were
familiar with the techniques
of statecraft and had a rich
civilization accepted Islamic
thoughts which indicated the
maturity of their inner essence.
Iranians found Islam
compatible with their nature
which, combined with the then
prevailing social injustices and
issues, caused the pure soul
of the nation to accept and
embrace the Islamic thought,
thus creating a civilization
adorned and substantiated with
Islamic thought.
During the social life of
Iranians under the influence of
Islamic thought and culture, the
Islamic civilization prospered in
various fields. This is while the
Western science and thought was
drowned in silence from the sixth

Islamic
awakening
to tenth centuries A.D.
The European world came
under the influence of Muslim
thinkers such as Avicenna (Ibn
Sina) and Ibn Arabi during two
centuries, as a result of which
different currents of thoughts
emerged and the Islamic
civilization shone its brightness
over the Western lands. Gradually
and under the influence of
Islamic scholars’ thoughts,
the Westerners also achieved
scientific growth. The progress
of Muslim countries, however,
dimmed because of various
domestic and foreign reasons and
could not continue on its path.
The Islamic civilization was
so strong that even barbarians
like Moguls who attacked Iran
underwent transformation under
the influence of religious scholars
such as Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and
enriched themselves by utilizing
profound thought.
The Safavid period is another
praiseworthy era of Iran’s Islamic
civilization, which is of course
not flawless. During the Safavid
era several important measures
were taken which included
creating national unity in order
to consolidate the Great Iran,
collecting Islamic materials and
promoting the culture of Ahl
al-Bayt which turned it into a
prominent period in our history,
and the same path is pursued

35
today.
Islamic civilization once again
fell into recession after the
Safavid era because of internal
and foreign reasons and the
emergence of colonialism in
the international scene, but
the Constitutional Revolution
was a good sign and triggered
intellectual awakening.
Religious scholars were flagbearers of this great thought that
changed the situation, but the
Constitutional Movement also
changed over time and deviated
from its path because of foreign
efforts and the activities of
Westomaniac currents. Hence,
all the efforts of social reformists
and religious figures failed and a
dark dictatorship took control of
the country.
The victory of the Islamic
Revolution is another glorious era
of Iran’s history that reformed
many flaws of the previous eras
in an evolutionary movement and
Imam Khomeini brought hearts
and lands together instead of
creating an empire.
Today we are witnessing the
inspiring results of the Islamic
Revolution across the world, but
ignorant of the true nature of
the Islamic Revolution, certain
countries, and among them
several Muslim states, claim that
Iran is once again seeking to
create an empire. This is while

36

the Islamic Revolution is after the
identification and awakening of
the Muslim world and has never
aspired to expand its territory
and empire. Returning to its own
identity was the most important
issue of the Islamic Revolution,
and the independence in political,
cultural and economic fields was
achieved due to this attitude and
a wave of new thought emerged.
Since the victory of the Islamic
Revolution the significance of
self-confidence and relying on
our own capabilities has taken
root in our society under the
leadership of Imam Khomeini
and Ayatollah Khamenei, and
today Iran owes possession of
sophisticated technology and
knowledge, particularly modern
technologies such as aerospace
and nanotechnology to the spirit
of the Islamic Awakening and
revolutionary spirit among the
Iranian nation.

Imam Khomeini and
the Islamic Awakening
Discourse

What effect has Imam
Khomeini had on the fate of the
Islamic Awakening movement?
How and with whose help Imam

Islamic
awakening

Khomeini could turn the Islamic
Awakening into a dominant
discourse? What are the outputs
of the Islamic Awakening and its
competing discourses?
To understand the position
of Imam Khomeini in Islamic
Awakening, the current methods
used in humanist sciences should
be used here.
One of the famous methods,
which is used by Muslim
scholars to understand political
phenomena, particularly the
Islamic Revolution and the
thoughts of its great architect,
Imam Khomeini, is discourse
analysis.
For example his strict stance
against leftist and deviant
groups and terms such as
American Islam, the great Satan,
unsympathetic rich, fanatics,
oppressed and barefooted…and
also establishing revolutionary
institutions and supporting the
uprising of the oppressed nations
across the Muslim world can by
analyzed in a process, namely the
Islamic Awakening.
Antagonism and otherization
are among clear concepts of the
Islamic Awakening discourse. The
arrogant powers are considered

No. 9, December 2013

the cause of all problems in the
Islamic world and Muslims and
also as the main enemy of the
Islamic Awakening. Secondly,
there are various currents
created by imperialism and
foreign powers in the name of
Islam, such as extremist and
terrorist groups that were never
acknowledged by Imam Khomeini.
On the contrary the Imam
always stressed their danger and
branded them as American Islam.
This aspect of the Islamic
Awakening under the leadership
of Imam Khomeini means that he
was aware that Islamic Awakening
was not possible without political
action, and political action
cannot be realized without
establishing a completely Islamic
government.
Therefore, Imam Khomeini
tried and succeeded in
establishing an Islamic
government. Had he not taken
this step, we would have never
witnessed the hegemony of
Islamic Awakening discourse over
other discourses.
Azam Hosseini (PhD in
Education) is a researcher,
Tehran, Iran.