Preface
The struggle against illegitimate rulers has always been the focus of Imam Khomeini’s political and social activities. Based on Quranic and jurisprudential teachings, he believed that combating tyranny at national and international levels as well as throughout the Islamic world is one of the significant duties of the Muslims. He, therefore, began his campaigns by writing a book called, Kashf al-Asrar (The Unveiling of Secrets) and continued his theoretical and practical struggles at different times and circumstances. Although in the 1950s, due to the presence of Ayatollah Boroujerdi, the supreme Sh’ah authority, Imam Khomeini decided not to directly engage in the struggles, but in the sixties and with the demise of the Ayatollah Boroujerdi which left a vacuum in the seminaries, as well as given the changing of the policies of the illegitimate ruler, Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi, he declared his explicit opposition to the Pahlavi regime.
For this reason, the 1960s can be considered a turning point in the history of the struggles of the clergy led by Imam Khomeini. Imam Khomeini’s activities were not limited to a specific time and place. Because the founder of the Islamic Revolution did not consider fighting to be limited to a particular situation, he continued his struggles in different periods and situations. Even when he was in prison or exile, he continued the struggles.
As far as we have searched, no work has been published under the title of this article. The only published work in this regard is “The Quranic Model of Political Struggle in Imam Khomeini’s Theoretical and Practical Life” written by Ebrahim Kalantari and was published in the quarterly journal “Politics” of the University of Tehran. However, the content, as well as the scope of the research of our article, are different from what is done in other works.
The Concept of Taghut (Tyrant, Illegitimate Ruler)
The Arabic word taghut is derived from the trilateral root t-gh-t. Some believe that this word is not Arabic and has gone through the process of Arabization. This word has been mentioned in the Quran eight times, referring to false gods and transgressors. Thus, in all of them, the concept of transgression or overstepping the boundaries is taken into consideration. Therefore, any rebel, tyrant, or anyone who creates a diversion and misleads people is called a taghut. Because each of these people has gone beyond the normal limits and has gone astray.
A taghut is a person who transgresses the boundaries to the extent that he would no longer worship the One God. Such a person, due to his tyrannical characteristics, neither obeys the divine commands and rulings nor accepts the divine guardianship and authority of those who have been chosen by God, like the Prophet and infallible Imams. Such people deny the Lordship and the sovereignty of God.
According to divine teachings, one of the pillars of Islam is the acceptance of divine guardianship because monotheism and devotion have been reflected and manifested in it. As the divine guardianship is actualized in accepting and following the guardianship of the Prophet (s) and the infallible Imams. That is why God has always linked His guardianship to that of Prophet Muhammad and Imams making obedience to them as obedience to Him. (Quran, 4:59) In this regard, Imam Khomeini, following what is stated in revelation, has also introduced the illegitimate regimes as the “unjust political rulings throughout the Islamic country...” which exert their power. Therefore, from Imam Khomeini’s point of view, any illegitimate political power is considered to be a taghut, and from his point of view, the Pahlavi regime was one of the prominent examples of it. He continued his struggles until the overthrow of that regime and the establishment of Islamic rule.
The Reasons for Fighting
Since the beginning of his political campaign against the Pahlavi regime in the early 1940s, Imam Khomeini has repeatedly explained the reasons for the struggle with the ruling political system in his books. This set of arguments which has been explained in his works includes verses from the Holy Quran, the traditions and sayings of Prophets and the infallible Imams, all of which will be mentioned briefly.
Verses of the Holy Quran
Imam Khomeini has quoted verses from the Holy Quran which address the fight against the tyrannical rulers believing that the Holy Quran has encouraged people to rise up against them and forbids them from obeying those tyrants. “God Almighty in the Quran has forbidden obeying the ‘taghut’ and corrupt political powers; He has encouraged people to stand up against the tyrannical rulers and ordered the Prophet Moses to rise up against the tyrants.” He has used verses that forbid obeying the unjust and tyrannical rulers. From his point of view, the verse which besides forbidding the obedience of those rulers also asks for the struggle is the sixtieth verse of the chapter al-Nisaa:
Have you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you, [Oh Muhammad], and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer legislation to taghut, while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray.
In his view, the word “taghut” if it does indicate the illegitimate governments or powers that have rebelled against the illegitimate rulers and established a government, at least it denotes a general meaning which includes judges and rulers. The illegitimate governments, including judges, executives, and others like them, are all considered to be taghut because they have disobeyed God and instituted and enforced laws according to their own personal desires. Therefore, God has commanded us to reject them and their commands. Obviously, those who intend to reject and disobey such tyrants have great responsibilities and they should do their best to fulfill them.
The most important and defining element of the struggle that changes its nature and identity is the motivation of the fighters, that is to say, the purpose of the struggle. In Islam, the divine orientation of the struggle is of particular importance. If an uprising lacks this factor, one who loses his life would not achieve the honour of being a martyr. The Holy Quran contains many terms such as “for God’s cause,” “the word of God – that is the highest” and so on in this regard. Imam Khomeini also, since the beginning of his struggles, has always kept this in mind reminding the people that “God Almighty commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him) that: “Say, ‘I only advise you of one [thing] – that you stand for God, [seeking truth]’” (Quran, 34:46). “If you do so for the sake of God you will attain success even though apparently you suffer defeat.”
In his interpretation of Surah al-Hamd, he repeatedly points out as a key point that there should be a divine motive behind all of our actions. “Everything begins from “standing up for God’s cause.” Man should rise up for the sake of God.” He characterized the movements of prophets and devoted friends of God by that feature considering such a motive to be the reason for invincibility and continuity of their uprising. If the struggles follow this path, in any case, they will be thankful. Since the motive and goal is fulfilling the divine duty. In any case, in such a struggle the responsibility is being fulfilled and therefore, from a monotheistic view, it is considered a victory. That is why Imam al-Husayn was seen more eager on the Day of Ashura. There will be no despair in such a struggle because they make all these efforts for the sake of God which will be rewarded in the Day of Judgement.
Narrations (Hadith)
Imam Khomeini used a number of narrations to prove the necessity of disobeying and rejecting the illegitimate rules, some of which will be mentioned. In his study of traditions, he acknowledged that there were too many traditions that encouraged the fight against the oppressors. In his view, more than fifty traditions indicate disobeying the unjust rulers, which are mainly recorded in the books of “Wasa’il al-Shi’ah” and “al-Mustadrak.” According to a hadith narrated by Maqbulah Umar ibn Handhalah, Sh’ahs should not refer to the illegitimate rulers, including their executive agencies and judiciary system. It denotes that Muslims should not, in their affairs, refer to kings, rulers, and their affiliated judges, even if they have every right to demand that right. If they refer to that judiciary system and defend their rights, according to the narration, “… they have got their right illegally even though that right truly belongs to them...” They fulfilled their rights illegally and hence “cannot put it into action.” The question which may come to mind that not referring to illegitimate systems in cases where one is certain that it is his definitive right to make a claim is not the solution. In response to this question, Imam Khomeini strongly states that this decree provides the ground for the abolition of the governmental offices which indicates the necessity of referring to Imams and those who have been appointed by them. In fact, the main goal here is to reject the political and legal authority of the agents affiliated with the taghut.
From the viewpoint of the founder of the Islamic Revolution, the strict order of the Imams to avoid referring to those rulers, even in cases where one has the right, is, in fact, a kind of negative struggle against them which provides the ground for the achievement of a just government.
The Way of Life of the Religious Leaders
From the viewpoint of the founder of the Islamic Revolution, Shi’ism is in favour of the oppressed and the fight against oppression. The beliefs, traditions, and practices of the Sh’ahs throughout history have attested to this. In Imam Khomeini’s view, one of the most important duties of the divine authorities is to overthrow the cruel and illegitimate governments and to establish a government on the basis of justice. “The life of Imam al-Husayn, the life of Imam al-Mahdi, the lives of all the prophets from Adam to Muhammad, show that they wanted to establish a just government.” Emphasizing this point, he says: “The main purpose of the uprising of Imam al-Husayn was to bring justice as well as to fulfill the concept of the Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Wrong.” The second part of Imam al-Husayn’s remarks made in a place called Mina also acknowledges this view. In this sermon, while explaining the reason for carrying out jihad against the Umayyad ruler, Imam al-Husayn has placed the responsibility of the leadership of jihad and the fulfillment of the concept of the Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Wrong in the hands of the scholars.
According to Imam Khomeini, the Imams and their followers throughout history have fought against illegitimate and unjust governments and powers. In explaining why the Imams did not rise up against the tyrants, he argued that they were afraid of Imams because they believed that if the Imams were given the opportunity to oppose them, they would start an uprising. The imprisonment of Imam al-Kadhim, or moving Imam al-Ridha from Madinah to Marw as well as watching his activities and poisoning him, all imply that they were afraid that the Imam would rise up and overthrow the illegitimate government. As a result, they did everything to stop the Imams from starting an uprising, otherwise, the Imams would surely rise up and overthrow their throne. To prove his view, Imam Khomeini quotes a narration according to which Harun al-Rashid, on the one hand, praised the Imam and on the other hand treated him unjustly concerning the distribution of the money and incomes. Harun responding to his son Ma’mun who was surprised by this type of behaviour said: “You do not understand. You should treat Bani Hashim in this way. They must be poor, being imprisoned, exiled, suffer, poisoned, killed, otherwise they will rise up and make our lives bitter.”
If Imam al-Sadiq did not start a public uprising, it was because he was under the pressure of the oppressive rulers and was living with taqiyyah. But even under these difficult circumstances, he did not give up the fight and managed the affairs of the Muslims appointing some as judges or rulers. This was a plan for the political future of Islamic society which paved the way for the future uprising. In his political-divine will, Imam Khomeini introduces the struggle for establishing a just government, which may result in imprisonment and ultimately, martyrdom in the way of overthrowing the illegitimate rulers, as one of the legacies of the Imams conveyed to the Sh’ahs.
Accordingly, while he was in Paris, he considered the struggle as the religious duty of all the people and called on the Muslims living in that country to fulfill this obligation. Also, on another occasion, he emphasized the overthrow of the taghut as a public duty. The Imams risked their lives for Islam, the implementation of the divine decrees and eradication of the oppression. Because the infallible Imams are our role models, it is obligatory or at least recommended to follow them in this regard as well.
The Goal of the Mission of Prophets
Imam Khomeini has considered the philosophy and purpose of the mission of all the prophets and devoted friends of God the struggle against injustice and the establishment of justice: “The prophets have come to destroy and eliminate the powers that oppress people.”
The Prophet of Islam also sought to bring about justice and fight against oppression. “The Messenger of God sought to make people informed of the way of eliminating oppression... To remove darkness and establish justice. He has shown us the right path.” In addition, he emphasized on this matter on another occasion stating that the goal of the Prophet of Islam in establishing a government was social justice: “The Prophet of Islam established a government like other governments around the world, but with the aim of expanding social justice.”
Also, he states that one of the purposes of the prophets is to provoke people into standing up against the arrogant and the oppressors, and this can be seen in the behaviours and actions of the Imams. That is why, in his view, it was necessary to carry out this task regardless of the circumstances, and even sacrificing his life in this way was considered not only permissible but necessary. “The world should know that people should not hesitate over establishing divine justice as well as cutting the hands of the polytheists of the time, and one should take steps in this regard at all costs even sacrificing someone like Ismail.” Hence, regarding the fight against the illegitimate rulers and implementation of the divine decrees, Imam Khomeini was ready to sacrifice everything and in doing so he put considerable effort into it.
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