The Beginning of the Revolution Part 2 (Iran’s Islamic Revolution and the modern Islamic civilization 1)

2.1 The Islamic civilization

“The fact that civilization originated from Islam is something that cannot be refuted. If Islam did not have a real and excellent civilization with its specific characteristics based on the holy book and traditions of Islam, the Western scholars of civilization, even those who are famous for attacking Islam, would never have repeatedly mentioned the Islamic civilization or explained the history of Islamic civilization or even compared it with the rest of the world civilizations. This civilization is one of the famous civilizations that has decorated the general history of the world and has filled history forever with its brilliant impacts.” (☻[GS1] , 1941:128)

This is the definition that was offered by an American author [GS2] in regards to the Islamic civilization. The nature of the Islamic civilization is so clear that it does not require any rational argument. It is sufficient for us to only have a brief study regarding the history of Islam and its impacts, only then shall the verdict regarding the nature of the Islamic civilization become apparent and obvious. Martyr Motahhari states: “The sociologists have done many studies concerning this matter as there are several primordial civilizations in the world. Owing to this fact, it is quoted that the celebrated Toynbee[1] initially divided civilizations into thirty-three groups whereby one of those was the Islamic civilization. He then distinguished ten of those civilizations as the most important ones and again the Islamic civilization was one of them. Eventually, he chose three to five of those and the Islamic civilization was still one of them.” (Motahhari, 1984:262)

One of the other reasons that have led to some people not knowing anything in regards to the Islamic civilization is the imagination that has been incidentally spurred by the generation of those who have gone to Europe, the tourists and the civilized ones especially at the outset of acquaintance with Western civilization and that is confining civilization in its industrial nature. (Refer to Zamani: 23). Perhaps, civilization only refers to the industrial civilization and its origin is only confined to the West. This is while the industrial civilization is only a part of civilization that can be found and developed if there is a platform for development in any part of the world and under any science development school. Incidentally, Islam was also a pioneer from this perspective. This is because the civilization that Islam wants to establish is based on rational knowledge, intellectual judgement and the experience and accumulation of man’s knowledge and experience and has found and is still finding its final face and shape. Not only is this civilization familiar with the sciences, industrialization, philosophy, arts and social and political systems, but has also blown into their framework the spirit of spirituality and ethics based on revelation. And the evidence of that is the pioneering of the Islamic scholars in the course of history who were present in all these fields.

The mastery of the Islamic scholars for more than five hundred years during the darkest era of European history has depicted the capability of Islam in establishing a civilization. It was through the Islamic philosophers and scholars that the motor of man’s knowledge essentially restarted its movement and the rich heritage of the Greek knowledge reached the hands of the new rationalists and scientific research pioneers. With the help of vital tools of experience and evaluations, the Muslims have stepped into the course of development and by this means, have played the role of the interface loop between the Greek scientific achievements and the modern age.

The extent that the caravan of man’s knowledge is indebted to the great names such as al-Farabi, ibn Sina, al-Ghazali, ibn Rushd, ibn Khaldun, al-Zahrawi, Zakariya al-Razi, ibn al-Haytham and Mulla Sadra, is the same way that it is indebted to the nature of the creation of civilization by a religion that does not even accept one to become a Muslim without reasoning and comprehending the principles of religion.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution which was inspired by the religion of Islam and its rich culture, and whose beginning was based on that and for the sake of that, endeavoured and is still endeavouring to open a new page in the history of Islamic civilization and revive this old civilization depending on the circumstances of its own time.

2.2. Iran’s Islamic Revolution: the beginning and perpetuity of civilization

The Islamic

Iran’s Islamic Revolution was a popular revolution based on the religion of Islam. Islam is an inspirational religion and utilizing a comprehensive plan that begins from the personal spiritual reformation and spreads to the social aspect, will be perpetual. Not only was Islam this way in the theoretical aspect, but also the practical aspect. Today, the great Islamologists including the Muslims and non-Muslims, believe that Islam is not only a mere collection of religious legal laws. Rather, not only is it a culture, but also a civilization and a lifestyle in all its aspects. This has always been the characteristic of the religion of Islam from its advent to date. While paying heed to the hereafter, Islam is also considered to be a world-oriented religion. It is due to this reason that it is also referred to as the religion of legal laws as well as the religion of civilization.

It is on this account that despite the beginning of Iran’s Islamic Revolution at the beginning of the fifteenth century of the life of Islam, it has always had this characteristic. Iran’s Islamic Revolution was both cultural and civilizational since it was established under one Islamic word. Since the Beginning of Iran’s Islamic Revolution was civilizational, it has no otherwise but to remain in its original form (civilizational). (Khorramshad and Adami, 2009: (4-7). This means that Iran’s Islamic Revolution must be able to be inspirational and provide the base for the formation of the new civilization in Iran. Contrary to this, it will be doomed to failure and downfall.

During the last quarter of the twentieth century, which is considered to be one of the periods of the development of Western civilization, Iran’s Islamic Revolution managed to deliver a new message. A message from a revolution that was different from the other Eastern and Western revolutions and had been based on its acceptable system of which was far better and distinct from the system of the hegemon Western civilization. Due to this reason, Iran’s Islamic Revolution was not just a mere political revolution. If it was only a political revolution, the West would not have shown all this hatred and animosity.

It seems that the real problem of the West with Iran’s Islamic Revolution was due to that essence of civilization that was present in the Islamic Revolution. A revolution that was promising the creation of a new civilization. This was specifically in facing the circumstances of the Western civilization and resistance that was being established in different parts of the geographical area of ​​the world and the Islamic world. Connecting these movements that seek identity and civilization in a transnational point was defining a phenomenon of a new civilization that was considered by Western countries to be a great challenge and threat.

The Western civilization had been established based on an ideological principle whose system of thinking was civilizational in its general worldly sense. They meant progress and development, science, industrialization and technology. According to the celebrated Western philosophers, that system that was present within this civilization was formed at a time when the Western man or Western civilization had already killed God (considered God to be non-existent) and placed man in God’s position. This civilization was based on a world without a God and a doctrine under the rule of man had managed to bring man good progress in some aspects of his welfares. Nonetheless, gradually, it was discovered that it cannot provide all the prosperity that man has been looking for since his creation. In respect to the material and apparent aspects, this civilization had provided man with extraordinary developments compared to the past.

However, in the welfare course regarding the moral and spiritual matters, this man was suffering from one vacuum and is still suffering. As long as the apparent and worldly appearance of the Western civilization managed to advance in the non-Western countries, the more the Western civilization advanced in the world. Nevertheless, gradually, the spiritual vacuums and holes within the Western civilization have become evident. This feeling was strengthened by the fact that these holes could swallow the western civilization just in the manner that the black holes in the universe swallow the milky way. It is in such a condition that a strong civilization is also found which brings with it a different system of modern civilization. This is the main output and strategic message that is given by the Islamic Revolution.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution seeks to establish a civilization under the rule of God and this God of the Islamic Revolution is different from the God of churches in the medieval period (from the 5^th to the 15^th century). This God does not oppose land reclamation and the development and progress in the welfare of humankind in this world. In reality, while this civilization emphasizes the worldly aspects, it also severely emphasizes spiritual aspects. To put it differently, this civilization is neither totally against worldly affairs nor does it stand against religion. Rather, it is a civilization under the rule of God and is meant for man’s life in this world. This last part is an answer to those vacuums and holes that came about in Western civilization.

It is due to this reason that if this system is established in its complete form and becomes firm, it is capable of posing a great challenge to the foundations of Western civilization. What is happening in Iran’s Islamic Revolution is not necessarily a new phenomenon, but rather a phenomenon that has a historical record. In other words, it is a revival of civilization and not an establishment of civilization. This is a new Islamic civilization whereby with the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran happens to be its flagbearer. It is a new Islamic-Iranian civilization; a civilization with strong roots in the past, that has a very long future.

The Islamic Republic is a result of a revolution that has its own special elements and the epistemological principle of religion and culture. Therefore, the epistemological principle of Iran’s Islamic Revolution has the capability of presenting the analytical foundations and special comprehension regarding the qualities of culture and civilization. In that sense, it has raised the ability of the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the soft war and civilizational war within the present conditions. It has reduced the possibility of the cultural impact especially from the scope of the Western civilization and increased the grounds for cultural resistance.

With the Islamic Republic, a different model of politics, power and rulership has been established in Iran which incidentally, is like none of the civilizational epitomes of the East and West. In other terms, the Islamic Republic system is one of the dimensions and aspects of the Islamic-Iranian civilization. This is because, essentially, a civilization is deemed to be a civilization when its objective output is like that of the government. The Islamic Republic has managed to define a kind of Islamic regime alongside the ideological regimes and secular regimes including their right-wing or left-wing in the history of its civilization and exhibited it to the public view. The independence and anti-Western policy of the Iranians from the researched characteristics is one of the basic elements of cultural power for establishing the new Islamic-Iranian civilization. (refer to Najmabadi, 1998)

The popular revolution of Iran was one of the epitomes of resistance against the system present in the world and changing of power. What Iran has experienced during the Islamic Revolution was an objective and realistic transition from a hard means towards the epitome of religious soft means which practically and eventually led to the management of the existing threats and the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

In the case of complete comprehension and reconstruction of its foundations, this epitome is also capable of being beneficial in the coming years. Likewise, it can be presented to the contemporary world in the form of an independent and religious view.

 

Archive of The Thought of the Islamic Revolution