Pure Muhammadan Islam

Pure Muhammadan Islam is a phrase that Imam Khomeini used during his last years in opposition to the term “American Islam.” Based on this definition, pure Muhammadan Islam means the holy and revolutionary anger and resentment against the capitalists of the West and the aggressive communism of the East.

This phrase was coined at a time when Iran was resisting the military aggression of the Iraqi regime for several years. During its war against Iran, Iraq was always supported by nations such as the United States, France and the United Kingdom. Similarly, the Arab nations and specifically Saudi Arabia and Kuwait never hesitated to offer financial support to Iraq. On the other hand, the extensive Western and regional media propaganda was used to incite the world public opinion against Iranian Muslims and portrayed the Islam of the Iranians to be different from the genuine Islam. They wanted to defeat the people of Iran.

The Iranians who were involved in a full-scale military war immediately after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the collapse of the Shah’s regime and were always defending their revolutionary goals were confronted with hostile tricks to turn the people away from the new Islamic system. Even some groups consisting of religious people were in agreement with the Western speakers, as they did not like the way the society was run, which involved religion in the affairs of the government. They even interpreted it as a misguidance that led the country to destruction.

In a situation wherein the West and the East had joined forces against Iran, and the Iranian economic siege was getting tighter every day, these people were chanting the slogan of prosperity and comfort and the necessity of avoiding a confrontation with the aggressors.

It was due to this reason that by defining pure Muhammadan Islam and elaborating its features, Imam Khomeini blocked the way that could have led to the deviation of the revolution from its true path. According to Imam Khomeini, pure Muhammadan Islam refers to the Islam of the barefoot people on the earth, the Islam of the destitute people, the Islam of the combatant mystics, the Islam of the pious mystic wherein the stains of sanctity and extreme dogmatism should be removed from it and then presented to the oppressed people.