Mouood Mouood English Edition
Developing moral virtues: The Ultimate goal of establishing an Islamic Government
Developing moral virtues is the stage of perfection that is in our hands. The Holy Prophet (S) correctly pointed out:“I was appointed as prophet in order to complete moral virtues.” 10 This hadith has been narrated by both Shia and Sunni people. Basically, the Holy Prophet (S) is saying that he was appointed for this reason and that everything else is just a prelude. The purpose is to “complete moral virtues.” The Holy Prophet (S) says that he was appointed in order to help complete moral virtues in human communities and among members of the Islamic Ummah so that moral virtues develop and everybody benefits from them and becomes a good human being.
We should develop and become good human beings. We should develop and complete moral virtues in ourselves. This is the next step, which is very important. If in a society that is built on Islamic pillars, people drift away from divine virtues and go after human passions and self-interest, if everybody tries to receive a bigger share and live a better life, if everybody tries to steal from others and is prepared to appropriate more than he deserves, if there is no forgiveness and self-sacrifice, what kind of government would allow these things? What kind of Islam and Islamic society would allow these things?
This is the basis of the issue. “I was appointed as prophet in order to complete moral virtues.” 51 Dear people, you should know that the world is in need of this. Unfortunately, the materialistic world lacks this characteristic altogether.
Moral virtues have been explained in holy sharia, including the things that are related to human beings such as patience, worship, purity and simple lifestyles, the things that are related to other human beings such as forgiveness, humility, self-sacrifice and respect for others, and the things that are related to the Islamic community. The scope of moral virtues is vast in Islam. These are the same things that the efforts of all divine prophets, saints and religious luminaries and in the case of Islam, the efforts of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S), the infallible Imams and Islamic luminaries were focused on.
Of course, under an oppressive government, these things might appear to be extremely difficult. As I said, in a system whose foundations are falsehood, oppression and materialistic tendencies such as the governments that have been established by Taghuts throughout the world it is clear that these things cannot be achieved easily. However, in an Islamic system, it is easier to achieve these things. And today the world needs this.
As the main complement to our great Islamic Revolution, our society should start a fundamental movement and there are two stages to such a movement. One stage is establishing a system and promoting Islamic virtues among ourselves, namely turning Islamic virtues into values among the people of our own society. These Islamic virtues should be turned into values. Under the Taghuts that were in power in our country, these Islamic virtues had lost their position as values.
An honest person says whatever he has in mind, as opposed to individuals who are narrow-minded, individuals whose outlook is flawed. In a society that is filled with dishonest people, a sophisticated person is one who is not honest, one who distorts reality, one who can trick and deceive. This is an instance of transforming values. This happened under Taghuti governments and under the rule of oppressive, corrupt and anti-ethics kings, and unfortunately ethical institutions in our country were seriously harmed.
Of course, the revolutionary movement helped and revived ethical institutions and the spirit of ethics in our society. However, more efforts are required. This is the first stage.
The second stage is to teach these things to the world. Today the world needs these things. Human beings throughout the world suffer from lack of ethics. Islam and Muslims can present nations of the world with the best ethical gift. They can present the best gift to humanity.
The role of the arrogant powers in causing the pitiable conditions in the contemporary world
Unfortunately, today the biggest crime of the arrogant powers is that through their behavior, they have been promoting lying, deception, cheating and a tendency towards falsehood in the world. In the arrogant governments of the world which are led by the government of America, there are certain individuals who have carried out the largest number of assassinations around the world. Recently it was announced that one of the American politicians has claimed that the CIA was involved in the killings and kidnappings in Guatemala,
The role of the arrogant powers in causing the pitiable conditions in the contemporary world which had attracted the attention of the entire world. America’s CIA has hunted down, kidnapped and killed each and every one of America’s political opponents in Guatemala and the truth has been discovered after all this time.
In every part of the world, particularly in Latin America and many other parts of the world, these people have carried out assassinations. They have plotted coups d’état. They have done illegal things. We witnessed the same things in our country as well. The same is true of other places. They have supported the most hideous terrorists in the world. They have harbored them. They have had friendly relationships with them. They have praised them. They have offered them financial support. And they are still continuing these actions.
They have helped and supported the Israeli regime, which is a government that is founded on terrorism, occupation and hostility. They have supported and helped this regime more than others. They openly support the Israeli regime. They do not even support their Arab friends as much as they support Israel. Currently, the Americans do not help their traditional friends in the region as much as they help Israel. In fact, their real friend is Israel and they prefer it to all the other governments. This is while Israel is a regime that is founded on terrorism.
From the beginning, this regime was built on the foundations of terror, killing opponents, lies, oppression, murder and massacres. This is the same as supporting terror and assassination. This is while America is carrying the flag of fighting terrorism in the world.
This is a clear case of lying and deception. This is a clear case of depriving humanity of ethics, a clear case of drifting away from ethics. Those who are claiming to support values and moral virtues in the world, are the archenemy of moral virtues and this is more tragic than any other crime that is committed in the world.
The world needs your message and your path. It needs the truth that you have discovered, the truth that is in the Holy Quran and in Be’that of the Holy Prophet (S). However, you will be able to teach these things to the world only when you have internalized them and translated them into action. 11
Regarding the Holy Prophet of Islam (S), first I would say that it is not possible for people like us to achieve the brilliant understanding that he had achieved. That most noble human being, that most honorable being in the entire creation is beyond materialistic dimensions of the world. Human beings use their wisdom and experience and five senses to rank people on the basis of genius, wisdom, knowledge and experience. The Holy Prophet of Islam (S) enjoys the highest rank in all these areas.
Even if there were no narrations, no Quranic Ayahs and no religious evidence, people could discover this truth through reasoning and the proofs that exist in the world. Those who can make use of these things are capable of achieving part of the brilliance that the Holy Prophet (S) enjoyed. Using our five senses and despite the existing restrictions, we can see, recognize and feel the greatness of the Holy Prophet (S).
Even within the limits that restrict the understanding of human beings, the Holy Prophet (S) is not comparable to any other luminary. For example, Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) has always attracted the attention of many luminaries throughout the world and they have described him as a great personality and as a person who is more like a mythical character. However, even that great man is considered small and insignificant compared to the Holy Prophet (S). He himself considered his position far lower than that of the Holy Prophet (S). Compared to the greatness of the Holy Prophet (S), which is like a boundless ocean, the personality of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) fades into insignificance. This shows the greatness of the Holy Prophet (S).
Love and respect for the Holy Prophet (S): The only things that Muslims agree about
The point which is important in today’s world and which I emphasize repeatedly is that there is one thing that all Islamic denominations have in common and there is no disagreement as far as that one thing is concerned. Today Muslims are suffering from numerous problems and afflictions. They are all grappling with these problems and they should use every instrument that is available to them in order to eliminate these problems and afflictions. Even in the case of monotheism, which all Muslims agree about unanimously, there might be certain people who have their own interpretations and might not accept what others say.
However, as far as love and respect for the Holy Prophet of Islam (S) is concerned, there is no disagreement among Muslims. This is a point of unity and all Muslims should focus their efforts on it. I have previously said that some determined people have made efforts to unite different Islamic denominations on the basis of this point of unity. And today those who are determined should try to attract the attention of all Muslims to this point of unity.
Let us make a point about the issues that are related to the world of Islam. Muslims should try to figure out their current conditions and they should understand what horrible plans the enemies of Islam have for the destiny of Muslims. Knowledge of the existing conditions alone should be enough to awaken conscientious people to the fact that they need a remedy. It is not easy to find a remedy. However, there are two, three essential points in this regard that we should pay attention to.
• 1.Sura al-Baqara, Ayah 129
• 2.Sura al-Baqara, Ayah 129
• 3.Sura ash-Shuara, Ayah 214
• 4.Sura al-Yasin, Ayah 11
• 5.Sura al-Baqara, Ayah 3
• 6.Supreme Leader’s speech delivered on December 20, 1995 in a meeting with government officials of the Islamic Republic on the occasion of Mab’ath
• 7.Sura al-Araf, Ayah 157
• 8.Supreme Leader’s speech delivered on August 3, 1996 in a meeting with government officials and participants of the Islamic Unity Conference
• 9.Sura al-Baqara, Ayah 31
• 10.Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 68, P. 382
• 11.Supreme Leader’s speech delivered on December 9, 1996 in a meeting with government officials on the occasion of Mab’ath
