Supreme Leader’s View of Islamic Awakening

Part one: The Islamic system, the beacon of guidance for humanity

Islam, a great asset for the Islamic Ummah

“Islamic practices and the clear teachings and the firm and comprehensive rules of Islam are a great asset for the Islamic Ummah. By presenting a deep insight into the world and the nature of man, by presenting pure monotheism and moral and spiritual guidelines, by presenting firm and comprehensive political and social rules and systems, by presenting religious practices and obligations, Islam calls on all human beings to cleanse their inner self of ugliness, weakness and corruption. It calls on all human beings to shine the light of faith, purity, transcendence, sincerity, love, hope and dynamism on their inner selves. It calls on human beings to cleanse their world of poverty, ignorance, oppression, discrimination, backwardness, stagnation, bullying, imposition, humiliation and stupidity.

By presenting an interpretation of life and existence and by showing the right path, Islam helps human beings to achieve true prosperity in life, and it shows the straight divine path to them. All Islamic ahkaam and orders, all the main guidelines of political, social and economic methods, all individual and social kinds of worship – these are all intertwined elements of this revitalizing prescription that will bring about happiness.”

Part of the Supreme Leader’s hajj message issued on March 19, 1999

Development of the Islamic Republic

“Ever since its establishment, the Islamic Republic has faced big global challenges. The reason was that wealthy and powerful people – who have always pursued their own interests – cannot tolerate the existence of a new power in the world. They cannot tolerate the establishment and development of a new power which acts against their illegitimate interests. This power was created in Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic. It was not the Islamic Republic that was most dangerous to the arrogant powers, rather it was the spread of Islamic Awakening in the world of Islam which was more important and dangerous to the arrogant powers. This is the kind of danger that still threatens the arrogant powers and provokes their hostility towards the world of Islam – especially the Islamic Republic, which is the pivot of the world of Islam.

Propagating pure Islam and religious thought led to the awakening of the world of Islam. The name and the essence of Islam already existed in an individual form in the world of Islam. But the Islamic perspective on the Islamic Ummah – as a great entity which had the potential to wake up and start a movement – emerged in Islamic Iran and spread to the entire world. This perspective on Islam and propagating this thought in the world of Islam led to the establishment of a government which has managed to extract freedom and democracy from Islamic concepts and teachings. And this is unprecedented in the world of Islam, at least in the past few centuries.”

Part of a speech delivered on September 10, 2003 in a meeting with members of the Assembly of Experts

The wave of Islamic Awakening