The Ideology of its Founder – Firstly: Polytheistic leanings

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The Ideology of its Founder

 

After referring to the writings of Khomeini in his books: Kashf al Asrar,[1] Tahrir al Wasilah, al Hukumah al Islamiyyah, Misbah al Imamah wa al Wilayah, Rasa’il al Ta’adul wa al Tarjih wa al Taqiyyah, Durus fi al Jihad wa al Rafd, Sirr al Salah, etc. it is evident that he had a number of eerie ideologies, the most crucial among them being the following:

1. Polytheistic leanings
2. Extremist Sufi leanings
3. The claim of prophethood
4. Extremism in Rafd
5. Complete representation of the hidden Mahdi

 

Firstly: Polytheistic leanings[2]

In his book Kashf al Asrar he comes across as a defender of polytheism. He says:

 

ويمكن أن يقال أن التوسل إلى الموتى وطلب الحاجة منهم شرك، لأن النبي والإمام ليس إلا جمادين فلا يتوقع منهما النفع والضرر. والجواب: إن الشرك هو طلب الحاجة من غير الله مع الإعتقاد بأن هذا الغير هو إله ورب، وأما إذا طلب الحاجة من الغير من غير هذا الاعتقاد فذلك ليس بشرك، ولا فرق في هذا المعنى بين الحي والميت، ولهذا لو طلب حاجته من الحجر والمدر لا يكون شركا، مع أنه قد فعل فعلا باطلا. ومن ناحية أخرى نحن نستمد من أرواح الأنبياء والمقدسة والأئمة الذين أعطاهم الله قدرة. لقد ثبت بالبراهين القطعية والأدلة العقلية المحكمة حياة الروح بعد الموت والإحاطة الكاملة للأرواح على هذا العالم.

The objection can possibly be raised that considering the dead to be agents and seeking needs from them is Shirk because the Nabi and the Imam are lifeless and thus no benefit or harm can be expected from them. The answer is: Shirk entails seeking needs from anyone besides Allah coupled with the belief that he is a deity and a sustainer. But if one seeks a need from him without considering him to be a deity then that is not shirk; in this the living and dead both are equal. Thus seeking ones need from a stone or a piece of clay will not be shirk even though the action is wrong. Seeing it from another perspective, we seek help from the pure souls of the Ambiya’ and the Imams who are bestowed by Allah with abilities. It is established through categorical evidence and logical proofs that the souls lives after death and that they fully encompass the universe.[3]

 

He then goes on to cite the views of the philosophers in order to prove his claims.

The aforementioned text entails the following:

Firstly, His belief that supplicating to stones, idols and shrines is not shirk unless the supplicator considers them to be deities and lords; this is baseless and false, and to refute this kind of shirk the prophets were sent and the Books revealed. This is the shirk of the polytheists of Makkah which Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam opposed and tried to eradicate. For it is clear that the polytheists would not consider their idols to be lords, rather they would say the following as described by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala in the Qur’an:

 

مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُوْنَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ

We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to God in position.[4]

 

وَيَعْبُدُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَيَقُوْلُوْنَ هٰؤُلَاءِ شُفَعَاؤُنَا عِندَ اللهِ قُلْ أَتُنَبِّئُوْنَ اللهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُوْنَ

And they worship other than God that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, “These are our intercessors with God.” Say, “Do you inform God of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?” Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.[5]

 

قُل لِّمَنِ الْأَرْضُ وَمَنْ فِيْهَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ.سَيَقُوْلُوْنَ لِله قُلْ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُوْنَ.قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ.سَيَقُوْلُوْنَ لِله قُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ.قُلْ مَن بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيْرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُوْنَ.سَيَقُوْلُوْنَ لِله قُلْ فَأَنَّىٰ تُسْحَرُوْنَ

Say, [O Muhammad], “To whom belongs the earth and whoever is in it, if you should know?” They will say, “To God.” Say, “Then will you not remember?” Say, “Who is Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Great Throne?” They will say, “[They belong] to God.” Say, “Then will you not fear Him?” Say, “In whose hand is the realm of all things – and He protects while none can protect against Him – if you should know?” They will say, “[All belongs] to God.” Say, “Then how are you deluded?”[6]

 

These verses establish that the polytheist amongst the Arabs conceded the Oneness of Allah and that He is the creator of everything, but despite that they were still considered polytheists. The shirk that Khomeini is espousing is no different from their shirk.

Secondly, his belief that the dead Imams have the ability to benefit and harm and his acknowledgement that they seek help from them. This is without doubt the greatest form of shirk; because the dead cannot benefit or harm themselves. Is there any difference between this and the shirk of the polytheists of Quraysh and the polytheists of the various nations which passed before them.[7] The only difference is that these people accord their shirk the name of Islam and consider it as part of the Din of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as you will see in the defences written for Khomeini.

Lastly, his claim that the souls encompass the entire universe completely and his seeking of evidence from the views of the philosophers. Encompassing the world is for Allah alone. He says:

 

وَكَانَ اللهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّحِيْطًا

And ever is God, of all things, encompassing.[8]

 

The souls are created and controlled. After they leave the bodies they are either in bliss or punishmentو and thus have no share in encompassing the universe. However when an idea originates from its locus it is not considered strange. A person who combines between the heresies of the philosophers and the extremism of the Shia can only emerge with a view of this sort or even worst.

 

His Belief in the Impact of Stars and Days upon the Movements of Men

The ideology of Khomeini has always remained tainted by the assumptions of Shirk and the Mushriks. He claims that in every month there are some wretched days wherein a Shia should not do anything, and that in the transitioning of the moon to various stages there are negative effects on the actions of men. As such a Shia should refrain from doing anything till the moon passes those phases.

There is no doubt that a person who believes that the days and the stars have an impact in a person’s fortune, in bringing about harm or preventing it is a polytheist; for this is the belief of the of the Sabi’ah regarding the stars.

The evidence for this belief of Khomeini is the following text which appears in Tahrir al Wasilah:

 

ويكره إيقاعه (يعني عقد الزواج) والقمر في برج العقرب، وفي محاق الشهر، وفي أحد الأيام المنحوسة في كل شهر: وهي سبعة: يوم 3، ويوم 5، ويوم 13، ويوم 16، ويوم 21، ويوم 24، ويوم 25 ( وذلك من كل شهر).

It is disliked to contract a contract of marriage when the moon is in the Scorpio, the end of its month and in one of the wretched days; which are seven: the third day, the fifth day, the thirteenth day, the sixteenth day, the twenty first day, the twenty fourth day and the twenty fifth day (these days are found in every month).[9]

 

This is the belief of Khomeini and his followers. Thus what the author of Tuhfah al Ithnay ‘Ashariyyah has said regarding them is true:

 

إن الصابئة كانوا يحترزون عن أيام يكون القمر بها في العقرب، أو الطرف أو المحاق، وكذلك الرافضة… وكانت الصابئة يعتقدون أن جميع الكواكب فاعلة مختارة، وأنها هي المديرة للعالم السفلي، وكذلك الرافضة.

The Sabi’ah would refrain from those days wherein the moon would be in the Scorpio, the beginning of the month or its end. Likewise is the belief of the Rafidah. The Sabi’ah would also believe that the stars do, that they have freewill, and that they administer the world at the bottom. And so is the belief of the Rafidah.[10]

 

The Reality of Shirk according to Khomeini

If the idol worship of the polytheist is not shirk according to him, then what constitutes Shirk according to him?

He says:

 

توجد نصوص كثيرة تصف كل نظام غير إسلامي بأنه شرك، والحاكم أو السلطة فيه طاغوت، ونحن مسؤولون عن إزالة آثار الشرك من مجتمعنا المسلم، ونبعدها تماما عن حياتنا.

There are texts which describe every non-Islamic government whose ruler or governing party is oppressive as Shirk. It is our responsibility to eliminate the effects of Shirk from our Muslim society and distance it completely from our lives.[11]

 

As you can see, his understanding of Shirk is that a person of the Ahlus Sunnah rules over lands of the Muslims; such a person is a polytheist and so are his people. Hence the religion of these people is based on Wilayah and not upon the Oneness of Allah. And thus we find that Shirk is so rampant in their lands.

 

NEXT⇒ Secondly Extremism in Tasawuf 

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[1] This book is originally written in Persian. It was translated into Arabic by one of the Persian speaking scholars. And one of the teachers of the Islamic university sent me pictures of this translation. May Allah reward him with goodness.

[2] Despite its gravity, I have not come across anyone who has shed light upon this ideology of Khomeini.

[3] Kashf al Asrar p. 30.

[4] Surah al Zumar: 3.

[5] Surah Yunus: 18.

[6] Surah al Mu’minun: 84-89.

[7] See: Sharh al Tahawiyyah p. 20.

[8] Surah al Nisa’: 126.

[9] Tahrir al Wasilah 2/238.

[10] Mukhtasar al Tuhfah p. 299; also refer to Fath al Majid: chapter regarding astrology p. 365.

[11] Al Hukumah al Islamiyyah p. 33-34; also refer to the discussion on their belief regarding the oneness of Allah in terms of him being the deity.Click Here