Iranian scholar: Islamic Ummah must gain comprehensive, independence in political, economic, cultural fields

The speech comes as follows:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to God, the Lord of Universe. Greetings to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his infallible household and great companions.
Dear brothers and sisters! God Almighty’s mercy on you.
First of all, let me congratulate you on the birth anniversary of holy Prophet of Islam (SAW) and his dear grandson, Hazrat Imam Jaafar Sadiq (AS). We are now in a blessed week, called the “Week of Unity.” Here, it’s worth to appreciate the World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought (WAPIST) for the big move of holding this international conference annually. What the International Islamic Unity Conference investigates is very important. This conference runs with the motto of “Islamic Cooperation to Reach Common Values” on the ground that it is intertwined with destiny of Islamic Ummah. We should focus on Islamic values and strive for it. I am going to make sketchy reference to the values in my short speech. All Muslims share common values, including social justice, spirituality, and the economic, political and cultural power. Moreover, Muslims share other common values such as Islamic unity, economy of resistance, liberty, and political, cultural and economic independence.
Furthermore, there are other common values that any Muslim will gain after studying the core of the values, thus understanding their goals. Studying religious texts, especially Holy Quran, offer great deal of help in this connection. God Almighty says in Holy Quran, “We verily sent Our messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance, that mankind may observe right measure.” The noble verse is in Holy Quran’s Surah Hadid. This verse concerns justice. Evidently, what Holy Quran means by “justice” is general sense of the word: Social and economic justice and so on. Justice was in fact one of the main reasons for assignment of prophets’ to prophethood and revelation of divine scriptures.
Moreover, Holy Quran says, “... and He will not allow the unbelievers, in any way, to gain advantage over the believers.” In this noble verse, God Almighty says the pagans and unbelievers do not have any advantage over Muslims. This noble verse underlines that Islamic Ummah needs to gain comprehensive and broad independence in the political, economic, cultural and other fields. Of course, the Islamic Ummah should strive for attaining such an important goal through fighting the domineering and despotic powers. God Almighty says in Holy Quran, “Hold fast together to the cable of Allah and be not divided.” In this verse, God Almighty invites Muslims to unity and setting aside discord and differences. Furthermore, Holy Quran says, “And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, “Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?” It is understood from this noble verse the need for Islamic resistance against the tyrants.
This holy verse also speaks of the children of Islamic Ummah helping each other, this way saving the oppressed and those living under the yoke of tyrants. Muslims’ helping each other is not restricted only to the political, media and cultural fields; rather, Muslims should attend battlefields, if needed. God Almighty says in Holy Quran, “Do not entrust your properties - which Allah has made a means of support for you - to the weak of understanding.” Holy Quran has in the blessed verse, Nisa (Women), invited Islamic Ummah to protecting their property and economy. Economy is in fact the essence of survival of Islamic Ummah and their source of reliance. Hence, Economy of Resistance is of high importance. In Islamic Ummah, economists and those having influential role in economy need to take economic posts and positions so that such posts are not entrusted to the unqualified persons.
One more common value is liberty. A noble hadith (corpus of the sayings or traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)) says, “Don’t be a slave to others for verily Allah has created you free.” This hadith highlights the importance of liberty. Liberty is in fact part of innate nature of human beings. Man should move freely based on the laws and regulations of Islamic communities. Holy Prophet (PBUH) says, “An Arab has no virtue over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have virtue over an Arab except through Taqwa (Piety).” In that hadith, Prophet negates any kind of discrimination of Muslims and human beings. He says no one and no group are superior to other(s) except in terms of piety. God Almighty also says in a noble verse the same, “Verily the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing of you.” Here, racial discrimination is found to be a completely indecent act. In a noble hadith the Prophet (PBUH) said, “He who works hard to provide his family with [a lawful] livelihood is as one who fights in the way of Allah (Jihad).”
In this hadith, Prophet (PBUH) invites children of Islamic Ummah to making endeavors to ensure economic growth and development. Such efforts in line with economic development and growth mark Jihad in the path of God. There are many hadiths and verses on common values and in my speech, I only referred to some of them as an example. Moreover, we get from the verses and hadiths that without cooperation, unity, convergence and synergism, we will not be able to implement common values in Islamic Ummah. There are two groups in Islamic Ummah, who shoulder a grave role to implement common values. Prophet (PBUH) describes the two groups: “There are two groups in my Ummah, if they are righteous, then my ummah is well, and if they are corrupt, then my ummah is corrupted, and they are the scholars and the rulers.” By scholars, it was meant elites in different fields like jurisprudence, psychology, sociology as well as Islamic, economic, medical, political, legal and arts fields.
All elites from any rank, no matter which specialization, should act on their role of stabilizing common values in the ranks of Islamic Ummah. They should make theories on the values and propagate them. They should push Islamic Ummah to the values. Ulima and elite play an important role in this area. Of course, cultural activities are also very important. Naturally, materialization of such an important goal will be possible through holding conferences and meetings in the domestic, regional and international levels, like this international meeting (International Islamic Unity Conference), which Islamic Republic of Iran annually holds it.
These rulers need to use all their capacity to implement common Islamic values. If rulers join hands and cooperate with each other, they will be able to lead Islamic Ummah to the highest levels of grandeur, dignity and progress in all the cultural, political and economic fields. Under such conditions, Islamic Ummah will have the upper hand and turn into a model for all mankind, leading them towards everlasting Islam. Islamic countries also hold such meetings. At any rate, the requisite for implementation of common values in Islamic societies is holding such meetings and such an important issue can be met if the elite and Ulima fulfil their grave role. After the Ulima and elite, the second group, who have a grave role, are the rulers who assume all powers, including military and economic power. They also control the three branches of power: The executive, legislative and judiciary powers.
I ask God Almighty to help everybody undertake and fulfil the great mission of cooperation and synergism for observation of common values. We praise God Almighty and salute Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his infallible household, especially the Imam of Age, Hazrat Mahdi (May God Expedite His Reappearance).