In the Name of the Almighty God
“For what crime was she killed?” (The Quran: Al-Takweer: 9)
Nigerian government’s violent, inhumane, and brutal murder of their innocent compatriots caused us great grief. Killing the followers of a faith whose leaders have always enjoined them to be kind, friendly, forbearing, united, and striving for perfection and morality is no doubt a double sin which God, nations, mankind, and history shall not forgive.
It is really most unfortunate that people who know themselves to be the followers of the Prophet, whom God blessed with kindness and good behavior, nowadays kill one another, and that, instead of the best and most gracious ways of argument, they choose bloodshed as a means by which to invite others to the right path and the righteous faith.
Extending my deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and to all freedom lovers all over the world, and condemning this brutal killing, I ask God to bring Muslims together and save human society from this great evil which is done in the name of Islam and the Prophet (SA), the Mercy to the worlds.
The Holy City of Mashad
December 16, 2015
Yusof Saanei
In the Name of the Almighty
« وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِن بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِراً إِلَى اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ
يُدْرِكْهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللهِ » (نساء/100)
"And whosoever leaves his home as an emigrant unto Allah and His Messenger, and death overtakes him, his reward is then surely incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
The recent disasters leaving many Hajj pilgrims killed and many others injured have caused deep sorrows for the victims' families and for the conscientious especially Muslims the world over. I ask God to bestow His blessings and remunerations, patience, and the gathering together with the martyrs on the Judgment Day upon all families and relatives of the victims.
ٍSeptember 25, 2015; Dhil Hajjat al Haram 11, 1436
The Holy City of Qom
Yusof Saanei
]]>Grand Ayatollah Saanei:
“If we cannot be like Imam Khomeini (PBUH), we should, at the very least, avoid turning into anti-Imam Khomeini.”
On the occasion of the anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s death, Grand Ayatollah Saanei, addressing his students of extra-textual discussions course of the principles of Shiite jurisprudence, set to describe the late Imam’s moral, political, and social characteristics and said, “We all have to cultivate such characteristics in the society, and if we cannot be like Imam Khomeini (PBUH), we should, at the very least, avoid turning into anti-Imam Khomeini.”
This renowned disciple of the late Imam Khomeini then added, “All those who are familiar with the jurisprudential, philosophical, mystical, and even exegetical views of the late Imam, share the idea that Imam Khomeini dedicated his life to divine duties and obligations and to adherence to the words and deeds of the Ahl al Bayt (the holy Prophet’s Family) (PBUT).”
“One of Imam’s outstanding qualities,” His Eminence said, “was that He presented an acceptable picture of Islam to the world. Those familiar with the jurisprudential views of the late Imam know that, after the Islamic revolution, He attempted to adapt jurisprudential rules to the thoughts and wisdom of today’s human being as witnessed by some of His famous fatwas concerning chess, mines, and women’s divorce.” On the issue of Imam Khomeini’s fatwas, Grand Ayatollah Saanei added, “During the time when I was a member of the Council of Guardians, whenever we encountered a problem with an executive affair, we asked the late Imam for His fatwa- not because He was the leader since this had nothing to do with jurisprudential inference and besides that our constitution does not take leadership into consideration when it comes to Islamic criteria- but because all members of the Council, who were Islamic jurisprudents themselves, considered Imam Khomeini the most learned of the jurisprudents whose fatwas were really pragmatic and helpful. At times, the late Imam Himself had no particular view on the issue at hand and referred us to a different jurisprudent whose fatwa in that very case could be a helpful solution for the society.”
Speaking of another quality of the late Imam, Grand Ayatollah Saanei stated, “Whenever there was a new proposal, He contemplated it and finally responded in such a way that was approved of and accepted by all the wise.”
Quoting one of the judicial authorities, Grand Ayatollah Saanei then went on to talk about a memory of the late Imam’s appropriate and careful decision making. His Eminence quoted that judicial authority as saying, “In the early days of the Islamic revolution, we took the case of a military man from the past regime to Imam Khomeini. This man had been convicted and sentenced to death for giving death sentence to four revolutionary forces. However, he claimed that he had been ordered by the Shah (the king) to execute twelve revolutionary forces while he had only done that to four of them and had used every trick in the book to prevent the others from being executed. Now, he believes that he deserves to receive a reduced sentence for not killing the others. We investigated his claim and found out that he was telling the truth. We have sentenced him to death for killing those four revolutionary forces whose loss is possible to be compensated. What do you think is the most appropriate to do about this case? Contemplating the matter for a while, Imam Khomeini replied, ‘The present conditions do not allow us to release him. However, you may release him after two or three months when the circumstances are appropriate.’” Analyzing the way the late Imam treated this case as well as His careful consideration of time and space and social conditions, Grand Ayatollah Saanei added, “Does it not mean that the late Imam was concerned about human beings, the revolution, and Islam?”
Counting the late Imam’s popularity with the people and revolutionaries as another one of His qualities, Grand Ayatollah Saneei continued, “If characters like Beheshti, Motahari, Montazeri, Rabbani Amlashi, Rabbani Shirazi, Hashemi Rafsanjani, Musavi Ardebili, Karrubi, and Mirhossein Musavi took great pride in being at His service and following Him, or if Mohammad Montazeri was filled with interest in Him, it was simply because of His popularity due to His manners and actions.”
At the end, Grand Ayatollah Saneei concluded, “If we are to introduce Islam to the world, we ought to learn this from the late Imam’s words and actions. We should not, god forbid, act or speak in such a way that would introduce Islam to the world poorly and wrongly. Nor should we get into disputes and matters which would not benefit our nation. I ask all those who have come to power in the name of Islam and martyrs’ bloods shed in fight against oppression and injustice to follow the path of the prophets, the allies of Allah, and the late Imam Khomeini.”
In the Name of Allah
“And Indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of what the believers do.”
« وَأَنَّ اللهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ »
I hereby express my condolences to the late Mr. Sahabi’s wife, children, and all his other relatives, and pray to and ask Allah to raise him to high ranks and bestow great patience and reward upon the family and relatives.
I hope that his God-seeking and religious way of life, his freedom of spirit, morality, fairness and faithfulness in criticism, fighting with oppression and injustice to protect the rights of others, and his patience and endurance will set the pattern for all people to follow.
Yousof Saanei
]]>“That we see, in talk of Her Holiness Zahra (S), Imam Sadeq (A) has first used the attribute ‘Seddiqah’ (truthful) and then ‘Shahidah’ (martyr), implies that She was martyred for Her truthfulness.” In a speech delivered at the end of the extra-textual discussions course of the principles of jurisprudence and on the occasion of Her Holiness Zahra (S)’s martyrdom, Grand Ayatollah Saanei described some of Hazrat Zahra (S)’s qualities and attributes and said, “Among all attributes counted for Her Holiness Zahra (S), there are two of them that best summarize her entire life, and it can be said that all hardship and oppression She suffered was for these two qualities: ‘She was the truthful martyr.’”
Pointing out that, in the Arabic literature, the adjective ‘seddiq’ is an exaggerated form and means ‘absolutely truthful,’ Grand Ayatollah Saanei added, “Her Holiness Zahra (S)’s truthfulness was manifested in her words, deeds, and beliefs, and She never, God forbid, lied about anything. She was truthful about her goal, and never acted hypocritically.”
Asserting that the order in which the two attributes were mentioned by Imam Sadeq (A) is not accidental, Grand Ayatollah Saanei stated, “Hazrat Zahra (S) was martyred since She did not abuse the Quran and Her dignified father’s religion and faith; because she was honest and truthful but not a liar or a deceitful person. By God, if just for a moment she had acted otherwise, she would not have been martyred; rather, She would have been given whatever position and wealth she could have asked for. This is the reason why Imam Sadeq (A) described her as primarily Seddiqah and then Shahidah; that is, She was a martyr to the cause of truthfulness and honesty.”
Stressing that all oppression and hardship that Her Holiness Zahra (S) suffered were rooted in lies, this great religious authority added, “Basically, all miseries and difficulties in the Islamic society and generally in human society are rooted in lies.”
- This exaggeration is called mubalagha in Arabic. It is not considered to be a derogatory term by the Arabs. Rather, it is considered to be an admirable capacity for oratorical eloquence. (Note by the translator)
While discussing “Indemnification and Liability” in the extra-textual discussions course of the principles of jurisprudence, explicating the topic of “Indemnification for Damage,” Grand Ayatollah Saanei said, “The principle of ‘no harm’ in Islamic Laws says the same thing: they both maintain that no one has the right to inflict damage or harm on other beings, be it a human being, an animal, the nature, or the environment.”
“The generality of the principle of ‘no harm’ and other such principles provide that any harm or damage incurs liability and indemnification. Under ‘compelled testimony,’ for instance, the principle says that, if two just witnesses testified that a man had committed robbery, and the judge, on the basis of their testimony, found him guilty of the crime and decreed that his hand be cut off as punishment, and later the two witnesses turned up and said that they had made a mistake or given false testimony, they would be held liable for the damage they caused to him,” His Eminence added.
Grand Ayatollah Saanei then stated, “The same principle applies to a person who is sentenced to prison according to Islamic and legal measures and criteria. Even if they deserve to be imprisoned, we are not allowed to deprive them of their human rights, or to prevent them from nurturing their talents. If we do so, we will be liable for it. For instance, if such a prisoner is a craftsman, we should provide them with the tools they need for crafting, or if the prisoner is a writer, we should provide them with the tools they need for nurturing their intellectual talents. We cannot deprive them of the rights of learning, studying, and working. Based on the principle of ‘no harm,’ the principle of ‘persecution,’ the principle of ‘compensation of damage to others’ property,’ and as judged by the wise, such deprivations are against Islam and incur liability, and those who impose such deprivations upon prisoners shall be held responsible on the Judgment Day. We have always condemned such acts and if, in practice, our acts are contrary to our words, we will be losers in both this world and the hereafter.”
His Eminence added, “We seek refuge in God from killing others. We pray to God lest we kill people, and lest we kill people’s thoughts, which is even worse than taking their lives, and so is diverting people’s minds and attention away from the oppressive acts of the oppressors through deception and untruth. We shall take refuge in God since, on the Judgment Day, people will be judged, far more rigidly and strictly than on personal matters, on human rights, and the Holy Quran says, ‘So he who does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and he who does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it. ’”
- The Quran: al-Zalzalah: 7 8
Grand Ayatollah Saanei at the opening of the extra-textual discussions course of the principles of Shiite jurisprudence[1] in the new seminary year: The crime of disrespecting and profaning the Holy Quran is condemned through the eyes of all human beings. On the opening day of the extra-textual discussions course of the principles of Shiite jurisprudence[2] in the new seminary year, stressing the fact that the crime of disrespecting and profaning the Holy Quran is condemned through the eyes of all monotheists, Grand Ayatollah Saanei said, “This hostility towards the Holy Quran lies in the fact that this book is irrefutable proof of the essence of Allah the Almighty. It is the Divine revelation. It is a book that enables us to cast aside all shadows of doubt cast on the Origin and the End of the world of existence.” “Another reason for such hostility towards the Holy Quran is that It is the everlasting miracle. It was revealed to the Holy Prophet (S) in such circumstances that mankind lacked the knowledge of a lot of things in the world, which, even today, despite dramatic advancements in science, man is still unable to understand. This is why His Holiness Mahdi (AJ) is said to be the one to uncover the truth in the Holy Quran at the time of His advent,” Grand Ayatollah Saanei added. Describing the circumstances at the time of Quranic revelation as the Arabian Age of Ignorance, barbarism, girls being buried alive, and the right being with those who were dominant and more powerful, Grand Ayatollah Saanei added, “Even though the Holy Quran was revealed in such circumstances, It based Its invitation to the truth on intellect, reflection, and culture, and this is conclusive proof that It is the Word of God. And again this is why the Holy Prophet’s call unto God and invitation to Islam was based on culturalization and humanity instead of killing, violence, and deceit, which were consistent with the existing conditions of that time: ‘The origination of Allah according to which He originated mankind, there is no altering Allah’s creation.2’ Even today, any society or government that moves and acts contrary to such principles and bases itself on violence and deceit is on a par with those ignorant societies and even worse than them.” Expressing that the rules brought forth by the Quran are the most equitable ones and that the Quran offers the most solid theoretical and practical ethics and wisdom, Grand Ayatollah Saanei stated, “The Four Proofs used in the Shiite jurisprudence derive their validity and authority from the Holy Quran while the validity and authority of the Holy Quran lies within It Itself; that is, the validity and authority of the Quran in terms of jurisprudential issues, practical wisdom, ethics, penal laws, and political issues is supported by the Quran Itself. This is the reason why, in the Hadith al-Thaqualayn (the tradition of the Two Weighty Things), the Holy Quran is introduced as the Greater Weight. His Eminence then recommended a wider application of the exalted teachings of the Holy Quran to the students and said that unfortunately we are very distant from the Quran these days. His Eminence added, “You should attend more to the wisdom of the Quran. Contemplate what Quranic verses convey. I believe that today it would be better and more appropriate if we told those who ignorantly deny God, the Quran, and the Prophet (S) and profane the Quran that Islam is the protector, the defender, and the religion of human rights, and more importantly, it has been so since 1400 years ago, when there was no talk of human rights issues. It was only after the First and Second World Wars that world nations wrote the Human Rights Charter and demanded that it be enforced while the Holy Quran 1400 years ago said, ‘Certainly We have honored the children of Adam.[3]’ This is the honor and dignity of the children of Adam; Human beings are the Vicegerents of Allah.” This great religious authority then added, “Another issue in Quranic wisdom that needs more attention is the discussion of sending prophets. The prophets were not sent with the Torah, the Bible, the Psalms, or the Quran in one hand and a whip in the other. Rather, as the Quran says, ‘Certainly We sent Our apostles with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain Quist,[4]’ God has not only sent the prophets with books of rules and laws, but also equipped mankind with wisdom such that they would be able to make the best of those books. God sent 124000 messengers so as to teach mankind to Quist themselves; Quist, unlike justice, is not something enforceable. It is a matter of culture and belief. It is the result of justice. It is the state of being content with your right, i.e. people themselves reach the point where they are content with their rights.”
1- Kharij-e Fiq’h Usul Course: a high seminary course discussing the principles of jurisprudence beyond the available relevant texts
2- The Holy Quran:Rum:30
3 - The Quran: al-Isra: 70
4 - The Quran: al-Hadid: 25
]]>
On the opening day of the extra-textual discussions course of the principles of Shiite jurisprudence in the new seminary year, stressing the fact that the crime of disrespecting and profaning the Holy Quran is condemned through the eyes of all monotheists, Grand Ayatollah Saanei said, “This hostility towards the Holy Quran lies in the fact that this book is irrefutable proof of the essence of Allah the Almighty. It is the Divine revelation. It is a book that enables us to cast aside all shadows of doubt cast on the Origin and the End of the world of existence.”
“Another reason for such hostility towards the Holy Quran is that It is the everlasting miracle. It was revealed to the Holy Prophet (S) in such circumstances that mankind lacked the knowledge of a lot of things in the world, which, even today, despite dramatic advancements in science, man is still unable to understand. This is why His Holiness Mahdi (AJ) is said to be the one to uncover the truth in the Holy Quran at the time of His advent,” Grand Ayatollah Saanei added.
Describing the circumstances at the time of Quranic revelation as the Arabian Age of Ignorance, barbarism, girls being buried alive, and the right being with those who were dominant and more powerful, Grand Ayatollah Saanei added, “Even though the Holy Quran was revealed in such circumstances, It based Its invitation to the truth on intellect, reflection, and culture, and this is conclusive proof that It is the Word of God. And again this is why the Holy Prophet’s call unto God and invitation to Islam was based on culturalization and humanity instead of killing, violence, and deceit, which were consistent with the existing conditions of that time: ‘The origination of Allah according to which He originated mankind, there is no altering Allah’s creation.2’ Even today, any society or government that moves and acts contrary to such principles and bases itself on violence and deceit is on a par with those ignorant societies and even worse than them.”
Expressing that the rules brought forth by the Quran are the most equitable ones and that the Quran offers the most solid theoretical and practical ethics and wisdom, Grand Ayatollah Saanei stated, “The Four Proofs used in the Shiite jurisprudence derive their validity and authority from the Holy Quran while the validity and authority of the Holy Quran lies within It Itself; that is, the validity and authority of the Quran in terms of jurisprudential issues, practical wisdom, ethics, penal laws, and political issues is supported by the Quran Itself. This is the reason why, in the Hadith al-Thaqualayn (the tradition of the Two Weighty Things), the Holy Quran is introduced as the Greater Weight.
His Eminence then recommended a wider application of the exalted teachings of the Holy Quran to the students and said that unfortunately we are very distant from the Quran these days. His Eminence added, “You should attend more to the wisdom of the Quran. Contemplate what Quranic verses convey. I believe that today it would be better and more appropriate if we told those who ignorantly deny God, the Quran, and the Prophet (S) and profane the Quran that Islam is the protector, the defender, and the religion of human rights, and more importantly, it has been so since 1400 years ago, when there was no talk of human rights issues. It was only after the First and Second World Wars that world nations wrote the Human Rights Charter and demanded that it be enforced while the Holy Quran 1400 years ago said, ‘Certainly We have honored the children of Adam. ’ This is the honor and dignity of the children of Adam; Human beings are the Vicegerents of Allah.”
This great religious authority then added, “Another issue in Quranic wisdom that needs more attention is the discussion of sending prophets. The prophets were not sent with the Torah, the Bible, the Psalms, or the Quran in one hand and a whip in the other. Rather, as the Quran says, ‘Certainly We sent Our apostles with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain Quist, ’ God has not only sent the prophets with books of rules and laws, but also equipped mankind with wisdom such that they would be able to make the best of those books. God sent 124000 messengers so as to teach mankind to Quist themselves; Quist, unlike justice, is not something enforceable. It is a matter of culture and belief. It is the result of justice. It is the state of being content with your right, i.e. people themselves reach the point where they are content with their rights.”
]]>In the Name of the God
During the past weeks, we have witnessed some events which, though not unprecedented, can be judged as rare events in that they have been inconsistent with the religious, legal, judicial, and administrative criteria. This has been the case while even tyrannical powers keep up the pretence of being law-abiding and law-governed through holding trials, invoking the state laws, and giving the accused the right of defense (though limited).
We still remember how political trials were held under the past regime. Despite the undeniably sham trials and unjust judgments such as the ones in the cases of Dr. Mosaddegh’s, Fadaian Islam’s, and tens of others’, the accused persons could defend themselves and this was an indication of the significance of such rights in that legal system.
However, more than 30 years after the Islamic Revolution, whose slogan was the sovereignty of freedom and republicanism based on Islamic measures and the negation of totalitarianism, we are witnessing a series of inhuman and un-Islamic attacks on the political opposition leading to their imprisonment. We find it unbelievable to see such respectable and honorable dedicated person as Mr. Mirhussein Musavi and his learned wife, as well as Imam Khomeini’s close, trusted, and constant companion, Hujjat al-Islam Karrubi, and his respected wife being detained in their respective homes without being tried and given the right of defense (even as a formality), and deprived of their basic human rights. Such acts are indicative of the political weakness and feebleness of the both principals and agents in persuading the public.
Regrettably and strangely enough, some describe the political opposition as not having any social acceptability but more of a deceit and untruth while, despite being in control of all mass media, they are not even able to hold public trials with competent judges such that the opposition may have the opportunity to defend themselves and the people may have the possibility to judge for themselves.
We hope and pray to God for them to be released from detention and prison and again be given the opportunity of serving the people and restoring the nation’s human rights.
The Grand Ayatullah Safi Golpayegani, one of the grand Maraje’ and scholars of the Islamic Seminary attended at the house of Grand Ayatullah Saanei to express condolence over the death of the wife of Grand Ayatullah Saanei; and His Eminence asked the Almighty Allah for great heavenly reward for her.
The Grand Ayatullah Saanei thanked the Grand Ayatullah Safi Golpayegani for his presence and sympathy and said: “May Allah bless and keep you for preserving the independency of the Seminaries”.