Terminological definition of civilization: Ibn Khaldoun considered the components of civilization to be population, wealth, work, industry, knowledge, art, geography, urbanization, religion and nervousness (Adami, 2007: 39). He considered civilization to be one of the stages of society’s life, which completes the stage of innovation (Sephari, 1375: 31). He has said about civility: “In the fact that the society of the human kind is necessary and the sages interpret this meaning as that man has a civil nature, that is, it is inevitable to form a society, which in their terminology is called civility, and this is the meaning of Imran” (Ibn Khaldun, Vol. 1) , 1371: 77). According to Ibn Khaldoun, civilization and innovation complement each other, and civilization means the establishment of cities and towns and settlement in which government, civility, life gains, industries and sciences, and means of prosperity and comfort emerge (Sephari, 1385: 32).
According to Allameh Jafari, “civilization consists in establishing order and harmony in the relationships of people of a society, which eliminates destructive clashes and confrontations and makes competition in the path of growth and perfection their vicegerent, so that the social life of individuals and groups of that society leads to The development and activation of their constructive talents” (Jaafari, Vol. 6, 1373: 233). Lucas considered culture and civilization to be the same, but considered the scope and time of culture to be more limited than civilization. “Culture [and civilization] is the common way of human life, thought and action (Lukas, Vol. 1, 2004: 20). In the thought of Imam (RA), the concept of civilization is not presented in the form of a specific and fixed definition, and various meanings are taken from it. They distinguished civilization from culture and used them separately, which shows that they had a different meaning from these two concepts: “The culture of a nation is located at the top of civilization, culture must be a culture compatible with civilization”. They consider industrial and economic developments in the form of development and the establishment of institutions and the construction of new tools as examples of civilization (Fawzi and Sanamzadeh, 2011: 22). The definition that Imam (RA) gave about civilization expresses the material achievements of human beings for the continuation of life and development and progress. In this definition, culture, which includes most of the spiritual achievements of man, precedes civilization.
Definition of index
Index in the word means protruding, high, impressive, prominent and that which determines the nature of something (Omid, vol. 2: 1382: 1105). It is a quantitative index that represents several homogeneous variables and is a means to measure and compare phenomena that have a specific nature and property, and based on it, changes made in certain variables can be checked during a period. Every civilization has its characteristics. The stability of stability in the urban system, having a government, creating expertise, executive centers, fixed laws, economic centers, scientific institutions and having a moral system are among the characteristics of civilizations (John Ahmadi, 2018: 30-29).
Since the beginning of the emergence of Islam, there have always been criteria and indicators for growth and progress, whose presence in Islamic civilization is necessary and obligatory for all eras, and the absence of any of these indicators can challenge the path of progress and development of Islamic civilization, including The centrality of Quranic laws, wisdom, science, ethics, striving in the way of God, popular government, avoiding petrification, creating public welfare, establishing justice, avoiding the economy based on usury and reproduction, etc. However, along with the progress of mankind, new standards and indicators were certainly raised, which if the Islamic civilization intends to progress in the modern world, it is inevitable to pay attention to them. The Supreme Leader, with his tact and understanding the requirements of the times, has always placed the need to pay attention to emerging issues at the top of his plans. One of them is the issue of modern Islamic civilization, the realization of which naturally requires attention to new issues, including innovation and creativity, attention to modern media, art, cinema, improvement of international relations, issuance of jurisprudence rulings suitable to new human needs, etc. We will examine the relevance of these issues and His Holiness’ view on them.
Definition of Islamic civilization
Islamic civilization expresses all the political, cultural and economic aspects of the society, which covers the existential dimensions of the individual and the society (Qom Seminary Administration, 2013: 113). Islamic civilization is a religious civilization that all its components are based on Islam… In this way, Islamic civilization has all the characteristics of divine civilization within the framework of Quranic teachings and relies on the tradition of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and its components are religion, ethics, Science is justice, laws, regulations, religious principles, etc. (John Ahmadi, 1388: 52-51). According to Ibn Nabi, in order to achieve Islamic civilization, a set of moral and material conditions must be achieved. In his view, the elements of civilization are “man, soil and time” (Babaei, 2010: 49-46). According to Zarin Koob, “… the Islamic society was a homogeneous society whose center was the Qur’an…” (Zaroin Koob, 2004: 29).
The Supreme Leader considers Islamic civilization as a space in which man can grow spiritually and materially and reach the desired goals for which God created him. Have a good and dignified life, dear human being, a person with power, with will, with initiative, with the creation of the world of nature. This is the meaning of Islamic civilization and this is the aim and ideal of the Islamic Republic system (statements of the Supreme Leader, 22/03/2013). In this definition, various dimensions of human culture and civilization, material and spiritual, have been mentioned, which lead to his evolution and closeness to God.
In summarizing the above votes, the following points can be stated:
۱) Islamic civilization is based on the verses of the Qur’an and was founded by the Prophet (PBUH).
۲) Islamic civilization includes all spiritual and material dimensions of human beings in all places and times.
۳) Since Islamic civilization relies on religious ethics, it is dynamic.
In general, the meaning of Islamic civilization is all the achievements of Muslims in various economic, cultural, religious, social, moral, material and spiritual dimensions, industry, inventions and discoveries that started from the era of the Prophet (PBUH) and with the expansion of the Islamic realm from It covered the western borders of China to Andalusia. Therefore, in summarizing the definition of the concepts of civilization, it can be stated that the characteristics of civilization in the view of Islamic thinkers are different according to the intellectual foundations and environmental conditions. It means that some of the characteristics of civilization in every era are changeable and have intensity and weakness based on environmental conditions.
The characteristics of Islamic civilization from the perspective of the Supreme Leader
۱- General characteristics (old)
In the opinion of His Highness, the characteristics of modern Islamic civilization are human beings benefiting from all the material and spiritual capacities that God has embedded in the world of nature and in their own existence to ensure their happiness and excellence. The centrality of Quranic laws, faith, science, ethics, mujahidat, popular government and advanced thought, ijtihad and responding to modern human needs, avoiding petrification and reaction as well as heresy and eclecticism, creating public welfare, establishing justice, getting rid of the economy based on Privilege, usury, reproduction and defense of the oppressed are the common features of Islamic civilization in the view of His Holiness and other Islamic thinkers. They mention innovation and creativity, paying attention to modern media, art, cinema, improving international relations, issuing jurisprudence rulings in accordance with new human needs as the characteristics of modern Islamic civilization. Saadat Burhand (statements of the Supreme Leader, 2/9/2013).
۱-۱) The centrality of Quranic laws
In the opinion of the Supreme Leader, the Quran and its laws have an important place in Islamic civilization. According to his belief, the formation of the new Islamic civilization should be based on the “common foundations of all Islamic religions” and not on Shiite Iran. It is obvious that the first and highest common source among all Islamic sects is the great Quran. He also considers the main cause of the enemies’ hostility towards Islamic Iran to be the same issue, i.e. the centrality of divine laws taken from the Quran (statements of the Supreme Leader, 6/26/1390). The reason for the great importance of the Holy Quran is the comprehensiveness of its laws and its response to all the individual and social needs of mankind. Imam Khomeini (may Allah be pleased with him) also considered the belief in the centrality of the laws of the Qur’an as one of the prerequisites of a unified nation and modern Islamic civilization (Imam Khomeini, may Allah be pleased with him, chapter 10: 449).
۱-۲) Faith
The first goal of sending prophets is to call people to monotheism and faith in God. “And we were sent to the whole ummah by the Prophet to worship Allah and avoid the tyrants” (Nahl, 36). “And in truth We have sent messengers among every nation so that you worship God and avoid tyranny.” The mission of the great prophet (pbuh) was also on the same path. During his 23 years of prophethood, he did not neglect this lofty goal for a moment, and all his jihads, wars, and sympathies were for this goal, that is, God-centeredness and calling to God Almighty. This issue is of such importance that it is considered the basic factor of all developments in all civilizations.
In the thought of the supreme leader of the revolution, the need for faith in the new Islamic civilization is first and foremost. They believe that the separation of religion from politics is one of the manifestations of polytheism, that until Muslims believe in all aspects of Islam, of which politics is an important aspect, they will not enter true Islam. His Holiness introduces the main point in Islamic civilization as faith in God Almighty and in the deep meaning of pure monotheism and believes that there is one main point and that is faith, and we should set a goal to find faith in it. They believe that without faith, progress in these areas is not possible and work is not done correctly. Now what we believe in can be liberalism, capitalism, communism, fascism or pure monotheism. After all, you have to have faith in something, have faith, follow this faith and belief. The issue of faith is important. Faith in a principle, faith in a main anchor of belief; Such a faith must exist. Based on this faith, the lifestyle will be chosen (statements of the Supreme Leader, 7/23/2013). Therefore, the most important indicator of modern Islamic society and civilization in the thought of the leader of the revolution is God-centeredness and faith in the creator of human beings, which must be implemented at all levels of society and social, political, economic and cultural relations are formed based on it.
۱-۳) wisdom
Supreme Leader of the Revolution emphasizes on “Khordurzi” as the most important basis of lifestyle in modern Islamic civilization. In the language of traditions, one hour of thinking about the beginning and end of life and religious beliefs, which is a form of wisdom, is considered superior to several years of worship. In the Qur’an, God has called man to wisdom three hundred times (Tabatabai, vol. 3, 1374: 57). Also, Imam (RA) believes that man generally has three ecstasies and possesses three positions and worlds – the ecstasy of the hereafter, the world of the unseen, and the position of spirituality and reason; The ecstasy of purgatory and the intermediate world between the worlds and the realm of fantasy; The ecstasy of the world and the status of property and the world of martyrdom – therefore, according to his belief, man has three layers of intellect, heart and appearance, which requires perfection; The moral dimension needs education; And his external dimension requires action, and the commands of the prophets and divine saints are considered appropriate actions for the intellect, perfection, for the heart, education, and for the emotional jewels (Imam Khomeini, 1377). They believe in three levels for human rationality. a: “epistemological rationality”; B: “moral rationality”; J: “Instrumental rationality” (Moainipour and Lakzaei, 2011: 66-65). From the point of view of the Imam (RA), what is meant by the intellect is documented in the noble hadith “Al-Aql Ma Obda Beh Al-Rahman” (Kilini, Vol. 1, B: 11) It is common sense that can lead a person to human values; Therefore, from his point of view, a person may be a scientist, but he does not have reason and spends his knowledge on corrupting and ruining nations.
The pillars, foundations and theoretical framework of the leader of the Supreme Revolution in the field of modern Islamic civilization are derived from the intellectual foundations of Imam Khomeini (RA) and in some cases it is the flourishing, expansion and completion of those foundations. As His Holiness stated in the ceremony of the first anniversary of Imam Khomeini’s death: “Our way is the same way that our honorable Imam drew” (Maqam of the Supreme Leader, 3/14/1390). The Supreme Leader has defined rationality, which is one of the prominent and important characteristics of Islamic civilization, as follows: “Rationality means extracting the power of human wisdom and putting it in control of human thoughts and actions. In order to form a utopia and a unified Islamic nation and the great civilization of Islam, we must use reason as the criterion. The first thing in this direction is to strengthen the power of reason and wisdom in the society. Rationality does not mean conservatism, tolerance and tolerance. Also, according to his belief, one of the biggest problems of Muslims is not using God-given intellect and wisdom, which has caused material, spiritual, worldly and otherworldly damages and has disrupted the formation of the great united Islamic nation (Statements of the Supreme Leader, 4/29 /1388). His Holiness identifies the western clergy’s distance from rationality and wisdom in the pre-Renaissance period as the main cause of the emergence of the deviant Western civilization (Maqam of the Supreme Leader, 3/22/1383).
۱-۴) Science
The mission of the Prophet (PBUH) began with reciting and this made Islam different from other religions (Akbari, 2010: 20). In verse 9 of Surah Zamr, the Qur’an has specified the superiority of scholars over those who do not have this value. In Surah Taha, verse 114, “… and the Lord said, ‘I have knowledge,'” the Prophet (PBUH) is ordered to ask God to increase his knowledge. In other verses of the Qur’an, such as Baqarah/280, Nahl/95, Imran/190, Enam/11, Yunus/5, Ankabut/15, etc., those who are not people of knowledge are constantly blamed. The above points show the importance of knowledge in the Qur’an. In the Quran, science and faith are together: “And he said to those who have lost knowledge and faith” (Rum, 56). The repeated orders of the Prophet (PBUH) about the increase of knowledge of Muslims are very numerous, which sometimes surprised the researchers (Akbari, 1391: 20). Narratives such as “God wishes good fortune to anyone, makes him knowledgeable in religion” (Bukhari, Vol. 1, 1981 AD: 28); “Angels spread their wings under the feet of the students” (Cliny, vol. 1, B to: 34); “Scientists are the heirs of the prophets” and “the closest people to the degrees of prophethood are the people of knowledge and jihad” (Faiz Kashani, 1361: 13-14) shows the importance of knowledge in Islam and with that Prophet. “A good question is half of the knowledge” (Harani, 2007: 95). “Go to China to seek and acquire knowledge, so acquiring knowledge is obligatory for all Muslims” (Majlesi, Vol. 1, B: 96). To free some of the prisoners who were captured in the Battle of Badr and did not have enough money to free themselves, the Prophet (PBUH) made a condition that if they make ten Muslims literate, they will be freed from captivity (Hasan Ibrahim Hassan, 2006: 454). Islam’s special interest in education and the need to understand Islamic teachings correctly made Muslims seek the development of science and knowledge, the development of culture and the advancement of human civilization, and to expand education and training (Qurbani, 1370: 65).
Therefore, in the opinion of the supreme leader of the revolution, scientific struggle and breaking the boundaries of science is the beacon of Islamic civilization. According to him, the tomorrow without science is dark and the beacon of the realization of Islamic civilization is scientific struggle. From his point of view, science is domineering and makes the society possessor of knowledge powerful. They emphasize to a great extent that knowledge should be learned and produced and exported, and it should not be enough to consume it. From his point of view, the methodology of producing science is ijtihad in the conventional sense, that is, deriving from religious sources and referring to reason, which is supported by revelation. In this case, the production of science can be on the path of growth and elevation of Islamic civilization. According to him, the enemy will not give up any effort to not fulfill this principle, and therefore, one should know the tricks of the enemy. A very important point in his view about science is breaking the boundaries of knowledge by Muslims. According to him, petrification and dogmatism regarding the scientific findings of the past or Western thinkers is the main pest of the realization of scientific growth and free thinking is the way out of this pest (Maqam of the Supreme Leader, 12/9/1379).
According to him, the value of science depends on spirituality, and science without spirituality lacks any value. Because science without spirituality becomes what Western civilization is facing now. A civilization that achieved great success with complex scientific methods. But in terms of spirituality, he suffered the greatest damages. The supreme leader of the revolution’s emphasis on science along with spirituality is because science brings power and if this power is left undone, it becomes a factor of corruption and sedition. On the contrary, when spirituality commands science, it becomes the cause of happiness and serves the peace and security of people. An illustrative example of the misuse of science is the inhumane use of high nuclear technology by the United States of America in the massacre of innocent people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Maqam al-Ma’am, 8/20/1385).
The strategic view of Imam (RA) in the field of science as one of the pillars and foundations of modern Islamic civilization is that all sciences are considered “divine” with divine intention. Also, the symmetry of science with practice is absolutely necessary; So that science and practice are two wings that bring a person to the position of humanity. Therefore, knowledge is not only effective, but sometimes it is harmful, and action without knowledge is fruitless (Imam Khomeini, vol. 8, 268). In Imam’s works, it has been emphasized to a great extent that knowledge is different from faith, and they specify: “It is possible for a person to have an argument, but remain in the state of disbelief and polytheism” (Taqreerat Ardabili, Vol. 3, B: 354).
۱-۵) Ethics
Morality in the plural of “nature” means the power and inner nature of man, which can only be understood by the sight of insight and non-appearance. The science of ethics is a science that introduces good and bad emotional traits and voluntary actions and behavior corresponding to them, and shows the way of learning good emotional traits and doing desirable actions and avoiding bad emotional traits and unpleasant actions (Dilmi and Azarbaijani, 2014) : 16-15). The Qur’an considers the issue of ethics to be among the original goals of the prophethood and considers human life in the field of ethics to be a prosperous life and a life without ethics to be suffering (Asr, 1). Morality is one of the most important features of modern Islamic civilization in the Supreme Leader’s thought. He considers spirituality and ethics to be the factors that one day turned Islam from a strange limited group into a huge global civilization and this civilization ruled the world for centuries and today the world is also indebted to Islamic civilization. According to his belief, paying attention to God and paying attention to spirituality caused the development of such a civilization, otherwise such a lasting civilization would not have come into being with material motives and efforts (Maqam, 11/21/1375). The leader of the revolution considers spirituality based on Islam as the main condition for building an advanced civilization with the least problems and believes that religious spirituality will be the basis for recognizing talents and making proper use of them, and for the desired progress in all dimensions and with the least damage (Maqam al-Maaz al-Lehbi, 14 /12/1391).
He considers Islam, prudence, ethics and law to be the main source of correct culture as the foundations of the new Islamic civilization, and we must also seriously address these categories, otherwise the progress of Islam and the new Islamic civilization will not be formed” (Maqam al-Maaz al-Dari, 23 /7/1391). What is the role of His Holiness in the context of what is morality and its presence or absence in society? What does it have to do with rationality, religion and science? They say: “Morality is that gentle air that if it existed in human society, people could live a healthy life by breathing it.” Morality, which, from his point of view, is responsible for the engineering and management of the second layer of human existence, is soft air, that is, humans need morals as much as they need air, not water and not food (Maqam al-Maaz al-Lehdi, 29/ 4/1388). Therefore, it is in the shadow of a healthy environment that civilization is formed.
۱-۶) Mujahidat
Undoubtedly, the establishment, development and expansion of civilizations is possible only in the light of the continuous efforts of humans, and one of the distinctive characteristics of civilizations is the continuous efforts of its people. In Islamic sources, this continuous effort has received full attention and it is referred to as mujahidat, which has a huge impact on the growth and durability of Islamic civilization. This struggle has its own coordinates that are unprecedented in any civilization. This word is also taken into consideration in the Quranic culture and it has been ordered to strive in all matters at different times. If the commentators have understood the word Jihad in the verse “Fala tuta’e al-kafirin wa wajahidhom bihe Jihadah Kabira” (Furqan/52) to mean scientific struggle (Tabarsi, 1360, vol. 17, p. 26; Ibn Kathir, 1419, vol. 6, p. 106; Al-Ousi, 1415, vol. 10, p. 32; Tabatabai, 1374, vol. 14, p. 582). Based on this, in the statement of the Supreme Leader, the word Mujahid is a strategic word that, considering its deep effects in the growth and durability of modern Islamic civilization, on various occasions, everyone has been invited to Mujahid in all matters. Referring to the verse “And those who struggle, we will guide them, and God will bless them” (Ankabut, 69), they believe that in the case of striving, success and receiving divine approvals are certain. In the view of Hazrat Ayatollah Khamenei, the above struggle is very different from ordinary effort, and the main difference with ordinary effort is the important issue of sincerity with reference to the above verse (Maqam of the Supreme Leader, 3/22/1383 and 12/14/1391). In the above verse, with regard to the adverb “Fina” and the emphasis “Lenahdeinnahm”, the promise of definite success and divine support is clearly given about all jihad matters that are aimed at God’s pleasure. Therefore, according to His Holiness, Mujahideen is one of the pillars of the formation of Islamic civilization. They believe that jihad must be done to achieve the new Islamic civilization. The greater Jihad is the fight against the ego and the lesser Jihad is the fight against the foreign enemy and global arrogance. The Supreme Leader encourages Muslims to fight by promoting political jihad, economic jihad and scientific jihad. Therefore, it can be concluded that in the thought of His Holiness, jihad in all fields leads to the advancement of lofty goals and does not retreat in front of the enemy. In a meeting with the country’s officials on the day of Eid Mu’ba’at in 2013, he said: “Islam had and has the ability to bring humanity to happiness, to perfection, and to develop it materially and spiritually. These foundations that the Prophet laid – the foundation of faith, the foundation of rationality, the foundation of struggle, the foundation of dignity – are the main foundations of the Islamic society” (Maqam of the Supreme Leader, 9/4/1390 and 29/8/2012).
۱-۷) Popular government
In the opinion of the supreme leader of the revolution, people have an irreplaceable role in Islamic civilization. While explaining the prominent features of the political school of Imam Khomeini (RA), he mentions the people as an important factor, which was the focus of the Imam’s attention. In the political school of imam and leadership, human identity is both valuable and dignified, powerful and effective. The result of being valuable and dignified is that people’s votes should play an essential role in the management of human destiny and a society. Therefore, democracy in Imam’s political school, which is taken from the text of Islam, is true democracy; Like the American democracy and the likes, it is not a slogan and deception and seduction of people’s minds. People choose their way and officials with their vote, will, desire and faith. The Supreme Leader considers the pinnacle of popularism of the Imam’s (RA) government in the voting of the constitution at the beginning of the revolution and believes that the people’s vote is decisive and this is because of their dignity, which has been entrusted to them by the Almighty God through religion. In the political school of imams and leaders, democracy has emerged from the text of religion. It originated from “Amrham Shuri Binham” (Shura / 38) and “Hu al-Zhi Idak Bansara wa Bal Mominin” (statements of the Supreme Leader, 8/14/1383).
۱-۸) Avoiding petrification
A stubborn person is someone who does not show flexibility in front of innovation and transformation and accepts ideas that are in line with his own and avoids accepting the ideas of others (Maruti, 2013: 159). Stonewalling is one of the serious obstacles and barriers to innovation and prosperity in modern Islamic civilization, which should be strictly avoided; Because we see changes in different areas of life every day. In the history of Islam, the Khawarij were the first group to suffer from absolutism. Imam Ali (a.s.) said about them in sharp terms: “I try to cure pains with you, while you yourself have become incurable pains. I am like someone who has a thorn in his foot and he has to pull it out with the help of another thorn. And now he knows that this thorn will break in the place of the first thorn” (Nahj al-Balagha, sermon 120). The danger of petrification and stratification in modern Islamic civilization is of great concern to the Supreme Leader, and His Holiness constantly emphasizes the production of thought and innovation in all fields. He considers two basic elements necessary in the creation of Islamic civilization, like other civilizations: One is thought production, the other is human development. While supporting the Islamic-Iranian model plan, the leader of the revolution believes that its progress requires courage, courage and a very strong motivation, in which thought is the main spirit of this movement. “In designing the Islamic-Iranian model of progress, emphasis should be placed on the four domains of thought, science, spirituality, and life, among which the issue of “thought” is more fundamental than the rest. He also says about the superiority of Islamic thought: “Islamic thought itself is like a deep sea; It is an ocean. Anyone who went to the edge of the ocean cannot claim to know the ocean. Not everyone who walks close to the shore or dives a few meters into the water at one point can say that he knows the ocean. Walking in this huge ocean and reaching its depths and discovering it is something that everyone should do; It is something that needs to be done over time. It is possible to produce thought at any time according to the needs of that time from this vast ocean of knowledge (statements of the Supreme Leader, 14/12/1391 and 14/07/1379).
۱-۹) Creating public welfare
One of the other features of Islamic civilization in the Supreme Leader’s opinion is to create public welfare for Muslims in a fair way. In his statements, he paid a lot of attention to this important issue and advised the country’s officials and Islamic rulers that they should work harder for the comfort, psychological and economic security of the people. Undoubtedly, public welfare is one of the tools and grounds for the formation of civilizations, therefore, in the thought of His Holiness, this important matter – which is also given special attention in Islam – has been emphasized. According to his belief, the economic profession of Islam is special and only exists in Islam And that is that the general policy of the economy should be to create general welfare and social justice among each and every member of the society. Hazrat Ayatollah Khamenei, in explaining the policies of the resistance economy, made statements about public welfare and paid attention to it. According to him, “In fact, the components of this set are the issue of creating mobility and dynamism in the country’s economy and improving macro indicators; Such as economic growth, national production, employment, reduction of inflation, increase in productivity, public welfare…” (statements of the Supreme Leader, 5/12/1372 and 12/20/1392).
۱-۱۰) establishment of justice
Justice, which is one of the principles of religion, is another major characteristic of Islamic civilization. The Quran commands justice. “Ya Ayeha Al-Dhinna Amanua Kunowa Qawaminna B-al-Qist” (Al-Nisa’, 135). In another place, the purpose of sending the prophets is introduced as justice. “We sent Our messengers with evidence and sent down with them the book and the balance so that the people could measure it” (Hadid, 25). In this verse, justice is described as the whole people, which is the reason for the importance of the presence of the spirit of justice in Islamic civilization. In history, one of the main causes of the decline of civilizations has been oppression, which is the opposite of justice. Accordingly, in the Supreme Leader’s opinion, the decline of civilizations is the result of deviations, and after reaching the peak, civilizations decline due to their weaknesses, gaps, and deviations, and now the signs of this decline can be seen in Western civilization. So that civilization is science without ethics, materialism without spirituality, and religion and power without justice. Elsewhere, His Holiness mentions social justice as one of the most important and main lines in the Imam’s political school and believes that social justice and filling class gaps should be considered in all government programs, in legislation, in implementation, and in qadha. be According to his belief, if we say that we will make the country rich, but the wealth is stored in a corner for the benefit of a few people and many people are left empty-handed, it does not make him an imam with the political school. Bridging the economic gap among the people and eliminating discrimination in the use of various national resources among the classes of people is the most important and difficult responsibility, and all planners, legislators, executives and all those who work in various institutions should pay attention to this issue. and consider it one of the most important indicators of their movement. In explaining the policies of resistance economy, he says about social justice: “The most important of all these indicators is the key and important indicator of social justice. That is, we do not accept and do not believe in the economic prosperity of the country without ensuring social justice. There are countries whose indicators are very good, favorable, their economic growth is very high; However, discrimination, class differences, lack of justice are noticeable in those countries; We do not consider this to be in accordance with the wishes of Islam and the goals of the Islamic Republic. Therefore, one of our most important indicators is the social justice index. The deprived classes should benefit from the country’s economic progress in the literal sense” (Statements of the Supreme Leader, 7/14/1379 and 3/18/1383 and 12/20/1392).
۱-۱۱) away from the economy based on usury and reproduction
In about nine hundred verses of the Qur’an, economic topics and issues have been raised directly or indirectly. In the Qur’an, economic goals (such as economic justice, poverty alleviation, etc.), the basics of economics (infiniteness of resources), the centrality of human beings in the interests of the world, the true ownership of God, guaranteeing sustenance for all, and the authenticity of the hereafter, economic principles (moderation of cooperation, accompanying economy with divine values) and moral and the negation of riba, etc.), as well as economic theorizing (the influence of spiritual matters on economic growth, etc.) has been proposed (Rezaei, 2010: 11). According to the Qur’anic verses, economy and accumulation of wealth and greed are not the goal, but the prelude to achieving great goals. “O people of faith! Certainly, many Jewish scholars and monks use people’s property in vain and always prevent [people] from the way of God; And give glad tidings to those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of God, of a painful punishment” (At-Tauba, 34). From the perspective of the Qur’an, capital is a means of production and work. Therefore, it should not be stored as a treasure or used as a means of usury, which hinders economic growth. “O people of faith! Be wary of God, and if you are believers, give up what is left of usury. And if you do not do so, be sure of a great war from God and His Messenger [against you]” (Al-Baqarah, 278-279). The Supreme Leader is concerned with the discussion of a healthy economy in the modern Islamic civilization and strictly forbids the economy based on extortion and usury, which is the bane of economic growth, and continuously advises the judiciary to deal with extortion and rent-seeking, and the governments regarding Follow up the implementation of healthy economic policies. The reason for paying so much attention to the basics of the economy and the issues surrounding it goes back to the sources of Islam. According to His Holiness, the two foundations of Islamic economy are: “Increasing national wealth” that the Islamic country should be a rich country and advance its lofty goals at the international level. The second base is “fair distribution and elimination of deprivation in the Islamic society” (statements of the Supreme Leader, 13/11/2016). The resistance economy thesis by the leader of the revolution and its tolerance by the Iranian people is one of the parameters of the development of modern Islamic civilization.
۲) New characteristics of Islamic civilization
The supreme leader of the revolution, with his tact and understanding the requirements of the time, has always placed the need to pay attention to new issues at the top of his plans. One of them is the issue of modern Islamic civilization, the realization of which naturally requires attention to new issues, including innovation and creativity, attention to modern media, art, cinema, improvement of international relations, issuance of jurisprudence rulings suitable to new human needs, etc. We will examine the relevance of these issues and His Holiness’ view on them.
۲-۱) effort, work and initiative (creativity)
Islam never separates work and effort from worship. In this idea, active people are favored by God and his guardians, and people who neglect their work are rejected and cursed by them. Based on this, the Supreme Leader has stated: “Work in the broadest sense of the word, including manual work, physical work, intellectual work, scientific work, and managerial work, is actually the axis of progress, movement, and continuous life of society. We should all know this. If there is no work, capital, materials, energy and information, none of them will be useful for humans. Work is like a spirit that breathes in capital, in energy, in raw materials and turns it into a consumable being so that humans can use it. This is the value of work. In Islam, work is considered as worship and value. Another important point in his statement is the presence of collective work and effort, which is not satisfactory in our country and has not become part of our national characteristics, and we must fix it. They encourage and motivate the managers and active arms of the country to work on technology, industry, agriculture and production and multiplication of national wealth. In His Highness’ view, doing things in the best way is more important than the above issues (statements of the Supreme Leader, 2/10/1377 and 11/12/1388 and 3/22/1383). According to his belief, in the current economic world, it is possible to advance the new Islamic civilization only with round-the-clock work and effort and creativity and innovation.
۲-۲) Modern media, art and cinema
At the beginning of Islam, the mosque was considered as the most important mass media and the place of dissemination of news and ideas, therefore, it played an effective role in the expansion of Islamic civilization. After the Islamic civilization faced stagnation, Western civilization made great progress in the mass media industry. Today, despite the advanced communication technologies that are often spread by Western civilization, the time and space distance between societies has disappeared, and Western civilization seeks to institutionalize the Western lifestyle and spread ugliness among other societies. The Holy Quran has warned about the spread of ugliness in Islamic civilization as follows: «إِنَّ الَّذِینَ یحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِیعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِی الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِیمٌ فِی الدُّنْیا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ یعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ» (نور،۱۹)، «کسانی که دوست دارند کارهای بسیار زشت [مانند آن تهمت بزرگ] در میان اهل ایمان شایع شود، در There will be a painful punishment in this world and in the Hereafter, and God knows [them] and you do not.” Therefore, modern and strong media are necessary and inevitable to confront the deviant western culture and style and also to export the values and foundations of Islam in the modern Islamic civilization. For this reason, on various occasions, the Supreme Leader emphasizes the strengthening of modern media in modern Islamic civilization and warns about the media attack of Western civilization. For example, the term “soft war” in the eyes of His Holiness expresses the relentless media invasion of Western civilization for the cultural transformation of Muslim countries and even other countries.
He says about the West’s widespread abuse of the tools of art, especially the performing arts and cinema: “Using this method, Western politicians seek to promote Western lifestyles in other societies.” He also discusses the importance of the film industry for the transmission of cultures, which Western civilization has realized the importance of and is now implementing its inner intentions to dominate other cultures, and in this work based on expert work and using sociologists, psychologists and Historians examine the weaknesses of nations, especially Islamic nations. Also, knowing the ways to dominate them, they order the production of special films to the filmmakers, and in this context, all officials and people should take care of their original culture and that of the country (statements of the Supreme Leader, 22/03/2013).
۲-۳) Improving international relations
The communication between societies in today’s world has become very complicated and societies inevitably interact with each other. The reason for this is that the world population and the type of human needs have undergone fundamental changes. In the past civilizations, due to the limitation of the population and their needs, if a civilization was not related to other civilizations for any reason, it might not have severe disturbances in the society. Because the communication of the communities with each other was low and limited to barter transactions. But in today’s world, the situation is reversed and the level of communication between societies has increased a lot, and many people in power influence other nations in this way. For example, in the oil industry, which is a global issue, the interests of all countries are so intertwined that the market fluctuates with the smallest incident in the world. Accordingly, relations with other civilizations are needed in the modern Islamic civilization for two reasons: The first topic is the discussion of meeting the needs of people in the society; Because there may not be enough goods in Islamic civilization to satisfy domestic needs, and through this relationship, he tried to compensate for that lack. But the second issue, which should be taken into consideration through international relations, is the transfer of the human-building and social-building theoretical foundations of Islam, so as to provide the introduction to the emergence of the savior of the human world. The same divine reserve that will advance the new Islamic civilization to the highest degree. The Supreme Leader emphasizes the intellectual and epistemological foundations of Imam Khomeini (RA) on international diplomacy in the modern Islamic civilization. They mention the universality of the political school of Imam Khomeini (RA), who sought to export the independence and honor of the Islamic Revolution of Iran to other countries. According to his belief, the type of message of the school of Islam by Imam (RA) to humanity is very different from what America and others are looking for with force and recourse to the atomic bomb. In the political school, the imam leaves his right thought and new speech with an explanation in the space of humanity’s mind. His Holiness considers the movements that have emerged in Palestine and other countries to be influenced by the global message of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, which was woven into the body of history by the founder of the revolution. Therefore, in his opinion, the issue of Palestine is not a personal issue between Palestine and Israel, but concerns all Muslims (statements of the Supreme Leader, 03/18/1383).
۲-۴) Issuing jurisprudence in accordance with the modern needs of mankind
The religion of Islam, which has been introduced as the final religion (Ahzab, 40), must have a solution for every new issue that arises in the modern Islamic civilization regarding human needs, and this comes back to the comprehensiveness of Islamic laws. The Supreme Leader also emphasizes that people who are proficient in the knowledge needed to respond to new needs should be trained in seminaries. He says: The day when there are one hundred, five hundred, one thousand spiritual figures like Imam in our society and country, you will see what a great movement will be created in this society. When there are hundreds of people in our society who have knowledge of religion and are proficient in religious logic and reasoning in philosophy and theology and new philosophy and arguing with skeptics, see what a great thing will happen in society. When through this collection, thousands of books, magazines and scientific articles will be published in different languages in the world, you will see what a burning sun will shine on all the intellectual space of the human world from this point of the world. It is possible to achieve all these things (statements of the Supreme Leader, 3/22/1385).
Conclusion
In a general definition, the Supreme Leader considers the hallmark of Islamic civilization to be the benefit of human beings from all the material and spiritual capacities that God has embedded in the world of nature and in their existence to ensure their happiness and excellence. Among the characteristics of Islamic civilization that Islamic thinkers and historians expressed in the history of Islam and the Supreme Leader spoke about them in a more coherent way are the centrality of Quranic laws, wisdom, science, ethics, striving in the way of God, popular government, avoiding stonewalling. , creating public welfare, establishing justice, avoiding the economy based on usury and reproduction. However, with his tact and understanding the requirements of the time, His Holiness addressed the issue of modern Islamic civilization with new components such as innovation and creativity, paying attention to modern media, art, Cinema, the improvement of international relations and the issuing of jurisprudence in accordance with the new human needs were raised so that the Islamic civilization becomes dynamic and remains in competition with the modern world of the West and maintains its dynamism. According to His Holiness, the expansion of modern Islamic civilization requires collective effort and wisdom, which is created in the shadow of unity, discipline, work, effort, faith in God, creativity, rationality, scientific ability and strong media.
