AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Ayatollah Reza Ramazani, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, attended a consultative meeting of Payame Noor University professors titled “The Role of University Professors in Presenting Global Islam”, held at the conference hall of the Qom branch of Payame Noor University.
In this session, while referring to the characteristics of the Quran’s language, Ayatollah Ramazani stated, “The Quran has a spoken language, which is Arabic. But it also has a language of understanding, which is Fitrah (innate human nature) and reason. About 300 Quranic verses are related to reflection and contemplation. The language of reason is for every time and era and recognizes neither yesterday, today, nor tomorrow. In terms of its language of understanding, the Quran transcends time and is not limited to the era of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) or to the Arab people alone.”
He continued, “When I was at the Islamic Centre in Vienna, I presented a discussion in an academic forum under the title ‘Islam is a Religion of Tolerance’ and referred to relevant (Quranic) verses. After the discussion, one of the Christian scholars claimed that love does not exist in Islam! I asked him whether he had read the Quran. He replied: No. I told him, “How could you compare the Quran and the Gospel and claim that Christianity has love while Islam does not—when I have actually read the Gospel”?”
The advanced seminary lecturer in Qom noted that the theme of love is frequently found in the words of Islamic philosophers. “In the Tafsir on the verses related to Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.), Allameh Tabataba’i interpreted them as being about love. However, Western scholars and academics, due to their lack of familiarity with such matters, speak of the absence of love in Islam. These individuals are unaware of the relationship between ethics and religion in Islam, and they claim that religion cannot unite different nations and sects. Yet religions originate from one source and do not engage in conflict with one another,” he emphasized.
He continued, “Hans Küng referred to the concept of golden rules—principles accepted by all nations and sects. One example is, ‘Love for others what you love for yourself.’ I have found many instances of such golden rules in the Quran and Hadiths, such as the verse (قُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا) (speak kindly to people) (Holy Quran, 2:83), or the supplication (اللّهُمَّ اشْفِ كُلَّ مَرِيضٍ) (O God, heal every sick person). Imam Reza (a.s.) said in a narration, (التَّوَدُّدُ إِلَى النَّاسِ نِصْفُ الْعَقْلِ) (Kindness toward people is half of reason).”
Ayatollah Ramazani added, “We must pursue a comprehensive approach to religion (Islam) in order to witness its comprehensive functionality. A comprehensive approach means that religion encompasses both the outward and the inward dimensions, and includes both individual and social responsibilities. It is illogical for religion to contain numerous social laws and yet be without a government. The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) established a government at the earliest opportunity. The late Ayatollah Ahmadi Miyanaji, in his book Makateeb al-Rasul, which includes all the letters of the Prophet (p.b.u.h), states that if the social laws of Islam are not more than its individual laws, they are certainly not fewer. This statement is accurate because many aspects of individual rulings are also linked to social dimensions. Today, some sources of emulation have turned their attention to Fiqh al-Ijtima, a branch of jurisprudence that deals with social dimensions and the building of civilization.”
He stressed, “What is especially important today is to present religion in all its dimensions. It is not acceptable for Islam to have so many social laws yet no system of governance. Then how are we to understand concepts such as Mahdism and divine governance? The Islam that can stand firm against various ideologies is a comprehensive Islam. For this reason, we must be diligent in presenting a rational Islam, because it is the rationality of religion that enables the introduction of a reason-based faith to human society.”
The Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly, speaking about the various dimensions of religion, said, “We must always speak of the three pillars of religion: rationality, spirituality, and justice. Rationality and spirituality are intertwined; spirituality is within the rational religion, and rationality is within the spiritual religion. The outcome is responsibility, not escapism. Today, there are about four thousand counterfeit spiritual movements in the Western world. Of course, the existence of such a number of pseudo-spiritualities indicates that there is a genuine spiritual truth inherent within human nature. Authentic spirituality, however, is offered through religion. Some of the distortions today also occur in the realm of spirituality, which is why in Western literature we hear about mysticism without God. Therefore, we must strive to present religion comprehensively, referring back to the texts and using from the original sources. In doing so, religion will prove effective in various arenas, including culture, politics, and the economy.”
Regarding the approach of the Islamic Revolution, he stated, “Forty-six or forty-seven years ago, the prevailing theory was that no religious revolution would ever occur, and if one did, it would be either secular or laicist. The occurrence of the Islamic Revolution in Iran was enough to disprove that theory. If this approach is introduced, we will be victorious in the field. Therefore, we must not view religion in an isolated or fragmented way, but rather as a standard framework that guides various aspects of human life.”
The advanced seminary instructor in Qom stated, “Religion trains human beings in such a way that it introduces them into the realm of life with abundant hope, enabling them to engage actively in the field of life. In the realm of philosophy, there is the study of philosophy, philosophical understanding, and philosophical practice. In other words, the philosophical thought system gives meaning to life and existence, and this is of great importance. If we adopt such an approach, the functionality of religion will be strong, and Islam, due to its intellectual strength, can engage in confrontation with any other ideology.”
Regarding the ideas and thoughts of Martyr Motahhari, he said, “Martyr Motahhari was a thinker and intellectual, and because of the strength of his thought, atheist professors at universities did not dare to debate with him. This is the nature of Islamic thought. We must not adopt a narrow view of religion, but rather, we must approach it with depth, comprehensiveness, and precision, and it is with this approach that we should engage with the youth.”
In another part of his remarks, Ayatollah Ramazani noted, “Some claim that the youth are turning away from religion, but I do not accept this claim at all. Religion, as it is, speaks to human nature. If someone does not accept religion, it means he rejects nature and truth. Therefore, humanity is not inherently averse to religion. The Soviet Union tried for seventy years to eliminate religion but failed, and efforts to restrict religion have also been unsuccessful. We have failed to present religion comprehensively; the fault lies with us. The seminary must reevaluate its understanding and presentation of religion, because religion is not a rigid and stereotypical concept; it gives life to humanity and nurtures the various dimensions of human existence.”
Regarding the status of the Quran and the Sunnah, he said, “In the discussion of interpretations of religion (Islam), the most important sources are the Quran and the Sunnah. Therefore, if we focus on the Quran and the Sunnah, we will attain a comprehensive understanding of religion. In the areas of beliefs, exegesis, and jurisprudence, our duty is to follow what is well-known and substantiated and address on rare and eccentric opinions. Of course, we should make proper use of scholarly tools such as philosophy and theology in their appropriate context. We must also use a language and terminology that the audience can understand. It is not correct to extract one part of religion and abandon the rest; rather, all parts of religion must be presented.”
In the final part of his remarks, the Secretary-General of the AhlulBayt (a.s.) World Assembly stated, “In secular systems, people show no regard for spiritual values. In secular societies, sacred matters are treated with indifference. In the West, the concept of desacralization is promoted, and they claim that nothing is sacred, going as far as to say, ‘Neither Christianity nor Jesus Christ is sacred.’ Meanwhile, in religious societies, people generally take a stand against insults to the sacred. During my time in the West, I personally took a stance on such issues and stated that insulting the sacred is not a form of freedom, and that such insults should not be categorized under freedom of expression. Harming others is not only physical but also emotional and spiritual, and insulting the sanctities of 1.2 billion Muslims causes them deep distress.”
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