Pars Today

Welcome to the program. This time we will focus on the views of Ayatollah Khamenei about the significance of knowledge and scientific jihad.

Paying attention to knowledge and sciences is one of the main missions of Islam. The Messenger of mercy, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), considered such a priority to acquisition of knowledge and literacy that he even decreed that each of the prisoners of war would be released provided that he taught reading and writing to one illiterate Muslim. Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei, says, “The dear Islam is the greatest encourager of knowledge and in this way Muslims held the banner of knowledge, cognizance and scientific progress in the whole world for consecutive centuries; and today, after the bitter era of dominance of the foreign policies on our country, the Iranian nation is once again experiencing the freedom from the influence of the Global Arrogance. Scientific jihad is one of our greatest obligations.”

Islam has defined knowledge as the light and ornament of intellect and considers the growth of religion linked to the acquisition and practicing of knowledge. Imam Ali (AS) says in this regard, “Oh people! Know that the perfection of religion is materialized by acquisition of knowledge and practicing it. Beware that acquisition of knowledge for you is more necessary than pursuit of property.”

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei states, “We should turn knowledge and research into a public belief so that a public endeavour is focused on it.”

Elsewhere in his remarks he elaborates, “I invite dear youths to a real struggle (jihad). Jihad is not just going on war and the battlefield. Striving in the field of knowledge, ethics, political cooperation and research for people are also considered as jihad. Today, studying, acquisition of knowledge, research and endeavour in the main job of students is jihad.”

Knowledge has a lot of branches and learning all of these branches is necessary for mankind but what is more important is the way of using these diverse sciences. Acquisition of knowledge should be carried out for the sake of God and solving the problems of human community and not creating insecurity for them. For instance, acquisition of nuclear sciences must be aimed at producing special medicines, electricity and facilitating life for human beings rather than annihilating them. That’s why Islam stresses that knowledge and faith are two wings for salvation of man and taking him to perfection and happiness. There have been many persons who were highly skilled in various sciences but are remembered with disgust due to the fact that they used their knowledge in the way of destroying fellow humans. Those pseudo-scientists who produce chemical weapons or test atomic bombs in different parts of the world are brutes indeed. Does a researcher who reproduces and multiplies lethal viruses in labs believe in God?

Regarding the hostility of the enemies against the Islamic Republic of Iran and their scientific monopoly, the leader recommends the elites of the country, “I have heard that in some of the sensitive political circles it was said, ‘We won’t let an Islamic Japan emerge in the region.’ You are that Islamic Japan. This word has not been stated in vain; for, according to the statistics, in a period of time and for the few past years this country has had a high growth in terms of the speed of scientific and research growth.”

Commenting on the anti-science activities of the enemy in Iran, the leader says, “Basically, the enemy has two plans for our university: one is eradication of knowledge and the other one is eradication of religion; to eradicate knowledge in the university and to eradicate religion in the university. How is the eradication of knowledge in university? One of the little jobs is the assassination of scientists just as two or three of our dear nuclear scientists were taken from us. The plan is wider than this. This is one of the easiest ones. What is more complicated is to make our university, our professor and our student busy on non-scientific work; not to let this scientific thriving, which is our aspiration, materialize.”

However, one of the most important and dangerous strategies is to destroy scientific motive in universities. Ayatollah Khamenei, referring to the issue as a scientific harm in the country, says, “There should be an insistence on scientific innovation in universities; insistence on putting scientific progresses at the service of the country’s needs. This is one of the basic orientations and criteria. After all there are limited capacities- both the human and financial capacities- so, it should be noted to direct the scientific work toward the needs of the country. We have various needs which the university can meet and fill these vacuums. This is another experience for us.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution asks the academics, especially those of the humanities, to make big progresses. He wants to change the contents of the courses on humanities. Ayatollah Khamenei believes that the mere translation and teaching of Western books and materials is not enough and the professors and bright talents should embark on scientific production.

The Leader opines that by the motto of “we can” and relying on the native ability we will be able to frustrate our enemies. Scientific jihad is the path for attaining high levels and ranks.           

RM/SS