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Pishva-ye Sadeq (book)

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Pishwa-yi Sadiq
AuthorSayyid Ali Husayni Khamenei
LanguagePersian
SubjectCultural and political life of Imam al-Sadiq (a)
Published2004
PublisherTehran, Daftar-i Nashr-i Farhang-i Islami
Pages113


Pīshwā-yi Ṣādiq (Persian: پیشوای صادق‎; lit. The Truthful Leader) is a book comprising a series of speeches by Ayatollah Khamenei on the cultural and political life of Imam al-Sadiq (a), delivered between 1966–1971, years before the Islamic Revolution in Iran. These topics were also published as a series of notes in Jumhuri-yi Islami newspaper in 1979 and were later compiled and released in book form between 1979 and 1981.

The main purpose behind writing this work was to correct misconceptions about Imam al-Sadiq (a), particularly the mistaken assumption that the Imam (a) had avoided political actions and compromised with the rulers of his time. In this book, through the explanation of Imamate, its objectives, and the theoretical foundation of the 250-year-old human theory, the position and actions of Imam al-Sadiq (a) are discussed.

Subject of the Book

Pishwa-yi Sadiq is a book about the cultural and political life of Imam al-Sadiq (a), comprising a series of lectures by Sayyid Ali Khamenei delivered between 1966 and 1971. Initially published as a collection of notes in 1979, it was later compiled and released in book form. It has been said that correcting the misconceptions held by some people regarding the life and conduct of the Sixth Imam (a) during the early years of the Islamic Revolution was among the reasons for writing these notes.[1] According to these misconceptions, Imam al-Sadiq (a) refrained from political actions and compromised with the rulers of his time.[2]

In this book, efforts have been made, through historical arguments, to prove that Imam al-Sadiq (a) did not distance himself from politics and never compromised with the rulers of his time.[3]

Main Idea of the Author

In the book Pishwa-yi Sadiq, the author likens the life conduct of the Infallible Imams (a) to a "250-year-old human," who, based on the circumstances of his time, chose the best methods to achieve the goals of Islam;[4] activities including silence, cooperation,[5] truce, jihad,[6] secret struggles, cultural, and explanatory efforts.[7]

Among them, Imam al-Sadiq (a) had an influential role in the political history of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and strived toward establishing the ideal government of the Imams (a).[8] In this book, through the explanation of the goals of Imamate and the theoretical foundation of the 250-year-old human theory, the position and actions of Imam al-Sadiq (a) are discussed.[9]

Overview of the Book's Content

In the first half of Pishwa-yi Sadiq, the philosophy of Imamate is explained based on the "250-year-old human" theory up to the time of Imam al-Baqir (a).[10] In this section of the book, the author presents three "judgments" about Imam al-Sadiq (a),[11] critiques two of them—which, according to him, are common among people—and elaborates on the third judgment, which reflects his own view.

  • "Biased Judgment": Based on this view, Imam al-Sadiq (a) obtained a golden opportunity for teaching and education and became so engrossed in spreading knowledge and religion that he (a) could not fulfill the duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil. Thus, he was forced to praise the oppressive rulers of the time. This view is expressed by those who claim to be lovers of the Imam (a).[12]
  • "Critical Judgment": According to this view, Imam al-Sadiq (a), at a time when oppression had spread everywhere, chose the path of comfort, and neglected the responsibility of leadership, became occupied only with teaching and discussions, while his followers were subjected to persecution, imprisonment, torture, exile, murder, and plunder.[13]

Problems with These Two Viewpoints

According to the author, the first judgment is based on several fabricated narrations, and careful examination of their content reveals their fabricated nature because the status of Imamate is far purer and more exalted than to be tainted with flattery and undue praise, especially toward tyrants and oppressors.[14] The second judgment is also weak, lacking knowledge, and similar to the judgments of Orientalists, which, in most cases, are either tainted with bias or stem from ignorance and lack of awareness.[15]

Third Judgment is the Author's Viewpoint

According to the author, the correct judgment about Imam al-Sadiq (a) and the other Imams (a) is that the Imams of the Shi'a, like the Prophet (s), had no goal other than establishing or maintaining the just Islamic system with the characteristics and objectives clarified in the Qur'an; because Imamate is the continuation of Prophethood.[16]

The author then analyzes the life of Imam al-Sadiq (a) and concludes that the only way to truly understand the life of Imam (a) is to outline his life in three main axes:[17]

  1. Elucidation and propagation of the concept of Imamate.[18]
  2. Propagation and explanation of religious rulings in the method of Shi'a jurisprudence, as well as interpretation of the Qur'an according to the Shia perspective.[19]
  3. The existence of a hidden ideological-political organization.[20]

Publication and Translation

The text of the book Pishwa-yi Sadiq is the result of Sayyed Ali Khamenei's lectures between the years 1966-1971 about the life conduct of Imam al-Sadiq (a).[21] These lectures were first published as a series of notes by the author in Jomhouri Islami newspaper in seventeen issues in June 1979. Then, between the years 1979 and 1981, it was published in the form of a book under the title Pishwa-yi Sadiq.[22] After some time, the publication of the book was halted due to typographical errors.[23] Later, Inqilab-i Islami Institute, by referring to the original notes, corrected the book,[24] and in 2004, the Farhang-i Islami Publishing Office published it in 113 pages.

The Ahl al-Bayt (a) World Assembly has translated this book into English, Arabic, and Sindhi.[25]

See Also

Notes

  1. ↑ The book "Pishwa-yi Sadiq" has corrected mistaken interpretations of the life and conduct of al-Imam al-Sadiq (a). (Persian)
  2. ↑ The book "Pishwa-yi Sadiq" has corrected mistaken interpretations of the life and conduct of al-Imam al-Sadiq (a). (Persian)
  3. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 69-113.
  4. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 11.
  5. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 16.
  6. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 19.
  7. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 19-113.
  8. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 72-87.
  9. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 67-113.
  10. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 11-67.
  11. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 1.
  12. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 2.
  13. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 5.
  14. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 8.
  15. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 10.
  16. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 11-13.
  17. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 67.
  18. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 69.
  19. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 88.
  20. ↑ Khāmeneʾī, Pīshwā-yi Sādiq, p. 96.
  21. ↑ The Cultural and Political Life and Conduct of "Pishwa-yi Sadiq" According to Imam Khamenei. (Persian)
  22. ↑ Book Introduction: "Pishwa-yi Sadiq" by Imam Khamenei. (Persian)
  23. ↑ The book "Pishwa-yi Sadiq" was introduced in Qom. (Persian)
  24. ↑ The book "Pishwa-yi Sadiq" was introduced in Qom. (Persian)
  25. ↑ Kirmānī & Rūzbih, Kārnāma-yi Tarjuma-yi Majmaʿ-i Jahānī-yi Ahl al-Bayt (a), p. 19.

References

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