Charter of the Clergy

The Charter of the Clergy, is the historical message of Imam Khomeini addressed to the clergy and Islamic seminaries, which was issued on Isfand 3, 1367 SH (February 23, 1989), and due to the depth of its content and the scope of its audience, it was considered an intellectual and political testament.

This message can be considered a summary of Imam Khomeini's analysis and viewpoint regarding the clergy and seminaries, and also contains a list of his preoccupations and concerns regarding this stratum of society. This message is recorded in the Ṣaḥīfa-yi Imām under the title "Message to the Clergy" and in twenty pages, it has paid attention to the various dimensions of the clergy, their services, duties, and responsibilities.

Historical Backgrounds and the Necessity of Issuing the Message

The book of the Charter of the Clergy

Imam Khomeini's message, known as the Charter of the Clergy, was issued under conditions where the Islamic Republic of Iran, after nearly a decade since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, was facing various developments and crises. The end of the Iran-Iraq War and the acceptance of the Security Council Resolution 598 (Tir 1367 SH), created a new atmosphere of reconstruction and change in the country. In the domestic arena, disputes among a spectrum of the clergy, the resignation and subsequent dismissal of Ḥusaynʿalī Muntaẓarī from the deputyship of the leadership (Farvardin 1368 SH), as well as concerns about the petrified or Westoxified currents in the Islamic seminaries, were among the factors that compelled Imam Khomeini to compile and publish such a message. In the foreign arena as well, the issuance of the fatwa on the apostasy of Salman Rushdie (Bahman 1367 SH) and its widespread repercussions, had made the position of the clergy and religious authority more prominent at the global level.

The Main Provisions of Imam Khomeini's Message

The Charter of the Clergy consists of various sections, each of which contains key and strategic points:

The Identity and Authenticity of the Clergy

Imam Khomeini in this message explicitly rejects the dependence of the authentic clergy on capitalists and money-worshippers, and emphasizes that the authentic scholars of Islam have never submitted to capitalists. He considered the committed clergy as "thirsty for the blood of leech-like capitalists" and describes them with asceticism, god-wariness, and non-dependence on the luxuries of the world.

People's Reception of the Clergy Due to Their Services

Imam Khomeini has emphasized in this message that in the promotion of the clergy and jurisprudence, there was neither the force of a bayonet nor the capital of money-worshippers, but rather it was their own art, honesty, and commitment that made the people choose them. Great characteristics such as contentment, courage, patience, asceticism, seeking knowledge, non-dependence on powers, and most importantly, a sense of responsibility towards the masses, have made the clergy alive, enduring, and popular.

The Danger of Petrifaction and Sanctimony

Imam Khomeini clarifies in this message that explaining the position and services of the clergy does not mean that he defends all clerics; rather, he believes that there are individuals in the Islamic seminaries who act against the revolution and pure Muhammadan Islam and, with an appearance of sanctimony, strike at the roots of religion, the revolution, and the system. One of the most important parts of the charter is Imam Khomeini's warning about the danger of petrifaction and sanctimony. He introduces petrifaction as a great obstacle to the growth and elevation of fiqh and dynamic ijtihad. Imam Khomeini, with decisive sentences, considers the petrified ones as "promoters of American Islam" and "enemies of the Messenger of Allah", and asks the seminary students not to neglect the thought of these "colorful snakes" for a moment. By pointing to the sufferings he himself has endured from this petrified group, he recalls that at the beginning of the struggles, some reactionary sanctimonious individuals were opposed to the struggle against the regime by justifying that Muḥammad Riḍā Pahlawī is a Shi'a.

The Struggle Against American Islam

Imam Khomeini in this message, by reminding the concept of pure Muhammadan Islam (s) against American Islam, separates the intellectual line of the revolution from any compromise with global arrogance. American Islam is introduced as a thought that, with religious slogans, serves the interests of major powers. He considered the clergy responsible for fighting against this thought and promoting true Islam.

Reflections After the Issuance of the Message

After the issuance of the message, numerous speeches were made by prominent figures of the system to explain its dimensions. The speech by Sayyid ʿAlī Khāminaʾī in Isfand 1367 SH, who elaborated on the message of the Charter of the Clergy in the Friday prayer of Tehran, found widespread reflection in the newspapers. According to the speakers, this message was issued at a time when the intellectual atmosphere of the seminaries was in severe lethargy and passivity. The Charter of the Clergy caused many seminary courses to be directed towards new issues and those afflicting the society. Some clerics and professors, referring to the atmosphere of the seminary at that time, emphasize that Imam Khomeini's message became the cornerstone of important intellectual developments that continued for years later.

Conclusion

The Charter of the Clergy was Imam Khomeini's last detailed writing before his demise. In fact, this message is a summarization on the subject of the clergy and its strengths and weaknesses, which has examined the threats and opportunities of the clergy. Imam Khomeini in this message pays the utmost attention to the fact that throughout history, it was not the anti-religious currents that stood against the prophets, but rather those who, claiming to be Muslims, chanted religious slogans and advanced with this provocative phrase that the prophets want to take your principles and sanctities away from you. He interprets this group in this charter as irreligious loyalists; because these individuals were those who throughout history set up a cleric against a cleric, a line that continued even after the Prophet. According to ʿAbd Allāh Jawādī Āmulī, the Charter of the Clergy is Imam Khomeini's special testament to the clergy community.