Leader hails ‘very exalted’ status of women in Islam, slams corrupt Western culture

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has told thousands of women and girls from across Iran that Islam grants women a very high and exalted status and equal rights with men in social and political life, condemning the “corrupt Western culture” toward women.

What are main obstacles on the way to understanding Quranic interpretation from Imam’s views?

One of the obstacles towards understand the Quran is to induct the idea that in order to understand the Quran, one has to be a commentator of the Quran while taking moral, ethical and mystic benefit from the Quranic verses is nothing to do with tafseer (interpretation) and hence ordinary people should also be encouraged to pay attention to the ethical and moral aspects of the stories mentioned in the Quran.

Obstacles towards Understanding the Quran in the View of Imam Khomeini

Spiritual construction has priority over all others, Imam Khomeini explained

Imam Khomeini stressed that the country and the nation are in need of construction, and spiritual construction has priority over all others. The spiritual and physical struggle for the cause of God should begin from the ‘self’; to fight against the internal Satan. This jihad will be the basis of other jihads and struggles.

Imam Khomeini highlights importance of knowledge, awareness to actualize justice

According to Imam Khomeini, everything begins with knowledge and awareness and to gain knowledge, one should primarily forgo denial.

A person afflicted with ‘ujb never cares to rectify himself, Imam Khomeini explained

Imam Khomeini explains that a person afflicted with ‘ujb never cares to rectify himself; rather, he considers. himself as a pious and virtuous person, and never thinks of purging himself from sins.

Desirable contemplation on Divine essence

According to Imam Khomeini, it should be known that what we said about the possibility of contemplation on the Essence, the Names and the Attributes may lead the ignorant to imagine that it is forbidden in accordance with certain riwayat, knowing not that that which is forbidden is to attempt to fathom the quality and depths of the Essence, as is clear from the traditions.’

Best form of worship is to contemplate about God and His Power, Imam Khomeini explained

According to Imam Khomeini, there is a great merit in contemplation. Contemplation is the key to the doors of ma’rifah and to the treasure chests of knowledge and excellence.