What forms the basic identity and distinguishing characteristics of the Islamic Revolution?

A) The Islamic Revolution is of human and Islamic nature
I hope that we succeed in this Iranian Islamic movement, which is specifically Islamic and is carried out to achieve Islamic goals with absolutely humane intentions, and that our dream, which is Islam and its commands- in which the Muslims' independence and freedom has been guaranteed- come true. I hope we achieve this victory. These Muslims, as Islam has instructed, must unite and become one, so their wishes and dreams may be realized; and Islam's instructions may be enforced everywhere in the world. May God, the Exalted, bless all of the Muslims.
Sahifeh, vol4, Page: 113

 

These matters constitute the prelude. These are all the preliminaries to creating a humane nation; a nation in which the spirit of humanity is generated and a transformation brought about in the people themselves. What is important to the prophets is humanity itself. It is nothing else; only man is the concern of the prophets. Everything should assume a humane aspect. They wanted to mold man. When man is molded, everything else turns out right. The foreign-dominated regimes did not want people of the countries of the East to be brought up properly. They were afraid of upright people. They did not want any such people around. An upright individual, if found, does not submit to force. An upright person, if found, does not sell the interests of his country to foreigners. An upright person is such. He serves God and exists for His sake. He lives and dies for God. It is not possible for such a one to serve the foreign powers, and to rise against his own country.
Sahifeh, Vol8, Page: 60 & 16

B) The Islamic movement prioritized the Islamizaiton over the politics
This movement stems from Islam. At the time of Ayatullah Kashani and Musaddiq, politics was the main issue. I wrote letters to Ayatullah Kashani and told him that he should also pay attention to the religious aspects. He either couldn't do it or did not want to. Instead of strengthening the religious aspects and instead of bringing the political aspects under the dominance of religious aspects, Ayatullah Kashani became a political figure himself. He became the Parliament speaker; that was a mistake. I told him that he should work for religion, and not to become involved in politics. But now the movement is religious in all its aspects, it is Islamic; and politics is inherent in it. Islam is political religion; politics is inherent in the movement. You had better go to Iran now to closely watch what is going on in Iran now and what was going on in those days. There are lots of problems; we are faced with the superpowers and they are all concerned about our movement. But they cannot do anything, unless they resort to force and dispatch military forces to Iran. We are weak and cannot militarily confront them; otherwise, even through the alliance of other governments, military coup, or martial government- and even by a military coup and annihilating the Shah- they cannot gain victory. The current movement is such a profound one that such problems are solvable, no attention is paid to military coup or martial government, and people ignore all of them. Today, the people are scrambling for Islam, but in those days they were calling for oil. There is a difference between the time when the people are fighting for their interests and when they are fighting in the way of God. That movement was a materialistic one and this movement is spiritual. Therefore, the current situation is almost the same as the situation at the beginning of the Islamic era, and we all hope that our movement will win.

 

It does not mean that we are not concerned. Of course there are matters of concern in such struggles and movements. Now all the political centers in the world have focused on Iran and intend to crush Iran's movement. It is not that we are not aware or are not concerned; in fact we feel that we are religiously duty-bound, a divine duty. This is the same logic of the early stages of the development of Islam. The very same logic according to which if we are killed we will go to heaven, if we kill, we will go to heaven and if we are defeated, we will go to heaven and if we defeat, we will go to heaven. Therefore, we are not afraid of being defeated; we are not afraid at all. Our movement is not merely a political one; we make progress on the basis of the logic of Islam; we are not afraid of being defeated. Prophet Muhammad) s (was also defeated in some of his battles against the infidels. We launch our war by relying on the sword of God and we are not frightened. The movement will continue.

Sahifeh, vol5, Page: 261 & 262

 

C) Implementation of the Islamic law and decrees
Sometimes a revolution is national or is due to a particular party instead of being Islamic; that has a different characteristic. But sometimes like the revolution of Iran it is an Islamic revolution. Everybody including both you and we saw that there was no voice except" God's the Greatest" and" We want Islamic Republic". The whole nation across the country used to shout" Islamic Republic"," Neither East, nor West, Only Islamic Republic". This is an Islamic issue. Our nation is enthusiastically fond of Islam. Our people love Islam all- heartedly; that's why they came ahead, exposing their chests to the enemy and sent their youths to the war. Men and women campaigned side by side and met victory also side by side. This was the power of Islam. Otherwise neither any party nor any nation could have done such a thing. If you observe, the national or the parties' festivals are not like this. The whole nation- from the young through to the old, men through to women- all pursued the goal in one voice. It was the power of Islam that made each and every individual to shout only one voice and made the entire nation as a unified whole. All this was done to achieve victory and they did it. Our nation wants only Islam and nothing else. This nation wants to take refuge in Islam.

Sahifeh, vol21, Page: 270 & 271

 

D) It was of patriotic and nationalistic nature
The appraisal of Iran was a powerful one against another powerful that was to be repelled and this one should come in its place at the point of a lance. No, this was not the case. The appraisal of Iran had emanated from the depths of the population. It was a national campaign. In other words, young and elders, men and women- all had joined in the appraisal. They all collectively wiped out the tyrant government. This is a distinction that distinguishes the Iranian Islamic revolution from all the other appraisals. This was cent percent a national one.
Sahifeh, vol21, Page: 15

 

E) Its legitimacy and role model pattern comes from Ashura
The dear nation should seek this blessed event and seed on the evening of `Ashoura 3831 AH which coincided with the hours of the martyrdom of the Master of the oppressed and martyrs, when the pure blood of Imam Husayn was shed on the seething earth of the desert of Karbala and irrigated the root of the Islamic revolution. The honorable people of Iran staged the crushing uprising on the inauspicious anniversary of the explosive disaster falling on 51 Khordad 2431, inspired by the events of `Ashoura. If it were not for `Ashoura and its warmth and fervor, it would not be clear whether such a revolution without organization and precedence could materialize. The tragic `Ashoura event inspires revolutions at any juncture from 16 AH to Khordad of (31) 16 and thence onward to the revolution of the Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him).
Sahifeh, vol61, Page: 352

F) It is different form other revolution
One of the things that happen in the world of which we should take notice is this movement in Iran. We should take a lesson from this movement; we should take notice of it. We should study it to see what it was, for what it was and what happened that it has been successful up to now. And what should be done to ensure its ultimate victory. The world has had many movements and revolutions: the Russian Revolution; the French Revolution. How does the Iranian Revolution differ from those? Why did the revolution in Iran occur, and what was the one in the Russia for? Why did the Iranians pour out into the streets shouting and crying out," Allahu akbar"? What was it all about? Were the people of Iran shouting that they wanted fodder like the Russian revolutionaries? Were they clamoring for worldly things? Did our youth have their blood spilled in order to enjoy a life of comfort in the world? Is it so that one should kill oneself in order to enjoy a better life? No, it is not so. This was a divine movement. It was not like the movements of those who have no faith in God, or the movements that were staged for materialistic purposes. The Iranian movement was one in which God, the Blessed and Exalted, had a role. It was one in which the people poured into the streets for the sake of the Islamic Republic, for the sake of Islam and Islamic tenets, and shouted that they did not want this) Shah's (regime; that they wanted an Islamic republic and a government of Islamic justice. The nation's motivation and that of all the various strata of the people, save a few, was Islam. There were men, women and children who took to the streets.
Sahifeh, Vol8, Page: 58 & 59