Movements that have been initiated by the Prophets and Imams are worth studying. We who are followers of the doctrine of the prophets must study those movements and understand what those movements were and what was their purpose; what was the objective of the prophets from campaigns; what was the objective of the messenger of Islam from the Islamic movement; what was the objective of our Imams. Was it only to cut off the hands of tyrants? Was the invitation of the prophets solely to defeat and wipe out the oppressors, and as soon as they overcome and banish them, their mission is over? Is the objective of the prophets only to banish the oppressor or is it loftier than this? If the objective is loftier than this, then we also, who are the followers of the prophets and followers of the doctrine of Islam must, in obedience to those greats of religion and the world, pursue the same objectives. Were the banishment of the Pahlavi regime and invalidation of the monarchy our total objectives? Are the welfare of the nation and fulfillment of the material needs of the nation our final objectives? Have the prophets come in order to promote the material welfare of the people and of the society? Were the objectives of the prophets to drive away the arrogant and enable the deprived to attain worldly luxuries or were their objectives loftier than these were? So many prophets came and preached and were killed, they fought wars and bore hardships. Were the prophets' objectives only because they wanted to eliminate the arrogant and enable the masses to attain welfare or was the objective loftier than these were? Did the Sublime and Glorious God, who sent the prophets, send them only for the betterment of the world or is the goal more than these are and loftier than these are?
If the objective was solely the defeat of the arrogant, we have almost achieved it and have defeated them. Our nation defeated the foreigners. It chopped off the hands of the traitors. And, it will chop off the hands of these remnants too. But, the objective is not just this. If the objective was that the slum dwellers should come out of their slums and their living conditions be improved, which also God willing will be done and must be done with the efforts of everybody, but again this is not the objective. The objective is that our country should be an Islamic State; our country should be run under the guidance of the Qur'an, under the leadership of the honorable Prophet and the rest of the honorable saints. The departure of the arrogant is a beginning. The welfare of the deprived is one of the objectives of Islam.
Sahifeh, vol. 7, Page: 471-472
Speech, May 29, 1979