In April 1979, less than a year after the triumphant establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini officially declared the International Quds Day to take place annually on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. This day is marked by demonstrations and marches around the world supporting all the oppressed, specifically highlighting the Palestinian cause and their resistance against the illegal Zionist entity.
As people continuously meet year after year to protest, is it imperative to reflect if this movement has truly encompassed our everyday lives beyond the last Friday of Ramadan.
Imam Khomeini notably says in the declaration of Al Quds Day, “It is a day when the oppressed should become equipped against the oppressors and they should rub their noses in the dirt.” Imam Khomeini here is pointing to the importance of the Muslims being equipped with the proper tools to truly combat the oppressive entities today. This includes being spiritually strong and defining where our allegiance lies as Muslims. Moreover, having firmness in our economic and social output is crucial to becoming self-sufficient from the oppressive entities so that we are viewed as a threatening power.
Being firm in our identities as Muslims and being spiritually strong is one of the points emphasized in Imam Khomeini’s declaration of Al Quds Day. He discusses this central theme of how those Muslims who work towards a divine cause are supported by God and the power of faith and therefore have nothing to fear.
Throughout the Holy Quran, this very point is repeated with many verses emphasizing the concept of fearing no other entity but God, The Almighty. Surah Yunus verse 62 states, “Behold! The friends of God will indeed have no fear nor will they grieve.” Self purification is ultimately centered around the belief of annihilating all interests that don’t serve Allah (SWT). Islam ultimately teaches the individual to be strong in their belief and to not fear the hardships that come along with serving the cause of Allah (SWT) and to remain steadfast. Surah Ale-Imran verse 200 states, “O you who have faith! Be patient, stand firm, and close your ranks, and be wary of God, so that you may be felicitous.”
This spiritual strength and fearlessness in the face of tyranny is certainly a quality the scholars in our communities must have. Imam Ali (as) says in Nahjul Balagha sermon 52, “God took upon scholars to refrain from being silent about the fullness (extravagance) of an oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed.”
To add on, Imam Hussain (as) in the Sermon of Mina emphasizes the role of scholars and how their status in the eyes of the people is given by Allah (swt) only and therefore it is their role to enjoin good and forbid evil.
Imam Hussain (as) states, “You have taken lightly your duties as leaders. You have neglected the rights of the oppressed and the lowly, but have assiduously pursued what you regard as your personal rights. You have not spent your money or risked your life for the sake of the One Who gave you life.” These sayings from the Imams (as) emphasize that the central role of the scholar is to channel this spiritual strength into applicable action. This means logically and not carelessly leading the community to distinguish between truth and falsehood as well as giving the community the strength to be fearless and intelligent in their protest.
Being spiritually strong also includes defining where our allegiance lies so that our faith isn’t easily swayed by hypocrites or those seeking to deter others from the right path. Al Quds Day teaches us that our allegiance is towards just, divine causes like supporting the Palestinian cause and that part of our duty is speaking against the Oppressors. Imam Khomeini repeatedly refers to Al Quds Day being a way to distinguish those who fulfill their Islamic duties and those who are secretly acquainted with the Western imperialist entities. We must strengthen our understanding of who the enemies of Islam are versus those building the grounds of Imam Mahdi’s (ajtfs) movement. Using Al Quds Day as a paradigm to discern who is at the forefront of speaking the truth versus who is silent and doesn’t partake in these demonstrations can help us far beyond the last Friday of Ramadan.
The Muslims must also strengthen their economic output to contribute back to their communities and to become independent of the western imperialist entities.
Imam Khomeini discussing Al Quds Day mentions, “It is the day that the banner of Islam is to be flown in all countries and the Muslims must show the superpowers that they cannot influence Islamic countries any longer.” This indicates how important it is for Muslim nations to develop independently and to not be reliant on the Western powers. Moreover, this point of “Muslims showing the superpowers” involves strong alliance based on these common goals of resisting.
The Islamic Revolution serves as a catalyst for this exact point whereby different factions of the resistance were empowered and increased their will in realizing that true strength is reliance towards God and not towards the enemies of Islam. The Islamic revolution was also a significant factor in empowering the Palestinian resistance to continue their efforts through relying and collaborating with those who are voices of truth and not the hypocrites.
This point of strengthening economic output is equally significant for those Muslims who reside in Western nations. They too must gather to serve in their communities and work to strengthen their economic capacity, through creating God-centric businesses and pursuits centered around being a voice of truth. In fact, in societies plagued with propaganda and corruption, the work in combating such falsehood, amidst censorship, is even more significant.
This also includes cultivating communities that encompass all aspects of an Islamic society from schools to charity work to protests. Oftentimes those communities that choose to separate religious ideals from our lives in a practical sense are far more likely to fall victim to narratives perpetuated by the Taghut. This is why strong economic and social outputs are extremely significant in the West as it leads to a community strong in their Islamic ideals and able to combat the sly, deceiving words of the Taghut.
This strong social infrastructure that Muslims must build in the West can only be done when community members put their education and resources into serving Islam, rather than contributing to corporations that maintain the power of Zionist lobbies and the western imperialist entities. This includes building and actively supporting our own schools and businesses so that the community doesn’t feel the need to rely on corrupt systems and businesses.
The Western Imperialist empire not only seeks to exploit other lands, but also seeks to conquer the minds of creative and skilled workers. For example, the H-1B visa is a work permit that allows foreign workers to go to the United States to work for American companies. One of the tenants is that they work in a field of specialized knowledge that the US needs. Moreover, sanctions on nations that pose a threat to the imperialist-Zionist agenda also seek to make society unlivable to the extent that skilled individuals migrate to the West. Such an example is specifically seen in Syria in the rebuilding process post-war. These examples show how such a corrupt system relies on gathering talented workers to ultimately contribute to the Zionist entity.
If an individual works for such companies, does attending Al Quds Day once per year offset their contributions to the power and prestige of the illegal Zionist entity and the American empire the following 364 days? It is imperative to place importance on where our allegiances lie, both ideologically and financially.
Al Quds Day is ultimately about finding power and strength in our economic and spiritual powers everyday as Muslims. If our centers of worship and our contributions economically do not incorporate upholding Islamic values and resisting against the Taghut, then Al Quds Day’s message has been limited. Rather, the ultimate goal of this day is to make it a perpetual movement that is continuously renewed during this last Friday of Ramadan. The 365 day movement of Al Quds Day is centered on building the grounds of Imam Mahdi’s movement.
The significance of Al Quds Day lies in increasing the will and determination of the Muslims in realizing they have the strength to take on the tyrannical forces of today. Imam Khomeini eloquently says, “All Muslims must be warned and understand how strong their spiritual and economic powers are. Muslims are one billion people, supported by God, Islam, and the power of faith. Why should they be afraid?”
