“Rise for the Sake of God”: Imam Khomeini’s Earliest Manifesto of Resistance

The following text is presented as a historical document. It is regarded as the earliest surviving written statement documenting the beginning of Imam Khomeini’s public struggle. It was issued in Qom in May 1944.

Published in Sahifeh-ye Imam (Arabic Translation), Vol. 1, p. 43, this document reveals the intellectual foundations upon which Imam Khomeini would later build his political and religious movement.

This version preserves the original structure and viewpoint while presenting it in a documentary, historical style with extensive quotations from the Qur’an, hadith, and Imam Khomeini’s own words.

Throughout the text, he repeatedly argues that genuine reform begins with what he calls “rising for the sake of God” (Qiyam lillah), grounding his argument in Qur’anic verses, Prophetic traditions, and examples from the lives of the prophets.

“Rise for the Sake of God”

Imam Khomeini (R) opens his address by invoking the Qur’anic command: “Say, ‘I give you just a single advice: that you rise up for Allah’s sake, in pairs or individually.” (Qur’an 34:46)

He argues that this verse outlines the entire journey of humanity, “from the first stage of dark nature to its ultimate destination.” According to Imam Khomeini, God has condensed the path of human reform into a single principle: “rising solely for the sake of God.”

He considers this divine command to be “the only path capable of reforming both humanity and society.”

The Prophets Rose for God Alone

Imam Khomeini states that every divine revolution in history began with sincere devotion to God rather than worldly ambition.

He says that Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) attained the rank of God’s intimate friend (Khalil Allah) because he rose exclusively for God’s sake. Imam Khomeini adds that Abraham broke free from attachment to the material world when he proclaimed: “I do not love those that set (i.e. those who fade and whose existence is finite).” (Qur’an 6:76)

He further argues that it was this same principle that enabled Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) to defeat Pharaoh, overthrow his throne, and reach the Divine Appointment where he experienced the state of spiritual annihilation before God.

Imam Khomeini also maintains that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), standing virtually alone, overcame the evil traditions of pagan Arabia, purified the Sacred House from idols, replaced them with monotheism and piety, and ultimately reached the supreme station described in the Qur’an: “Then he was at a distance (from God) of two bow-lengths or even nearer.” (Qur’an 53:9)

For Imam Khomeini, the victories of all prophets were rooted not in material power but in their unwavering commitment to God.

Self-Interest as the Source of Decline

Turning to the condition of the Muslim world, Imam Khomeini argues that its decline stems from abandoning this divine principle.

He says: “Self-centeredness and abandoning the rise for God have brought us to this dark day.”

He believes that this abandonment has allowed Muslim lands to fall under foreign domination and has opened the door to the rule of worldly powers over Islamic societies.

Imam Khomeini further argues that acting for personal interests destroys unity among Muslims. In his view, selfish ambition has fragmented the Shi’a community, weakened Islamic solidarity, and left believers vulnerable to rulers driven by worldly desires.

He considers self-interest responsible for placing “reckless youths” in positions of authority over “the wealth, lives, and honor of Muslims.”

Corruption of Religious and Social Institutions

Imam Khomeini extends this criticism to educational and cultural institutions.

He argues that pursuing personal gain has handed religious seminaries to incompetent individuals, allowing institutions originally established to teach the Qur’an to become centers of moral corruption.

He also maintains that selfish motives transformed sections of the press from instruments of truth into vehicles for spreading ethical decay.

A Direct Appeal to Scholars

Addressing Iran’s religious scholars directly, Imam Khomeini declares: “O godly scholars! O faithful preachers! O honorable supporters of truth!”

He urges them to embrace what he describes as God’s only path of reform and abandon personal interests in pursuit of both worldly dignity and eternal success.

To reinforce this appeal, he cites a Prophetic tradition: “Indeed, your Lord sends divine breezes during the days of your lives, so expose yourselves to them, lest one of them reaches you and you never suffer thereafter.”

Imam Khomeini interprets this hadith as an invitation to seize moments of spiritual opportunity before they disappear.

A Warning Against Silence

Imam Khomeini insists that his own era represents precisely such a moment. He argues that if scholars fail to defend religion and remain silent, immoral individuals will eventually dominate society and reduce religion and public honor to instruments serving their own desires.

He asks them repeatedly: “What excuse will you have before the Lord of the Worlds?”

He then refers to public insults directed against Shi’i sacred figures in the heart of Shi’ism itself, expressing astonishment that such attacks were met with silence from religious authorities.

Again he asks: ”What excuse will you present before the Court of God?”

Unity Above Division

Imam Khomeini next turns to one of his central concerns: unity.

Addressing a respected scholar who had circulated documents among religious figures, he argues that even greater effort should have been devoted to eliminating divisions among scholars.

He says that commitments should have been collected from them to stand “with one hand and one heart” throughout the country in pursuit of Islamic objectives.

Learning Organization from Opponents

In one of the document’s most striking passages, Imam Khomeini argues that Muslims should learn organizational discipline even from their ideological opponents.

He observes that members of the Baha’i community maintained close communication with one another regardless of distance and rapidly mobilized whenever one of their followers faced hostility.

Imam Khomeini presents this example not as theological approval but as evidence of disciplined organization and mutual support, contrasting it with the divisions he perceived among Muslims.

A Final Warning

Imam Khomeini concludes that irreligious activists are already spreading their ideas openly while religious forces remain divided.

He warns that unless believers unite around their legitimate responsibilities, conditions could deteriorate even beyond those experienced during the rule of Reza Shah.

He closes with another Qur’anic verse: “Whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to God and His Messenger and then death overtakes him—his reward has already become incumbent upon God.” (Qur’an 4:100)