The most important duty of the Shia and Sunni clergy is to elucidate the true nature of the Islamic Revolution. Every voice that promotes disunity is the voice of Satan.

On the occasion of the birthday of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and the Fajr Ten Days, Ayatullah Fazel Lankarani delivered a lecture at the grand gathering of Shia and Sunni scholars of Hormozgan Province at the Grand Mosque of Bandar Abbas.
Some seminary students, at this event, had the honor of starting wearing clerical attire by wearing a turban at the hand of Ayatullah Lankarani.
In this gathering, Ayatullah Fazel Lankarani elaborated on the importance of safeguarding the Islamic government and the responsibilities of Shia and Sunni clergy in explaining Islamic governance
The details of his lecture are as follows:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

I extend my congratulations on the auspicious occasions of the birthday of Imam Jawad (peace be upon him), the birthday of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), and the appointment of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) as the messenger of God. I offer my felicitations to the honorable Shia and Sunni scholars.

We also commemorate the blessed Ten Days of Fajr, which mark a turning point in our Revolution and the history of Islam. We hope that Allah, the Exalted, make us appreciate the great blessing of the Revolution, and we can use the opportunity that the Revolution has given us to deepen our understanding of Islam, of the Quran, of religious teachings, and of the names and attributes of Allah.

In this session, I would like to address one of the most important questions since the beginning of the Revolution, which at times, has been raised by the enemies of the Revolutions [to cast doubt about it]. The question is whether this Revolution is an Islamic revolution or a Shia revolution?

At times, they tried to cast doubt among Sunni scholars claiming that this Revolution was initiated and led by a Shia jurist based on Shia foundations; therefore, Sunni scholars had nothing to do with its intellectual bases. Through this method, they sought to question the comprehensiveness of the Revolution and create divisions between Shia and Sunni, and to this day, they continue to use such methods to create divisions in the country.

Now I want to answer this question: Does this Revolution have its roots in the beliefs of the Shia, or does it have its roots in the Quran? Of course, Shia believes that the real interpreters of the Quran are the infallible members of the Prophet's household, and only they can elucidate the deep meanings of the Quran. But when it comes to the apparent meanings of the Quranic verses, all of us, thanks be to God, have the same opinion. The Quran that is in the hands of Sunni scholars is no different, not a single word, from the Quran in the hands of the Shia. This Quran, which is available to Sunni scholars, has remained unchanged throughout history. You can see the commentaries of the Quran written by Shia scholars such as Tebyan by Sheikh Tusi and Majma’ al-Bayan by Tabarsi; the Quranic text they interpret is exactly the same as the Quranic text interpreted by Fakhr Razi who was a Sunni scholar.

The Quran contains certain undeniable concepts, such as the general law that only God has the right to govern over human beings, "But Allah is the Guardian," (42:9) "To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth," (7:158) and "Your guardian is none but Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed". (5:55) The Quran asserts that the only law that should reign over human beings is God's law. No one else has the right to authority over people. The Quran states, "O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies." (5:51) Muslims are instructed, in this verse, not to appoint Jews, Christians, or disbelievers as their leaders, "And never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them]." (4:141)

The Quran clearly outlines governance for Muslims throughout history until the Day of Judgment saying, "Your ally is none but Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed." (5:55) Can it be reasonable for Islam, the final religion and its Prophet being the greatest of all prophets, a comprehensive religion that provides guidance for all aspects of human life, not to touch on governing human beings? Can it be said that human beings should gather together and themselves choose someone to rule over them, entrusting their wealth, lives, and everything they possess to that person? Is this reasonable?

Islam has defined governance clearly. On the one hand, it states that disbelievers should not rule over Muslims, and on the other hand, it dictates that those who establish prayer and give zakat have the qualifications for governance.

Chapter 2 verse 208 says, "O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy." This verse states a societal law and obligation, that is, the entire Muslim community should be in a state of peace. The emphasis on unity among all sections of society, especially unity between the Shia and the Sunni, which was advocated by Imam Khomeini (may God's mercy be upon him) and continues to be a part of our Revolution, is rooted in Quranic verses.

Both commentators and the verses themselves have confirmed that this is a societal obligation. It is not a matter of individual obligation in which two individuals are obligated to avoid disputes with each other. Rather, society as a whole should be in a state of peace and should refrain from discord. This is what is known as social jurisprudence. In other words, God Almighty has commanded that society should be in a state of peace and should avoid disputes. This is what we call social jurisprudence in contrast with individual jurisprudence that concerns individuals. An example of individual jurisprudence is when God tells a believer to pray, fast, or perform Hajj.

In contrast, sometimes His commands and prohibitions are for the Muslim community, for example, "O you who have believed, enter into peace completely." The Islamic community must have unity and be in peace. Concerning governance, Allah also says that the ruler of Muslims must be a Muslim, not a Jew, Christian, or an unbeliever.

Imam Khomeini derived the foundations of religious governance from the Quran. His goal in confronting the Pahlavi regime was not to replace one government with another but for Islam to govern and the Quran and the tradition of the Holy Prophet, which were explained through the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), be the law of this country.

Imam, as a prominent jurist and mujtahid, considered governance in Islam an essential matter. In the second volume of his book Al-Bay, he speaks of the "necessity of Islamic governance," which means governance is one of the essential principles of Islam. For some people it may sound something new. You have heard that prayer and fast are necessary parts of Islam. Imam, in addition to that, said that governance is also a necessary part of Islam.

That certain things are necessary parts of religion is very clear. Anyone who is familiar with the Quran knows well that governance is among the necessary parts of religion. The Quran says that the ruler over the Muslims should not be from the Jews or Christians. The ruler should be either God, the Messenger, or those who have faith. It clearly states, "We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by the permission of Allah." (4:64) Unfortunately, this reality remained unnoticed in our religious sources for thousands of years. However, Imam revived it. This is not a mere claim or slogan. Before this, who would have thought that Islam has governance? I have not found any book on Shia or Sunni jurisprudence saying that, based on the Quran, Islam has governance. But Imam stated that governance is one of the most fundamental aspects of Islam, even preceding matters like prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage. This concept is not just a slogan; it has its roots in the Quran, not just in Shia jurisprudence.

Some might think that Imam established the concept of ‘Wilayat al-Faqih’ (Guardianship of the Jurist) based on one or two narrations and based on them said that a jurist should govern. The truth is, before the narrations, the Quran states this fact. In Surah Al-Shura, it says, "He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion." (42:13) God’s purpose in legislating religion and sending prophets was that the prophets establish the religion, not just convey it and explain what it forbade and what it permitted and then say to people, “You may want to act upon them or not act upon them, that does not concern us.”

The Quran states that the duty of the Prophets of great determination [Ulul Azm], was to establish and implement the religion. Establishing the religion means governing by the religion. According to chapter 4 verse 64 which says, "We have not sent any messenger except to be obeyed by Allah's permission," God says that He sent the Prophets for governance so that people obey them in all matters. If the prophets commanded people to engage in jihad, they should go to war; if they command peace, they should make peace. In economic, social, and family matters, prophets must be obeyed. This obedience cannot happen without governance.

We are in the Ten Days of the Dawn of the Islamic Revolution. Imam Khomeini brought this great divine gift, not only for the Iranian nation but also for the Islamic world. He said that religion must govern. It means governance of God and governance of the divine law. Based on this, the Jurist (Wali-e Faqih) cannot act according to his personal desires and whims. This is the explicit statement of Imam Khomeini, which is a source of pride for us. If today we are celebrating the magnificent 44th anniversary of the Revolution, it is because of the great efforts of Imam Khomeini (may God bless his soul) and the wise and scholarly leadership of the Supreme Leader (may God prolong his life) based on Quranic principles and the sayings of the Prophet and his family (peace be upon them).

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, "Indeed, I am leaving among you two precious things (thaqalayn) and if you adhere to both of them, you will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah and my Progeny, i.e. my Ahlul Bayt." This government is established on such Quranic principles. Imam Khomeini presented the idea of religious governance to all Muslims and said that one of the issues of the Muslim community and one of the clear subjects in the Quran was the issue of religious governance. What greater service could there be than this?

I believe that reviving these Quranic principles made the religion indebted to Imam. Today, the duty of Shia and Sunni clerics is to clarify these foundations derived from the Quran for the people and the younger generation. Imam did not rise just for the material prosperity of the people, although material prosperity of the people was among his desires! Imam came to liberate the Muslims from the yoke of the imperialists.

A few days ago, I heard from the national TV that (see what an ignominious history the Pahlavi regime had), there was a joint account between Iran and the United States. Iran would deposit all the revenue from its oil sales into that account, and in return, the United States would provide Iran with military weapons and F-14 and F-16 fighter jets. The Americans took four times the price of an F-16 for selling one to us! The Muslim Public Treasury was in the hands of the United States and the United Kingdom. They had the right to appoint this country's officials and parliamentarians. They easily took control of certain regions in Iran and distributed them to different parties.

It is a great honor for our Revolution that the Basij, the Revolutionary Guards, the army, and the seminary students who participated in defending our country, did not allow even a centimeter of our country's soil to fall into the hands of the enemy. How different is this from that ignominious history?

In the Jihad of clarification, we should tell people that the Quran says, "And if only they upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord, they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet." (5:66) Or in Surah Ash-Shura, the Quran says that the prophets should establish the religion. So if someone asks, what is the benefit of this religious government? The answer is that God has promised that if people upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord, they would consume [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet.

These blessings are the benefit of the Islamic government. Today, our independence, power, and sovereignty are the fruits of this Islamic government. As the honorable governor mentioned, today Iran stands firmly against NATO and the world's military powers— this is while all nations used to tremble hearing NATO’s name; however, today it finds itself unable to confront Iran. This is the blessing of the Islamic government and God's favor upon people.

If these days in some places the Quran is burned, is it because the Quran contains verses about hijab? Or is it because it contains verses about prayer, fast, hajj, or almsgiving? No, they do that because it contains verses about jihad; because the Quran speaks of the Governance of God and Governance of religion; and because the Quran says, “So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.” (The holy Quran, 3:139) Both Shia and Sunni commentators associate the phrase "and you will be superior" with war and jihad, but according to the jurists, this is a general rule. God wants that Muslims always be superior to others. This is why they burn the Quran and oppose it.

The Supreme Leader of the Revolution has stated that America's enmity towards Iran is not because of nuclear energy or missile production. America objects, “Why is there an Islamic government in Iran? This government must be destroyed."

Today, the most important duty of the clergy, both Shi'a and Sunni, is to explain the reality of the Islamic Revolution and to state that the roots of this Revolution are not based on the ideology of a specific sect. The roots of the Revolution lie in the Quran itself. There is no doubt that our role model is Ashura and we believe in the Savior (the Mahdi). These are common things between us, and there is no difference except in some details.

We need to convey these truths to the present generation. Our current generation lacks awareness of the intellectual identity, the foundations of the Revolution, and the great achievements it has brought about. Why has the enemy become more determined and serious along the past 44 years? It's because they have noticed the successes of this system and pay attention to its successes more than we do. They want to undermine it in whatever way they can, including creating economic problems and cultural issues. These are the schemes they want to use to achieve their evil goals.

Our duty is to clarify things. We must recognize the foundations of this government and those of the Revolution. We [are indebted to the martyrs and] need to pay our debt to the martyrs. The Islamic Republic system did not come into existence easily. Because of the blood of so many martyrs, everyone has a duty to defend and support this Revolution in any way possible. This is a religious and rational duty for all of us.

I thank the respected Friday prayer leader of this province, Ayatullah Ebadi, and the respected Friday prayer leader of Bandar Lengeh, Ayatullah Rokni. I also appreciate the affection that the people of this city had for my late father (my father also, until the last days of his life, had a great love for the people of Bandar Lengeh).

I truly enjoyed this magnificent gathering of Shia and Sunni scholars. Be sure that Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him) and the Prophet (peace be upon him) are pleased with this unity. You are acting according to the verse which says, "O you who have believed, enter into peace completely,". It is God’s command [that Muslims should be in peace]. Strengthen and deepen this unity and brotherhood. Be cautious of those who are trying to sow discord. As the Supreme Leader said, anyone who tries to create divisions between Shia and Sunni is serving Satan not the religion. Today, the religion wants us to be united under the flag of Islam and the Islamic government, and day by day, grow and progress more and more.

Peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you