In the Name of the Most High
Part of the activities of human beings are limited to personal affairs, which form the smaller part of human activities - including livelihood, spirituality, affections, and social relationships. However, the major portion of the activities is performed collectively in society, something that we call politics and includes economic, social, military, cultural, civil, and international policies. These actives form the major part of human activities in his life. Why 'the major part'? Because these policies in fact give orientation to individual activities. These policies are called 'major' because the majority of human activities are those macro-level activities that provide an overall orientation for minor individual activities. Religion is engaged in both arenas. This is, it is related to both individual endeavors and the political arena, which is a very vast arena involving man's life.
The first measure that the Prophet (s.w.a.) took after his migration to Medina was to form a government in order to manage the politics of the community. There are also many other pieces of evidence that point to the bond between religion and politics. The Pure Islam of the Holy Prophet (s.w.a.) considers politics as an integral part of religion and calls all Muslims to understand and participate in it.
Politics, science, and social issues are built into the fabric of Islam and all other divine religions. Religion runs man's life in all arenas, particularly the political arena.
Colonialism - which engaged millions of people and many countries in severe afflictions for many consecutive years - is one of the consequences of separating science and politics from spirituality and government from morality in Europe. The two world wars, communism, break-up of the family, gross sexual corruption, and the eruption of extremist capitalism are all the consequences of this separation. The meaning of our slogan that 'our politics is the same as our religion, and our religion is the same as our politics' - which was rightly introduced by the late Ayatollah Modarres and was approved by Imam Khomeini (r.a.) - is self-evident. However, the other side of the coin is that our politics must be based on faith and piety. Not all political activities are appropriate. Some people regard political activities as having no religious tendencies. Their goal is to advance their political activities. It is not right to do so. Political activities must be based on religiousness. All things that have been declared haram in religion must be given far more attention in political activities.
Of course, there are two types of danger that constantly threaten politics. One threat appears when politics drifts apart from morality and is made devoid of spirituality and virtue. In other words, this happens when vices control the course of politics, when carnal desires of individuals dominate politics, and when the interests of the powerful and wealthy classes of society hold sway over it. If politics is afflicted by this scourge, all the social activities of man will be infected by different flaws. The other bane of politics comes when some narrow-minded, childish, weak, and incompetent individuals wrest control of politics from competent hands.