Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, a member of the Assembly of Experts and the Expediency Discernment Council, reacted to the recent statements of the President regarding the concept of piety, critiquing the interpretation provided of this religious concept. He stressed the importance of a precise and deep understanding of piety, urging the President to pay attention to his legal responsibilities and said: "This is not within your area of responsibility, and significant mistakes may occur in this regard that may not be rectifiable."
Piety; The True Meaning and the Responsibilities of the President
Ayatollah Araki pointed out that piety means performing religious obligations and avoiding prohibitions, emphasizing that one cannot ignore the boundaries of what is lawful and unlawful with a common definition of it. He stated that "if you ask any ordinary religious person what piety means, they will respond that piety means a person performs their obligations and stays away from prohibitions," highlighting the necessity of paying attention to this concept in society.
Read more: Maryam Ardabili: Women's Narratives of War Should Become a National Asset
He criticized the definition that limits piety to doing the right thing, saying: "This type of interpretation leads to the normalization of prohibitions and the neglect of obligations in society." He provided examples from daily life to show how some individuals may be successful in their professions but morally deficient. Ayatollah Araki added: "Can we consider someone pious just because a football player plays football well?"
Critique of Misinterpretation of Religious Texts
Ayatollah Araki, referring to the President's recent comments about the concepts in Nahj al-Balagha, deemed this interpretation incorrect and said: "The problem is that in the recent speech, there has been another attempt to justify this incorrect interpretation through a misinterpretation of some texts from Nahj al-Balagha." He emphasized the necessity of being familiar with Arabic literature for the precise interpretation of religious texts and stated: "To interpret Nahj al-Balagha, one must be familiar with the exact meanings of the words."
He pointed out the concept of "khataiya" in Nahj al-Balagha, clarifying that this word means sins and cannot be interpreted otherwise. Ayatollah Araki added: "If someone denies the meaning of piety, they will face consequences that cannot be easily overlooked."
In conclusion, he emphasized the consequences of such interpretations, stating that attributing words to God that He has not said is one of the greatest forms of injustice. Ayatollah Araki, citing verses from the Quran, said: "Those who speak of justice and consider themselves advocates of justice cannot provide an interpretation that leads to the greatest injustice, which is attributing a false meaning to God."
Read more: Farshad Moghimi: Fuel Ration for Old Vehicles Will Not Be Cut · The President Arrived in New York to Speak at the 81st UN General Assembly
