11/10/2026
When the proclaims, " nor —[only the] Islamic Republic," and this becomes the rallying motto and intellectual foundation of the in Iran, it signifies "neither nor ."
This motto possesses a Quranic basis.
In verse 35 of Surah An-Nur, the Quran states:
*«لَا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ»* [neither of the East nor of the West].[1]
This extensive verse is among the most sublime in the Quran, referencing *«شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ»* [a blessed olive tree].[2]
In Islamic–Shi'a traditions (*hadith*), the "Olive Tree" has been interpreted as an allegorical reference to Imam Husayn (peace be upon him).[3]
The lineage of the Prophet of Islam and the Shi'a Imams branched out through Imam Husayn (pbuh), as nine of the twelve Imams descend directly from his line. Hence, the Quran states that this "blessed olive tree" is neither Eastern nor Western.
Imam Husayn (pbuh) bears a unique kunya (*kunya* / teknonym)[4] unlike all other Shi'a Imams: his kunya is "Aba Abdillah" (*Abā ʿAbdillāh*).
A kunya is an honorific appellation customary among Arabs. It is common practice among Arabs to address one another by their kunya rather than their personal given name. Traditionally, it is derived from the name of an individual's firstborn child.
For instance, when we say "Aba Abdillah," *Aba* denotes "father of" and *Abdullah* is the child's name—meaning "the father of Abdullah."
Yet, Imam Husayn (pbuh) did not have a son named Abdullah whose birth established this title; his eldest son was Ali al-Akbar, and remarkably, all of Imam Husayn's sons were named Ali.[5] Thus, convention would have dictated his kunya to be *Aba Ali*. Yet, his most celebrated kunya remains *Aba Abdillah*.
One must examine why he is addressed in this manner.
"Abdullah" (the Servant of God) is one of the names of the Prophet of Islam in the Quran. In ritual daily prayers (*salah*), in the recitation of the *tashahhud*, we invoke the Prophet first as *'abd* [servant] and then as *rasul* [messenger]: *«أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ»* [I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.].[6]
By this measure, he is the "father of Abdullah," where Abdullah is an epithet of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Understood literally, would this mean Imam Husayn (pbuh) is the father of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?
Can such an idea exist?
Among the honorific titles bestowed upon Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), she was addressed as *«أُمّ أَبِيهَا»* (*Umm Abīhā*), meaning "the mother of her father."[7]
While this spiritual relational status existed for Fatimah (pbuh), for Imam Husayn (pbuh) it carries a distinct dimension: by shedding his blood in the path of Islam, Imam Husayn (pbuh) rescued and revitalized the religion of the Prophet. Like a father who shields and nurtures his child, he acted as a fatherly guardian to the Prophet’s legacy, for Islam is recognized through the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Viewed through this lens, *Aba Abdillah* signifies being the guardian of God's faith—the protector of the religion of the (pbuh).
(pbuh) preserved the Prophet's religion with his lifeblood like a devoted father. Hence, he was conferred the kunya * *. In the sacred visitation prayer of *Ziyarat Ashura*, God greets and invokes him by this very title, *Aba Abdillah*, even prior to his personal name, Husayn.[8]
Now, how does this relate to Communism or Liberalism?
When God speaks in the Quran of being "neither of the East nor of the West," it conveys that God (* *) does not validate purely human-made doctrines. The foundation of all non-divine human ideologies rests upon the limited faculties of a fallible creature, through which the path to ultimate (*sa'adah*) cannot be traversed.
Whether it originates from the East—like Communism—or from the West—like Liberalism—neither meets divine endorsement. Rather, the only accepted worldview is that which springs from *«شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ»* [a blessed olive tree]: rooted in the divine message brought by Muhammad (pbuh), grounded entirely in Divine intellect, wherein no entity shares sovereignty with Allah.
Examining Liberalism, one finds that it flourishes upon the bedrock of capitalism. Wealth remains concentrated in the hands of the capitalist class, never truly serving the impoverished. Consequently, resources fall disproportionately into the grip of an oligarchy—modern-day counterparts to Qarun (Korah).[9] They dictate elections, choose presidents, and exert a corrosive influence on genuine democracy and popular sovereignty.
Under this paradigm, justice is trampled. The wealthy regard themselves as masters of the people and proprietors of the earth's riches, asserting innate superiority. In recent times, for instance, American political discourse under figures such as Trump openly declared that resources like the oil of or belong by right to Americans. They view themselves as entitled owners of global wealth.
The Quran depicts this very mindset through the tongue of :
In Surah Al-Qasas, verse 78, God recounts his assertion:
*«قَالَ إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِي»*
(He said, "This wealth has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess!")[10]
He attributed his accumulated riches solely to his own intellect and human agency, entirely dismissing God. In essence, Qarun declared: "I achieved this wealth by my own power; God had no hand in it."
Yet, the Quran counters in Surah Al-Isra' (Bani Isra'il), verse 18:
*«مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَاءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ...»*
(Whoever desires the immediate [transitory life of this world], We hasten for him therein whatever We will to whom We please...)[11]
Likewise, in Surah Ash-Shura, verse 20:
*«مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الْآخِرَةِ نَزِدْ لَهُ فِي حَرْثِهِ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِن نَّصِيبٍ»*
(Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We increase for him in his harvest; and whoever desires the harvest of this world, We give him thereof, but he has no share in the Hereafter.)[12]
These verses elucidate that wealth ultimately belongs exclusively to God; modern Qaruns possess no legitimate prerogative to monopolize the earth's riches. Wealth must be equitably distributed among the people.
This was realized during the era of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who established the *Bayt al-Mal* (the public treasury of the Muslims) and administered * * and * *, distributing resources equitably in accordance with divine law. Because sovereignty over wealth rests solely with God, divine commandments—not capitalist or liberal doctrines—must govern its stewardship. Hence, upon the advent of the (may God hasten his reappearance), , global resources will be distributed with such absolute equity that no soul on earth will remain destitute.
Conversely, within Communist ideology, the state wields absolute authority. The state dictates every facet of citizens' lives. Wealth is monopolized by the government, and the destiny of the people is subordinated to rulers who ascend to power through either nominal democracy or outright totalitarian dictatorship.
In this system as well, genuine human salvation is disregarded. Under a despotic Stalinist regime, citizens are forced into blind subservience to the dictator's decrees. Even were a communist system founded upon democratic procedures, it would still lack divine legitimacy, for the governance of human destiny remains entrusted solely to fallible mortal intellects.
Human beings (the populace and citizens of society) are reduced to experimental subjects. A regime emerges based on communist doctrine, but because human beings are inherently limited in their nature, the system is susceptible to recurring human error. Centuries pass merely attempting to draft viable legal codes for human existence.
By contrast, had human beings from the outset submitted to an all-encompassing Intellect and absolute Wisdom—namely, God (*Allah*)—they would not have spent millennia experimenting with conflicting sociopolitical models to discover the true path. Throughout the five or six millennia since the creation of Adam (pbuh), humanity has failed to attain enduring salvation solely through mortal legislation and successive regimes.
It is here that God rejects communist regimes as well—systems that presume to engineer and dictate the destinies of men.
Regarding the appointment of ( ) to kingship, the Quran states in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 247:
*«وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا ۚ قَالُوا أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ»*
(And their prophet said to them: "Indeed, Allah has appointed Saul as a king over you." They said: "How can he hold kingship over us when we are more entitled to kingship than him, and he has not been given an abundance of wealth?" He said: "Indeed, Allah has chosen him over you and increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allah grants His kingdom to whom He wills; and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.")[13]
This verse explicitly affirms that the mandate of sovereign governance on earth belongs to God. The prophet of the Children of Israel introduced Talut by divine decree. The people objected and claimed greater entitlement to rule due to their wealth and status. The prophet replied that God had selected Talut over them.
This verse stands in direct refutation of communist statism and secular materialist theories of rule.
For millennia, humans have sought to impose their own ideologies, rejecting divine ordinances out of envy, pride, and material ambition. All secular "isms" spawned across history represent the fruit of human estrangement from God, culminating in the outright denial of the Divine.
Communism explicitly rejected the existence of God and metaphysical realities, asserting that matter is the fundamental substance of all things. Its historic slogan proclaimed: "We believe in three figures: , , and ; and we disbelieve in three things: Allah, religion, and private property."
Communists reject the Hereafter, asserting that all recompense and retribution exist solely within this material world, and that beyond this life there is neither reward nor punishment.
The verse of Talut (Surah Al-Baqarah, 247) dismantles this secular ideological premise. In its conclusion, it states: *«وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ»* [And Allah grants His kingdom to whom He wills; and Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing].
This establishes that human rulers possess no inherent claim to dominion or sovereignty over the people unless authorized by divine decree. By concluding that God is "All-Encompassing, All-Knowing," the verse underscores that humans lack comprehensive understanding of their own true ultimate welfare, constructing sociopolitical systems based merely upon conjecture.
Hence: "Neither East nor West."
God sanctions only allegiance to the *«شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ»* [the blessed olive tree]—manifested in the recognition of the divinely designated guides of each era—as the singular path to human salvation.
In Shi'a traditions, the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) remarked regarding verse 6 of Surah Al-Fatihah, *«اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ»* [Guide us to the Straight Path], that the Straight Path is embodied by Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh).[14]
The Straight Path represents a manifest and lucid beacon for humanity. Fidelity to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh), and the eleven Imams from his lineage constitutes the definitive course for human salvation, delivering a decisive refutation to both Communism and Liberalism, both of which presume to claim ultimate lordship or ownership over mankind.
The absolute Owner of wealth is God—*a refutation of Liberalism*.
The absolute Sovereign of governance is God—*a refutation of Communism*.
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1. **Surah An-Nur (24:35)**: A renowned verse commonly known as *Ayat an-Nur* (The Verse of Light), describing the similitude of God's Divine Light.
2. **Surah An-Nur (24:35)**: Full phrase: *«مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ»* (lit. "lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west").
3. **Shi'a Exegesis (*Tafsir*)**: Reference to esoteric traditions recorded in classical Shi'a hadith collections (e.g., *Al-Kafi* by Al-Kulayni and *Tafsir al-Burhan* by Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani), wherein the celestial lights of the Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt are allegorized by the elements of *Ayat an-Nur*, linking the blessed tree to the prophetic household and specifically the lineage continuing through Imam Husayn.
4. **Kunya (كُنيَة)**: An Arabic honorific name typically formed with *Abu* (father of) or *Umm* (mother of), customarily taken from the eldest child, used as a formal and affectionate mode of address.
5. **Sons of Imam Husayn**: Historical chronicles record his sons as Ali al-Akbar (martyred at Karbala), Ali Zayn al-Abidin (the fourth Shi'a Imam), and Ali al-Asghar (also referred to in historical sources as Abdullah al-Rada', the infant martyred at Karbala). The text highlights that his principal sons bore the name Ali.
6. **Tashahhud Recitation**: The standard liturgical formula pronounced in the Shi'a prayer (*salah*) during the seated testimony: *«أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ»* ("I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger"). The text's phrasing refers to this invocation of the Prophet as the primary *'Abdullah* (Servant of Allah).
7. **Umm Abiha (أُمّ أَبِيهَا)**: A well-known prophetic title bestowed upon Fatimah az-Zahra (pbuh) by the Prophet Muhammad, expressing her exceptional care and maternal tenderness toward him following the death of Khadijah.
8. **Ziyarat Ashura**: The classical salutation begins with: *«السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ»* ("Peace be upon you, O Aba Abdillah; peace be upon you, O son of the Messenger of Allah").
9. **Qarun (Korah)**: Mentioned in the Quran (Surah Al-Qasas 28:76–82) as a figure of immense wealth and arrogance who claimed his riches were solely the product of his own genius, refusing to acknowledge divine grace or distribute his wealth to the needy.
10. **Surah Al-Qasas (28:78)**.
11. **Surah Al-Isra' (17:18)**.
12. **Surah Ash-Shura (42:20)**.
13. **Surah Al-Baqarah (2:247)**.
14. **Tafsir of *As-Sirat al-Mustaqim***: Numerous traditions in Shi'a exegetical literature (such as *Tafsir Furat al-Kufi* and *Ma'ani al-Akhbar* by Shaykh as-Saduq) cite prophetic narrations stating that the "Straight Path" (*al-Sirat al-Mustaqim*) is Ali ibn Abi Talib and adherence to the guardianship (*wilayah*) of the Ahl al-Bayt.
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