Zambrano 1

Julian Zambrano
Mrs. Lucarelli
Comparative Civilizations
9 November 2015

Influence of Islam in Iran

Ever since Islam was first introduced by Mohammad in the Middle East
in early in the 7th century, it quickly began to spread across the region and
into new territories. Islam is what Muslims believe to be the final form of
Christianity and Judaism. Muslims believe that Allah (the Arabic word for
God) sent his revelation, the Quran, to the prophet Muhammad (Religion:
Three Religions, One God). Islam began to grow in popularity throughout the
Middle East, and it quickly began to have a great impact on the Middle
Eastern Countries. After the death of the prophet Mohammad in 632, two
divisions of Islam formed as a result of conflicts arising of the leadership of
Islam. The Shiite Muslims believe that the Islamic leaders should be
descendants of Mohammad; contrary to that belief, the Sunni Muslims
believe that the Islamic leaders should be elected by the Muslim people.
Although Islam was separated into two factions, it was still able to grow
steadily throughout the Middle East and around the world. The influence that
Islam had on these Middle Eastern countries was not as profound as the

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influence Islam had in Iran. Islam has a strong control in the Iranian
government and penal system.
First off, of the two major sects of Islam a majority of the Iranian
population is comprised of Shiites. In 874, it is said that, the twelfth Imam,
or divinely-appointed successor of the Prophet, disappeared as a child
(Cole). Since there was no blood line to appoint a new Shiite ruler, the Shiites
concluded that seminary-trained clergymen could substitute for the absent
Imam. After the 1979 Revolution that overthrew the last dynasty from Iran,
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini adopted this idea that the Shiites used to select
leaders, and introduced his idea for the new Iranian government. This system
that was established featured a modern republic that contained the three
primary branches of government (executive, legislative, and judiciary) that
were run by clergymen. Iran is a theocracy that mixes religion and state
more thoroughly than any other country in the world (Cole). The Shiite
people in Iran feel that it is necessary to have a divine authority in the world,
and are obligated to follow the commands of a cleric.
Furthermore, the penal system in Iran is greatly affected by Islam. Of
all the three branches of government, the clerics have the most authority in
the judiciary branch. Once Khomeini took over, the theocrats worked hastily
to include the Islamic Sharia Law in the legal system. The new Islamic penal
code included controversial articles, such as the Qisas law of retribution for
murder, stoning for adultery, amputations of body parts for theft and certain

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national security offenses, and flogging for a wide range of

offenses(Ghaemi). The new judiciary system contained very harsh
punishments. A majority of the punishments ranged from long jail sentences
to executions. These harsh punishments are a result of a more literal
interpretation of a quote from the Quran. If only/The unrighteous would
see/The Penalty: that to God/Belongs all power, and God/Will strongly enforce
The Penalty And those who followed/Would say : If only/We had one more
chance Thus will God show them (the fruits of) their deeds/ As (nothing
but) regrets./Nor will there be a way/ For them out of the Fire (The Holy
Quran pg.65 v.165,167). The words Fire Penalty and Enforce already
contain a negative connotation, which would result in an interpreter
imagining that God would like for those who do not follow his laws and
commands to be punished very harshly. The work in the Quran is written
very figuratively, so it is open for interpretation, so the meanings of the text
is often misinterpreted.
In conclusion, Islam has had a profound impact on the Middle East, not
more substantial than in Iran. Islam is tied into the Iranian government, as
well as the judicial system; so it is a part of everyday life in Iran. Islam has
been able to hold Iran up on its legs.

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Work Cited
Cole, Juan. "Iran and Islam." The United Stated Institute of Peace: The Iran
Primer. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015.
Ghaemi, Hadi. "The Islamic Judiciary." The United Stated Institute of Peace:
The Iran Primer. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015.
"Religion: Three Religions, One God." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015.
"Section 20." The Holy Quran. Trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Vahiduddin KK hKanK .
New Delhi: Goodword, 2011. 64-66. Print.