The Quran and the Islamic Revolution (8)

The noble Quran displays its greatness when its life-inspiring verses impact the individual and turn him/her into a different person.

Part of the honors of the Islamic Revolution could be seen when a number of Iranian combatants were captured by the Iraqi forces and were exposed to the most gruesome tortures. The resistance and patience of the combatants caused even their torturers to praise them and their path. The Iranian forces were highly impacted by the words of Imam Khomeini and the teachings of the Quran. For a few years, it was strictly forbidden to have a copy of the Quran in the Iraqi camps. But the verses of the Quran had already impacted the Iranian combatants as they were in close relationship with this divine book. Some of them were memorizers of the Quran. Were they not intimately associated with the noble Quran, they couldn't withstand the tortures in the camps of the enemy.

Hassan Beheshtipur is a political expert. He was captured in 1988 in Shalamcheh operational region and was in Iraq's Tikrit camp till 1990. He considered the noble Quran as the most important spiritual support and factor of resistance. He said,

"The first suffering in captivity is absolute loneliness and being away from family and friends. But the tortures are tangible only for a person who has experienced them. These two make the captives quarrelsome. But the Iranian captives, who had chosen their way with faith and awareness and were familiar with the Quran and teachings of Islam, tolerated the hardships more patiently. They used to recite the verses for their friends whenever they could. The enthusiasm for learning the Quranic verses was so much that, because of having no pen and paper, the Iranian captives used remnants of batteries to write the Quranic verses at the back of cigarette papers and passed them to each other. During this period, the calming effect of the Quran on the morale of the captives was spectacular. When they heard this verse, 'Seek help from patience and prayer', they tried to apply it and turn to prayer more than before and at the same time they tried to be patient against hardships."

Mr. Beheshtipur added: "Association with the Quran helps human being to get closer to guidance and self-building. When he purifies his heart from pollution, the ground is prepared for the next steps. This point is well known in the Quran. God regards the Quran as the Book of Guidance for the pious. The pious are those who struggle against their carnal desires and are God-fearing. It should be noted that continuous association with the divine verses opens the doors of knowledge and wisdom to man and prevents him from getting astray. Therefore, we see in the Quran that the wise men have been introduced as those who by appealing to God, say:

"Our Lord! Do not make our hearts swerve after You have guided us, and bestow Your mercy on us. Indeed, You are the All-munificent."

Mr. Beheshtipur added: "In fact, if someone reads the Quran for spiritual comfort and proximity of God, he will achieve this comfort. Besides, the light of divine guidance will shine on his heart and he can use the Quran properly. During captivity, a university student memorized some parts of the Quran. He wanted the captives to find the words of the Quran and to see in the Quran how many verses are prayer and fasting. When I asked the reason, he said, 'I want the captives to get more acquainted with the verses of the Quran. they will be provided with guidance as they do the research, then they understand the concepts other than what I asked them to find. Because the Quran is such that every time that you read it you enter newer and larger worlds."

Hassan Beheshtipur, who had been a captive in the hand of Saddam's regime for two years, recounted a memory, saying, "I remember that when copies of the Quran were sent by the Ba'athist regime, the war prisoners, with an indescribable enthusiasm, made covers for the Quran with the Arabian dresses they were wearing and the needles made of barbed wire. Then, they embroidered it using the thread of colorful blankets. The Iraqis were impressed as they saw how the Iranian captives created such nice covers in a very short time.