Bahraini Scholars: Whoever Claims Credit for the Persians’ Embrace of Islam Should Ask Himself: “What Kind of Islam Justifies Imprisoning the Nation’s Scholars?”
The Scholars of Bahrain have issued a statement in response to remarks made by Bahrain’s ruler, Hamad Al Khalifa, in which he claimed that Iran had forgotten the favor bestowed upon the Persian nation through the Muhammadan Message, asserting that Islam had granted Persian civilization its spiritual, humanitarian, and intellectual depth after ages of ignorance.
The full statement reads:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad and his pure and immaculate Household.
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Rather, it is Allah who has conferred favor upon you by guiding you to faith, if you are truthful.”
(Qur’an 49:17)
The head of authority in Bahrain has appeared before the public, showing disregard for people’s intellect and for the sanctity of the Final Divine Message. He attempted to portray divine guidance as though it were a human favor, and to claim that Allah’s grace upon all of humanity belongs exclusively to one nation over another—ignoring, or deliberately overlooking, undeniable truths.
The Muhammadan Message was not sent to one people rather than another, nor to one race rather than another. It is a mercy bestowed by Allah upon all the worlds—to Arabs and non-Arabs alike, to white and black, without distinction.
Whoever claims that one nation possesses inherent superiority over another in the very foundation of this religion has either misunderstood or deliberately ignored the fact that all favor belongs to Allah alone. Superiority among nations and individuals is measured only by the extent of their adherence to this faith, their sincerity toward it, and their sacrifices for its sake. The favor belongs solely to Allah, and whoever competes with Him over His divine grace challenges His Lordship.
Obedience to the Greatest Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his Household), is a divine obligation that admits no division or compromise. It is the pillar upon which this religion stands, and through it alone the authenticity of one’s affiliation with Islam is distinguished from falsehood. Whoever truly obeys the Prophet and his purified Household, preserving the originality and purity of the Message, is most deserving of it and nearest to it. There exists no criterion of nearness or distance from Allah and His noble religion except piety.
Let Bahrain’s ruler, along with those who stand beside him, ask themselves a decisive question:
Who today stands at the forefront of the Muslim Ummah, sacrificing wealth, blood, and children in defense of Islam? Who confronts the enemies of the Ummah and stands against global arrogance in defense of Jerusalem and its sacred sanctities? Who carried the banner of resistance when many abandoned it?
The answer is evident to every person of insight. The Islamic Republic, under its comprehensive juristic leadership, together with all its institutions, political leaders, and its united people—men and women, young and old—has sacrificed, and continues to sacrifice, everything precious in defense of Islam, its Revolution, its State, and its wise and righteous guardianship of the jurist.
Whoever seeks to boast before the Persians about their acceptance of Islam—as though Allah’s guidance were a gift from him or from those like him, rather than a purely divine blessing—and claims to cherish, honor, and safeguard Islam, should ask himself:
What kind of Islam permits you and those like you to imprison the scholars of the Ummah, exile and displace them, persecute students of religious sciences, and pursue those who carry the mission of religious guidance?
How can you wage war against the authority of the heirs of the Prophets—the authentic jurists and religious authorities of Islam—to the point that you persecute those who merely emulate them in the rulings of their faith and inflict upon them the harshest punishments? Is it truly from the teachings of Islam that you allow yourself to claim credit for Allah’s guidance?
The Persians—and indeed all the free people of this Ummah—have every right to demand that the author of such an empty statement stand in support of Islam rather than speaking arrogantly over it; that he direct his efforts and his sword against the enemies of the Ummah instead of its loyal sons; and that he become an ally of Islamic resistance rather than an assistant to its enemies.
Otherwise, by what right does he presume to present himself as the spokesman and representative of Islam?
Allah alone guides to the Straight Path, and He is the One who grants success.
Scholars of Bahrain
21 Safar 1448 AH
5 August 2026
