Political Islam and social Islam: The comparative study of Leaders of the Iranian Revolution and Fethullah Gülen

Political Islam and social Islam are among the most important subjects in Islamic world. This essay compares the viewpoint of Gülen, the inventor of Turkish social Islam and the viewpoint of Leaders of the Iranian Revolution , and discuses their similarities and differences. The comparison of social Islam of Gülen with the political Islam of Leaders of the Iranian Revolution showed that their viewpoint on religion and politics completely contradicts. In fact, Gülen sees Islam as an issue related to heart and separated from politics. But Leaders of the Iranian Revolution believes that the separation of religion and politics is not accepted in Islam. So, although Gülen promotes secularism, Leaders of the Iranian Revolution believes that secularism never has been accepted in Islam. Their ideas about democracy is near together and both of them accept democracy. Gülen and Leaders of the Iranian Revolution account women as agents of civil society, but Leaders of the Iranian Revolution believes respecting all Islamic manners is a prerequisite for women’s attendance in society. So, while Gülen recommends Turkish Islam, Leaders of the Iranian Revolution believes in pure Islam.