A Review of Epistemological Foundations of Imam Khomeini's Teachings in Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic

According to Imam Khomeini's philosophical view, which is influenced by the principles of transcendent wisdom and Avicennian Philosophy, the Corona Virus does not interfere with the bestness of the whole system of existence. In addition, the plenary goodness and the little evil are necessary in conflict with the roles in the material world. The bestness of the whole system of existence can be proved byburhān al-limmī(demonstrative proof) and through the sovereigntyof its cause in perfection and similarity of the cause and effect in immutable attributes. Susceptibility to illness can be either high or low and is effective in being affected by the Corona Virus.  Accordingly, susceptibility to the Corona Virus precedes being infected by this virus in terms of perfection and dignity and is considered evil. In contrast, being physically strong and healthy and the resistance of the body against diseases are viewed as good and are posterior to health and wellness in terms of perfection and dignity. The public attention to the injection of the Corona vaccine in order to increase their wellness and immunity is an indication of perfection and dignity. In Islamic mysticism, to identify the status and origin of evil, it is necessary to  understand the Divine Names. One gets infected by Corona Virus as a result of a defect in his immune system. This physical defect stems from susceptibility in spite of immutability. It is originated from the manifestation of the Glory Names of God in the realm of Divinity. The Glory and Beauty Names are manifestations of the Greatest Name of God, and the manifestations of the Divine Names are the essences of the Divine Names or the inherent attributes of God. In order for the Divine mercy to overcome the Divine wrath, the Glory Names should be prior to the Beauty Names. This is the prominence of goodness over evil in the world of manifestations. One of the Beauty Names of God is ‘Salām’, the manifestation of which requires the absolute goodness of the world. On the other hand, in any Glory, there is beauty hidden, and in any evil, there are some wisdom and benefits. The mystic, at the station of unity of the Names, does not see the multiplicity of the Glory and Beauty names. Rather, he views all the Divine Names united in the Greatest Name of God. Furthermore, he does not consider one Name superior to another. For him, illness, health, poverty, and wealth are the same. In the spread of the Corona Virus, there are some benefits including strengthening the self while one experiencing patience, supplication, and disconnection from the material world, enlightenment of the self, salvation, paying attention to the Hereafter, welcoming Prayer and worship, as well as the reward and punishment in Hereafter, which are in line with Imam Khomeini's teachings. Moreover, the improvement of the environment and reduction of pollution increased identification and faithful contributions, and prosperity of some professions are some of the positive consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Compensation is a religious view that is consistent with the Divine Justice in the world and Hereafter. The compensation of the defects in the worldly blessings is explained by the benefits received in the Hereafter. This view is the most effective epistemological remedy which is generally presented by Imam Khomeini in the tribulations and can be generalized to the Corona-related problems. Praying comes along with making an effort to achieve the results. Hardships could make a  person strong and make him/her try harder to get out of the problem. Most successful people have experienced failures from which they have learned something. The COVID-19 Pandemic provided an opportunity for the Iranian officials to improve the health care structures, try to make the Corona vaccine, and gain more experience. A wise man views the arrangement of the Universe based on causality. Therefore, he tries to observe the health protocols. In case he gets infected, he refers to physicians – as one of the means of divine healinf-  to receive treatment and follows the medical instructions.