The most important manifestation of the civilization-building nature of the theory of the Imam's guardianship of the Imam's authority: moving from theory to practice

According to Ashura News, quoted by Mehr News Agency, in a message to the international conference on the 100th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Qom Seminary, Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, while explaining the various elements and functions of the seminary, stated the requirements for realizing a “progressive and outstanding seminary” that is innovative, progressive, up-to-date, responsive to emerging issues, civilized, with a spirit of progress and struggle and a revolutionary identity, and also capable of designing systems for governing society.

In part of his message, the Leader of the Revolution, referring to the Imam’s initiative in presenting the issues of Velayat al-Faqih, stated: “Regarding the origin and origin of government, the late Imam’s outstanding work on the issues of “Velayat al-Faqih” during his exile in Najaf was a blessed beginning and opened the way for research to seminary scholars, and after the establishment of the Islamic Republic, its various dimensions were developed in theory and practice; however, this work has remained unsuccessful and disorganized in many of the country’s social systems. This void must be filled by the seminary; this is one of the essential duties of the seminary. Today, with the rule and establishment of the Islamic system, the duty of the jurist and jurisprudence is heavy. Today, jurisprudence cannot be considered, as the late Imam, like the ignorant, to be immersed in individual and religious rulings. The jurisprudence of the nation-building is not limited to the limits and extent of religious rulings and individual duties.”

What you will read below is a review of “Imam Khomeini’s (RA) innovative initiative in proposing the theory of the guardianship of the jurist” written by Mohammad Malekzadeh:

The theory of guardianship of the jurist is one of the principles that has been accepted by early and late scholars in the history of Shiism, but the proposal of this theory by the founder of the Islamic Republic has a fundamental difference from the views of scholars before him. In this brief note, on the occasion of the centenary of the re-establishment of the Qom Seminary and the historical message of the Leader of the Revolution, we will point out two of its important features.

Moving from the field of opinion to the field of action to respond to the needs of the Islamic society

Imam Khomeini’s theory of Velayat-e-Faqih offers a new perspective based on the needs of today’s Muslim society, in which the confrontation and struggle against colonialism are emphasized. A study of the events of the twentieth century in the world shows that this century was the age of the Qalayans and the crystallization of various political ideas from various material and spiritual schools. In the meantime, paying attention to political Islam and theorizing the political dimension of Islam by relying on authentic religious sources and adapting it to the current issues of the Muslim society was a topic that some Muslim thinkers paid serious attention to in contemporary history.

From Sayyid Abul-Ala Maududi in Pakistan to Sayyid Qutb and Hassan al-Banna in Egypt, they all sought new and novel political ideas, but based on Islamic principles, in the light of which they could be applied in the objective realm of society and not only deal with the internal order of Islamic societies but also find the ability to resist global arrogance and step towards a new system of internal and external political relations in accordance with the teachings of Islam; but among them, the only person who, with the support of a popular uprising and having a comprehensive and complete theory in the dimensions of Islamic politics, was able to pass this idea from the field of opinion and bring it to the field of practice and experience, was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Imam Khomeini (may God have mercy on him).

The Imam's political thought is the product of his comprehensiveness. Therefore, perhaps the Imam's political thought, with its unique subtleties and precision, cannot be considered the product of a specific science in an absolute sense. Rather, it should be said that this political theory and what distinguishes the great leader of the revolution from other scholars from the spectrum of clergy and other fighters in the arena of confrontation with the oppressive regime are the result of the Imam's comprehensiveness in various matters, including his complete jurisprudence in religious sciences, attention to the realities of society and, most importantly, the use of the element of time in jurisprudence, knowledge of the political and combative currents of the day, and some aspects of his personality. In other words, it should be said that the Imam was well acquainted with the spirit of Islam and the real needs of the Islamic society, which enabled him to combine a sensitive category such as politics, which was a matter of caution or objection by some previous scholars, with Islam based on authentic sources, and place it in line with the rule of the holy lawgiver and the implementation of divine decrees in the era of occultation.

The Civilizing Role of the Guardianship of the Jurisprudence in the Thought of Imam Khomeini (RA)

The guardianship of the Jurisprudence, as the most important component of the Imam's political thought, has had an important place in his theoretical dictionary. Guardianship of the jurist is a subject that has been accepted by almost all Shiite scholars, from the ancients to the contemporary ones. A quick glance will show that a large number of Shiite scholars have either written books and treatises on the issue of guardianship of the jurist separately or have discussed this principle in their jurisprudential books. However, Imam Khomeini, while paying great attention to the principle of guardianship of the jurist, presents a new view of Islamic politics based on the needs of today's Muslim society based on reason and human nature. Therefore, in his book Guardianship of the Jurist, he does not seek to prove this theory solely through narrations. Rather, he first states, considering rational arguments: "Guardianship of the jurist is one of the subjects whose conception leads to confirmation and does not require much proof; this means that anyone who has understood the beliefs and rulings of Islam, even in a general way, will reach guardianship of the jurist, imagine it, and immediately confirm it." (1) This perspective clearly demonstrates the Imam's familiarity with the spirit of Islam and its logic. Considering the element of "time" and the relevance that this component has in the Imam's perspective, he was able to understand and reflect the serious but neglected need of the Muslim community.

Basically, it can be said that Imam Khomeini did not view the concept of guardianship of the jurist from a purely jurisprudential perspective, but rather with regard to the current society and history of Muslims; therefore, the guardianship of the jurist of the Imam is not a product of mere jurisprudential books and principles, but rather, along with paying attention to the rulings and issues of jurisprudence, it originates from the elements of time and the needs of society. Therefore, at the very beginning of the book Guardianship of the Jurist, the Imam refers to the challenge of enemy colonialism with his civilizational perspective and says: “Islam is the religion of the mujahid individuals who seek truth and justice. It is the religion of those who want freedom and independence. The school of fighters and people is anti-colonial… The wrong idea that has been created about Islam in the minds of the public… is intended to take away the revolutionary and vital nature of Islam and prevent Muslims from striving, moving, and mobilizing.” (2)

In the beginning of the book Velayat al-Faqih, as one of the works that determines the Imam’s political thought and horizon towards Islam and the times, we witness a model and theory of Velayat al-Faqih that, while encompassing all the needs of Muslims, both Shia and Sunni, every anti-colonialist and freedom-loving person can have a militant life under its umbrella. This is the most important manifestation of the civilization-building nature of the Velayat al-Faqih theory in the thought of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who brought it into practice from a practical perspective.

Footnote

1. Imam Khomeini, Velayat al-Faqih, p. 3.

2. Ibid., pp. 4 and 5.