Document Type
Article
Department
Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, London
Abstract
This article analyses the evolution of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s political theory over four major periods – Qom, Najaf, Paris and Tehran – demonstrating how his thought shifted from a semi‑democratic constitutional vision to the doctrine of al‑wilayat al‑mutlaqah lil‑faqih (the absolute guardianship of the jurist). In the Qom period, Khomeini endorsed a constitutional government supervised by jurists, distancing himself from the notion of direct clerical rule. His Najaf period marked a decisive turn toward a theocratic model, asserting that jurists possessed authority equivalent to that of the Prophet and Shi’ite Imams in public affairs. During the Paris period, Khomeini emphasised popular sovereignty, republicanism, civil rights, and juristic supervision rather than rule – positions that shaped public expectations during the 1979 Iranian revolution. After returning to Iran, however, Khomeini advanced the Tehran theory: an Islamic Republic grounded in the absolute authority of the jurist‑ruler, empowered to override shari‘a ordinances in pursuit of public interest (maslahat). The article identifies five philosophical foundations of this final theory, including influences from Plato, Ibn al‑Arabi, Shi’ite Imamat doctrine, Iranian kingship, and modern statecraft. It concludes by critiquing the theory as inherently secularising, arguing that subordinating shari‘a to public interest transforms jurisprudence into a tool of modern governance rather than a system of religious law, raising questions about the plausibility of an Islamic theocracy in the modern era.
Recommended Citation
Kadivar, Mohsen. 'Ayatollah Khomeini’s Political Theory and Public Interest'. Governance Programme Papers, AKU-ISMC. No. 1.
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