What Is Khomeinis Guardianship of the Jurist Theory?
Guardianship of the Jurist is a theory formulated by Ayatollah Khomeini during his exile in the holy city of Najaf in Iraq. The theory, which was first presented in the form of lectures by Khomeini to his students, was made into a book in 1967. Borrowing the idea of the Islamic government from Sunni reformers, such as Rashid Rida and Abul A`la Al-Mawdudi, Khomeini set the legal ground for his revolutionary doctrine of Vilayati-i faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist). According to Khomeini’s theory, which advocates theocracy, Amanat argues, in the absence of the Occulted Imam, the faqih (jurist) is the most qualified person to rule, holding the authority to impose both public and civil laws. In Khomeini’s words, “Islamic jurists should be the real rulers while sultans act as their subordinates.” Khomeini’s theory was revolutionary in the sense that it presented a breakaway from the traditional Shiite messianic belief in the necessity of waiting till the eventual return of the Occulted Twel
