Qur’anic and Narrative Documentation of Ayatollah Khamenei’s Thought on Political Governance in Islamic Society

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Quran and Hadith, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 PhD in Islamic Education, with Specialization in Islamic Revolution, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to elucidate the essential criteria and standards for administering the affairs of an Islamic society in the thought of Ayatollah Khamenei, employing a Qur’anic and narrational approach. It seeks to extract the foundations of guiding human society towards perfection from a religious perspective and to demonstrate the necessity of observing these standards to secure individual and collective felicity.
Method: The research adopts a descriptive‑analytical method with an extractive approach, analyzing Ayatollah Khamenei’s speeches, sermons, and works to identify governance patterns and then matching them with corresponding Qur’anic verses and traditions. Library‑based documentation and examination of his practical conduct reveal the bond between his political doctrine and revelatory sources (the Holy Qur’an) and the tradition of the Infallibles (peace be upon them).
Findings: The political conduct and method of the Supreme Leader are entirely founded upon Qur’anic verses and the sīrah of the Noble Prophet and the Pure Imams. In his thought, political governance is not merely an administrative‑political act or a tool for managing society, but the extension of “Divine Wilāyah” on earth and the intersection of divine right with human action. Core components include time‑consciousness and insight into global affairs, full awareness of contemporary exigencies, justice‑seeking and practical justice‑dispensing, adherence to consultation with trustworthy authorities, and trusteeship regarding the rights of the people and the system.
Conclusion: Ayatollah Khamenei’s political governance constitutes an objective model of the bond between revelation and political prudence in the present age. In this model, the legitimacy of governance rests on three pillars: reliance on monotheistic justice, following the conduct of the Infallibles in managing society, and reliance on verses concerning vicegerency and divine trust.
 

Keywords

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 March 2026
  • Revise Date: 03 April 2026
  • Accept Date: 02 May 2026

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