Islamic Government
Islamic Government (Persian: حکومت اسلامی, romanized: Ḥokūmat-i Eslāmī), or Islamic Government: Jurist's Guradianship (Persian: حکومت اسلامی ولایت فقیه, romanized: Ḥokūmat-i Eslāmī Wilāyat-i Faqīh) is a book by the Iranian Shi'i Muslim cleric/jurist, and revolutionary, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. First published in 1970, it is perhaps the most influential document written in modern times in support of theocratic rule.
| Author | Ruhollah Khomeini; translated by Hamid Algar |
|---|---|
| Country | Iran and United Kingdom |
| Language | Translated into English |
| Subject | Islam and state |
| Publisher | Manor Books, Mizan Press, Alhoda UK |
Publication date | 1970, 1979, 1982, 2002 |
| Pages | 139 pages |
| ISBN | 964-335-499-7 |
| OCLC | 254905140 |
| Part of a series on |
| Conservatism in Iran |
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The book argues that government should/must be run in accordance with traditional Islamic law (sharia), and for this to happen a leading Islamic jurist (faqīh) must provide political "guardianship" (wilayat in Arabic, velāyat in Persian) over the people and nation. Following the Iranian Revolution, a modified form of this doctrine was incorporated into the 1979 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran; drafted by an assembly made up primarily by disciples of Khomeini, it stipulated he would be the first faqih "guardian" (Vali-ye faqih) or "Supreme Leader" of Iran.