Toward a Transcendent Political Philosophy: A Philosophical Study of Rūḥullāh al-Khumaynī’s Theory of Wilāyat al-Faqīh

Abstract

This thesis critically explores Rūḥullāh al-Khumaynī’s (1902–1989) theory of Wilāyat al-Faqīh (guardianship of the jurist), tracing its philosophical sources, and bringing to light its conceptual structure and implications. It presents al-Khumaynī’s argument on the necessity of establishing an Islamic government and his position on the correlation between religious and political authority. It highlights some of al-Khumaynī’s rationales for an Islamic social-critical philosophy and examines his aim in reconciling the relationship between theoretical and practical aspects of Islam. In doing so, it investigates al-Khumaynī’s religio-political vision and the social and political motivations that led him to theorize an Islamic government headed by the guardian jurist, or al-walī al-faqīh. The thesis attempts to answer the question of whether Wilāyat al-Faqīh should be considered as a philosophical, political, or jurisprudential theory.

Traditionally, Wilāyat al-Faqīh has been viewed as a legalistic, jurisprudential, and theological notion. However, Wilāyat al-Faqīh can also be understood as a political-philosophical theory that is influenced by a long tradition of Islamic philosophy. I argue that this theory is a legitimate form of Islamic political philosophy. To substantiate this claim, I investigate the philosophical perspective of al-Khumaynī’s religio-political thought and examine the philosophical foundations of Wilāyat al-Faqīh. This entails an analysis of the existing genealogical relationship between Wilāyat al-Faqīh and the philosophical tradition of Islam. Therefore, I discuss how al-Khumaynī’s theory could be seen as a political extension of Mullā Ṣadrā’s (1572–1636) integrative epistemology, despite the fact that no explicit declaration to this effect was made by al-Khumaynī. In this context, I show how theoretical ontology and epistemology turned into practical politics in the hands of al-Khumaynī. I further show how the philosophical characteristics of Wilāyat al-Faqīh reflect the pragmatism of al-Khumaynī who integrated the “idealism” of al-Fārābī (Alpharabius) (870–950/1) and the “realism” of Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) (980–1037).

Through different examples from al-Khumaynī’s texts, I show how al-Khumaynī’s religio-political theory represents a synthesis of three epistemic trajectories: philosophical, mystical, and religious. In particular, I show how it reflects a deep conviction in the subtle concordance between rational and revealed sources of knowledge. Building on a variety of primary and secondary sources, I draw out what al-Khumaynī believes to be the goal of politics in his revolutionary thought and investigate the role of ontology in his religio-political theory. I further situate the philosophical characteristics of al-Khumaynī’s Wilāyat al-Faqīh in relation to its practical implications and political ramifications. In doing so, I locate the structure of the Islamic Revolution and Islamic Republic in contemporary political and philosophical debates. I further discuss al-Khumaynī’s extension of the theory of Wilāyat al-Faqīh in public affairs to the concept of the absolute guardianship of the jurist (al-wilāya al-muṭlaqa li-al-faqīh).

The present thesis contributes to an understanding of the connections between Islamic philosophical tradition and al-Khumaynī’s religio-political theory of Wilāyat al-Faqīh. It paves the way for the construction of an original understanding of Islamic political philosophy and argues for its revival in the contemporary world in the hands of al-Khumaynī under what I call a “Transcendent Political Philosophy.”