The Just Ruler (al-Sultan al-'Adil) in Shi'ite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite Jurisprudence

Abstract

A study by Abdulaziz Sachedina, professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia, of the development of the doctrine of the authority of the jurist (faqih) in Imami Shi'ite jurisprudence. Starting from the concept of the "just ruler" (al-sultan al-'adil), that is, the infallible Imam, Sachedina traces how, during the occultation (ghaibah) of the twelfth Imam, the jurists (fuqaha) gradually took over the functions of the Imam: leading the Friday prayer, collecting khumus and zakat, enforcing the hudud, adjudicating disputes, and even leading jihad. Based on classical juristic sources from Shaykh Mufid, Sharif Murtadha, Shaykh Tusi, and Muhaqqiq al-Hilli to the ulama of the Safavid and Qajar eras, the book explains the intellectual roots of the idea of wilayat al-faqih al-'ammah (the comprehensive authority of the jurist), later formulated by Ayatollah Khomeini, which became the foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran after the 1979 revolution. The book is a principal reference for understanding Shi'ite political theory and the relationship between religion and the state in Iran.