Vilayat-e Faqih

The primary basis of the Islamic Republic of Iran's system is the absolute Vilayat-e Faqih, one of the essential concepts in Shiite jurisprudence. Vali-e Faqih cannot solve modern problems and problems of contemporary society only with primary and secondary commands. Instead, using the element of expediency, governmental rule, the law of essential and more important, and the consideration of time and place, can solve emerging problems. The present study aimed to explain the impact of time and place on contraction and expansion of the empowerment of the Islamic ruler’s authority and propose new theoretical researching the use of absolute Vilayat-e Faqih for facilitating community affairs. To this aim, the role of time and place in ijtihad, commands, the emergence of new topics, discovering new investigating the effect of time and place on contraction and expansion of the authority of the Islamic Ruler.

Over the past four decades, Hezbollah has thrived in achieving widespread political and military success in Lebanon. All this while the group has been under constant external pressure as well as internal conspiracies to weaken it. The main question that comes to mind is, ‘how was Hezbollah able to overcome these problems? And what is the role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this regard? The research hypothesis emphasizes Hezbollah’s strengthening of its soft power as well as the impact of the Islamic Revolution's pattern on the successes of Hezbollah. The result, with the descriptive-analytical method, shows that Lebanon’s Hezbollah relies on the concepts of divine grace and help, the culture of resistance, jihad, and martyrdom, the spiritual position of the Leadership and the principle of The guardianship of the Islamic jurist (Velayat-e Faqih), courage and resilience against foreign enemies, Acting to serve the deprived areas, and the proper use of media, which joined together have strengthened Hezbollah’s soft power. Accordingly, Hezbollah's soft power has continuously reproduced, and along with its hard power, it has become a factor that contributes to Hezbollah’s admiration. That is why much of the West's efforts, after failing to disarm Hezbollah, have been to defeat and silent its soft power.

The concept of Mahdism is one of the most significant Islamic and Shia teachings, holding the potential to foster unity, cohesion, and security both domestically and internationally. The Islamic Revolution is also based on the theological and philosophical foundations of Mahdism. Various deviant movements and sects attempt to distort this teaching through different means; sometimes subtly, by fabricating and creating deviations in the defensive and security culture of Mahdism, and other times more violently, by instigating chaos and conflicts in the name of Shiism and Mahdism. These activities not only tarnish this exalted culture but can also create multiple security issues, with the trajectory of these sects showing a trajectory of conflict and destruction. Therefore, the main question is: ‘What are the current and future challenges posed by these deviant sects and movements, especially in opposition to the Vilayat-e Faqih?’ The present study uses a descriptive-analytical examination of written sources and the results of field research conducted by the Center for Mahdism. The results indicated that against these challenges, utilizing the rich Mahdism culture, appropriate education, and research on sects, as well as precise and organized planning and execution, can create resilience against these threats. Additionally, we must prepare both scientifically and practically against the ideologies that attack the teaching of the Vilayat-e Faqih and its resultant deviations.