Islamic Government

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Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist

Author	Ruhollah Khomeini; translated by Hamid Algar
Language	Translated into English
Subject	Islam and state
Publisher	Manor Books, Mizan Press, Alhoda UK
Publication date	1970, 1979, 1982, 2002[1]
Publication place	Iran and United Kingdom
Pages	139 pages
ISBN	964-335-499-7
OCLC	254905140

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Islamic Government (Persian: حکومت اسلامی, romanized: Ḥokūmat-i Eslāmī),^[2] or Islamic Government: Jurist's Guardianship (Persian: حکومت اسلامی ولایت فقیه, romanized: Ḥokūmat-i Eslāmī Wilāyat-i Faqīh)^[3] 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.

The book argues that government should 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;^[4] 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.^[5]