The 1979 Iranian Revolution and the subsequent formation of the new state brought both Ayatollah Khomeini and the concept of Velayat-e Faqih (the authority of the jurist) to a worldwide audience. However, the concept itself has a relatively long history in Shi'i juridical endeavors. From its inception, the Twelver Shi'i religion justified its opposition to the dominant Sunni majority and tied its raison d'etre to the claim of having access to 'infallible guidance and leadership. This exclusive spiritual and political leadership became available to Shi'ism through its belief in the divine...

Opposing a binary perspective that consolidates ethnicity, religion, and nationalism into separate spheres, this book demonstrates that neither nationalism nor religion can be studied in isolation in the Middle East.