The Model of “Revolutionary Seminary” in the Thought and Practice of Imam Khomeini: The Impact of His Stay in Najaf and Pilgrimages to the Al-Atabat Al-Aliyat

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Mohammad Ghodrati shatoori
PhDin Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Law and Thought of Imam Khomeini (RA) Imam Khomeini Research Institute and Islamic Revolution
10.22084/rjir.2026.32013.4002
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the pattern of the “revolutionary seminary” (ḥawza-ye enqelābi) in the thought and practice of Imam Khomeini, and to examine the role of his period of residence in Najaf al-Ashraf and his pilgrimage practices in the holy shrines (ʿAtabāt-e ʿĀliyāt) in the formation and consolidation of this pattern.

Research Methodology: The present research adopts an analytical-explanatory approach and draws upon primary sources, including Imam Khomeini’s works, memoirs of his close associates, and reliable historical sources. In this study, qualitative content analysis is employed to examine and extract the core themes of the revolutionary seminary across three levels: structural, discursive, and operational.

Findings: Data analysis indicates that Imam Khomeini advanced an integrated model of transformation in Najaf. (a) At the structural level, through educational reform and the struggle against discrimination, he laid the foundations of a flexible and justice-oriented institution. (b) At the discursive level, by reviving the social responsibility of the clergy and theorizing Wilāyat al-Faqih, he transferred the nexus of religion and politics from an abstract domain into the practical sphere of governance. (c) At the functional level, by elevating pilgrimage into a covenant of struggle and a formative pedagogical model, he transformed Shia spiritual capital into a resource for social mobilization and resistance. The analytical innovation of this paper lies in demonstrating the mutually reinforcing interaction among these three levels, thereby moving beyond earlier single-dimensional analyses.

Conclusion: The present analysis demonstrates that Imam Khomeini, by initiating simultaneous transformations in the scholarly, political, structural, and spiritual spheres during his time in Najaf, laid the foundations of the “revolutionary seminary”. This integrated model fused committed scholarship, spiritual politics, and popular ethics, providing both a theoretical and practical foundation for the Islamic Revolution.
Keywords
Imam Khomeini
Najaf Seminary
Revolutionary Seminary
Pilgrimage to the Holy Shrines
Institutional
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