Rereading the formulation of the Islamic Revolution of Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Politics, Institute of Islamic Culture and Thought

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran.

Abstract

The Islamic Revolution of Iran is one of the unique historical and social phenomena of the twentieth century, which was victorious in 1979 under the leadership of Imam Khomeini and established a political system based on the principles of Shiite Islam. This revolution, beyond a mere change of political regime, is considered a turning point in contemporary political philosophy that presented a new theoretical and practical framework by linking the elements of monotheism, guardianship, anthropology, and justice. Based on the philosophical framework of the Four Causes, the revolution has a material cause , a formal cause (the formation of an Islamic nation-state system based on guardianship), an active cause (the leadership of Imam Khomeini and popular support), and an ultimate cause (the realization of worldly and otherworldly happiness). Also, Islam in this structure has two fixed and variable parts that maintain the fixed principles of the philosophical foundations of the revolution, and variable mechanisms provide the basis for adaptation and dynamism. The Islamic Revolution has been explained as a multi-stage historical process from the Islamic movement to Islamic civilization, which is a mirror of independence, justice, and the rejection of tyranny. As a cultural, social, and political transformation based on the political philosophy of Islam, this revolution offers a new framework for understanding revolutions and has inspired Islamic movements in the world. The present article, with a theoretical and synthetic approach, recognizes the philosophical and structural formulation of the Islamic Revolution and shows how the coherence of the theoretical foundations of the revolution has paved the way for its continuity and impact in the domestic and international arenas. This analysis examines the theoretical, philosophical, and historical dimensions of the revolution in an integrated manner and provides new horizons for future research in the field of religious and political revolutions.

Keywords

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Volume 15, Issue 57 - Serial Number 57
February 2026
Pages 109-124

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