Rereading the Foundations of Political Legitimacy in Transcendent Theosophy and Evaluating the Elective Theory of Wilāyat al-Faqīh

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Member of the academic staff of Payam Noor University, Faculty of Theology, Department of Islamic Studies and Political Sciences

Abstract

The question of the origin of political legitimacy during the Occultation (Ghaybah) is regarded as one of the central issues in Shiʿi political thought. Within contemporary discussions, the elective theory of Wilāyat al-Faqīh grounds the legitimacy of political authority in the choice of the people and their representatives, whereas the appointive approach grounds legitimacy in divine authorization. This study aims to reread the foundations of political legitimacy in Mullā Ṣadrā’s Transcendent Theosophy (al-Ḥikmah al-Mutaʿāliyah) and to evaluate the elective theory of Wilāyat al-Faqīh in light of these foundations. Using a qualitative approach and a descriptive-analytical method, this study draws on library-based sources and examines the relationship between these two perspectives through an analysis of Mullā Ṣadrā’s political thought alongside the views advanced by proponents of the elective theory. The findings indicate that political legitimacy in Transcendent Theosophy is grounded in a coherent set of ontological, anthropological, and theological principles. In Mullā Ṣadrā’s view, legitimacy is understood through the framework of the hierarchy of divine authority (wilāyah), the principle of divine grace (luṭf), divine vicegerency (khilāfah), and the role of the Perfect Human (al-insān al-kāmil). Within this framework, the people’s role is primarily associated with the realization, acceptance, and effective functioning of political authority rather than its ultimate source.The study further demonstrates that evaluating the elective theory based on these Ṣadrian foundations reveals important theoretical differences, particularly regarding the relationship between legitimacy and public acceptance, the nature of vicegerency during the Occultation, and the interpretation of the principle of divine grace.These findings suggest that Transcendent Theosophy offers a distinctive account of political legitimacy that differs in significant respects from the assumptions underlying the elective theory of Wilāyat al-Faqīh. Consequently, the philosophical foundations developed by Mullā Ṣadrā provide a coherent framework for assessing contemporary debates on political legitimacy within Shiʿi political philosophy

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 05 May 2026
  • Revise Date: 16 June 2026
  • Accept Date: 01 July 2026

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