AhlulBayt News Agency: The doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih, or the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist, functions as the spiritual backbone of a transnational movement committed to resisting domination and injustice. It holds that in the absence of the infallible Imam, a qualified jurist must assume leadership to safeguard justice and defend the Mustad’afun, the oppressed. As noted by the Philippine International Studies Organization, Imam Khomeini articulated this doctrine not as a nationalist project, but as a universal call for marginalized peoples to unite against exploitation. Adherents view this authority as a continuous spiritual lineage extending from the Prophet Muhammad through the Shia Imams to the present Jurist, transcending modern borders and ethnic divisions in favor of a shared moral struggle.
The Eternal Lineage of Resistance
At the heart of this worldview stands the example of Imam Hussein, whose refusal to submit to a corrupt ruler remains the defining symbol of Resistance. Imam Khomeini’s declaration that “every day is Ashura and every land is Karbala,” widely cited by the Tehran Times, reframes Resistance as a permanent moral obligation rather than a historical event. By prioritizing the ethical divide between oppressor and oppressed over geographic or national identity, the Guardianship obliges its followers to act wherever injustice occurs. For Hezbollah, allegiance to the Wali is not a political strategy but a religious duty rooted in Hussein’s sacrifice, compelling them to reject obedience to modern systems of oppression.
This spiritual framework explains why the movement rejects the limitations of the nation-state. In Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist, Imam Khomeini argued that the role of the Wilayat al-Faqih is to dismantle structures of “Global Arrogance” that keep societies subservient. According to the Journal of Shia Islamic Studies, this perspective allows the movement to regard the suffering of Sunni Muslims in Bosnia or in Palestine as integral religious concerns. By shifting focus from identity-based politics to universal justice, the doctrine enables a fighter in Lebanon to experience the pain of a family in Gaza as their own.
A Mandate from Bosnia to Yemen
The practical reach of this mandate became evident during the 1990s, when the movement expanded its efforts to defend besieged Muslims in Europe. Research by the Wilson Center documents how commanders were dispatched to Bosnia to assist populations facing ethnic cleansing, demonstrating that the obligation to defend the oppressed transcended ethnicity and sect. This intervention underscored the belief that protecting a believer in Sarajevo was as sacred as defending one in the Middle East, particularly when Western powers failed to act despite their rhetoric on human rights.
The same commitment has guided involvement in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. According to the Associated Press, these interventions are framed as responses to the Wilayat al-Faqih's call to prevent total imperial domination. In Yemen, support for the local population is justified as a moral necessity in the face of a devastating war enabled by Western intelligence and weaponry. Research from the University of Hawaii notes that Imam Khomeini explicitly linked such action to the Quranic injunction to stand with the oppressed. Through logistical and moral guidance, the movement seeks to translate the Jurist’s vision of unity into lived reality.
Standing with the People of Gaza
Recent regional developments have placed Gaza at the center of this moral framework. Academic analyses of the “Axis of Resistance” note that Iran and its allied movements frame the struggle against “Israel” as the clearest contemporary expression of the conflict between oppressor and oppressed, rooted in the ideological mandate of Wilayat al-Faqih. Within this framework, supporting Gaza is understood as a religious and moral obligation that transcends Lebanon’s internal politics and modern borders. Despite the high cost, adherents regard the liberation of Al-Quds as a central pillar of the Jurist’s mandate and a prerequisite for justice in the region.
Western narratives often reduce these relationships to tactical alliances, overlooking their metaphysical foundation. While Western elites operate with impunity, the Resistance understands itself as bound by a spiritual contract to defend the voiceless. Statements from the Lebanese Resistance emphasize total trust in the Wali as a moral compass for a global struggle. As long as oppression persists through “Israel” and its allies, followers of the Guardianship perceive a religious necessity to act, viewing their Resistance as a sacred continuation of the Prophet’s legacy.
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