https://www.irsjournal.ir/ Strategic Studies of the Islamic Revolution en daily 1 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://www.irsjournal.ir/article_239459.html This article, employing a systematic review methodology, examines the relationship between Islamic teachings and economic growth. In explicating perspectives on economic growth among Islamic leaders, it analyzes the views of Ayatollah Khamenei in this regard. Accordingly, through reviewing and analyzing various viewpoints—supportive, critical, and those advanced by Muslim economists—concerning the relationship between Islam and economic growth, the study explores the theoretical foundations and relevant evidence pertaining to this issue. The findings of the systematic review of the relevant literature indicate that Islamic teachings, by providing individual moral motivation, transparent institutional structures, and Sharia-compliant financial rules, create a suitable foundation for sustainable and balanced economic growth. The analysis of Ayatollah Khamenei’s thought, as a practical instance of applying Islamic teachings in economic policymaking, demonstrates that through reliance on the concept of the “Resistance Economy” and emphasis on pillars such as endogenous development, justice-orientation, knowledge-based production, and public participation, he offers a strategic and operational framework for the realization of Islamic economic growth. The results of this research indicate that Islamic teachings are not only theoretically compatible with the objectives of economic growth but can also, at the level of implementation, serve as an effective basis for development-oriented policymaking. Based on the available evidence and arguments, Islamic teachings and Ayatollah Khamenei’s thought not only facilitate economic growth but explicitly emphasize it. https://www.irsjournal.ir/article_239460.html The victory of the Islamic Revolution and the neutralization of counter-revolutionary and foreign activities during the early years of the Islamic Republic (e.g., separatist movements, military coups, and the imposed war) resulted from the mobilization of social capital formed during the 1950s and 1960s (Iranian calendar). The significance of drawing on Iranian-Islamic social capital to resolve contemporary crises—especially after the Islamic Revolution—gradually found its place in shaping the notions of governance and a new Islamic civilization in Ayatollah Khamenei’s thought. Consequently, the ideology of the Islamic Revolution was updated and completed by integrating Islamic governance and civilization. This paper centers on the question: What role does social capital play in achieving Islamic governance and a new Islamic civilization? It advances the hypothesis that attaining Islamic governance and a new Islamic civilization is impossible without the support of social capital as envisioned by the Supreme Leader. Thus, the full utilization of social capital capacities is essential for realizing Islamic governance and, subsequently, forming a new Islamic civilization. Findings from a thematic analysis indicate that, in Ayatollah Khamenei’s view, the realization of Islamic governance and civilization depends on two fundamental principles related to social capital. First is people-centeredness, which shows that forming Islamic civilization is unachievable without the will and support of the people. Second, Islam and revolutionary values serve as the most significant social capital for Iranians, providing the roadmap for achieving a new Islamic civilization. https://www.irsjournal.ir/article_239461.html When adversaries failed to achieve results through hard, semi-hard, and maximum-pressure methods in confronting the Islamic Revolution, they turned to a wide-ranging soft cognitive war. The necessity of the “Jihad of Clarification” arises from factors such as the expansion of the enemy’s cognitive warfare, neo-colonial domination, the inadequacy of previous explanatory efforts, and the adversary’s focus on distorting realities. Under such circumstances, Ayatollah Khamenei issued the command for a “Jihad of Clarification,” describing it as an immediate and definitive religious obligation. The central problem of this research concerns the nature of the model of the Jihad of Clarification within Ayatollah Khamenei’s intellectual framework. Its primary objective is to formulate and present such a model based on that framework. Accordingly, the principal research question asks: What are the characteristics and components of the model of the Jihad of Clarification in Ayatollah Khamenei’s intellectual system? The research adopts a descriptive method. Data were collected through both field and library methods, utilizing documents, interviews, and questionnaires as research instruments. The findings indicate that the model of the Jihad of Clarification, grounded in Ayatollah Khamenei’s intellectual framework, possesses its own specific methods, subject domains, and objectives. From the perspective of this model, the methods of the Jihad of Clarification include both in-person (face-to-face) and non-presential approaches. Religious, doctrinal, and revolutionary themes constitute among the most significant subject-related components of the model. Ultimately, the objectives of the model encompass political, cultural, and social dimensions. https://www.irsjournal.ir/article_239463.html A comprehensive and holistic elucidation of the intellectual and practical foundations of paradigmatic figures within any school of thought can render them more tangible and concrete to audiences. Martyrs Qassem Soleimani, Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, and Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, as prominent figures of the Resistance Front and the Islamic Revolution, possess not only an operational legacy but also an integrated and convergent intellectual school that stands in a one-to-one correspondence with the intellectual framework of Ayatollah Khamenei. Addressing a gap in comparative studies, this research examines the commonalities among these three martyrs and the manifestation of Ayatollah Khamenei’s teachings in their individual and social conduct. The primary objective is to identify the shared features that position these figures as paradigmatic exemplars of the School of Resistance. The significance of this study lies in clarifying the inseparable linkage between the practical conduct of these martyrs and Ayatollah Khamenei’s thought—an articulation that can provide a roadmap for future generations in the path of jihad, justice, and guardianship-centered commitment (velayat-madari). The research method is descriptive-analytical. Data were collected and analyzed through content analysis of Ayatollah Khamenei’s statements and relevant works concerning these martyrs. The findings demonstrate that, despite apparent differences in their respective domains of activity (political, military, and executive), the personalities studied share foundational principles such as adherence to guardianship (velayat-madari), sincerity, people-centeredness, a spirit of resistance, and managerial creativity. These shared features may serve as a practical model for leaders and activists in the Islamic world and constitute an effective step toward promoting the intellectual and practical school represented by these martyrs. https://www.irsjournal.ir/article_239466.html Understanding the intellectual foundations and theoretical orientations of political and social theorists contributes to accurate analysis of events and sound comprehension of prevailing conditions. One such phenomenon is the contemporary actions of the system of domination (nezam-e solṭeh), the manner of confronting which requires knowledge of appropriate methods. The prolonged struggle of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) against systems of domination, and their presentation of contextually appropriate and diverse methods under specific circumstances, constitute a practical model for such resistance—one that requires precise understanding of its underlying subtleties. Ayatollah Khamenei’s mastery of the lessons and intricacies of the conduct (sirah) of the Infallibles—particularly the history and conduct of Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) and Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him)—and his utilization thereof, indicate reliance upon fundamental principles and orientations that warrant analytical examination. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study is to examine methods of combating domination from Ayatollah Khamenei’s perspective, with particular attention to the manner in which he references and draws upon the conduct of Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon them), given that during their era specific political struggles against systems of domination took place. By presenting Ayatollah Khamenei’s statements alongside the conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt through a descriptive approach, the study undertakes a discourse analysis of his perspective on confronting the system of domination. The data indicate that Ayatollah Khamenei’s references to the conduct of Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon them) play a significant role in articulating methods for combating cultural, political, and economic domination. Recourse to the conduct of the Ahl al-Bayt reveals the core elements of his intellectual worldview, orientation, and strategic outlook. This worldview reflects the foundational Islamic principles underpinning the political system, including opposition to arrogance (istikbar) and resistance to domination. https://www.irsjournal.ir/article_239469.html Objective:The objective of this article is to analyze and explicate the “Third Model of Woman” of the Islamic Revolution as a distinct model derived from the intellectual framework of Ayatollah Khamenei, examining the place of feminine gender within women’s individual identity, familial roles, and social position. Methodology:This research was conducted using a directed thematic analysis approach, based on a systematic examination of Ayatollah Khamenei’s statements. Data were extracted from his official texts and speeches and analyzed across three domains: individual identity, family, and society. Findings:The findings indicate that in the Third Model, feminine gender is not confined merely to the material body; rather, the human soul itself possesses a gender-oriented directionality—an idea consistent with the principles of Transcendent Theosophy (al-hikmah al-muta‘aliyah) and Islamic theology. Within Ayatollah Khamenei’s intellectual framework, feminine gender is regarded as a divine and foundational capacity that is fully evident and operative in women’s individual identity, familial roles, and social context. Conclusion:According to Ayatollah Khamenei’s intellectual system, in the Third Model, woman is neither devoid of gender-specific characteristics nor are these characteristics perceived as obstacles to her growth and dignity. Rather, feminine gender shapes woman’s identity across the three spheres of the individual, family, and society and is recognized as the primary context for the manifestation of her distinctive responsibilities and capacities. https://www.irsjournal.ir/article_239471.html This article examines the decline of the United States within the broader framework of the decline of the Western colonial order—an order that began in 1492 and, after 533 years, is now approaching its terminal phase. From this perspective, the American “unipolar moment” is assessed as part of the final stage of Western decline. Consequently, what we are currently witnessing is the decline of the Global North under U.S. leadership and the emergence of a new order centered on the Global South. Within this context, the Islamic Republic of Iran—alongside Russia and China—plays a key role. Iran is regarded not only as the core of the Axis of Resistance but also as a central axis enabling China and Russia to access new mechanisms for constructing global order. Through a meta-synthesis approach to analyzing American decline, three principal approaches were identified: (1) the relative reduction of power in comparison with emerging powers such as China and India; (2) the declining capacity to achieve strategic objectives due to decreasing internal productivity; and (3) structural decline. In addition, four major factors are proposed for understanding the causes of the current situation: the internal failure of the globalization project; China’s strategy of marginalizing U.S. power; successive U.S. military defeats in West Asia following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran; and decolonization through the erosion of the ideological “software” of American exceptionalism. During the transitional period from this final Western colonial order, the adoption of precise strategies by the Islamic Republic of Iran assumes particular importance. Necessary measures include playing an active role in political, economic, and cultural engagements with countries of the Global South. Furthermore, Iran’s participation in filling the ideological vacuum of the emerging order may play a pivotal role in consolidating its position. https://www.irsjournal.ir/article_239473.html This article aims to explicate and analyze the pillars of clerical identity from the perspective of Ayatollah Khamenei by examining the identity dimensions of this influential stratum within Islamic society. Utilizing thematic analysis and grounded in the principle of the “sovereignty of tawhid” (divine unity), the study revisits and analyzes three principal pillars of clerical identity: fiqh-based scholarship (faqāhah), ethics, and social activism. Based on a three-stage thematic analysis and following the extraction of basic and organizing themes, the findings—derived from the overarching theme—indicate that the clergy, in continuity with the movement of the prophets, must advance in the direction of establishing the sovereignty of tawhid. Within this framework, faqāhah in Ayatollah Khamenei’s thought signifies a profound understanding of religion oriented toward resolving the issues of Islamic society. Islamic ethics, in this view, is not merely a collection of individual virtues but a dynamic force in the struggle against tyranny (taghut) and polytheism (shirk), and a catalyst for both individual and social transformation. Moreover, social activism, as one of the pillars of clerical identity, denotes the active and influential role of the clergy in various social and political arenas. This research offers a comprehensive framework for redefining the role of the clergy in the contemporary era—one that may serve as a basis for cultural and educational planning within training systems, particularly in seminaries (hawzah ‘ilmiyyah).