Mawqif al-Khomeini min al-Shia wa al-Tashayyu
- Author died
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- Editions
- Al-Matba'a Al-Faniyya
Mawqif al-Khomeini min al-Shia wa al-Tashayyu (Khomeini's Stance on the Shia and Shi'ism) is a polemical treatise written by Mahmud Saad Nasih and published in Cairo by al-Matba'ah al-Salafiyyah. The work examines and critiques the theological convictions and political philosophy of Ruhollah Khomeini following the Iranian Revolution, arguing that his ideology represents orthodox Imami Shi'ism rather than an ecumenical Islamic reform.
Context and Purpose
The treatise was composed following the fall of the Shah of Iran and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, aiming to counter what the author perceived as misplaced enthusiasm or misconceptions among Sunnis who viewed Khomeini as a moderate leader seeking Islamic unity (taqrib). Nasih posits that Sunnism and Imami Shi'ism are diametrically opposed and fundamentally irreconcilable. To establish his critique, Nasih deliberately avoids relying on oral statements or adversarial polemics, restricting his textual analysis directly to Khomeini's published writings, primarily his treatise al-Hukumah al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Government), which originated as lectures delivered to religious students in Najaf and was republished in Beirut and Kuwait in 1979 (1399 AH).
Content and Arguments
Nasih organizes his critique around several doctrinal and political themes extracted from Khomeini's text:
- The Doctrine of the Imams: The author analyzes Khomeini's statements affirming that the Twelve Imams hold a cosmic authority (khilafah takwiniyyah) over all atoms of the universe, and that they possess a spiritual station unattainable by close angels or sent prophets. Nasih highlights Khomeini's positions regarding the pre-existential light of the Imams, their absolute infallibility ('ismah)—which excludes even inadvertence or forgetfulness (sahw wa ghaflah)—and their comprehensive divine knowledge. He also examines Khomeini's elevation of Fatimah al-Zahra above ordinary human status and the belief that the Imams complete the prophetic mission.
- The Occultation and Political Authority: Nasih reviews Khomeini's adherence to the doctrine of the occultation of the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Askari, and his eventual return (raj'ah). He scrutinizes Khomeini's core theory of the Guardianship of the Jurist (Wilayat al-Faqih), which asserts that during the Major Occultation, governance and judicial authority are exclusively delegated to qualified Shi'i jurists as the inheritors of the Imams' mandates, thereby rejecting any non-Shi'i claim to legitimate governance.
- View of Islamic History and Muslim Rulers: The book criticizes Khomeini's rejection of historical Islamic caliphates. Nasih points out that Khomeini limits valid Islamic rule exclusively to the eras of the Prophet ﷺ and Ali ibn Abi Talib, discarding the legitimacy of the preceding caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Uthman ibn Affan) and describing subsequent Umayyad and Abbasid governance as monarchical oppression and rule by unjust powers (taghut).
- Evaluation of Historical Figures: Nasih condemns Khomeini's disparagement of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid alongside his simultaneous praise for figures such as Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and Ali ibn Yaqtin. Nasih reproaches Khomeini for describing al-Tusi's role during the Mongol sack of Baghdad as a service to Islam, interpreting it instead as historical betrayal.
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