Ma`rifat Siyasi

In recent years, several works have examined Mulla Ṣadra’s view on wilāyat al-faqīh (guardianship of the jurist), leading some scholars to regard him as a supporter of this doctrine, while others consider such an attribution insufficiently documented in his writings. To accurately understand Ṣadra’s position, the structure of leadership in the Islamic community must be examined as an interconnected system throughout his works. Like earlier philosophers, Mulla Ṣadra refers to the “First Ruler” (al-raʾīs al-awwal) as the one qualified to lead the Islamic community—namely, the Prophet of Islam and the infallible Imams. He considers specific conditions and attributes necessary for this position. Mulla Ṣadra views the leadership of the wise theologian-jurist as a continuation of the First Ruler’s leadership, without which the function of prophethood would be severed during the Occultation. According to him, in the Occultation era scholars are appointed by the Prophet as governors of the Islamic community. However, in his view, not every jurist attains the rank of guardianship; additional qualifications are required. Nevertheless, it is inconceivable that someone could be the heir to the Prophet without being knowledgeable of Islamic rulings and a qualified jurist. It is noteworthy that Mulla Ṣadra, like his predecessors, did not employ the term wilāyah (guardianship) but preferred the term riyāsah (leadership).This article examines Ṣadra’s perspective on the leadership of the Islamic community using a textual analysis method.