Ma`rifat

Abstract The issue of authority or guardianship of the qualified Muslim jurist (Wali al-Faqih) is among the important issues in the political thought of Shia jurists. In the present era, the rule of Wali al-Faqih in Iran has led to discussions on various issues especially in terms of the criteria for legitimacy, the role of people in the government, and the functions of the Islamic government based on Wali al-Faqih in the society. This research aims to address the evidence of the theory of appointment and the selection approach in Wali al-Faqih and to present some examples of the functions of the religious authority in the social and religious fields. The research method is descriptive-analytical, and in some cases, these two views have been reviewed and evaluated. Understanding the commonalities between the two viewpoints and rejecting secular interpretation of the selection approach are among the important points of this research. Using the words of Imam Khomeini, it has been proved that although some people have introduced him as a supporter of the selection approach, he is one of the main thinkers of the appointment theory.