Since before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, various narratives have circulated regarding the origins and background of its leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, particularly concerning how he attained his highest religious title. The widespread use of his title dates back to 1963–1964, a few years after the death of Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi. A n o t h e r , more common narrative claims that Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr issued a fatwa elevating Khomeini to the rank of “Grand Ayatollah.”
However, other historical and political sources consider both accounts inaccurate. They argue that the title is not conferred by decree or fatwa from another Grand Ayatollah, nor by any official or religious authority. Rather, a Twelver Shiite cleric gradually acquires the title through recognition by his followers and by those who pay him their share of khums (the religious tax), thereby increasing both his popular support and financial standing. No universally accepted text or procedure defines how one attains the title of “Ayatollah.”
It is widely believed that the title was hastily bestowed upon Khomeini, without specifying the granting authority, to protect him from an execution order issued by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi following Khomeini’s public opposition to the Shah’s rule in 1963. In fact, the Shah did not personally issue death sentences; such authority rested with the courts or special committees, often at the Shah’s behest. There is no verified evidence that any court issued a death sentence against Khomeini. Instead, the Shah chose to exile him.
Likewise, there is no agreed-upon text that a person holding the title of “Ayatollah” is exempt from execution. Khomeini resided in Najaf from 1965 to 1978, having arrived there from Turkiye. He maintained a good relationship with Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, who welcomed him upon his arrival. Al-Sadr frequently visited Khomeini, but Khomeini did not return those visits, perhaps because of his status as a political refugee. Instead, he often sent his son, Sayyid Ahmad, in response to al-Sadr’s visits.
Throughout history, Iranian rulers have dealt with religious figures considered dissenting or politically troublesome through imprisonment, house arrest, or exile. This was what Reza Shah, the first ruler to adopt the title “Pahlavi,” having previously been known as Reza Khan, did. He ruled Iran from 1925 to 1941, and his efforts to secularize Iran, modeled in part on the reforms of Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, encountered strong resistance from the country’s powerful, wealthy, and influential clerical establishment.
By contrast, Atatürk faced less organized resistance as he significantly reduced the political influence of the clergy and established a fully secular state. After his son, Mohammad Reza Shah, ascended the throne in 1941 following his father’s forced abdication and exile to South Africa by the British, he continued the modernization and secularization policies of his predecessor, albeit at a less violent pace. While relatively more tolerant towards the clergy, Mohammad Reza Shah used SAVAK, the state’s intelligence and security organization, to suppress their opposition. Ayatollah Khomeini was arrested in 1963 and exiled the following year. In 1977, the reformist religious intellectual Ali Shariati was assassinated in London. Ayatollah Kashani, Ayatollah Behbehani, and Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Bafaqi were arrested. Bafaqi died in custody under mysterious circumstances, and Kashani was arrested several times and exiled to a remote area in Iran.
By Ahmad alsarraf
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
