The Relationship between Expediency and Obligation in Imam Khomeini's Political Thought

Expediency and obligation are among the most essential pillars and bases of Imam Khomeini’s political thought both in theoretical domain and in his practical way of life. Explaining the notions of expediency and obligation and their relationship as well as discerning the instances of expediency are especially effective in understanding Imam’s political thought and interpreting his practical way of life during long years of his [political] strife. In the present article, the notion of expediency in Imam’s view and the distinction between it and the pragmatist expediency, the notion of obligation and Imam’s innovation in dividing obligations into two categories of “legal” and “personal”, as well as their theoretical bases and their practical implications have been revealed. Finally, the mechanism for discerning expediency has been mentioned. The present article is a response to those who regard Imam’s expediency as the conventionalization of his thoughts, which is, in effect, a kind of ignoring Imam’s principles and the concept of expediency in his thought.