The Effect of People’s Will and Satisfaction on the Legitimacy of the Governance of the Infallible Imams (AS)

The precise clarification of the basis of the legitimacy of the Islamic state has a significant role in showing the rational, human and natural face of Islam. In theological investigation, the issue of legitimacy of the state, which bears determinative juridical (fiqhi) and legal effects, two actions from among the God’s actions are dealt with. On the one hand, God has created a wise, free and civil-by-nature human who will be responsible for his own actions in the hereafter. On the other hand, through guiding him with the help of His prophets and religions, God has obligated human to obey the messengers and owliya3 appointed by Him. This paper, utilizing descriptive-analytic method, seeks to answer the question that how the two above mentioned factors (human creation with the above mentioned attributes, along with the appointment of the wali) as two divine actions impact on explaining the theoretical foundations of legitimacy in Shiite political thought. From the viewpoint of this paper, through proper analysis of the acts of God in the field of takwin1 and tashri’2 the realization of popular acceptance for the establishment of a religious government is a necessary issue whose denial is equal to the attainment of a violation of the will of the Lord. With this argument, the infallible ruler (AS) does not force people to accept religious government if such acceptance is contrary to the people’s consent.