The Capacities of the Guardianship of the Jurist in Proactive Confrontation with the Challenge of Reversibility: A Comparative Study

One of the most significant dangers facing any government is its potential reversibility from its goals, values, and fundamental principles. Since the system of Guardianship of the Jurist is based on the jurist's authority, this research examines the capacities of this institution to confront the challenge of reversibility proactively. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this study addresses the capacities of the Guardianship of the Jurist from two perspectives: the characteristics and attributes of the jurist and the duties and powers of the jurist. In the first part, it is established that the jurist's authority, an extension of divine authority and the infallible, ensures the highest level of compliance with the laws, as they are considered divine obligations. Consequently, violations of laws and regulations, disobedience to government orders, or rebellion against the government will be minimized, thereby mitigating challenges that play a significant role in the reversibility of the Guardianship of the Jurist system. The legitimacy bestowed upon the institution of the Guardianship of the Jurist by divine authority leads to various capacities, including fostering acceptance and obedience within the Islamic society, the absence of which poses a fundamental challenge to the reversibility of any government. In the second part, it is demonstrated that the jurist's macro-level policymaking responsibility, oversight, and preservation of goals and values create the capacity to guide society towards prioritized objectives and the lofty goals of the Islamic system through sound Sharia-based policies. This redirection of societal approaches towards prioritized objectives helps focus society's attention on essential issues and prevents the challenge of reversibility from arising in this regard. Additionally, the oversight and preservation of goals and values can proactively prevent reversibility concerning the foundations, objectives, values, and, ultimately, the principle of the system.