IRAN'S ISLAMIC REVOLUTION LEADER AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE QUR'AN: EMPHASIS ON POLITICAL COMMENTARY

Abstract

In 1979, a religious revolution took place in Iran. This revolution was led by Ayatollah Khomeini. His understanding and interpretation of the Qur'an were reflected in the shaping of the revolution and the management and important decisions of the country after the revolution. Studying his interpretations of the Qur'an is of great importance in understanding today's Iran. This research study aims to examine Ayatollah Khomeini's understanding and interpretation of the Qur'an. Ayatollah Khomeini did not write a book on Qur'anic exegesis; however, the themes of tafsir can be seen in his writings, speeches and works, and we can deduce his opinion on this subject by examining his works. For this reason, this article deals with the thoughts of this religious scholar and explains his view in this field with his words in various books and conferences. The results showed that Ayatollah Khomeini gave more importance to mystical, philosophical, moral and social approaches in his exegesis approaches, and also showed political, rapprochement among the Islamic sects and jihadist approaches in his exegesis. In his exegesis style, he focused on sequential tafsir in the tafsir of Surah Hamd and included short thematic tafsir in his speeches. His interpretative tendency in his works and writings, especially the works he wrote in his youth, has more of a mystical and educational aspect; however, in the last years of his life, especially in the public speeches he made during and after the Islamic revolution, he often had a social and political perspective on contemporary issues; in other words, it was to construct Quranic community.