Strategies for the Realization of Islamic-Iranian Model of Progress According to Imam Khomeini’s Political-Divine Will

The purpose of the present research is to conduct a content analysis of the text of Imam Khomeini’s Divine-Political Will in order to extract the strategic, strategic implications
for the Islamic-Iranian model of progress. This strategic document, as one of the most important and authoritative upstream documents, can serve as a key reference in designing and delineating an indigenous model of progress. The main research question is: How have the governing strategies of the Islamic-Iranian model of progress been formulated in Imam Khomeini’s Will? The data for this study were collected through library research methods by referring to the text of the Will, which is published in Volume 21 of Ṣaḥīfa-yi Imām, and were subsequently analyzed using the conventional qualitative content analysis method. From the collected samples directly related to the issue of progress, a total of 55 key points were extracted from the text of Imam Khomeini’s Will concerning the strategies for Iranian-Islamic progress. These were categorized into 13 sub-themes and 3 main themes. The findings of the study show that Imam Khomeini recommended 13 fundamental strategies for the realization of indigenous development, which can be classified under three overarching strategies: political, economic, and cultural. In the political dimension, one of the most important components of progress in an Islamic society is the implementation of Sharia in both the private and social affairs of the people, as well as across all levels of management and governance. An Islamic government can only succeed in achieving its objectives when the people—the most critical element of power—stand firmly beside it. It is the presence and unity of the people that ensures a nation’s durability, renders it immune to collapse, and neutralizes the propaganda of enemies. By relying on the people and appointing officials based on the principle of meritocracy—one that stems from the doctrinal foundations of Islam—the government can preserve its political independence and establish Islamic Sharia in the most effective manner. Therefore, the establishment of an independent Islamic government that relies on popular power and in which competent elites manage affairs constitutes a major political strategy for indigenous progress and development. In the cultural dimension, which is based on three sub-strategies, Imam Khomeini highlights the pivotal role of two key institutions—universities and Islamic seminaries (hawza)—in education, cultural formation, and shaping societal trends. He emphasizes the necessity of preserving the status of the hawza and the science of jurisprudence (fiqh), while simultaneously calling for reforms to enable these institutions
to engage more systematically and dynamically across various spheres of society. Universities, as the training ground for future managers, also receive special attention. In Imam Khomeini’s view, an ideal university is one that is free from Eastern- or Western-orientation (neither East-stricken nor West-stricken), possesses authentic identity independence, benefits from human innovations and advancements, yet remains capable of independent intellectual and theoretical decision-making in terms of indigenous values. Furthermore, in the cultural sphere, he considers attention to indigenous culture and values as another essential requirement for progress. In this regard, he identifies corrupt magazines and media, destructive freedoms, and the moral laxity and promiscuity of youth as among the destructive factors that undermine this foundation. In the economic dimension, Imam Khomeini outlines five sub-strategies, emphasizing that an Islamic society must adopt an inward-looking approach to free itself from dependence on both East and West and achieve economic independence. This objective can be realized by recognizing legitimate private and collective ownership; channeling lawful capital toward increasing production and attaining self-sufficiency in essential goods; preventing the indiscriminate importation of consumer products; combating consumerism and extravagance; and relying on domestic capabilities while fostering a spirit of self-confidence. Moreover, the ideal economic system in an Islamic society must weaken global arrogators and oppressors by reducing social disparities and giving priority to the deprived and the oppressed in policymaking. Overall, from the content analysis of Imam Khomeini’s Will and through the frequency count of meaning units, it can be concluded that in this strategic document, more than half of the extracted propositions are devoted to political strategies. This clearly indicates that, in his view, achieving Islamic-Iranian progress requires giving priority and primacy to political strategies over cultural and economic ones. From Imam Khomeini’s perspective, the establishment of an Islamic government based on the principle of meritocracy, the complete rejection of political dependence, and the active presence, unity, and solidarity of the people constitute the most important strategies for attaining indigenous development.