Society should be governed strictly by divine law, which Khomeini believed provided instructions for every aspect of human life.

Born in around 1900 or 1902, Ruhollah Musavi was raised in a family of religious scholars. He spent decades as a respected teacher at the Qom Seminary, focusing on Islamic philosophy, law, and mysticism—subjects that were often viewed with suspicion by more traditionalist clerics.

His pivot to politics began in the early 1960s when he became a vocal critic of " White Revolution ," a series of Western-backed modernization reforms. Khomeini viewed these as an attack on Islamic values and Iranian sovereignty, famously denouncing the Shah as a "wretched, miserable man" during the holy day of Ashura in 1963. This dissent led to his arrest and eventual 14-year exile in Turkey, Iraq, and France. The Theory of a God-Governed State

While in exile in , Khomeini developed his most influential work, Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist). This revolutionary theory argued that:

On , Khomeini returned to Iran to a triumphant welcome from millions. Within months, a national referendum officially established the Islamic Republic of Iran , with Khomeini as its Supreme Leader for life. His decade in power was defined by massive upheaval: