Document Type : Original

Authors

• zahra khanizareh ¹
• nemat firoozi ²

¹ Master's degree student in Theology and Islamic Studies, majoring in Quran and Hadith Sciences, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Theology and Islamic Studies, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze the paradigm of encounter with enemies in the thought of Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei, based on his interpretation of verse 29 of Sūrat al-Fatḥ (Q. 48:29), employing the method of thematic analysis. The findings indicate that this paradigm transcends a mere political or security strategy and is instead framed within the broader construct of "Islamic lifeworld" (zīst-i islāmī) in the era of confrontation with the global hegemonic system. It rests upon four pillars: justice, resoluteness against the enemy (ashiddāʾ ʿalā al-kuffār), inner compassion (ruḥamāʾ baynahum), and the affective bond between the ruler and the people. The concept of ashiddāʾ signifies firmness and impermeability vis-à-vis the global front of arrogance (istikbār), manifesting in three dimensions: ideological, security-related, and social. The concept of ruḥamāʾ, conversely, extends beyond mere emotional sentiment and is defined as an institutionalized social obligation, encompassing national and trans-national (ummah) unity, general benevolence, and support for the oppressed. The most significant contribution of this research is its emphasis on the complementary linkage between the two pillars of "severity" (shiddat) and "mercy" (raḥmat) within the intellectual geometry of Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei. These two reinforce one another: severity toward the enemy provides the necessary security for the flourishing of internal mercy, while internal mercy and unity undergird external strength and resoluteness. The distinctive features of his perspective, in contrast to those of other scholars, lie in its system-building and civilization-oriented approach, its concrete instantiation, and its governmental application of the verse.

Keywords

• Ashiddā'
• u '
• alā al-kuffār
• Ruḥamā'
• u baynahum
• Ayatollah Khamenei
• Pattern of Confronting Enemies
• Islamic Life
• Wilayah

Main Subjects

• Exegesis