This study examines the transformation of the concept of political legitimacy in contemporary Islamic philosophy in Iran, with a focus on a theological analysis of the foundations of legitimacy in the works of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli. The main research question is: How has the concept of political legitimacy been shaped in Javadi Amoli’s thought, and which theological and philosophical dimensions stand out most prominently? The central hypothesis of the study is that political legitimacy in contemporary Islamic philosophy is grounded not only in social acceptance, but in a combination of revelation, reason, and human nature (fitrah), while justice, rule-governed order, and religious teleology serve as key evaluative criteria. The research employs a qualitative, analytical-descriptive method, and the data were collected through content analysis of Javadi Amoli’s works and related texts in Islamic political philosophy. Comparative analysis with classical Islamic theories and Western political philosophy also helps clarify shared features and important distinctions. The findings indicate that in Javadi Amoli’s thought, political legitimacy results from the overlap of revelation, reason, and fitrah, and its realization depends on the observance of justice and religious legality. The results further suggest that theological analysis of these texts provides a basis for a more precise examination of the practical legitimacy of governments in Iran.

Introduction
The concept of political legitimacy has undergone significant transformation in contemporary Islamic philosophy in Iran. In classical Islamic political thought, legitimacy was often discussed in relation to divine authority, religious law, and the moral standing of rulers. In modern Iranian Islamic philosophy, however, the concept has expanded into a more layered framework that seeks to reconcile revelation, reason, and human nature with social acceptance and institutional order. This study focuses on Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s works as a representative and influential source for understanding this transformation. The central concern of the research is to identify how political legitimacy is conceptualized in his thought and which theological and philosophical foundations support it. The study argues that legitimacy in this framework cannot be reduced to popular consent alone; rather, it is a hybrid notion rooted in divine guidance, rational justification, and the innate disposition of human beings toward truth and justice.
Materials and Methods
This research adopts a qualitative, analytical-descriptive approach. The primary materials are the published works of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, supplemented by relevant texts in Islamic political philosophy and selected comparative references from classical Islamic and Western political thought. The data were gathered through systematic content analysis, with attention to recurring concepts such as legitimacy, justice, law, reason, fitrah, divine authority, and social acceptance. A comparative framework was also used to identify both continuities and differences between Javadi Amoli’s theory and earlier Islamic approaches as well as modern Western theories of legitimacy. This method enabled the study to move beyond a purely descriptive account and toward a theological-philosophical reconstruction of legitimacy as a normative and practical category.
Discussion
The analysis shows that Javadi Amoli’s view of political legitimacy is multi-dimensional. First, legitimacy has a divine-epistemic dimension: revelation provides the highest source of normative authority and moral orientation. Second, it has a rational dimension: reason is not merely subordinate to revelation but functions as a means of understanding, interpreting, and defending legitimate political order. Third, legitimacy has an anthropological dimension based on fitrah, the innate human disposition toward truth, justice, and moral order. In this sense, legitimacy is not simply imposed from above; it must resonate with the deepest moral and existential structure of human beings. Fourth, legitimacy has a normative-social dimension, in which justice, legal order, and the rule-governed functioning of governance become essential conditions for validity and acceptance.
From this perspective, social acceptance is important but insufficient by itself. A government may enjoy public support, but if it lacks justice, religious legality, or conformity with rational and divine criteria, its legitimacy remains incomplete. Conversely, a politically and morally grounded system that fails to connect with social realities may not achieve effective legitimacy in practice. Javadi Amoli’s theory therefore presents a layered model in which revelation, reason, fitrah, and justice mutually reinforce one another. The comparative analysis also shows that this model differs from liberal theories that ground legitimacy primarily in popular sovereignty, while at the same time it shares with some modern approaches the recognition that legitimacy must be practical, communicable, and socially lived rather than purely abstract.
Conclusion
The study concludes that political legitimacy in Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s thought is best understood as a composite and relational concept. It emerges from the convergence of revelation, reason, and human nature, and it becomes operative only when justice and religious legality are realized in governance. This framework offers a distinct contribution to contemporary Islamic political philosophy by providing a theological basis for evaluating not only the ideal foundations of authority but also the practical legitimacy of governments. As such, theological analysis of Javadi Amoli’s works opens a pathway for more precise studies of political legitimacy in Iran and offers a robust conceptual model for further research in Islamic political thought.