The book uncovers important aspects of the Iranian political experience that are rarely discussed outside of Iran. It discusses amendments made by Ayatollah Khomeini to specific Shia beliefs about leadership and authority, and the method he proposed for reconciling religious and popular sources of political legitimacy, as well as the role of the jurist in a republican system. The book offers a comparative view of the political ideology of the conservative religious current and its reformist counterpart, which combines religious foundations with democratic-liberal concepts. It analyzes the reasons behind the failure of the traditional religious model and the emergence of its reformist competitor. This analysis seeks to answer the question: Where can Islamists succeed or fail in exercising power? The analysis is set within the specific case study of applying the concept of social justice economically and examining the relationship between state and society. Tawfiq Al-Saif is a Saudi writer and researcher. His works include: Democracy in a Muslim Country, Atayaf, Qatif 2007, Modernity as a Religious Need, Arab Scientific Publishers, Beirut 2006, The Theory of Authority in Shia Jurisprudence, Arab Cultural Center, Beirut 2002, Islam in the Political Arena, Al-Jadeed Publishing House, Beirut 2000, Against Tyranny: A Reading in Shia Political Thought, Arab Cultural Center, Beirut 1999, Critical Margins on Our Cultural Reality, Dar Al-Kunuz Al-Adabiya, Beirut 1996.

Publishing house: Dar Al Saqi for Publishing and Distribution Number of Pages: 408 Year of publication: 2008