Acceptance of Guardianship from Tyrant Ruler: The Extraction of Jurisprudential Decree from “Verse ۵۵ of the Joseph Chapter” in Shī‘a and Sunnī Exegeses

The article at hand examines the extraction of the jurisprudential decree on the “Acceptance of guardianship from tyrant ruler” based on the Anecdote Verses of the Qur’ān, especially the noble verse “(Joseph) said: ‘Set me over the store-houses of the land: I will indeed guard them, as one that knows (their importance).’” The Shī‘a political thought, which deems ruling exclusive to God, His Prophet (s), and the Infallible vicegerents of the Prophet (s), has introduced the concept of “guardianship from tyrant ruler” into its political jurisprudence literature from the Major Occultation era and has the biggest share in this discussion. Although the inherent prohibition of cooperation with the tyrant ruler is for sure, the existence of many problems and difficulties in the society and the licenses given by the Pure Imāms (a) to assume certain vacancies in the tyrant governments have led the Shī‘a and Sunnī jurisprudents to deem this type of guardianship as permissible in order to restore the right, promote justice, and execute the Divine Decrees.

Keywords:

Anecdote Verses , Ahl al-Bayt (a) , Jurisprudential decree , Interpretive narrations , Guardianship from the tyrant ruler