Thank you for writing these deeply thoughtful paragraphs in response to my three short lines.
Your observations are rock solid, not much to disagree with. But what comes to my mind is Sermon 25 of the Nahj al Balgha and other similar messages in the same book.
https://www.al-islam.org/nahjul-balagha-part-1-sermons/sermon-25-nothing-left-me-kufah
By Allah, I have begun thinking about these people that they would shortly snatch away the whole country through their unity on their wrong and your disunity (from your own right), and separation, your disobedience of your Imam in matters of right and their obedience to their leader in matters of wrong, their fulfilment of the trust in favour of their master and your betrayal, their good work in their cities and your mischief.
Make of it what you will.
Thanks for citing these sermons, they contain important wisdoms we need to ponder and take seriously. We shall see if the quoted one will apply to the Islamic Republic or not. I for one hope not. I'm rather confident in the IR's ability to avert the danger. And God knows best.
Disclaimer: I am not comparing Islamic Revolution to the rule of Infallibles, I am a follower of Sistani and do not believe in absolute Wilayte Faqih.
I don't think this is what you meat to suggest by the above, but since I saw other users make incorrect statements in this regard, and to clear any misunderstandings that may arise in some readers' minds, let me add an important point:
The principle of absolute Velayate Faqih does
not entail belief in infallibility of the Valie Faqih. To us the Supreme Leader isn't infallible, meaning he commits mistakes and is not sinless. Infallibility is confined to fourteen Ma'sumin: Prophet (s), his daughter Fatima (as), his successor Imam Ali (as) and the following eleven Imams (as) who descend from the Prophet (s). Ascribing infallibility to any person other than the latter, would place us outside the boundaries of Twelver Shia Islam.
What absolute Velayate Faqih means, is essentially that in the absence of the infallible Imam i.e. hazrate Mahdi (aj) who is currently in occultation, the Valie Faqih fulfills the role of a deputy, so to say, and therefore his political competence covers the areas of governance which Imam Mahdi (aj) will exercise power over. In short, the Valie Faqih is the paramount authority in the political order (
nezam).
Not being infallible, his rule will not be flawless, unlike Imam Mahdi's (aj). However, as long as the latter remains in occultation, Velayate Faqih or government of the qualified jurisconsult (
mojtahed), is considered a necessity as well as the most legitimate type of governance possible.
if we count India as neighbor 10 of them doing better than us.
