The Completion of Prophethood and the Supremacy of Islam over All Religions<span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">)An Analysis of the Qur’anic Verse “Li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi” in the Thought of Ayatollah Khamenei<span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">(

The Qur’anic verse “li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi” (“that He may cause it to prevail over every religion”) (Qur’an ۹:۳۳; ۶۱:۹) has long been regarded as one of the key Qur’anic verses articulating the future trajectory of history in Islamic thought. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach and drawing upon Ayatollah Khamenei’s statements and interpretations concerning this verse, the present study systematically examines and elucidates the conceptual framework underlying his thought regarding the ultimate triumph of Islam. The central question of the study concerns the nature of Islam’s ultimate supremacy, as well as the foundations and mechanisms through which this ultimate triumph is realized within his intellectual framework. The findings indicate that, in Ayatollah Khamenei’s thought, the triumph of Islam constitutes an inevitable historical process grounded in a comprehensive cultural-civilizational theory rather than merely a military event. The central premise of this theory is the inseparable relationship between the completion of prophethood and the inherent superiority of Islam. In this view, with the mission of the Prophet Muhammad and the presentation of the most complete form of divine guidance, Islam has, by its very nature, attained superiority over all other human schools of thought. This inherent superiority is actualized through soft-power mechanisms, particularly the strength of rational argumentation and the production of knowledge. The study demonstrates that this cultural superiority, in order to be realized and protected, requires hard-power instruments, including institution-building, political organization, and the establishment of government—processes that emerge through sustained jihād and continuous endeavor. Its ultimate horizon is the establishment of the global rule of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). The principal contribution of this study is to conceptualize this intellectual framework as a strategic model capable of resolving the prevalent dichotomy concerning the nature of Islam’s ultimate triumph—namely, the opposition between “intellectual/logical supremacy” and “supremacy through power.” By integrating theological, cultural, scientific, and political dimensions, this model systematically articulates and completes the mechanisms through which Islam’s ultimate supremacy is to be realized within a comprehensive theoretical framework.

کلیدواژه ها:

Li-yuẓhirahu ʿalā al-dīn kullihi ، Ayatollah Khamenei ، completion of prophethood ، cultural supremacy ، the true religion ، Islamic system