Ayatollahs and Shah’s laws: The contested origins of Khomeini’s title

The origins and conferral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's highest religious title remain a subject of historical debate, with various narratives offering different explanations.

While the title 'Grand Ayatollah' became widely associated with Khomeini around 1963-1964, following the death of Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi, its attainment is not straightforward. One common account suggests Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr issued a fatwa elevating Khomeini. However, other sources dispute this, arguing that the title is not granted by decree or fatwa from another cleric or religious authority.

Instead, it is widely believed that a Twelver Shiite cleric earns the title through gradual recognition by followers and those who pay religious taxes (khums) to them. This process increases their popular support and financial standing. There is no universally agreed-upon text or procedure that defines how one attains the title of "Ayatollah."

Speculation suggests the title may have been hastily bestowed upon Khomeini without a specified granting authority. This was reportedly to shield him from a potential execution order from Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi after Khomeini's public opposition to the Shah's rule in 1963. While the Shah did not personally issue death sentences, courts or committees often acted at his behest. However, verified evidence of a court issuing a death sentence against Khomeini is lacking; he was instead exiled.

Historically, Iranian rulers have managed politically troublesome religious figures through imprisonment, house arrest, or exile. Reza Shah, for instance, secularized Iran, facing resistance from the clerical establishment. His son, Mohammad Reza Shah, continued these policies, though encountering less organized opposition compared to Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's secular reforms.