Iran, pasca Revolusi 1979, mengubah bentuk negaranya dari negara monarki menjadi bentuk Republik Islam Iran (Mazhab Syi'ah) dengan sistem Wilayah al-Faqih (kewenangan/otoritas ahli agama). Menurut Imam Khomeini, sebagai pengkonsep sistem ini, rakyat harus memutuskan wewenang mereka dengan suatu cara tertentu, kehendak orang banyak (rakyat) tersebut harus diikat oleh kehendak Ilahiyyah. Dan ikatan ini dimanifestasikan dengan pengendalian Wilayah al-Faqih atas pemerintah. Ini pula yang sering ia sebut sebagai hukum Ilahiyyah-manusia atau yang lebih sering ia sebut dengan demokrasi Islam. Dalam mewujudkan hukum Ilahiyyah-manusia atau pemerintahan yang berdemokrasi Islam ini, suatu pemerintahan harus memenuhi dua syarat. Pertama ia harus legal, artinya ia telah mendapat restu/kelegalan dari Allah sebagai Sang pembuat hukum. Restu yang diberikan Allah ini hanya kepada orang-orang yang sudah mengenal lebih Allah dan hukumnya (Nabi/Rasul, Imam, Faqih/ahli agama). Kedua, harus legitimate. Selain diperlukannya `restu' Allah, maka untuk pelaksanaannya diperlukan pula legitimasi dan rakyat dan bisa diperoleh melalui pemilu. Kedua syarat inilah yang menjadi pilar dari demokrasi Islam. Bahwa dalam konsep Wilayah al-Faqih yang diterapkan di Republik Islam, Iran (RII), nampaknya Imam Khomeini mencoba menggabungkan sistem politik Barat (dengan keberadaan lembaga eksekutif, legislatif dan yudikatif) dengan sistem politik Islam (dengan keberadaan Dewan Perwalian, Dewan Kemashlahatan Nasional dan Imam/ Rahbar, yang bertugas mengawasi dan membatalkan suatu undang-undang yang dinilai bertentangan dengan hukum Islam, konstitusi RII dan cita-cita revolusi). Bahwa dalam perjalanannya, konsep Wilayah al-Faqih ini mendapat kritik bahkan ditentang oleh sebagian rakyat Iran, dan ini terjadi sejak awal perjalanan negara ini pasca revolusi. Hal ini disebabkan beragamnya ideologi yang diusung kelompok-kelompok politik oposan di Iran. Kelompok-kelompok ini terdiri dari: kelompok nasionalis-liberal, kelompok kiri/Marxis, kelompok suku Kurdi (Sunni) dan kelompok Royalis (pro Shah). Bahwa konflik atau pertarungan antara kubu reformis dan konservatif di Iran saat Ini merupakan suatu fenomena demokrasi yang sedang berjalan. Tuntutan dari kubu reformis selama ini tidak sampai pada tuntutan mengubah tatanan bangunan Republik Islam Iran. Tuntutan perubahan masih terbatas pada butir-butir dalam konstitusi, meninjau kembali kekuasaan mutlak Pemimpin/Rahbar dan sekaligus memberi kekuasaan yang lebih besar kepada Presiden.

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Islam and Democracy: Institutional Format of Democracy in Islamic Republic of Iran After Islamic revolution of 1979, Iran reshapes its political system from monarchy into Islamic Republic (Shi'a sect) based on the principle of velayat-e-faqih (guardianship of the supreme jurist-theologian). To supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini, the originator of that concept, the people have to stipulate their authority through a certain way, namely the desire of majority (people) must be bind by God's rule and legislation. This bind is manifested in form of velayat-e-faqih control over government. This is indeed what he calls man-deity legislation or what is often termed Islamic democracy.

To implement this man-deity legislation or government based on the Islamic democracy, two requirements must meet. Firstly, it shall be legal, namely obtaining approval from God as the Legislator. The approval of God is only given to ones who know God as well as His legislation much better (namely Prophet/Messenger, Leader, jurist-theologian). Secondly, it shall be legitimate. For the sake of implementation, in addition to obtaining God' approval, it is necessary to get legitimacy from the people, and this can be reached through election.

Based on principle of velayat-e-faqih as implemented in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in addition to clergy institutions themselves, there are also democratic institutions whose functions and tasks are exactly the same as democratic institutions in other countries. However, their authority is limited to the power of clergy institutions, (such as the Guardian Council, Expediency Discernment Council of the System, and the Supreme Leader/Rahbar) whose functions are to oversee and annul a legislation that is in contravention Islamic order, Iran's constitution, and revolutionary goal.

During the course of its implementation, this concept of velayat-e-faqih has gotten criticism and even opposition from some walks of life in Iran, and this truly has been taking place since the beginning of the country's course in the post-revolutionary period. This happens because the varieties of ideology that are put forward by some political opposition groups in Iran. These groups consist of nationalist-liberal group, left/Marxist group, Kurd group (Sunni), and Royalist group (pro-Shah).

Actually, conflict or struggle for power between reformist and conservative party in Iran must be deemed as a normal phenomenon in on-going democracy. The reformist's demand so far doesn't exceed to reshape structural pillar of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is only limited to some articles included in Iran's constitution, to reconsider absolute power of the Supreme Leader (Rahbar), and to share more authority to the president as executive power. As a matter of fact, these demands were ever voiced and fought by moderate group during Ayatollah Khomeini in power.