# Ruhollah Khomeini

> Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989

**Wikidata**: [Q38823](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q38823)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhollah_Khomeini)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ruhollah-khomeini

## Summary
Ruhollah Khomeini was an Iranian cleric, theologian, politician and poet who served as the Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989. He is known for authoring religious and political works (including Forty Hadith, Kashf al-Asrar, and the manifesto Islamic Government) and for giving the Islamic Republic of Iran its official ideology, Khomeinism.

## Biography
- Nationality: Iran
- Known for: Serving as Supreme Leader of Iran (1979–1989); authoring Forty Hadith (c. 1940), Kashf al-Asrar (c. 1943) and the manifesto Islamic Government; originator of the ideology Khomeinism
- Employer(s) / Affiliations: Government of Iran (as Supreme Leader); supervisory role over organizations reporting to the Leader such as the Mostazafan Foundation
- Field(s): Politics; Islamic clerical leadership (akhoond); theology; poetry; mysticism; religious clerical work

## Contributions
- Political leadership: Served as Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989, a constitutional office that positioned him as the highest authority in the Islamic Republic during that period.
- Publications:
  - Forty Hadith — book by Ruhollah Khomeini (inception around 1940).
  - Kashf al-Asrar — book by Ruhollah Khomeini (inception around 1943).
  - Islamic Government — a manifesto by Ayatollah Khomeini proposing a theocratic Islamic state (date not provided).
- Ideology: Articulated and gave name to the official ideology known as Khomeinism.
- Institutional context and legacy (concrete organizations and events linked to the period and office he held):
  - Mostazafan Foundation — a quasi-governmental organization (inception 1980-02-21) under the supervision of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
  - Quds Day — annual event (inception 1979-01-01) held on the last Friday of Ramadan in Iran.
  - Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — military organization to protect the political system of the Islamic Republic of Iran (inception 1979-05-05; employees: 125,000; country: Iran).
  - Basij — volunteer militia in Iran (inception 1979).
  - Imam Khomeini International University — university in Qazvin, Iran (inception 1984).
  - Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport — major international airport in Tehran, Iran (inception 2004) named after him.
  - Imam Khomeini Square — public square in Tehran, Iran named for him.
  - Numerous Iranian sites and institutions bear his name or are associated with the era of the Islamic Republic.
- Wartime context: The Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988) occurred during his tenure as Supreme Leader.

## FAQs
Q: What official position did Ruhollah Khomeini hold?
A: He served as the Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989, the highest constitutional authority in the Islamic Republic during that decade.

Q: What writings did Khomeini produce?
A: He authored Forty Hadith (c. 1940), Kashf al-Asrar (c. 1943) and the manifesto Islamic Government; these works combine religious scholarship and political ideas.

Q: What is Khomeinism?
A: Khomeinism is the official ideology of the Islamic Republic of Iran that was given and articulated by Ruhollah Khomeini.

Q: Which institutions or events are linked to his period as Leader?
A: Organizations and events associated with his leadership period include the Mostazafan Foundation (1980-02-21), Quds Day (1979), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (1979-05-05), the Basij (1979), and the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988).

Q: Are there public places named after him?
A: Yes. Examples include Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, Imam Khomeini Square, and Imam Khomeini International University (inception 1984, headquartered in Qazvin).

Q: Was he recognized internationally?
A: He has been associated with recognitions listed in available sources, including Time magazine’s Person of the Year category (listed under Awards/Recognition in the provided material).

## Why They Matter
Ruhollah Khomeini reshaped Iran’s political and religious landscape by occupying the post of Supreme Leader at the founding moment of the Islamic Republic. His writings provided theological grounding and practical argumentation for rule by Islamic jurists, later termed Khomeinism, which became the ideological framework of the new state. Institutions and practices established or institutionalized in the immediate post-revolutionary years — such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Basij, Quds Day, and quasi-governmental bodies like the Mostazafan Foundation — took shape in the political environment of his leadership and remain central to Iran’s governance and security architecture. His books and manifesto influenced religious scholars, clerical networks, and political actors inside Iran and in some regional Islamist movements. Without his leadership and ideological framing, the form and institutional structure of the Islamic Republic, the names and founding dates of several post-1979 organizations and events, and the array of Iranian public institutions bearing his name would be markedly different.

## Notable For
- Serving as Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 198989.
- Authoring Forty Hadith (c. 1940).
- Authoring Kashf al-Asrar (c. 1943).
- Writing the manifesto Islamic Government proposing rule by Islamic jurists.
- Originating and giving name to the ideology Khomeinism.
- Being linked to the founding-era institutions and events of the Islamic Republic, including the Mostazafan Foundation (inception 1980-02-21), Quds Day (inception 1979-01-01), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (inception 1979-05-05), and the Basij (inception 1979).
- Having major public sites and institutions named after him, including Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport and Imam Khomeini International University (inception 1984).
- Recognition appearing under Awards/Recognition in the provided sources, including Time Person of the Year (as listed in source material).

## Body

### Identities and titles
- Primary name: Ruhollah Khomeini.
- Aliases listed in source material: Humeynî; Khomeini; Imam Khomeini; Sayyid Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini; Ruḥ Allah Khumayni; Al-Mussavi Ruhollah Al-Khomeini; Ruhollah Khomeini o Jomeini.
- Official descriptors: Supreme Leader of Iran (1979–1989); cleric (akhoond); theologian; politician; poet; mystic; cleric.

### Political leadership and office
- Office held: Supreme Leader of Iran, from 1979 until 1989. That office is described in the source material as the highest position in the Islamic Republic during that time.
- The period of his leadership coincided with the immediate post-revolutionary institutionalization of the Islamic Republic and with the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988).

### Writings and doctrinal work
- Forty Hadith: A book attributed to Ruhollah Khomeini with inception around 1940. It is listed specifically as a work by him.
- Kashf al-Asrar: A book attributed to him with inception around 1943.
- Islamic Government: A manifesto by Ayatollah Khomeini presenting the case for a theocratic Islamic state; it is cited in the provided material as his manifesto.
- These writings form part of the corpus from which Khomeinism—the ideology named after him—was articulated.

### Ideology: Khomeinism
- Khomeinism is identified as the official ideology of the Islamic Republic of Iran given by Ruhollah Khomeini. The provided material explicitly ties the name and ideological formation to him.

### Organizations and events in his era
- Mostazafan Foundation: A quasi-governmental organization that, according to the provided material, is under the supervision of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran; its inception date is 1980-02-21. Because Khomeini was Supreme Leader beginning in 1979, this foundation operates under the office he held.
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC): Described as a military organization formed to protect the Islamic Republic’s political system; inception 1979-05-05; country: Iran; listed employees: 125,000. The IRGC was created in the immediate aftermath of the 1979 revolutionary period.
- Basij: A volunteer militia in Iran with inception in 1979, established during the post-revolutionary period.
- Quds Day: Annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan with inception listed as 1979-01-01; it is part of the political-religious calendar that emerged after the revolution.
- Iran–Iraq War: A conflict from 1980 to 1988 that unfolded during his time as Supreme Leader; it was a defining security event of his leadership period.

### Institutions and places named after him
- Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport: A major international airport in Tehran, Iran; listed with inception 2004 and named in his honor.
- Imam Khomeini Square: A square in Tehran, Iran; inception circa 1867 (date given for the square in source material) and carries his name.
- Imam Khomeini International University: University in Qazvin, Iran; inception 1984; headquarters in Qazvin; bears his name.
- Other Iranian sites of national heritage and public buildings appear in the broader national context (Shah Mosque, Grand Musalla of Isfahan, Grand Mosalla of Tehran) although they are historical or national sites within Iran rather than direct creations of Khomeini.

### Geographic and national context
- Country context: Iran — the country in Western Asia that is the national context for Khomeini’s life, political activity, leadership, and the institutions and events that arose in the revolution and post-revolutionary period. The provided material includes historical inception points for Iran across different empires and regimes as background for the nation in which Khomeini operated.

### International and regional links
- Key people and regional actors appear in the surrounding political context; for example, Hassan Nasrallah (Leader of Hezbollah, 1960–2024) is listed among key people in the broader dataset linked to Khomeini’s milieu.
- The institutional architecture established or consolidated in 1979–1980 is part of the regionally consequential changes associated with the revolutionary transformation in Iran.

### Awards and recognition
- Time Person of the Year is listed under Awards/Recognition in the provided material connected to the subject matter. The source material places this recognition in the dataset of awards associated with the person.

### Digital and reference data
- Official website listed in source material: http://www.imam-khomeini.ir/
- Wikidata/Wikipedia metadata included in the source: wikipedia_title: Ruhollah Khomeini; wikidata_description: Supreme Leader of Iran from 1979 to 1989; sitelink_count: 134.

### Legacy and long-term outcomes
- The ideological label Khomeinism and the office of Supreme Leader tied to his name continue to shape the governance and ideology of the Islamic Republic.
- Several institutions and public spaces are named for him, and organizations formed around 1979–1980 under the nascent Islamic Republic remain central to Iran’s political, military, social and educational structures.

(End of entry.)

## References

1. Source
2. BnF authorities
3. Integrated Authority File
4. Catalog of the German National Library
5. NUKAT
6. Web NDL Authorities
7. LIBRIS
8. data.bibliotheken.nl
9. WorldCat Entities
10. [Source](https://www.lonelyplanet.com/iran/tehran/attractions/holy-shrine-of-imam-khomeini/a/poi-sig/1118982/361025)
11. CiNii Research
12. [Source](https://www.newstatesman.com/long-reads/2009/03/khomeini-funeral-body-crowd)
13. [Source](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19890613&id=PDseAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jb8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6937,3485824)
14. [Encyclopædia Britannica Online](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruhollah-Khomeini/additional-info#Researchers-Note)
15. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
16. Virtual International Authority File
17. Library of Congress Authorities
18. Quora
19. FactGrid