Velâyat
Velâyat, also spelled Velāyat or Wilayat, is a term from Arabic and Persian that means guardianship, authority, or jurisdiction. In Islamic and especially Shia contexts, velâyat refers to the leadership and guardianship of the community by recognized religious authorities, ranging from the Prophet Muhammad and the Imams to later scholars and jurists deemed qualified to exercise authority in accordance with Islamic law. The concept encompasses both spiritual guidance and, in various historic and theological formulations, political leadership.
In Twelver Shi’ism, wilāya denotes the rightful authority exercised by the divinely appointed leaders, the Imams,
The most prominent contemporary usage is velāyat-e faqīh, or guardianship of the jurist. This doctrine was developed
Outside Iran, velâyat is used more broadly to denote guardianship or jurisdiction in religious, legal, and administrative