The Muslim Revivalist Movements: The Role of Imam Khomeini in its Development and Continuity

The universality of Islamic teaching in fulfilling the needs of human life and managing human society have always been an interest of religious scholars and researchers. In this regard, preservation and expansion of Islam has preoccupied Ulama’s mind throughout the history. For this reason, the revival of Islamic values and thoughts has been recognized as a crucial issue for and a heavy burden on Muslim’s scholars. Imam Khomeini has achieved successes in continuance of the movement of religious revivalism, that other Islamic reformists have achieved less. Imam Khomeini is one of significant revivalists who led the Islamic revolution in Iran and consequently brought about changes in Muslim society and civilization. He proved that dignity and civilization of Muslims can be restored in the light of Islamic doctrine and its transcendental values. In this article, the researcher first attempts to discuss the concept of revivalism and its application in Islamic culture and the activities of some of contemporary Muslim revivalists comparatively. Finally, distinctive features of Imam Khomeini’s revivalism will be examined.