Rereading of the Rule of Rejection of Way with Emphasis on Imam Khomeini's Thought

The rule of Rejection of Way is among important jurisprudential rules, which, according to dominant jurisprudential approaches, is based on the Quranic verses, authentic traditions and consensus. In many cases, jurisprudents consider this rule as a base of inference of Sharia decrees. According to this rule, any act that may pave the way for the domination of infidels over believers is impermissible (haram). According to this rule, any agreement, contract, transaction or pact that may lead to the superiority of the infidels over the believers is not legally valid. This paper is an attempt to study the concept and content of the rule of Rejection of Way, its jurisprudential status and documentations in the light of jurisprudential viewpoints of Imam Khomeini. Also the secondary rules based on this rule have been analyzed. The most important argumentative document of this rule is the rule of understanding of reason. The content of this rule which is definitely compatible with the two elements of Islamic dignity and independence are understood by reason and its conception leads to its confirmation. Hence the main concern of the present paper is to lay emphasis on the requirement of understanding of reason. Other issues discussed in this paper include the relationship between the rule of rejection of way and other arguments, the source of determination of referents of domination, the idea of rejection of way and life in today’s world and finally rejection of way and economic independence (necessity of national production and resistance economy) within the framework of Imam Khomeini’s thought.