Separation of Powers in Imamiyya with Regards to the Theory of Wilayat-e Faqih

Imamiyya jurisprudents have had controversy over the theory of separation of powers. The jurisprudents like Allamah Naini and the late Akhund Khurasani have accepted this view and defended it. The scholars such as Sheikh Fazlollah Nouri and Mohammad Hussein Tabrizi did not accept and considered it innovation, delusion, and opposition to Shari’a. The theory of separation of powers in the system of wilayat-e faqih seems more complicated, because the system of wilaya-e faqih that is the system of Ummah and Imamate is congruent with the concentration of power. In this paper, by examining the evolution of the concept of separation of powers through history and the proofs provided from the verses, narrations and intellectuals’ conduct for the issue, and studying the opinions of the scholars, it is proved that firstly, from Imamiyya’s view, the system of separation of powers is acceptable as a governance model; secondly, the separation of powers in the system of wilayat-e faqih is more efficient, given the fact that the separation of powers from the view of Imamiyya and its scholars is very different from that of Western thought.