Research Briefing

This brief explores the ideological convergence between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist), two movements often perceived as divided by sectarian lines but in fact united in their political vision. Despite their Sunni-Shi’a theological differences, both traditions uphold a worldview in which religious authority is elevated above secular governance and political legitimacy derives from divine law rather than the will of the people. The ultimate aim, whether framed in Sunni or Shi’a terms, is the establishment of an Islamic order in which the ummah transcends national borders and where state structures exist to serve a religious mission.