Hawzah News Agency- Hojatoleslam Sayyed Mofid Husseini Kouhsari, deputy for international affairs at Iran's seminary schools, explained the criteria at a conference, examining whether they apply to the Islamic Republic today and whether their combined outcome supports the conclusion that Iran is the world's foremost power from a religious and Quranic perspective.
First indicator: Continuity of divine guardianship and religious governance
Hojatoleslam Kouhsari said the first criterion is the extent to which a system operates in line with divine guardianship (wilayah) and the realization of divine sovereignty. In Quranic verses, divine guardianship extends through the guardianship of the prophets, which connects to that of the infallible Imams (AS) and continues through the guardianship of God's righteous servants.
He noted that the theory of wilayat al-faqih (guardianship of the Islamic jurist) in Iran is built on this structure, defining governance on the basis of the guardianship of the Ahlulbayt (AS) and the prophets. "From this perspective, the Islamic Republic can be assessed as holding a special position among the world's countries, because its governing system is founded on the theory of wilayat al-faqih and the continuity of divine guardianship," he said.
Second indicator: Standing against tyrants and enjoying divine assistance
The second criterion, Hojatoleslam Kouhsari said, is resistance against tyrants and hegemonic systems. In the divine order of calculation, a power that stands against major tyrants and the main currents of tyranny is placed in a position where divine assistance and God's support come into play.
Citing the Quranic duality of divine guardianship versus satanic guardianship, he said Iran faces widespread hostility from the Israeli regime, international Zionism, the United States and parts of Western civilization. "The greater the righteousness of a current and the more hostility it faces from tyrants and hegemonic powers, the more the question of divine assistance and support from God's forces comes into play," he said.
Third indicator: The relationship between leader and nation
The third criterion is the relationship between the Imam and the ummah — the extent of public support for God's guardian, prophet and righteous servants. Hojatoleslam Husseini Kouhsari cited the Quranic condemnation of the Children of Israel for refusing to accompany Prophet Moses (AS), who told him: "Go forth, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are staying here."
Applying this to Iran, he pointed to the cohesion, solidarity and allegiance of the Iranian nation to the Leader — people who follow a leadership many of whom have never directly seen their Imam, yet whose allegiance is rooted in belief in guardianship and representation. He also cited the roughly 11 million people who attended the funeral of the martyred Leader of the Revolution as an example of these deep social and religious bonds, and noted similar movements in Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan and Yemen tied to the model formed in Iran.
Fourth indicator: Intellectual, epistemological and discursive authority
The fourth criterion is a country's intellectual, epistemological, philosophical and discursive foundation. Hojatoleslam Kouhsari said Iran, by virtue of its connection to the teachings of the Ahlulbayt (AS) and the divine saints, enjoys a level of knowledge, discourse, philosophy, mysticism, rationality and wisdom that constitutes a source of power.
He stressed that this capacity is not limited to Iranians but extends beyond Iran's borders due to its connection to the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and the infallible Imams. He cited pure Islam, comprehensive Islam, civilizational Islam, the Ashura school, revolutionary Islam and the discourse of resistance as components of this discursive authority — noting that China, for all its economic and political power, does not necessarily possess comparable discursive and theoretical authority, while Western civilization today faces intellectual and epistemological crises.
Fifth indicator: Empathy, solidarity, sacrifice and selflessness
The fifth criterion is the level of empathy, solidarity, sacrifice and selflessness in society. Hojatoleslam Kouhsari pointed to the "Janfada" (self-sacrifice) campaign, in which large numbers of people volunteer for sacrifice, and to martyrs in various fields — service, health, security and education — as evidence that the spirit of sacrifice spans all segments of society.
Citing the Quranic verse "If you help God, He will help you," he said divine assistance is tied to supporting God's religion and stepping forward on the path of truth, making sacrifice and selflessness a key indicator in Quranic calculations of power.
Sixth indicator: Patience, steadfastness and resilience
The sixth criterion is a nation's patience, steadfastness and resilience. Kouhsari said that from the Quranic perspective, a nation's steadfastness can pave the way for receiving divine assistance. "Evaluating a nation's position is not limited to its momentary situation; its level of endurance in the face of difficulties also matters," he said, adding that resilience must be examined alongside guardianship, discursive authority and sacrifice as a combined set.
Seventh indicator: Comprehensive unity and cohesion
The seventh criterion is comprehensive unity and cohesion. Citing the Quranic verse "And do not dispute, lest you falter and lose your strength," Hojatoleslam Kouhsari warned that division and strife lead to defeat and the loss of power and authority.
He said unity among the people, officials and leadership in Iran is currently at a notable level, encompassing relations between different groups and currents, officials with one another, the people with officials, and both with the leadership. He acknowledged that this does not mean denying all differences and exceptions, but that the overall outcome must be considered.
Military, weapons and scientific power as complementary factors
Hojatoleslam Sayyed Mofid Husseini Kouhsari also pointed to the role of the armed forces and military, weapons and scientific capabilities as additional dimensions of power, stressing that power cannot be assessed by a single criterion. Military and scientific capabilities must be examined alongside divine guardianship, public support, epistemological foundations, sacrifice, steadfastness and unity, he said.
The combined outcome
In conclusion, Hojatoleslam Kouhsari said Iran may rank first in some indicators and hold a distinct position in others, but what matters is the combined outcome. "When we put this set together — the intellectual and epistemological system, political structure, cohesion and unity, the discursive backing of pure and civilizational Islam, sacrifice and selflessness, and patience and resilience — we can conclude that the Islamic Republic of Iran is the foremost power in the international arena in religious and Quranic calculations," he said.
He noted that other systems of power assessment may not include these indicators and may rank countries by other criteria — with some placing Iran fourth — but if Quranic and religious criteria are the basis, countries must be measured by those standards. He added that in some of these areas, Iran's position has become more prominent since the martyrdom of the Leader of the Revolution, and this too must be considered in assessing the country's current standing.
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