Features of the historical development of the Shiite constitutional concept

The presented article substantiates the evolution of the Shiite state-legal concept. It is considered from the standpoint of the historical and legal legitimacy of the Iranian state system within the framework of the Jafarite madhhab. The article uses concrete historical, chronological and comparative, as well as logical methods. The facts presented in the article explain the specifics of the formation of this concept, which serves as the purpose of the study. The continuity of the stages in the development of the «velayat-e faqih» doctrine is substantiated, the specific legal mechanisms inherent in the Jafarite madhhab are explained, and the place of Iran in the Islamic world from the point of view of the history of law is illuminated. The article may be of interest to specialists in the Middle East, in particular the Islamic Republic of Iran.