There are many publications dealing with the political career of Ruhollah Khomeini (1902–1989), who transformed the political landscape of Iran and the Middle East after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Most of the research conducted in the West is on Khomeini’s political strategies, while the influential role of mysticism in all facets of his life is ignored. This book is the first study examining Khomeini’s poetry, mysticism and the reception of his poetry both in Iran and the West. It investigates how Khomeini integrated various doctrines and ideas of Islamic mysticism and Shiiism such as the Perfect Man into his poetry.

Diede Farhosh-van Loon obtained her PhD in Persian Studies from Leiden University in 2016. She is currently the project coordinator for the ERC Advanced Grant, Beyond Sharia: The Role of Sufism in Shaping Islam, in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Utrecht University.