The words behind the regime: the books and writings of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Few modern world leaders have left behind as large a body of writing as Ali Khamenei, a man who spent decades translating ancient Islamic texts, lecturing on prayer and patience, and building a political theology that shaped an entire nation. Now, following his assassination in February 2026, his books stand as the most complete record of what he believed and why.
Dictator, tyrant, and a prolific author of Islamic scholarship, spiritual guides, and political thought? Ali Khamenei spent decades writing books that few outside Iran ever read. Now that he is gone, they may be the clearest window into what drove him.
Khamenei frequently spoke about the importance of reading and personal study. In one speech he encouraged ordinary people to make time for books even during short breaks in daily life:
“I recommend for those who go to work on a daily basis, office employees, laborers, shopkeepers, and farmers, to spend a portion of their time, even if just for half an hour, on reading when they get home. So many books can be read over a span of time during half hour intervals. I have read through twenty volume book collections during these ten minute, twenty minute, quarter breaks. Overall, I have probably read hundreds of books during these short intervals, and I know many people who have done the same. For instance, I read through an eight volume set of books written by an Arab author. This was many years ago while I frequently travelled to Tehran, spending long hours on the bus. I read almost all eight volumes on those bus rides. They were about the history of literature, sciences, and Islamic teachings.”
The remark reflects how Khamenei often described his own intellectual formation. Throughout his life he portrayed reading and study as habits developed gradually over many years rather than through formal academic writing alone.
Following his death in February 2026, these writings remain one of the clearest records of the intellectual framework that informed his political outlook and leadership.
Why this article focuses on his writings
This article does not attempt to evaluate Ali Khamenei politically or pass judgment on his role as a ruler. It does not take a position on the Islamic Republic, its record, or the views expressed in his writings.
The goal is simply to document and describe what he wrote, the subjects he addressed, the arguments he made, and the context in which his works were produced. Readers are free to draw their own conclusions about the man and his politics.
A life shaped by revolution, religion, and study
Ali Hosseini Khamenei was born on April 17, 1939, in the Iranian city of Mashhad. A cleric trained in the Shia religious seminaries of Mashhad and Qom, he became involved in the revolutionary movement against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi during the 1960s and 1970s.
After the Iranian Revolution of 1979 he rose quickly within the new political system. He served as President of Iran from 1981 to 1989, and in 1989 he succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. He remained in that position until his death.
On February 28, 2026, Khamenei was killed during a series of United States and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran that targeted senior Iranian officials during the regional conflict that year. His death was confirmed by Iranian authorities the following day.
Alongside his political career, Khamenei produced a significant body of written work over more than six decades. His writings include original religious studies, lecture transcripts later published as books, translations of Arabic texts into Persian, memoirs, and collections of speeches on religious and political themes.
Early writings and intellectual foundations
Khamenei’s earliest books were written before the Iranian Revolution and reflect the intellectual environment of Iranian religious seminaries in the 1960s and 1970s, when many clerics were trying to reinterpret Islamic teachings in response to modern political and social questions.
One of his most substantial works from this period is An Outline of Islamic Thought in the Quran, based on lectures delivered in Mashhad during Ramadan in 1974. In these lectures he attempts to reconstruct what he sees as the core worldview of Islam using the Quran itself as the primary source. Rather than approaching the Quran verse by verse, he organizes his discussion around several themes that he believes form the foundation of Islamic society.
One of these themes is tawhid, the oneness of God. Khamenei interprets tawhid not only as a theological doctrine but as a principle that shapes social and political life. If God alone possesses ultimate authority, then no human ruler can claim absolute power. In this interpretation monotheism becomes the foundation for rejecting political tyranny and for building a society based on justice.
Another theme is prophethood, which he presents as a historical process through which divine guidance enters human society. Prophets are described not only as spiritual teachers but also as leaders who attempted to establish justice and moral order within their communities.
He also discusses the idea of the Islamic community, arguing that the Quran presents Muslims as a collective responsible for building a just social order. Religious belief, in this view, leads naturally to social engagement rather than remaining a purely private matter.
Another early work, Pishva ye Sadeq, examines the life of Jaʿfar al Sadiq, the sixth Imam in Shia Islam. Khamenei portrays the Imam as both a scholar and a community leader who lived during a period of political tension under the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. According to the book, Imam Sadiq preserved the intellectual foundations of Shia Islam by focusing on teaching and scholarship while avoiding direct political confrontation with the ruling authorities.
Several shorter works explore spiritual themes. From the Depths of Prayer reflects on the deeper meaning of the daily prayers in Islam. Khamenei argues that prayer is meant to cultivate humility, discipline, and constant awareness of God. Through repeated practice the act of prayer gradually shapes a believer’s character and sense of responsibility.
A Discourse on Patience examines the Quranic concept of sabr, usually translated as patience or steadfastness. In Khamenei’s interpretation sabr means active endurance rather than passive acceptance of hardship. It includes perseverance in worship, moral restraint in the face of temptation, and determination when confronting injustice.
Shia history and religious interpretation
A central theme in Khamenei’s writings is the history of the Shia Imams and their role in preserving Islamic teachings after the death of the Prophet Muhammad.
His best known work on this subject is A 250 Year Old Person, a collection of lectures that examines the lives of the Imams from the seventh to the ninth centuries. The title refers to the roughly two and a half centuries between the death of the Prophet in 632 and the death of the eleventh Imam, Hasan al Askari, in 874.
In this interpretation the Imams are not isolated religious figures but leaders engaged in a continuous historical effort to preserve the principles of Islam. Each Imam responded differently to the political circumstances of his time. Some confronted rulers openly, while others focused on teaching, scholarship, and community organization.
Despite these different approaches, Khamenei argues that the ultimate goal remained the same. The Imams sought to preserve justice, maintain the moral integrity of the Muslim community, and prepare the conditions for a form of governance based on Islamic principles.
Another group of lectures focuses on Ashura, the annual commemoration of the death of Imam Husayn at the Battle of Karbala in the year 680. In these writings Khamenei examines the ethical meaning of Husayn’s decision to challenge the rule of the Umayyad caliph Yazid.
According to this interpretation Husayn’s stand represents a moral obligation to oppose injustice even when the chances of success are small. The lesson of Karbala therefore lies not only in mourning but also in the commitment to defend moral principles under difficult circumstances.
Personal memories, translations, and political writings
Some of Khamenei’s published works contain autobiographical reflections on his own life. Accounts of his imprisonment during the final years of the Shah’s rule describe his activities as a young cleric involved in religious preaching and political activism. These writings recount arrests by SAVAK, periods of detention, and the atmosphere of political repression that existed before the revolution.
Another set of recollections describes events from the Iran Iraq War of 1980 to 1988, during which Khamenei served as President of Iran. These accounts include memories of early battles, discussions of wartime leadership, and reflections on the experience of governing during a period of national crisis.
Before the revolution Khamenei also translated several Arabic works into Persian. His best known translation is The Peace of Imam Hasan, written by the Iraqi scholar Razi Aal Yasin. The book examines the treaty between Imam Hasan and Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan that ended a civil war in the early Islamic period.
Some historians have criticized Hasan’s decision to make peace, interpreting it as a surrender. The book instead argues that Hasan made a strategic choice designed to prevent further bloodshed and protect the long term future of the Muslim community.
Another translation examines the role of Muslims in India’s struggle against British colonial rule. By translating this work Khamenei introduced Persian readers to the political history of Muslim movements outside Iran and to the wider experience of anti colonial resistance.
During his years as Supreme Leader he also published collections of speeches addressing contemporary political issues. One example is Palestine, which gathers many of his statements about the Israeli Palestinian conflict. In these writings he presents the Palestinian question as a central political issue for the Muslim world and frames it in terms of resistance to foreign domination.
His 2015 Letter to the Youth in Europe and North America addressed young readers in Western countries following a series of terrorist attacks in France. In the letter he urged them to examine Islamic sources directly rather than forming opinions based solely on media portrayals or political rhetoric.
In later years additional books were compiled from his lectures on religious and ethical topics. These include reflections on the Nahjul Balagha, discussions of repentance and forgiveness in Islamic spirituality, and collections of advice about marriage and family life drawn from his speeches.
Recurring ideas across his writings
Several themes appear repeatedly throughout Khamenei’s works.
One is the relationship between monotheism and political authority. He often argues that belief in one God has political implications because ultimate loyalty belongs to God rather than to any earthly ruler.
Another theme is the interpretation of the Shia Imams as leaders engaged in a long historical effort to preserve justice and Islamic principles within society.
His writings also emphasize resistance to foreign domination. From his early translations about anti colonial movements to his later writings on Palestine, he consistently framed resistance to external political control as a moral and religious obligation.
Finally many of his works link spiritual discipline with political responsibility. Discussions of prayer, patience, repentance, and Ashura emphasize that personal moral development is closely connected with ethical and social action.
The intellectual record he left behind
Ali Khamenei’s written output spans more than six decades and includes religious scholarship, translations, memoirs, and collections of speeches.
Some works, particularly An Outline of Islamic Thought in the Quran and A 250 Year Old Person, present broader interpretations of Islamic theology and Shia history. Others, such as his writings on Palestine or his open letter to Western youth, reflect his role as a political leader responding to contemporary events.
Taken together these writings form an important record of the intellectual and religious ideas that shaped his understanding of the Islamic Republic, its political mission, and its place in the wider world.