Wikipedia's first sentence called it “book by the iranian shia muslim cleric and revolutionary ayatollah khomeini”. Today it says “book by the iranian cleric”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Book by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini”. It now reads “Manifesto by Ayatollah Khomeini for a theocratic Islamic state”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
We saved snapshots of this article over twenty years; you are reading the 2025 one. Red dashes: removed from Wikipedia since.Pale dots: rewritten; the numbered note shows what it says now.Red text: written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot.1 tap a number or a side note to jump between them
The opening as it read in 2025
Islamic state For other uses, see Islamic governance and Islamic state . Personal Family Death and state funeral Books Islamic Government Tahrir al-Wasilah Kashf al-Asrar Forty Hadith Islam and Revolution The Greatest Jihad Iranian Revolution Life in exile 1963 demonstrations Contact with the United States Return to Iran 1st Supreme Leader of Iran 1979 Islamic Republic referendum Interim Government of Iran (1979) Hostage crisis Iran–Iraq War Satanic Verses controversy Legacy Khomeinism Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order Fajr decade Homafaran Allegiance Imam Khomeini International Airport v t e Islamic Government ( Persian : حکومت اسلامی , romanized : Ḥokūmat-i Eslāmī ), or Islamic Government: Jurist's Guardianship ( Persian : حکومت اسلامی ولایت فقیه , romanized : Ḥokūmat-i Eslāmī Wilāyat-i Faqīh ) is a book by the Iranian cleric , Islamic jurist and revolutionary, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . First published in 1970, it is perhaps the most influential document written in modern times in support of theocratic rule . The book argues that government should be run in accordance with traditional Islamic law ( sharia ), and for this to happen, a leading Islamic jurist ( faqīh ) must provide political " guardianship " ( wilayat in Arabic, velāyat in Persian) over the people and nation. Following the Iranian Revolution , a modified form of this doctrine was incorporated into the 1979 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran . Drafted by an assembly made up primarily of disciples of Khomeini, it stipulated that he would be the first faqih "guardian" ( Vali-ye faqih ) or " Supreme Leader " of Iran.
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 1292249750.
The opening as it stood in 2010
Velayat-e faqih ( Persian : ولایت فقیه , velāyat-e faqīh ), (also known as Islamic Government in English), is a book by the Iranian Shia Muslim cleric and revolutionary Ayatollah Khomeini , first published in 1970, and probably the most influential document written in modern times in support of theocratic rule . The book argues that government should be run in accordance with traditional Islamic sharia , and for this to happen a leading Islamic jurist ( faqih ), must provide political "guardianship" ( wilayat or velayat ) over the people. A modified form of this doctrine was incorporated into the 1979 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran following the Iranian Revolution , with the doctrine's author, Ayatollah Khomeini, as the first faqih "guardian" or Supreme Leader of Iran . 403 Forbidden Iranian Government Constitution, English Text
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 369183447.
The opening as it stood in 2015
Velayat-e faqih ( , velāyat-e faqīh ), also known as Islamic Government ( , Hokumat-i Eslami ), is a book by the Iranian Muslim cleric and revolutionary Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , first published in 1970, and probably the most influential document written in modern times in support of theocratic rule .The book argues that government should be run in accordance with Islamic Law in terms of form and content, and for this to happen a leading Islamic jurist ( faqih ) must provide political "guardianship" ( wilayat or velayat ) over the government and nation. A modified form of this doctrine was incorporated into the 1979 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran following the Iranian Revolution , with the doctrine's author, Ayatollah Khomeini, as the first faqih "guardian" or Supreme Leader of Iran .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 664437709.
The opening as it stood in 2020
Book by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini For other uses, see Islamic state . Velayat-e faqih ( , velāyat-e faqīh ), also known as Islamic Government ( , Hokumat-i Eslami ), is a book by the Iranian Muslim cleric , faqīh , and revolutionary Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , first published in 1970, and probably the most influential document written in modern times in support of theocratic rule . The book argues that government should be run in accordance with traditional Islamic law ( sharia ), and for this to happen a leading Islamic jurist ( faqih ) must provide political "guardianship" ( wilayat or velayat ) over the people and nation. A modified form of this doctrine was incorporated into the 1979 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran following the Iranian Revolution , with the doctrine's author, Ayatollah Khomeini, as the first faqih "guardian" or Supreme Leader of Iran .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 955218793.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023
Manifesto by Ayatollah Khomeini for a theocratic Islamic state For other uses, see Islamic state .Islamic Government ( , Hokumat-i Eslami ), also known as The Jurist's Guardianship: Islamic Government , ( , Velayat-e faqih: Hokumat-i Eslami ) is a book by the Iranian Shi'i Muslim cleric /jurist, and revolutionary, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini .First published in 1970, it is perhaps the most influential document written in modern times in support of theocratic rule .The book argues that government should/must be run in accordance with traditional Islamic law ( sharia ), and for this to happen a leading Islamic jurist ( faqīh ) must provide political " guardianship " ( wilayat in Arabic, velāyat in Persian) over the people and nation.Following the Iranian Revolution , a modified form of this doctrine was incorporated into the 1979 Constitution of Islamic Republic of Iran ; drafted by an assembly made up primarily by disciples of Khomeini, it stipulated he would be the first faqih "guardian" ( Vali-ye faqih ) or " Supreme Leader " of Iran.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1171369889.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “book by the iranian shia muslim cleric and revolutionary ayatollah khomeini”. Today it says “book by the iranian cleric”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Book by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini”. It now reads “Manifesto by Ayatollah Khomeini for a theocratic Islamic state”. Read the current article and compare.
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Oct '23
2025
jihad
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hostage
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Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
book by the iranian shia muslim cleric and revolutionary ayatollah khomeini
Now
book by the iranian cleric
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
