Political and Historical Significance Though primarily theological, Kashf al-Asrar had a political edge: it defended the authority and social relevance of the clergy at a time when secularizing forces and modernist critiques were gaining ground in Iran. The pamphlet helped bring Khomeini into wider public notice and contributed to his eventual reputation as a leader who could defend Shia traditions against modernist critiques. Over the decades that followed, Khomeini’s concerns widened from defending ritual and doctrine to advocating for an active political role for the clergy, culminating in his development of the concept of velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist) and the leadership role he assumed after the 1979 Iranian Revolution.