This paper criticizes the thesis that Shia Islam was the ultimate cause of the Iranian revolution. Numerous theories have been proposed to account for the Iranian revolution of 1979. The “cultural explanation” points to the Shah’s alleged alienation of the Shi’ite religious establishment and his supposed opposition to Shia Islam. Those who blame Shia Islam for the revolution highlight Muhammad Pahlavi’s alleged promotion of pre-Islamic Persian identity over Shia Islam as a source of his alienation of the Iranian population. Prominent scholar of Iran, Charles Kurzman, in his book The Unthinkable Revolution in Iran, discusses various explanations for the Iranian revolution. In his analysis of the cultural explanation of the revolution, he states that both Western and Soviet observers drew attention to Iran’s 90% Shia population. Many commentators, given the zeal of Khomeini and his fellow revolutionaries, believed that Shia Islam is inherently a revolutionary faith. Certainly, Ali Sharaiti and Ruhollah Khomeini both advanced this thesis. Hamid Dabashi in his book Shi’ism: A Religion of Protest argues that Shia Islam is inherently revolutionary, inheriting a revolutionary tradition from Imam Hussein’s sacrifice at Karbala. Three essential dimensions will be explored: The theological contradictions between classical Shia theology and the philosophy of Ayatollah Khomeini, Ali Sharaiti, and other revolutionary thinkers; the imbedded link between Iranian identity and Shia Islam; and the Shah’s own religious policies. Attention will be paid to the clergy who were antagonistic towards the ideals of the Iranian revolution, such as the late Hojjatiyeh society. These interlocking features shall demonstrate that it was not Shia Islam which allowed for the Iranian revolution. When one understands that Khomeini’s ideas were alien to classical interpretations of Shi’ism, that Iranian identity had for several centuries been interlocked with Shia Islam, and the Shah himself aggressively promoted Shia Islam, it will be made apparent that the cultural explanation is without substance. The writings of early prominent Shia theologians, jurists, and hadith collectors are quite contrary to the revolutionary rhetoric of Khomeini and Shariati. Whatever it was that motivated the Iranian revolutionaries and ultimately resulted in the dissolution of the Pahlavi monarchy, it was not an innate revolutionary spirit imbued within Shia Islam from its inception.