The purpose of the current research was to examine the behavioral role of elites in political change from the perspective of the Holy Quran. As such, the current research employed an analytical-descriptive design, where Pareto's theory of the circulation of elites on the classification of elites into governing and non-governing was used. The findings of the research indicated that the political elites in the Quran are individuals perceived to be role models and leaders of other people and are responsible for the implementation of political and social affairs and the guidance of the latter. The elites can be divided into constructive and destructive, in terms of the weight of the effect they bear on society, and into governing and non-governing, in terms of their status within the governmental hierarchy. According to the Quran, the governing elites can exert positive (constructive) influence through acts of unification, counseling, justice-orientation, guiding, and enlightening, and negative (destructive) influence through acts of oppression, dictatorship, discord and dissension, and promotion of corruption. The non-governing elites, on the other hand, can have a positive (constructive) influence in shifting political behaviors through delegitimizing the tyrannical government, hindering the performance of the tyrannical government, the breakup of that government and discouraging the masses from the tyrannical ruler, and a negative (destructive) one through hiding the truth and remaining quiet against falsehood.
