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Ayatollah (Persian: آيت‌الله āyatollāh from Arabic: آية الله‎, āyatu l-Lāh "Sign of God", āyah and Allah) is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries.^{citation needed} The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin.

Rank

The title is currently granted to top Shia mujtahid, after completing sat'h and kharij studies in the hawza. By then he would be able to issue his own edicts from the sources of religious laws: Qur'an, Sunnah, Ijmāˤ and 'Aql "intellect" (rather than the Sunnī principle of Qiyas). Most of the time this is attested by an issued certificate from his teachers. The Ayatollah can then teach in hawzas according to his speciality, can act as a reference for their religious questions, and act as a judge. There is an important difference from Shi'a Ayatollah's and "saints" in other religions and Sunni Islam. They are not regarded as enlightened by God Himself, but by the Word of God.

There are a few females which are equal in ranking to the Ayatollahs, and are known as Lady Mujtahideh. A current example of a Lady Mujtahideh is Zohreh Sefati.¹ Historically, there have been several Mujtahidehs in Shi'ism, most famously the women in the family of Allama Hilli.

History

According to author Baqer Moin, "the title `ayatollah` was introduced at the time of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1905 to honour those clerical leaders who signed the constitution."²

Grand Ayatollah

Main article: Marja

Only a few of the most important Ayatollah are accorded the rank of Grand Ayatollah (Ayatollah Uzma, "Great Sign of God"). This usually happens when the followers of one of the Ayatollahs refer to him in many situations and ask him to publish his Juristic book in which he answers the vast majority of daily Muslim affairs. The book is called Resalah, which is usually a reinvention of the book Al-Urwatu l-Wuthqah, according to their knowledge of the most authentic Islamic sources and their application to current life.

There is usually one Grand Ayatollah in Iraq that heads the Hawzas (currently Ali Sistani) and a few that coordinate with him like Ayatollah Bashir Najafi, Mohammad Said Al-Hakim, Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad, and Mohammad Taqi Modarresi. There are more in Iran and wherever the Shi'a exist. There are more than 20 living world-wide; the most famous of them are Ali Khamenei, Ali Sistani, Makarem Shirazi, Malakouti, Montazeri, Fadlullah, Haeri and Sadiq Shirazi.

See also

• List of Ayatollahs
• List of Grand Ayatollahs
• Clericalism in Iran
• Cardiff City - Ayatollah

References

External links

• [1]
• Towards an Understanding of the Shiite Authoritative Sources

Wikipedia content modification information:

• This page was last modified on 28 November 2008, at 07:25.

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