Ayatollah (
āyatollāh from ,
āyatu l-Lāh "Sign of
God") 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. 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 ayatollahs 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 women who are equal in ranking to the ayatollahs,
and are known as
Lady Mujtahideh.
A current example of a Lady Mujtahideh is
Zohreh Sefati. Historically, there have been
several Mujtahidehs in Shi'ism, most famously the women in the
family of
Allama Hilli.
History
The name "ayatollah" originates from the Quran where human beings
can also be regarded as signs of God, the literal translation of
the title. 51:20-21 of the Quran states:
But, the fact that a rock or a tree is just as much a sign of god
("ayatollah") is a sobering notion at times lost.
Grand Ayatollah
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 are
more than 20 living
worldwide; the most famous of them are
Ali Sistani,
Montazeri,
Makarem Shirazi,
Malakouti,
Fadlullah,
Haeri and
Sadiq Shirazi.
Currently there are
five grand ayatollahs in Najaf, Iraq
, center of the Iraqi Shi'i seminaries or
Hawzas (currently the most senior is
Ali al-Sistani). Other grand ayatollahs include
Bashir Najafi, Muhammad Said
al-Hakim, Muhammad Ishaq al-Fayyad, and Muhammad Taqi Modarresi.
There are
more in Iran
and wherever
the Shi'a exist.
See also
References
External links
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