Marja': Difference between revisions

Given the geographical distribution of the Shiite population, several mujtahids usually undertake the position of Marja'iyya in each period, and in very few cases, one mujtahid is considered by the majority of the Shi'as in the world as the absolute authority. These mujtahids are usually referred to by honorary titles, such as Grand Ayatollah and [[Ayatollah]]. Most of the Shiite authorities were based in [[Iraq]] ([[Najaf]], [[Karbala]], and [[Samarra]]) and [[Iran]] ([[Qom]], [[Mashhad]], [[Isfahan]], and [[Tehran]]).

The most prominent recent Shiite authorities were [[Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi]] known as the author of ''[[Jawahir al-kalam]]'', [[Shaykh Murtada Ansari]], [[Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Shirazi]] (who issued the fatwas of [[Tobacco Movement|prohibition of tobacco]]), [[Akhund Khurasani]], [[Sayyid Husayn Burujirdi]], [[Sayyid Muhsin Hakim]], and [[Sayyid Ruh Allah Khumayni]] (the founder of the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]]).

The extent of the social influence of a Marja' depends on the number of his followers. The financial power of a Marja' is reinforced by the judicial alms paid by his followers. Shiite authorities can exploit these financial resources for religious propagation, administration of [[Islamic Seminaries]], helping people in need, and public services.

The ups and downs of the Shiite Marja'iyya as well as its concentration in different areas depend on various factors, such as governmental interventions, ethnic tendencies, political events, possibility of connections with people, and the strength or weakness of Islamic seminaries. The history of the Shiite Marja'iyya can be divided into nine periods.

===Before the 13th/19th Century===

The global concentrated Marja'iyya began in the Islamic Seminary of Najaf in the 13th/19th century with [[Sahib al-Jawahir]] and [[Shaykh Murtada Ansari]]. Since then, Shiite authorities were always based in Iraq, and in particular, in Najaf. In addition to Najaf, some Shiite authorities resided in Karbala. In the period of Mirza Shirazi, the Shiite authority moved to [[Samarra]]. [[Akhud Khurasani]], [[Sayyid Kazim Yazdi]], and [[Sayyid Abu l-Hasan Isfahani]] were Shiite authorities in Najaf. In the years 1365/1945 - 1380/1960, the Shiite authority was concentrated in [[Ayatollah Burujirdi]] in Qom, but at the same time, [[Sayyid Muhsin Hakim]] (d. 1970) and [[Sayyid Mahmud al-Husayni al-Shahrudi]] (d. 1974) were followed by some Shiite populations. When Ayatollah Burujirdi died in 1961, Hakim, Shahrudi, and Sayyid Abu l-Qasim al-Khu'i (d. 1992) undertook the Shiite authority in Najaf. Because of the long period between the deaths of Shahrudi and Khu'i, Ayatollah Khu'i turned into one of the most influential Shiite authorities. From 1965 to 1979, Ayatollah Sayyid Ruh Allah Khomeini was banished from Iran to Iraq and lived in Najaf.

After [[1991 Uprisings in Iraq]], the Iraqi government increased the crackdown on the Islamic Seminary of Najaf. In the early years after the deaths of Khu'i and Muhammad 'Ali Araki, two of Khu'i's students ([['Ali Gharawi Tabrizi]] and [[Murtada Burujirdi]]), who were candidates for Marja'iyya, were assassinated and killed. After a while, [[Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr]], a student of [[Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr]], whose Marja'iyya was accepted by some Shi'as, was also killed. These assassinations and pressures practically isolated the Islamic Seminary of Najaf. However, part of the Shiite Marja'iyya have survived in Najaf.

Burujirdi's presence in Qom led to the thriving of the Islamic Seminary of Qom. After his death, a number of mujtahids were introduced as Shiite authorities. Other than [[Sayyid Muhammad Hadi Milani|Ayatollah Milani]] in [[Mashhad]], other Iran-based authorities resided in Qom. Here are the most important figures: [[Sayyid Ahmad Khwansari]] (d. 1985), [[Sayyid Kazim Shari'atmadari]] (d. 1986), [[Sayyid Ruh Allah Khumayni]] (d. 1989), [[Sayyid Shahb al-Din Mar'ashi Najafi]] (d. 1990), and [[Sayyid Muhammad Rida Gulpayigani]] (d. 1993). Two days after the death of Ayatollah Burujirdi, Kayhan newspaper published a list of some Shiite mujtahids who were possible candidates for Marja'iyya.