Marja': Difference between revisions

'''Al-Marjaʿīyya al-Dīnīyya''' (Arabic: {{ia|المَرجَعیّة الدینیة}}, literally: religious authority) or '''Marjaʿ''' (Arabic: {{ia|مرجع}}) is a [[mujtahid|jurist and religious scholar]] whose [[fatwa|edicts]] about [[Fiqh|jurisprudential]] issues are followed and acted upon by a group of [[Shi'a]] and who receives [[al-wujuhat al-shar'iyya|religiously financial obligations]] from his followers. Al-Marja'iyya is the highest religious ranking for [[Twelver Shi'a]]s. The position is not held by appointment. The Shi'as usually make inquiries about the person who qualifies as an authority by consulting with religious scholars and clergies. The most crucial condition to qualify for Marja'iyya is [[a'lamiyya|scholarly superiority]] to other jurists. The followers of Marja' are called his "Muqallids" (who adopts Marja's edicts).

Given the demographic, 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 fatwa 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]]).