Marja': Difference between revisions

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.

In 1970s, the Iraqi government deported many Iraq-based Iranians which led to the compulsory migration of some teachers and students of the Islamic Seminary of Najaf to Iran, and in particular, to the Islamic Seminary of Qom. (See: [[al-Mu'awidun]]) After the victory of the [[Islamic Revolution of Iran]] and the crackdowns of the Islamic Seminary of Najaf by the Ba'ath Government, the future of Marja'iyya changed. Marja'iyya has become more concentrated in Iran ever since.

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.

After the [[Second Iraq War]] (Persian Gulf War) in 2000, the regime in Iraq changed. In this period, the Islamic Seminary of Najaf was relieved from pressures, and students from other areas went to Najaf. Some teachers who were deported from Iraq for years returned to Iraq. One of the most influential Shiite authorities in Najaf is [[Sayyid 'Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani]], a student of Khu'i.