Ayatollah: Difference between revisions

'''Āyatollāh''' (آیت الله) (the sign of [[Allah]]) is a general title used for top ranking [[Shi'a]] scholars from early fourteenth/twentieth century onward.

The title was firstly given to Hasan b. Yusuf b. 'Ali b. Mutahhar, known as: [[al-'Allama al-Hilli]]. After the establishment of [[Seminary]] in [[Qom]] by Shaykh [['Abd al-Karim Ha'iri]], some great [[Faqih|Faqihs]] who gathered there, became known as Ayatollah.

==In Early Periods of Islamic History==

Some titles like: [[Thiqat al-Islam]], [[Hujjat al-Islam]], [[Muhaqqiq]], [['Allama]] and Ayatollah were first used particularly for certain individuals as respectful expressions. Later those individuals became known by their titles and afterwards, those titles became prevalent in general use and for other scholars.

In fourth/tenth century the title Thiqat al-Islam for [[al-Kulayni]], in fifth/eleventh century the title Hujjat al-Islam for [[Muhammad al-Ghazali]], in seventh/thirteenth century the title Muhaqqiq for [[Ja'far b. Hasan al-Hilli]] and in eighth/fourteenth century the titles: 'Allama and Ayatollah for [[al-'Allama al-Hilli|Hasan b. Yusuf al-Hilli]] were used. All of these titles remained exclusive for the above mentioned scholars for several centuries.

For the first time, the title Ayatollah was given to [[al-'Allama al-Hilli|Hasan b. Yusuf b. Mutahhar al-Hilli]], though he is famous by his other title '''al-'Allama al-Hilli'''.

[[Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani]] (d.852/1448) regards 'Allama al-Hilli as ''Ayat fi al-Dhaka'', (a sign of intelligence) perhaps because of his smartness and because of his profound knowledge and unique piety, the title Ayatollah was given to him.

[[Sharaf al-Din Shulistani]], [[Shaykh Baha'i]] and [['Allama Majlisi]], in various certificates for their students, mentioned al-'Allama al-Hilli with the title: Ayatollah  fi al-'Alamin (the sign of [[Allah]] in the worlds)

When counting his teachers of narrations, Mulla Muhammad Baqir Majlisi uses the same title for [[Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Makki]].

Until the 14th/20th century the title Ayatollah  had not been used for any other scholar. In early fourteenth/twentieth century and for the first time, [[Mirza Husayn Nuri]] (1254/1836-1320/1903) used this title for [[al-Sayyid Muhammad Mahdi Bahr al-'Ulum]]. After few decades, [[Shaykh 'Abbas Qummi]] used Ayatollah  for [[Shaykh Murtida Ansari]], [[Shaykh Husayn Najaf]] and [[Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Shirazi]]. Gradually [[Mashruta]] historians used the title for [[Akhund Mulla Kazim Khurasani]], [[Haj Mirza Husayn Mirza Khalil]], [[shaykh 'Abd Allah Mazandarani]] and others. Before that, all [[Marja']]s were referred to, in official correspondences and speeches, as: [[Hujjat al-Islam]].

===Ayatollah al-'uzma (Grand Ayatollah)===

In 1340/1922 and when [[Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri]] established the (Hawza) [[Seminary of Qom]] and it turned to the center of Islamic and Shi'a studies; some great scholars who gathered there were called Ayatollah and gradually more prominent scholars who were at the position of a [[Marja']] were referred to as ''Ayatollah al-'Uzama'' (grand Ayatollah ).