List of current maraji

This article provides the list of maraji (plural of marja, the supreme legal authority or the source of emulation), followed by Twelver (also known as Imamiyyah) Shia Muslims around the world. The concept of a marja-i taqlid (lit. source of emulation) is central to Usuli Shi'a Islam.[1] Marja-i Taqlids provide religious interpretations on matters of law and rituals.[2][3] Ideally, the most just and knowledgeable specialist in the field of Islamic law should become recognized throughout the Muslim world as the marja-i taqlid. In practice however this rarely happens and there are several marja taqlids among whom an individual is free to choose and emulate.[2][3]

Those clerics who reach the apex in the hierarchy of theological rank in the centers of Shi'a learning become marja-i taqlids.[2][4] Since around 1940, marja-i taqlids are often referred to by their followers with the honorific title of Ayatollah al-`Uzma (Grand Ayatollah – "ayatollah" meaning "sign of God").[2] Among the functions of marja-i taqlids is the collection and distribution of religious taxes (zakat and khums).[2][3]

Current

See also: List of Ayatollahs

The names are ordered by age (from oldest to youngest).

No Image Name Birth year
CE[5] 		Birth place Residence Notes
1 Sayyid Ali Hoseyni Khamenei

سید علی حسینی خامنه ای 		(1939-04-19) 19 April 1939 (age 85) Pahlavi Iran Mashhad, Imperial State of Iran Iran Tehran, Iran Official Website
2 Hossein Noori Hamedani

حسین نوری همدانی 		(1925-03-21) 21 March 1925 (age 99) Pahlavi Iran Hamadan, Imperial State of Iran Iran Qom, Iran Official Website
3 Naser Makarem Shirazi

ناصر مکارم شیرازی 		(1927-02-25) 25 February 1927 (age 97) Pahlavi Iran Shiraz, Imperial State of Iran Iran Qom, Iran Official Website
4 Sayyid Mousa Shubayri Zanjani

سید موسی شبیری زنجانی 		(1928-03-02) 2 March 1928 (age 96) Pahlavi Iran Qom, Imperial State of Iran Iran Qom, Iran Official Website
5 Mohammad Rahmati Sirjani

محمد رحمتی سیرجانی 		1928 (age 95–96) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
6 Ja‘far Sobhani

جعفر سبحانی 		(1929-04-09) 9 April 1929 (age 95) Pahlavi Iran Tabriz, Imperial State of Iran Iran Qom, Iran Official Website
7 Sayyid Ali Husayni Sistani

سید علی حسینی سیستانی 		(1930-08-04) 4 August 1930 (age 94) Pahlavi Iran Mashhad, Imperial State of Iran Iraq Najaf, Iraq Official Website[6]
8 Mohammad Ishaq al-Fayadh

محمد إسحاق فياض 		1930 (age 93–94) Kingdom of Afghanistan Jaghori, Kingdom of Afghanistan Iraq Najaf, Iraq Official Website
9 Muhammad Taqi Majlesi Isfahani

محمد تقى مجلسى اصفهانى 		1930 (age 93–94) Pahlavi Iran Isfahan, Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website [7]
10 Abdollah Javadi-Amoli

عبدالله جوادى آملى 		(1933-05-05) 5 May 1933 (age 91) Pahlavi Iran Amol, Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
11 Hossein Mazaheri

حسین مظاهری 		(1933-11-16) 16 November 1933 (age 91) Pahlavi Iran Isfahan, Imperial State of Iran Iran Isfahan, Iran Official Website
12 Mohammad Ebrahim Jannaati

محمد ابراهيم جناتی 		1933 (age 90–91) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
13 Sayyid Ali Mohammad Dastgheib Shirazi

سید علی محمد دستغیب شیرازی 		(1935-03-14) 14 March 1935 (age 89) Pahlavi IranShiraz, Imperial State of Iran Iran Shiraz, Iran Official Website
14 Mirza Yadollah Duzduzani

میرزا یدالله دزدوزانی 		1935 (age 88–89) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
15 Shamsodin Vaezi

شمس الدین الواعظی 		1936 (age 87–88) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
16 Mohammad Ali Gerami Qomi

محمدعلى گرامى قمی 		1938 (age 85–86) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
17 Sayyid Kazim Hussaini al-Haeri

سید كاظم حسينی حائريی 		1938 (age 85–86) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iran Iran Official Website
Has officially resigned as Marja[8]
18 Mohammad Mehdi Khalesi

محمد مهدي الخالصي 		1938 (age 85–86) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq [Official Website]
19 Hossein Wahid Khorasani

حسين نوری همدانی 		(1921-01-01) 1 January 1921 (age 103) Qajar Iran Nishapur, Guarded Domains of Iran Iran Qom, Iran Official Website
20 Ali Asghar Rahimi Azad

علی اصغر رحیمی آزاد 		1939 (age 84–85) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
21 Sheikh Yasubedin Rastegar Jooybari

شيخ يعسوب دين رستگار جويباری 		1940 (age 83–84) Pahlavi Iran Juybar, Imperial State of Iran Iran Qom, Iran Official Website
22 Mohammad Mohammad Taher Aleshobair Khaqani

محمد محمد طاهر آل شبير الخاقاني 		1940 (age 83–84) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
23 Sheikh Khalil Qudsi Mehr Tabrezi

شیخ خلیل قدسی مهر تبریزی 		1940 (age 83–84) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official website [9]
24 Sayyid Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi

سید صادق حسینی شيرازی 		(1942-08-20) 20 August 1942 (age 82) Kingdom of Iraq Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq Iran Qom, Iran Official Website
25 Asadollah Bayyat Zanjani

اسدالله بیات زنجانی 		(1941-12-23) 23 December 1941 (age 82) Pahlavi Iran Zanjan, Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
26 Dosti Zanjani

دوستى زنجانى 		1941 (age 82–83) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Qom, Iran Official Website
27 Ali Karimi Jahromi

علی کریمی جهرمی 		(1942-04-10) 10 April 1942 (age 82) Pahlavi Iran Jahrom, Iran Iran Iran Official Website
28 Bashir Hussain Najafi

بشير حسين النجفي 		1942 (age 81–82) India Jalandhar, British India Iraq Najaf, Iraq Official Website
29 Sheikh Noori Hatim Saadi

الشيخ نوري حاتم الساعدي 		1944 (age 79–80) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq -
30 Sayyid Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi

السيد محمد تقي المدرسي 		(1945-07-01) 1 July 1945 (age 79) Kingdom of Iraq Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
31 Sayyid Ali Asghar Dastgheib

سید علی‌اصغر دستغیب 		(1945-11-25) 25 November 1945 (age 79) Pahlavi Iran Shiraz, Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
32 Sayyid Ahmad Hassani Baghdadi

السيد احمد الحسني البغدادي 		1945 (age 78–79) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
33 Sayyid Allaedin Ghoraifi

السيد علاء الدين الغريفي 		1945 (age 78–79) Kingdom of Iraq Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
34 Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Zanjani

سید محمد حسینی زنجانی 		1947 (age 76–77) Pahlavi Iran Qom, Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
35 Saleh Taei

صالح الطائي 		1948 (age 75–76) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
36 Ali Al-Saleh

علي الصالح 		1948 (age 75–76) Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait -
37 Seyed Javad Alavi Borujerdi [fa]

سید جواد علوی بروجردی 		(1951-04-16) 16 April 1951 (age 73) Pahlavi Iran Qom, Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
38 Mohammad Amin Mamaqani

محمد أمين المامقاني 		(1951-06-10) 10 June 1951 (age 73) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Biography Official Website
39 Jawad Khalesi [ar]

جواد الخالصي 		(1951-09-13) 13 September 1951 (age 73) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq -
40 Khalil Mobasher Kashani

خلیل مبشر کاشانی 		1951 (age 72–73) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
41 Sayyid Husayn Esmaeel al-Sadr

السيد حسين إسماعيل الصدر 		1952 (age 71–72) Kingdom of Iraq Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
42 Fazel Maleki

فاضل المالكي 		(1954-04-08) 8 April 1954 (age 70) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
43 Sayyid Ali Hassani Baghdadi

سید علي الحسنی البغدادی 		1955 (age 68–69) Kingdom of Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Iraq Iraq Official Website
44 Seyed Mohammad Yasrebi [fa]

سید محمد یثربی 		1955 (age 68–69) Pahlavi Iran Qom, Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website [10]
45 Sayyid Kamal al-Haydari

سید كمال الحیدری 		(1956-01-01) 1 January 1956 (age 68) Kingdom of Iraq Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq Iran Iran Official Website [11]
46 Sayyid Mohammad Hadi Ghazanfari Khansari

سید محمد هادي غضنفری خوانساری 		1957 (age 66–67) Pahlavi Iran Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Biography
47 Sayyid Muhsin Hojjat Kabuli

سید محسن حجت كابلی 		1957 (age 66–67) Kingdom of Afghanistan Kingdom of Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan Official Website [12]
48 Seyed Mohammad Amin Khorasani [fa]

سید محمد امین خراسانی 		(1958-02-09) 9 February 1958 (age 66) Pahlavi Iran Sabzevar, Imperial State of Iran Iran Iran Official Website
49 Mohammad Jamil Hammoud al-Amili [ar]

محمد جميل حمود العاملي 		1959 (age 64–65) Lebanon Beirut, Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon Official website
50 Mohammad Yaqoobi

محمد اليعقوبي 		(1960-09-09) 9 September 1960 (age 64) Iraqi Republic (1958–1968) Najaf, Iraqi Republic (1958–1968) Iraq Najaf, Iraq Official Website
51 Sayyid Reza Hosseini Nassab

سيد رضا حسینی نسب 		1960 (age 63–64) Pahlavi Iran Yazd, Imperial State of Iran Canada Canada Official Website [13][14]
52 Mohammad Baqer Movahedi Najafi

محمد باقر موحدى نجفى 		1961 (age 62–63) Iraqi Republic (1958–1968) Iraqi Republic (1958–1968) Iran Iran Official Website
53 Mohammad al-Sannad [fa]

محمد السند 		1962 (age 61–62) Bahrain Bahrain Iraq Iraq Official Website

See also

References

  1. ^ Pike, John. "Twelvers / Ithna Ashari Islamic Schools of Thought". www.globalsecurity.org.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lara Deeb, An Enchanted Modern: Gender and Public Piety in Shi'i Lebanon, Princeton University Press, pp.69-70
  3. ^ a b c Michael W. Suleiman,Arabs in America: Building a New Future, p.55, Temple University Press
  4. ^ Linda S. Walbridge, The Most Learned of the Shiʻa: The Institution of the Marjaʻ Taqlid, Oxford University Press, p.217
  5. ^ The abbreviation CE refers to the Common Era solar calendar, while AH refers to the Islamic Hijri lunar calendar.
  6. ^ "Biography". Archived from the original on 2010-12-28.
  7. ^ "برچسب مرجع تقلید مراجع عظام - مرجعیت شیعه". baktashienews.blogsky.com.
  8. ^ "Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr withdraws from political process". Mehr News Agency. 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  9. ^ "List of Maraji (2017)". Archived from the original on 2018-08-19. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  10. ^ "Another list of Maraji (2017)". Archived from the original on 2018-08-19. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
  11. ^ "پایگاه اطلاع رسانی دفتر حضرت آیت الله العظمی سید کمال حیدری". alhaydari.com.
  12. ^ "مجموع مراجع الشيعة الأحياء لبداية 2017م مع محل سكناهم ومواقعهم الالكترونية". منتديات يا حسين. 22 July 2017.
  13. ^ "Seyed Reza Hosseini Nassab". Archived from the original on 2011-06-13.
  14. ^ Islamopedia[permanent dead link‍] Ayatollah Hosseini Nassab.