Shia clergy

In Shi'a Islam the guidance of clergymen and keeping such a structure holds a great importance. The clergy structure depends on the branch of Shi'ism we refer to.

Twelver

Main article: Twelver

Usooli and Akhbari Shia Twelver Muslims believe that the study of Islamic literature is a continual process, and is necessary for identifying all of God's laws. Twelver Shia Muslims believe that the process of finding God's laws from the available Islamic literature will facilitate in dealing with any circumstance. They believe that they can interpret the Qur'an and the Twelver Shi'a traditions with the same authority as their predecessors. This process of ijtihad has provided a means to deal with current issues from an Islamic perspective. Generally, the Twelver Shi'a clergy have exerted much more authority in the Twelver Shi'a community than have the Sunni ulema, who have generally followed directions handed by their political authorities.

Most Sunni scholars, preachers, and judges (collectively known as the Sunni ulema) traditionally believe that the door of ijtihad, or private judgment, is closed. That is because they have been under the direct scrutiny and control of Islamic scholars over the years. Thus, traditionally religious rulings have been issued by ulama. In contrast, Shia scholars have traditionally been distanced from, and therefore, outside the direct control of governments. This has afforded these clerical establishments much more flexibility in dealing with religious as well as political matters, while also allowing the door to Ijtihad wide open.

Ismaili

Main article: Da'i al-Mutlaq

The term Dāʻī al-Mutlaq (Arabic: الداعي المطلق‎) literally means "the absolute or unrestricted missionary". In Ismā'īlī Islām, the term dāʻī has been used to refer to important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imāms and the Daʻwa or "Mission" is a clerical-style organisation. "The Daʻwa" was a term for the Ismā'īlī faith itself from early on. They are also called Dāʻī Syednas.

See also

• Islamic scholars
• List of Ayatollahs
• Imamzadeh
• Hawza

Scholars

See also: List of Shia Islamic scholars

• Muhammad Ya'qub Kulainy
• Shaikh Saduq
• Sheikh al-Mufid
• Abu Ja'far al-Tusi
• Nasir al-Din Tusi

Contemporary scholars

Iraq

• Ali al-Sistani
• Bashir Hussain Najafi
• Sayed Muhsin al-Hakim
• Muqtada al-Sadr
• Abul-Qassim Khoei
• Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
• Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi
• Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr
• Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim

Iran

• Mohammad Shirazi
• Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri
• Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi
• Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei
• Waheed Khorasani
• Ali Khamenei
• Naser Makarem Shirazi
• Hossein Noori Hamedani
• Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani
• Taqi Bahjat
• Ruhollah Khomeini
• Sheikh Mirza Jawad Tabrizi
• Morteza Motahhari

Lebanon

• Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah
• Abbas al-Musawi
• Hassan Nasrallah
• Musa al-Sadr

Pakistan

• Bashir Hussain Najafi
• Muhammad Hussain Najafi

Canada

• Reza Hosseini Nassab

Saudi Arabia

• Nimr al-Nimr

United Kingdom

• Yasser Al-Habib

United States

• Husham Al-Husainy
• Hassan Al-Qazwini

India

• Kalbe Abid
• Kalbe Jawad
• Mirza Mohd Athar

References

• Religion and Politics in Iraq. Shiite Clerics between Quietism and Resistance, M. Ismail Marcinkowski (ISBN 9971-77-513-1).