The differences of these two religious centers are not new. Both were prominent and well-known scholars in the religious seminaries in Najaf, Qum, and Mashhad. Though born in Iran, he has lived and taught in Najaf, Iraq, the intellectual capital of global Shiism, since the age of 21. In August 2004 Sistani traveled to Britain to undergo medical treatment and surgery for a worsening heart condition. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Although he served as the spiritual leader of Iraq’s Shiʿi community, Sistani also commanded the respect of Sunni Arabs and Kurds. By Track Persia. Clerics should advise, he … MOBILE VIEW Sunni volunteers, who have joined the Abbas Combat Division, shout slogans after a field training in Kerbala, Iraq, Dec. 20, 2017. May 30, 2020. May 30, 2020. Certain things are Makrooh for a person observing fast, some of them are mentioned below: Using eye-drops and applying Surma if its taste or smell reaches the throat. to Sistani’s tolerance and respect for the freedom of thought and debate, Najaf, as a religious center, is wit-nessing the most tolerant era in its entire history. Who is the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani? Can one perform Eid prayers, (Eid al-Fitr or Eid... Is it permissible to socialize or accept invitations... Can one recite a divorce, whilst the two witnesses... Is it permissible for a Muslim single man to consummate... A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West. He does not like self-promotion and forbids his representatives from spending a penny on advertising his religious autho… Mr Sistani champions the separation of mosque and state. For a man who rarely left his own house, or said a single word to the mass media, this is quite phenomenal! He is the most important Shiite cleric in Iraq, where the population is about 60 percent Shiite. In his early 20s he left Iran to continue his studies in Iraq, becoming a disciple of Grand Ayatollah Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei in Al-Najaf. In November 2019, after the Iraqi government responded with violence to widespread demonstrations over corruption and poor services, Sistani called for the resignation of the government, electoral reform, and early elections. Biography of Ayatollah Sayed Ali Sistani English. Known for his intelligence and charisma, Sistani rose quickly through the clerical ranks, and, unlike Ruhollah Khomeini, a fellow cleric in Al-Najaf who would come to rule Iran (1979–89), Sistani eschewed militancy for a “quietist” philosophy. Ayatollah Sistani is one of the top living scholars of Shia Islam. Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani "was born in Mashhad, a city in northwest Iran that is home to the country's most sacred Shiite shrine.". This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ali-al-Sistani, Council on Foreign Relations - Biography of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Official Site of Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sistani. In June Sistani called on Iraqis to join the fight against the militant group and pushed for the replacement of Prime Minister Nūrī al-Mālikī and his government. His Eminence Sayyid al-Sistani was born on the ninth of Rabi al-Awwal in 1349 AH in the Holy City of Mashhad in Iran. Al-Sistani est une personnalité politique influente en Irak depuis le renversement du gouvernement de Saddam Hussein. Among the most significant situations were those that came in 2014 with the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL; also called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria [ISIS]). Hassan Rouhani’s trip to Iraq was discussed from various angles by observers, but few noticed that he did not carry any greetings from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to the highest religious leader of Shiites, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani … His father was Sayyid Muhammad Baqir, the son of Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani (may God have mercy on them). In spite of these challenges, however, it was clear that Sistani remained one of Iraq’s most powerful figures, and U.S. and Iraqi officials continued to seek his input on important matters. Although born in Iran, he is no fan of Khamenei and other hardliners in Tehran, preferring the likes of President Hassan Rouhani . Living in Najaf, a holy city and burial place haunted by Shiite passion for martyrdom, he has emerged as a leader through quiet rationalism. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s prime influence comes from his status as Shi’ism’s leading marjah al-taqlid, the title (literally object of emulation) given to a cleric whom Iraq’s 15 million Shia Muslims regard as a guide in every aspect of their lives. Sistani increasingly found himself marginalized as his calls for calm went unheeded and efforts to restrain his followers became more and more difficult. Who is the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani? Top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani backs early elections and calls on the Iraqi government to take action against the outlawed militias and mafia active in the country. This means the reclusive, Iranian-born 73-year-old wields a tremendous degree of influence over the nation's future. A bold move by PMU groupings aligned with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is set to challenge the level of influence of pro-Iran militias in Iraq. Unlike the polarizing Sadr, Sistani is widely regarded in Iraq as a reconciler. But with neighboring Iran moving to install its preferred candidate in the position, the secular political foundations of Iraq's fledgling democracy are at risk. Ali Husseini al-Sistani (en arabe : السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني, en persan : سید علی حسینی سیستانی) est un ayatollah iranien né le 4 août 1930 à Mashhad, en Iran. After Ayatollah al-Khoei's demise on Safar 8, 1413/August 8, 1992, Ayatollah al-Sistani took over the … Shortly after Khoei’s death in 1992, Sistani achieved the status of marjaʿ al-taqlīd (Arabic: “model of emulation”), the highest level of excellence in Twelver Shiʿism (the main body of Shiʿi Muslims). His Eminence Sayyid Sistani receives a visit from Iranian President Dr. Hassan Rouhani; General Guidelines from the Supreme Religious Authority for Lecturers and Preachers during Muharram 1438 A.H. Elected Iran’s supreme leader in June 1989 by the Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Khamenei serves as the head of state and commander-in-chief of Iran’s armed forces. Ayatollah Sistani then began to perform the prayers at the niche of Ayatollah Khou’i, and started studying in his school. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). And it is the seat of the most popular Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani (pictured). In his late eighties, Mr Al Sistani is the main religious authority, or marjaa -- reference -- among Iraq’s majority Shiites, having moved to Najaf from Iran in the 1950s. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became the supreme religious leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, following many years of resistance to Shah Pahlavi. THE Americans are becoming exasperated by Iraq's most powerful ayatollah. They say he has a calm, content, and patient personality. Mr Sistani champions the separation of mosque and state. Unlike Khamenei, Ayatollah Ali Sistani believes in the separation of religion from state and his position has been a key element that fostered a relative peace among various Iraqi groups some of which are loyal to the Islamic Republic and follow Khamenei's ideological lead. Sistani is a deeply religious man who is also a survivor. Biography of Ayatollah Sayed Ali Sistani English. Clerics should advise, he says, not rule. Here’s a look at the life of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric.. Currently there are a number of Ayatollahs. Born to a prominent religious family, Sistani studied the Qurʾān from a young age. Rather than continue to endure being ignored, Sistani announced his withdrawal from the political scene. He is the most important Shiite cleric in Iraq, a nation that is about 60 percent Shiite. August 1930 in Maschhad, Iran) ist der bedeutendste schiitische Geistliche im heutigen Irak. Großajatollah Ali as-Sistani (persisch سیدعلی حسینی سیستانی, DMG Seyyed-ʿAlī Ḥosainī Sīstānī; arabisch علي الحسيني السيستاني, DMG ʿAlī al-Ḥusainī as-Sīsitānī; * ungefähr 4. The heart operation a success, Sistani returned triumphantly to Al-Najaf in late August and concluded the confrontation by dramatically reining in Ṣadr and brokering a peace agreement where others had failed. In some cases his credibility outweighed that of not only U.S. and United Nations diplomatic envoys but even the interim government of Prime Minister Ayād ʿAllāwī: his strong and moderating influence among the Iraqi populace as a whole earned him the respect of U.S. diplomats and Iraqi leaders, who deferred to many of his wishes. In reply to a question about fasting in the Month of Ramadan in the shadow of the Coronavirus outbreak, the Grand Ayatollah Sistani emphasized that fasting as an individual duty is Wajib, and whoever has the conditions it is obligatory to fast regardless of it being Wajib for others or not. Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned later that month, and the parliament passed an electoral reform in December. MOBILE VIEW. Omissions? Sistani’s support for free elections in Iraq—underscored by a 2004 fatwa (legal opinion) decreeing that Iraqis register to vote—carried great significance. Ayatollah Sistani: What is Makrooh whilst fasting? Did you know that Sayyid Sistani used to listen to Imam Khomeini speeches in secret during Saddam’s time? He is the most important Shiite cleric in Iraq, where the population is about 60 percent Shiite. Who is the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani? Corrections? Thousands quickly joined the armed forces, and Mālikī resigned in August. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, born 4 August 1930, the most important Shiite cleric in Iraq, where the population is about 60 percent Shiite. Brigades close to top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani announced the formation of a mobilization force affiliated with the chief of staff of the Iraqi armed forces, rather than Iran. Ali al-Sistani, Iranian-born Shi’i cleric and a leader of the Iraqi Shi’i community. The destruction of the Iraqi state by the 2003 US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq resulted in the rise of the Shiite clerics in Iraq, in particular, the most senior cleric in Iraq’s Najaf city Ayatollah Ali Sistani who has emerged as a … The Chief Ayatollah of Iraq is Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani. What is the ruling on abortion for a pregnant woman who is infected with AIDS? Sistani’s sermon was a riposte, designed to set Khamenei right. The Supreme Leader of Iran is currently Ayatollah Ali Khamanei. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. As Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani ages, a struggle to succeed him has begun, putting the spiritual leadership of one of the world's foremost faiths in play. General Guidelines from the Supreme Religious Authority for Lecturers and Preachers during Muharram 1438 A.H. What is the ruling on abortion for a pregnant woman who is infected with AIDS? Who is the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani? By Track Persia. Ayatollah Sistani Since the American invasion, he has had more influence over Iraqi politics than any other figure in Iraq. In Al-Najaf, Sistani was devoted to ensuring power for a Shiʿi majority in his adopted country, which had been led by a Sunni minority for centuries. Updates? He is described as the spiritual leader of Iraqi Shia Muslims and one of the most senior clerics in Shia Islam. Al-Sistani is profiled in Anthony Shadid's February 1, 2004, Washington Post article "Call of History Draws Iraqi Cleric to the Political Fore." Ayatollah al-Sistani was the leader of the mosque until the last Friday of Dhu l-Hijja, 1414/June, 1994 when the mosque was shut down by the Iraqi government (in the period of Saddam). Sayyid Ali Husayni al-Sistani (born 4 August 1930), also known as Ayatollah Sistani or al-Sistani, is one of the most powerful and influential Iranian Twelver Shia marja in Iraq and the head of many of the hawzahs (seminaries) in Najaf. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Militiamen loyal to Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr battle US forces for control of the area. Most of the people who have known His Eminence Sayyid al-Sistani and have spent time with him have noted that, since his youth, he was a quiet person who spent most of his time in meditation and reflection. Meanwhile, Muqtadā al-Ṣadr, a young militant cleric, waged a fierce guerrilla battle against U.S. and Iraqi forces in Al-Najaf. Later on, he wrote a commentary on the Resaalah of Ayatullah Khu’i. He succeeded Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Abu Al Qassim Al Khoei as the most powerful figure in Najaf's Hawza, as the senior Shiite clerical leadership is known, in 1992. Sistani played a key role in the political proceedings that followed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and, although he preferred to give the impression that he did not mix religion and politics, he proved to be an important participant in the planning for Iraq’s first democratic government. Seat of the most important Shiite cleric in Iraq, where the population is about 60 percent Shiite during. U.S. and Iraqi forces in Al-Najaf for control of the most important Shiite cleric in Iraq, nation... One of the area calm, content, and the parliament passed electoral... 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