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)	Mashhad, Imperial State of Iran	Tehran, Iran	Official Website
2		Hossein Noori Hamedani حسین نوری همدانی	(1925-03-21) 21 March 1925 (age 99)	Hamadan, Imperial State of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
3		Naser Makarem Shirazi ناصر مکارم شیرازی	(1927-02-25) 25 February 1927 (age 97)	Shiraz, Imperial State of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
4		Sayyid Mousa Shubayri Zanjani سید موسی شبیری زنجانی	(1928-03-02) 2 March 1928 (age 96)	Qom, Imperial State of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
5		Mohammad Rahmati Sirjani محمد رحمتی سیرجانی	1928 (age 95–96)	Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
6		Ja‘far Sobhani جعفر سبحانی	(1929-04-09) 9 April 1929 (age 95)	Tabriz, Imperial State of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
7		Sayyid Ali Husayni Sistani سید علی حسینی سیستانی	(1930-08-04) 4 August 1930 (age 94)	Mashhad, Imperial State of Iran	Najaf, Iraq	Official Website[6]
8		Mohammad Ishaq al-Fayadh محمد إسحاق فياض	1930 (age 93–94)	Jaghori, Kingdom of Afghanistan	Najaf, Iraq	Official Website
9		Muhammad Taqi Majlesi Isfahani محمد تقى مجلسى اصفهانى	1930 (age 93–94)	Isfahan, Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website [7]
10		Abdollah Javadi-Amoli عبدالله جوادى آملى	(1933-05-05) 5 May 1933 (age 91)	Amol, Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
11		Hossein Mazaheri حسین مظاهری	(1933-11-16) 16 November 1933 (age 91)	Isfahan, Imperial State of Iran	Isfahan, Iran	Official Website
12		Mohammad Ebrahim Jannaati محمد ابراهيم جناتی	1933 (age 90–91)	Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
13		Sayyid Ali Mohammad Dastgheib Shirazi سید علی محمد دستغیب شیرازی	(1935-03-14) 14 March 1935 (age 89)	Shiraz, Imperial State of Iran	Shiraz, Iran	Official Website
14		Mirza Yadollah Duzduzani میرزا یدالله دزدوزانی	1935 (age 88–89)	Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
15		Shamsodin Vaezi شمس الدین الواعظی	1936 (age 87–88)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
16		Mohammad Ali Gerami Qomi محمدعلى گرامى قمی	1938 (age 85–86)	Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
17		Sayyid Kazim Hussaini al-Haeri سید كاظم حسينی حائريی	1938 (age 85–86)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iran	Official Website Has officially resigned as Marja[8]
18		Mohammad Mehdi Khalesi محمد مهدي الخالصي	1938 (age 85–86)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	[Official Website]
19		Hossein Wahid Khorasani حسين نوری همدانی	(1921-01-01) 1 January 1921 (age 103)	Nishapur, Guarded Domains of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
20		Ali Asghar Rahimi Azad علی اصغر رحیمی آزاد	1939 (age 84–85)	Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
21		Sheikh Yasubedin Rastegar Jooybari شيخ يعسوب دين رستگار جويباری	1940 (age 83–84)	Juybar, Imperial State of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
22		Mohammad Mohammad Taher Aleshobair Khaqani محمد محمد طاهر آل شبير الخاقاني	1940 (age 83–84)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
23		Sheikh Khalil Qudsi Mehr Tabrezi شیخ خلیل قدسی مهر تبریزی	1940 (age 83–84)	Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official website [9]
24		Sayyid Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi سید صادق حسینی شيرازی	(1942-08-20) 20 August 1942 (age 82)	Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq	Qom, Iran	Official Website
25		Asadollah Bayyat Zanjani اسدالله بیات زنجانی	(1941-12-23) 23 December 1941 (age 82)	Zanjan, Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
26		Dosti Zanjani دوستى زنجانى	1941 (age 82–83)	Imperial State of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
27		Ali Karimi Jahromi علی کریمی جهرمی	(1942-04-10) 10 April 1942 (age 82)	Jahrom, Iran	Iran	Official Website
28		Bashir Hussain Najafi بشير حسين النجفي	1942 (age 81–82)	Jalandhar, British India	Najaf, Iraq	Official Website
29		Sheikh Noori Hatim Saadi الشيخ نوري حاتم الساعدي	1944 (age 79–80)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	-
30		Sayyid Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi السيد محمد تقي المدرسي	(1945-07-01) 1 July 1945 (age 79)	Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
31		Sayyid Ali Asghar Dastgheib سید علی‌اصغر دستغیب	(1945-11-25) 25 November 1945 (age 78)	Shiraz, Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
32		Sayyid Ahmad Hassani Baghdadi السيد احمد الحسني البغدادي	1945 (age 78–79)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
33		Sayyid Allaedin Ghoraifi السيد علاء الدين الغريفي	1945 (age 78–79)	Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
34		Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Zanjani سید محمد حسینی زنجانی	1947 (age 76–77)	Qom, Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
35		Saleh Taei صالح الطائي	1948 (age 75–76)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
36		Ali Al-Saleh علي الصالح	1948 (age 75–76)	Kuwait	Kuwait	-
37		Seyed Javad Alavi Borujerdi [fa] سید جواد علوی بروجردی	(1951-04-16) 16 April 1951 (age 73)	Qom, Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
38		Mohammad Amin Mamaqani محمد أمين المامقاني	(1951-06-10) 10 June 1951 (age 73)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Biography Official Website
39		Jawad Khalesi [ar] جواد الخالصي	(1951-09-13) 13 September 1951 (age 73)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	-
40		Khalil Mobasher Kashani خلیل مبشر کاشانی	1951 (age 72–73)	Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
41		Sayyid Husayn Esmaeel al-Sadr السيد حسين إسماعيل الصدر	1952 (age 71–72)	Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
42		Fazel Maleki فاضل المالكي	(1954-04-08) 8 April 1954 (age 70)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
43		Sayyid Ali Hassani Baghdadi سید علي الحسنی البغدادی	1955 (age 68–69)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
44		Seyed Mohammad Yasrebi [fa] سید محمد یثربی	1955 (age 68–69)	Qom, Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website [10]
45		Sayyid Kamal al-Haydari سید كمال الحیدری	(1956-01-01) 1 January 1956 (age 68)	Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq	Iran	Official Website [11]
46		Sayyid Mohammad Hadi Ghazanfari Khansari سید محمد هادي غضنفری خوانساری	1957 (age 66–67)	Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Biography
47		Sayyid Muhsin Hojjat Kabuli سید محسن حجت كابلی	1957 (age 66–67)	Kingdom of Afghanistan	Afghanistan	Official Website [12]
48		Seyed Mohammad Amin Khorasani [fa] سید محمد امین خراسانی	(1958-02-09) 9 February 1958 (age 66)	Sabzevar, Imperial State of Iran	Iran	Official Website
49		Mohammad Jamil Hammoud al-Amili [ar] محمد جميل حمود العاملي	1959 (age 64–65)	Beirut, Lebanon	Lebanon	Official website
50		Mohammad Yaqoobi محمد اليعقوبي	(1960-09-09) 9 September 1960 (age 64)	Najaf, Iraqi Republic (1958–1968)	Najaf, Iraq	Official Website
51		Sayyid Reza Hosseini Nassab سيد رضا حسینی نسب	1960 (age 63–64)	Yazd, Imperial State of Iran	Canada	Official Website [13][14]
52		Mohammad Baqer Movahedi Najafi محمد باقر موحدى نجفى	1961 (age 62–63)	Iraqi Republic (1958–1968)	Iran	Official Website
53		Mohammad al-Sannad [fa] محمد السند	1962 (age 61–62)	Bahrain	Iraq	Official Website

See also

• List of deceased maraji
• Marja
• Ijtihad
• Ayatollah
• List of ayatollahs
• List of hujjatul Islams

References

1. Pike, John. "Twelvers / Ithna Ashari Islamic Schools of Thought". www.globalsecurity.org.
2. Lara Deeb, An Enchanted Modern: Gender and Public Piety in Shi'i Lebanon, Princeton University Press, pp.69-70
3. 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.

External links

• Prominent Ulamaa, prior to 100 years
• Comprehensive List of Ulamaa / Jurists & their books ' An Extract from A Shiite Encyclopedia - Hasan Amini
• Ulamaa Biographies (Jafariyanews.com)
• Introduction to Scholars 5th / 11th century (al-islam.org)
• Scholars Info (Playandlearn.org)