Shi'a clergy

The Shia clergy are the religious leaders of Shia Islam. Shia Islam places great importance on the guidance of clergy, and each branch of Shi'ism maintains its own clerical structure. The most well-known Shia clergy belongs to the largest branch of Shia Islam, Twelver Shi'ism. As in other branches of Islam, Shia scholars are collectively known as the ''ulema''. Individual clerics are referred to as mullah or '' ākhūnd'', but because those terms have developed "a somewhat pejorative connotation" since at least the 1980s, the term ''rūḥānī'' has been "promoted" as an alternative, "especially by the clerical class itself".

Twelver

Usooli school

Among the different schools of Twelver Shi'i Islam are Usooli and Akhbari. In the late 18th and early 19th century, the Usooli "triumphed" over the Akhbari Twelver.Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.127, 204 Usooli Shia argued that "since only someone who has expended the time and effort to become a mujtahid could possibly know all the details of religious observances and law", it was obligatory for "anyone who was not himself a mujtahid to follow the rulings" of one so as to avoid committing religious errors. They believe the 12th Imam, ordered them to follow the scholars ( Fuqaha) who "guard their soul, protect their religion, and follow the commandments of their master (Allah)". Consequently, the Usooli Shia community is divided into mujtahid (those who follow their own independent judgement in religious law) and ''muqallid'' (those who must follow the rulings of a mujtahid). The practice of following a mujtahid is called ''taqlid''. Because of this, it can be said that clergy in the Usooli Twelver Shi'a have exerted much more authority in their religious community than the Sunni ulema (or Akhbari Shi'i ulema) in theirs.

Also as a consequence of the dominance of Usooli Shi'ism, mujtahid have risen in both importance and number. Up until the mid-19th century there were "three or four" mujtahid "anywhere at any one time"; by the end of the century there were several hundred. Also during the 19th century, improvements in communication technology gave a higher profile to the most eminent mujtahids, as "important or controversial questions" no longer had to be left to local mujtahids. In "this way a small number of eminent mujtahids in Najaf became regarded as being the marja' at-taqlid'' for a particular area to be referred to "by both "ordinary Shi'is and local mujtahids".Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.205'' As of 2014, there were over 60 recognized Marj in the Shia Muslim world. In Iran (the largest majority-Twelver Shi'i country) and "to a lesser extent" in other Shi'i communities, "the clerical class [''ulema''] constitutes a fairly distinctive entity".Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.203

Shia believe that the study of Islamic literature is a continual process, and is necessary for identifying all of God's laws. They believe that the process of finding God's laws from the available Islamic literature will facilitate 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.

Education

Traditionally (and as of 1985, at least in Iran) education of a member of the ulema (and many other people) began with primary school or ''maktab''. After completing this, those who wanted to be members of the ulama attended ''madrasa'' (religious college, "collectively referred to as ''hawza''", plural ''hawzat'') situated in big cities. The most prestigious of them were located in the holy cities of Qum, Mashhad and Najaf. The madrasa course of study has three level:
#''Muqaddamat'' (preliminary level) where they would develop a "good grasp" of Arabic language and their teachers would be "senior students and assistants of the principal mujtahids". This level may take ten years or so.
# ''As-Sutuh'' (the externals) here the teachers are usually recently minted mujtahids "seeking to build up their reputations", students may pick and choose lectures and develop a special interest, but must obtain "a thorough grasp" of the "two principal subjects", ''fiqh'' and ''usul al-fiqh'' to advance to the next level.
# ''Dars al-Kharij'' (graduation classes), the students in their mid-twenties, and the teaching done by the principal mujtahids, there are "no set books", and the style of teaching often "dialectical involvement of the audience".Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.200
Tuition, room and board is provided for students from charitable contributions, if only at a very spartan level.Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.202-3

Ijaza

Unlike in most Western higher education programs (where failure to graduate is usually considered a failure on the part of some combination of the student, school or society), "only a small percentage" of talib who start out in a madrasa complete these courses and receive a ''ijaza''. Instead, the number of talib thins out at each level of promotion, with the drop-outs going on to less demanding and prestigious, but still respected religious roles. Most drop out at some point out of "financial or personal considerations", lack of intellect, and/or lack of perseverance.
To be considered for a ''ijaza'' (literally "permission, authorisation", i.e. authorisation to exercise ijtihad and thus can be called a ''mujtihad'') a student (''talib'') must be
:a. Maturity
:b. Of the male sex
:c. Legitimate birth
:d. Faith
:e. Intelligence
:f. Justice (i.e. following Sharia in words and deeds, its obligations and prohibitions).

They must write a treatise on ''fiqh'' or ''usul al-fiqh'' and be granted the ''ijaza'' from a "recognized mujtahid".Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.202
It is "uncommon" to obtain an ijaza before the age of 30, and "not uncommon" for 40 and 50-year-olds to still be students.

Hierarchy, types of ulama

The ulama is much larger than just "recognized" mujtahids (i.e. mujtahids who have a following of Muslims who are prepared to refer to them on matters of Islamic law). Below these are those who drop out of madrasa "consider themselves members of the ulama" although they make their livelihood in some non-religious occupation (merchant, craftsman, etc.). Others are talib who "obviously" did not have the ability to complete the course and become a mujtahid, in the eyes of their mujtihad and are asked by him to take up a position as a
* teacher for a ''maktab''
* ''mullah'' for a village
* ''pīshnamāz'' (prayer leader)
* ''mutawallī'' (custodian) of a shrine or endowment
by a town that has asked the mujtihad to provide them with one. Other occupations often filled by drop outs -- though they "need not have attended a madrasa" to be one are
*''wāʿiẓ'' (traveling preacher) or
* ''rawḍa-khān'' (narrator of the tragedy of Hussein at Karbalā).
In addition there are those who earned an ''ijaza'' but did not become "recognized", because they lacked the patronage of an eminent mujtahid, the prestige among other students, family connections, or talent for preaching and communicating. These are sometimes called ''mujtahid muḥtaṭ'' (mujtahid in abeyance). The hierarchy of Twelver Shi'i has been described as one of deference, that is the lower ranking ulama will defer to a higher ranking one—"a locally prominent mujtahid"—who will defer to an "eminent mujtahid" (marja' al-taqlid) in Najaf, Qum or Mashhad.Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.204

* ''Ayatollah'' (sign of God) is a fairly recent term, originating in the 20th century as a title for marja' at-taqlid, but suffering from inflation such that following the 1979 Iranian Revolution it was used "for any established mujtahid".Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.205-6
* '' Hujjatu'l-Islam'' (proof of Islam) originated as a title for certain high-level mujtahids in the 19th century (Sayyid Muhammad Baqir Shafti, Mirza-yi Shirazi); following the 1979 Iranian Revolution it was used for "aspiring mujtahid".Momen, ''An Introduction to Shi'i Islam'', 1985, p.205-6

Devaluation trend

The title of Ayatollah (and other Iranian Shi'i titles) has been "cheapened" in recent decades. According to Michael M. J. Fischer, the Iranian revolution led to "rapid inflation of religious titles", and almost every senior cleric was called an Ayatollah. The same phenomenon happened to the title Hujjat al-Islam before, which is today a less prestigious title than Ayatollah. As of 19th century, it was given to people who were not only ''Mujtahids'' but also were the most distinguished clerics of that time. By the 21st century, there are "tens of thousands" called with that title, who are just aspiring to become a ''Mujtahid''. This trend led to the invention of a new title called ''Ayatollah al-Uzma'' (). In the beginning, about half a dozen people were addressed with the latter title; as of 2015, the number of people who claimed that title was reportedly over 50.

Historical role in politics and society

Modern history

The Shia clerics in this period were closely tied with the bazaars that were in turn strongly linked with the artisans and farmers that together formed traditional socioeconomic communities and centers of associational life with Islamic occasions and functions tying them to clerics who interpreted Islamic laws to settle commercial disputes and taxed the well-to-do to provide welfare for devout poorer followers. A succession of prayer meetings and rituals were organized by both clergy and the laity. Bazaars also enjoyed ties with more modern sectors of Iranians society as many Iranian university students were from the merchant class. But since the 1970s, the Shah of Iran aroused the defense and oppositions of the bazaar by attempts at bring under control their autonomous councils and marginalizing the clergy by taking over their educational and welfare activities. This combined with the growing public and clerical dissatisfaction with Shah's secular policies and his reliance on foreign powers, particularly the United States, led to a nationwide revolution, that saw a high-ranking cleric Ayatollah Khomeini and his clerical disciples as its top leadership, that deposed the Pahlavi Shah and founded the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Ismaili

The Imamate in Nizārī Ismā'īlī doctrine (Arabic: إمامة) is a concept in Nizari Isma'ilism which defines the political, religious and spiritual dimensions of authority concerning Islamic leadership over the nation of believers. The primary function of the Imamate is to establish an institution between an Imam who is present and living in the world and his following whereby each is granted rights and responsibilities. The term ''Dāʻī al-Mutlaq'' () 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 organization. The "Daʻwa" was a term for the Ismā'īlī faith itself from early on. The Dāʻīs are also called Syednas.

Contemporary scholars

Afghanistan

* Ali Mohaqiq Nasab
* Asif Mohseni
* Muhammad al-Fayadh
* Mohaqiq Kabuli

Azerbaijan

* Allahshukur Pashazadeh

Bahrain

* Abdul Amir al-Jamri
* Ali Salman
* Isa Qassim
*

India

* Ali Naqi Naqvi
* Syed Ali Nasir Saeed Abaqati
* Aga Syed Yusuf Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi
* Syed Aqeel-ul-Gharavi
* Ghulam Rasool Noori
* Syed Hamidul Hasan
*Hasan Naqvi
* Syed Kalbe Hussain
*Kalbe Jawad
* Mirza Mohammed Athar
* Aga Syed Mohammad Fazlullah
* Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
* Sheikh Mussa Shariefi
* Aga Syed Mustafa Moosavi
* Syed Ali Akhtar Rizvi
* Sayyid Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi
* Syed Saif Abbas Naqvi
* Zeeshan Haider Jawadi

Iran

* Abbas Ali Akhtari
* Abbas-Ali Amid Zanjani
*
*
* Abbas-Ali Soleimani
* Abbas Amirifar
* Abbas Hosseini Kashani
* Abbas Ka'bi
* Abbas Mahfouzi
*
* Abbas Almohri
* Mohammad Montazeri
*
* Abbas Tabrizian
* Abbas Vaez-Tabasi
* Abdul Fattah Nawab
*
*
* Abdol-Hamid Masoumi-Tehrani
* Abdol Hossein Dastgheib
* Abdul Hussein Mo'ezzi
* Abdol Javad Alamolhoda
*
*
* Abdul Karim Farhani
* Abdolkarim Hasheminejad
* Abdul Karim Haghshenas
* Abdul-Karim Mousavi Ardebili
* Seyyed Abdollah Fateminia
*
*
*
*
* Abd al-A'la al-Sabziwari
* Abdollah Javadi-Amoli
* Abdullah Musawi Shirazi
*Abdollah Nouri
*
* Abdul-Majid al-Khoei
*
* Abdolmoghim Nasehi
* Abdul-Nabi Mousavi Fard
* Abdul-Nabi Namazi
* Abd al-Rahim Aqiqi Bakhshayishi
* Ayatollah Abdul Rahman Heidari Ilami
*
*
* Abdolvahed Mousavi Lari
*
* Seyed Abolfazl Mousavi Tabrizi
*
*
* Abulhassan Navab
* Abolghasem Khazali
*
*Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei
* Abolghasem Wafi Yazdi
*
*
* Ahmad Alamolhoda
*Ahmad Azari Qomi
* Ahmad Beheshti
*
*
*
* Ahmad Hosseini Khorasani
* Ahmad Jannati
* Ahmad Khatami
*Ahmad Khomeini
* Ahmad Khonsari
* Ahmad Marvi
* Ahmad Mazani
* Ahmad Moballeghi
* Ahmad Mohseni Garakani
* Ahmad Mojtahedi Tehrani
*
*
*
* Ahmad Ghabel
* Mir Ahmad Reza Hajati
* Seyyed Ahmad Reza Shahrokhi
*
* Ahmad Salek
*
* Ahmad Vaezi
*
*
*
*
*
* Ali Akbar al-Modarresi
* Ali Meshkini
*Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
* Ali-Akbar Hosseini
* Ali Akbar Masoudi Khomeini
* Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur
*
* Ali Akbar Ghoreishi
*
*
* Ali Akbar Nategh-Nouri
* Ali Akbar Rashad
* Ali al-Sabziwari
*
* Seyed Ali Asghar Dastgheib
*
*
* Ali Asghar Rahimi Azad
* Ali Asghar Rahmani Khalili
* Ali Banaei
*Ali Fallahian
* Ali Davani
*
*
* Ali Golzadeh Ghafouri
*
*Ali al-Sistani
*
*
*
*Ali Khamenei
*
*
*
*
*Ali Mohammad Dastgheib Shirazi
*
*
* Ali Orumian
* Ali Qazi Askar
* Ali Qoddusi
*
*
* Alireza Arafi
*
*
*
* Alireza Panahian
* Alireza Qaeminia
* Alireza Salimi (politician)
* Ali Safi Golpaygani
* Seyyed Ali Shafiei
*
* Ali Shirazi
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Asadollah Bayat-Zanjani
* Assad-Allah Imani
*
* Mir Asadollah Madani
* Asgar Dirbaz
* Ataollah Ashrafi Esfahani
* Azizollah Khoshvaght
*
*
*
*
* Fakhreddin Mousavi
*
*
*
*
* Gholam Ali Safai Bushehri
* Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani
* Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i
*
*
* Gholamreza Hassani
* Gholamreza Mesbahi Moghaddam
*
* Gholamreza Rezvani
*
* Habibollah Ashouri
*
*
*
* Habib Boromand Dashghapu
* Hadi al-Modarresi
*
*
* Hadi Ghaffari
* Hadi Khamenei
* Hadi Khosroshahi
* Hadi Ghabel
* Hadi Rohani
* Hamid Rasai
* Hamid Shahriari
* Mirza Hashem Amoli
* Hashem Bathaie Golpayegani
*
* Hashem Hashemzadeh Herisi
*
* Hashem Hosseini Bushehri
*
*
*
*
*
* Hasanali Morvarid
* Hasan Ali Nejabat Shirazi
* Hassan Ameli
*
* Hassan Emami
*Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli
* Hassan Eslami Ardakani
* Hassan Khomeini
*
*
* Hassan Namazi
*
*Hassan Rouhani
* Hassan Sanei
* Hassan Shariati Niyasar
*
*
*
* Hassan Tabatabaei Qomi
*
* Heydar Moslehi
* Hussein-Ali Montazeri
*
* Hossein Borujerdi
* Hossein Ansarian
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* Hossein Ayatollahi
*
*
*
* Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi
* Hossein Lankarani
* Hossein Mazaheri
*
* Hossein Mousavi Tabrizi
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* Hossein Noori Hamedani
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*
*
* Hossein Taeb
*Hossein Wahid Khorasani
* Ebrahim Amini
* Mir Ebrahim Seyyed Hatami
* Ebrahim Raisi
*
*
* Esmaeil Khatib
* Seyed Esmaeil Mousavi Zanjani
*
*
* Jafar Sobhani
* Jafar Shojouni
*
* Jalaleddin Taheri
*
*
*
* Javad Gharavi Aliari
*
*
*
* Javad Khamenei
* Jawad Tabrizi
*
* Javad Mojtahed Shabestari
*
*
*
* Karamatollah Malek-Hosseini
* Khalil Boyukzadeh
* Khalil Mobasher Kashani
*Seyed Kazem Seyed Bagheri
*
*Kazem Nourmofidi
*Kazem Seddiqi
* Lotfollah Dezhkam
* Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani
* Mahmoud Taleghani
*Mahmoud Alavi
*
* Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
*
*
* Mahmoud Mar'ashi Najafi
*
* Mahmoud Nabavian
*
*
* Mahmoud Salavati
* Mahdi al-Modarresi
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* Mahdi Hosseini Rohani
* Mehdi Karroubi
*
* Seyed Mehdi Ghoreishi
* Mehdi Shabzendedar Jahromi
*
*
*
* Majid Ansari
*
*
*
* Mansour Leghaei
* Masoud Khamenei
*Ali Younesi
*
* Mohammad-Ali Abtahi
* Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem
*
* Mohammad-Ali Angaji
* Mohammad Ali Araki
*
*
* Mohammad Ali Gerami Qomi
*
* Mohammad Alavi Gorgani
* Mohammad Ali Esmaeelpoor Ghomsheie
* Mohammad Ali Naseri
*
*
*
* Mohammad Ali Mousavi Jazayeri
*
* Ali Movahedi-Kermani
* Mohammad Ali Qazi Tabatabaei
* Mohammad-Ali Rahmani
*
*
* Mohammad-Ali Shahidi
*
* Mohammad Ali Shomali
* Mohammad-Ali Taskhiri
*
*
*
*
*
* Mohammad-Bagher Bagheri
*
* Mohammad Bagher Kharazi
*
*
*
* Mohammed Emami-Kashani
*
* Mohammad Fazel Lankarani
* Mohammad Feyz Sarabi
*
* Mohammad Hadi Ghazanfari Khansari
* Mohammad-Hadi Ma'refat
* Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh
*
*
*
* Mohammad-Hassan Aboutorabi Fard
* Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faqih
*
*
*
* Mohammad Hassan Ghadrdan Gharamaleki
* Mohammad Hassan Rahimian
*
*
* Mohammad Beheshti
*
*
*
* Mohammad Hussaini Shahroudi
*
* Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Zanjani
*Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
*
* Mohammad Ebrahim Jannaati
*
*
* Mohammad Ezodin Hosseini Zanjani
*
* Mohammad Jafar Montazeri
* Muhammad Jafar Moravej
*
* Muhammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari
* Mohammad-Javad Bahonar
* Mohammad Javad Pishvai
*
* Mohammed Kadhim al-Modarresi
*
* Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari
*Mohammad Khamenei
*Mohammad Khatami
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Mehdi Tabatabaei
* Mohammad Mofatteh
*
*
* Mohammad Mohammadi Gilani
* Mohammad Momen
* Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha
* Mohammad Mofti al-shia Mousavi
* Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari
*
*
* Nasser Biria
* Mohammad Qomi
*Mohammad Rahmati Sirjani
*
*Mohammad Reyshahri
*
*
*
* Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani Araghi
*
*
*
* Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani
* Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani
*
* Mohammad Reza Mirtajodini
*Mohammad-Reza Modarresi Yazdi
* Mohammad Reza Naseri Yazdi
* Mohammad Reza Nekoonam
* Mohammed Ridha al-Sistani
* Mohammad-Reza Tavassoli
*
*
*
*
*
*
*Sadegh Khalkhali
* Mohammad Sadeq Rouhani
* Mohammad-Sadegh Salehimanesh
* Mohammad Sadeqi Tehrani
*Mohammad Sadoughi
* Seyyed Mohammad Saeedi
*
* Mohammad Shahcheraghi
*
* Mohammad-Taher Shubayr al-Khaqani
* Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi
* Mohammad Taqi al-Khoei
* Mohammad-Taqi Bahjat Foumani
* Mohammad Taghi Falsafi
* Mohammad-Taqi Ja'fari
* Mohammad-Taghi Khalaji
* Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi
*
* Mohammed Taqi Morvarid
*
* Mohammad Taghi Pourmohammadi
*
* Mohammad-Taqi Shoushtari
* Mohammad Taghi Vaezi
*
* Mohammad Vaez Mousavi
*
* Mohammad Yazdi
* Seyyed Mohammad Ziaabadi
*
* Mohsen Araki
* Mohsen Faqihi
* Mohsen Heidari Alekasir
*
*
* Mohsen Kharazi
* Mohsen Koochebaghi Tabrizi
* Mohsen Mojtahed Shabestari
* Mohsin Qara'ati
* Mohsen Qomi
* Mohsen Rohami
*
*
* Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini
*
* Mujtaba Musavi Lari
* Mojtaba Tehrani
* Mojtaba Zonnour
*
* Morteza Aghatehrani
*
*
*
* Morteza Moghtadai
* Morteza Motahhari
*
*
* Morteza Sadouqi Mazandarani
*
*
*
*
*
* Mousa Qorbani
*Mousa Shubairi Zanjani
* Mostafa Boroujerdi
*
*
* Mostafa Khamenei
* Mostafa Khomeini
*
* Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad
* Mostafa Mousavi Faraz
*Mostafa Pourmohammadi
*
*
*
* Moslem Malakouti
*
* Nasir Hosseini
* Nasrollah Pejmanfar
* Nasrallah Shah-Abadi
* Naser Makarem Shirazi
* Seyed Naser Mousavi Largani
*
*
* Nematollah Salehi Najafabadi
*
* Qasem Ravanbakhsh
* Mir Ghesmat Mosavi Asl
* Ghodratollah Alikhani
*
*
*Ghorbanali Dorri-Najafabadi
*
*
*
* Rasul Jafarian
* Rasoul Montajabnia
*
* Seyed Reza Bahaadini
* Reza Hosseini Nassab
* Reza Mohammadi Langroudi
* Reza Nouri
* Reza Ostadi
* Reza Ramezani Gilani
*
* Ruhollah Beigi
*Ruhollah Hosseinian
*Ruhollah Khatami
*Ruhollah Khomeini
*
*
* Sadeq Larijani
*
*
* Saied Reza Ameli
*
* Seyed Sajjad Izdehi
*
*
* Shahab ud-Din Mar'ashi Najafi
* Shahab Moradi
*
*
*
*
* Taher Ahmadzadeh
*Taqi Tabatabaei Qomi
*
*
*
*Yadollah Duzduzani
*
*
* Yahya Nouri
* Yasubedin Rastegar Jooybari
*
* Yousef Madani Tabrizi
*Yousef Saanei
* Yousef Tabatabai Nejad
*
* Zaynolabideen Ghorbani

Iraq

* Abbas Modaresi Yazdi
* Abdul Aziz al-Hakim
* Abd al-Hadi al-Fadli
* Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai
* Abdul-Satar al-Bahadli
*
* Ahmed Al-Waeli
* Ahmad Hassani Baghdadi
* Akram al-Kaabi
* Al-Sayyed Riyadh Al-Hakeem
* Ali al-Hakim
* Ali al-Milani
* Ali Hassani Baghdadi
*Allaedin Ghoraifi
* Ammar al-Hakim
* Baqir al-Irawani
*
* Fadhil al-Milani
* Fazel Maleki
*
* Hassan al-Qazwini
* Hassan al-Shirazi
* Husham Al-Husainy
* Hussein Al-Sadr
* Hussein al-Shirazi
* Iyad Jamal Al-Din
* Jafar al-Hakim
* Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir
*
*
*Kamal al-Haydari
* Kazem al-Haeri
* Mohammad al-Sadr
* Muhammad Ali al-Hakim
* Mohammad Ali Shirazi
* Mohammad Ali Tabatabaei Hassani
* Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim
* Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr
* Mohammad Hadi al-Milani
* Mohammad Ebrahim Ansari
* Mohammed Kadhim al-Qazwini
*Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim
* Mohammad al-Shirazi
* Mohammad Taher Khaqani
*
* Mohammad Yaqoobi
* Muhsin al-Hakim
* Mujtaba al-Shirazi
* Murtadha al-Qazwini
* Murtadha al-Shirazi
* Moustafa Al-Qazwini
* Qais Khazali
* Qasem Taei
* Sadiq al-Shirazi
* Saleh Taei
* Shamsodin Vaezi

Kuwait

* Muhammad Baqir al-Muhri
* Yasser Al-Habib

Lebanon

* Abbas al-Musawi
* Abdel Karim Obeid
* Ali Al-Kourani
* Hashem Safieddine
*Hassan Nasrallah
* Hossein Korani Ameli
* Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah
* Mohammad Mehdi Shamseddine
*Mohammad Yazbek
*Musa al-Sadr
* Naim Qassem
* Ragheb Harb
*Subhi al-Tufayli

Nigeria

* Ibrahim Zakzaky
* Qasim Umar Sokoto

Pakistan

* Syed Ali Raza
* Syed Ali Naqi Naqvi Qumi
* Arif Hussain Hussaini
* Allama Rasheed Turabi
* Allama Aqeel Turabi
* Bashir Hussain Najafi
* Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi
* Hafiz Riaz Hussain Najafi
* Hassan Raza Ghadeeri
* Allama Hassan Turabi
* Jawad Naqvi
* Muhammad Hussain Najafi
* Muhammad Latif Ansari
* Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai
* Syed Safdar Hussain Najafi
* Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi
* Talib Jauhari
* Zeeshan Haider Jawadi

Saudi Arabia

* Nimr al-Nimr

Historical scholars

See also

* Akhoond
* Hawza
* Imamzadeh
* List of ayatollahs
* Lists of maraji
* Ulama

Notes

References

*
*
*''Religion and Politics in Iraq. Shiite Clerics between Quietism and Resistance'', M. Ismail Marcinkowski ().
*
* {{citation , last=Momen , first = Moojan , title = Shi'I Islam: A Beginner's Guide , publisher=Oneworld Publications , year=2015 , isbn=9781780747880

clergy