Following a Marja

[BlackShia74]

Which Shia Maraja is best to follow. Was Sunni for many years but now a Shia for two now so still learning.

[Ashvazdanghe]

On 11/22/2024 at 9:05 PM, BlackShia74 said:

Was Sunni for many years but now a Shia for two now so still learning.

Salam & welcome to shia Islam .

On 11/22/2024 at 9:05 PM, BlackShia74 said:

Which Shia Maraja is best to follow.

It depends on you to choose your Marja by reading their Risala & examining it by yourself  to most knowledgeable Marja ; anyway majority of Shia Muslims follow grand Ayatollah Sistani  & Imam khamenei which as I know majority of Nigerian shia muslims follow Imam Khamenei through Sheikh Zakzaky which as you have used image of sheikh Abdul jalil Nawee who in simlar fashion  follows Imam Khamenei however at end of thr day choosing your Marja depends on yourself.

 Wilayat Al-Faqih - 8th Muharram 1438/2016

Abdul Jalil Nawee

https://www.al-islam.org/media/wilayat-al-faqih-8th-muharram-14382016

https://www.al-islam.org/person/abdul-jalil-nawee

https://jaferia.org/resident-alim/

 

 

 

List of Marjas with english websites 

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2024 by Ashvazdanghe

[علوي]

The system of maraj'a is a system created after the time of the imams (عليهم السلام) in which everyone is obligated to choose a scholar to follow. The argument for this system is that if you want to follow Islamic law to the T, the only way to do so is by learning from educated scholars.

The problem with this system is that there is no evidence for its legitimacy or any instructions from the imams (عليهم السلام) regarding it. In fact, the imams explicitly told us to refrain from blindly following scholars and restricting our criticism.

That said, many maraj'a have vast knowledge and respectability, the most popular ones being Ayatollah Khamenei in Iran and Ayatollah al-Sistani in Iraq.

[Herati Karbalai]

The evidence of marj'iyyah is in fact very clear. Ask an educated person whom you have access to as to the identity of the maraja' as strangers' testimony doesn't have any bearing. What I have heard is that the three most educated jurists are Sayyid Ali Sistani, Shaykh Wahid Khorasani, and Sayyid Musa Shubayri Zanjani. Sayyid Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi are also followed by many people. The valid way to determine the most educated jurist, the one who it is necessary to emulate, is the testimony of two educated people. Educated here meaning from the Islamic seminaries in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.

[Ashvazdanghe]

On 11/25/2024 at 4:48 PM, علوي said:

The problem with this system is that there is no evidence for its legitimacy or any instructions from the imams (عليهم السلام) regarding it. In fact, the imams explicitly told us to refrain from blindly following scholars and restricting our criticism.

Salam respectfully it's just your claim which it has been refuted in many debates which system of Majayia has been established since time of Imam Sadiaq (عليه السلام) by networks of deputies of Imams which some prominent students of Imams since time of Imam Sadiq (عليه السلام) have had this position in places likewise Khorasan , Ahvaz & other places which after learning required knowledge from Infallible imams they have been returning to to their birthplaces or appointed place by infallible Imams  to act as deputies of infallible Imams which they have been in contact with infallible Imams through network of deputies of Imam. which system of Majayiat has been continued by great shia scholars after great occultation likewise by  Sheikh Mufid (رضي الله عنه) which story of supporting Imam Mahdi (aj) from him about issuing fatwas by him is a famous & wellknown recorded incident about supporting narrators of hadith as Deputies of infallible imam which have been called Marjas during great occultation of Imam Mahdi (aj) .

Quote

Al-Tawqīʿ (Arabic: التوقيع) refers to a letter or script by Imams of the Shia. A tawqi' was handwritten or dictated by an Imam. Such scripts were often issued in response to questions or requests by Shias, and were delivered to the Shia through the network of an Imam's deputies.

Tawqi's were sent through deputies of Imams of the Shia, which is called the network of deputies. Shias from different regions sent Shari'a payments, requests, and questions through the deputies to the Imams, and received answers through the same network.^[14] During the Minor Occultation, the Four Deputies were charged with the task,^[15] who were linked to Shias in different areas through their own representatives.^[16] There are narratives to the effect that Shias sometimes sent their requests to the Imams and received answers without the mediation of the deputies as well. For instance, according to al-Qutb al-Rawandi, Muhammad b. Yusuf al-Shashi sent a letter to Imam al-Mahdi (a) and received the answer through a woman who visited the Imam's house.^[17]

When issued, the tawqi's were delivered through a special courier with a sign.^[18] The couriers are not identified in hadiths, and are just characterized as a woman, a young boy, a black servant, the messenger from al-Husayn b. Ruh al-Nawbakhti, and the messenger of the successor.^[19] This was allegedly done for purposes of dissimulation.^[20]

 

Topics

Tawqi's were not limited to particular topics. They were often issued in response to jurisprudential and doctrinal questions as well as requests by Shias. For this reason, they involve a variety of issues, including removal and appointment of deputies, statement of the duties of the deputies, receipts of Shari'a payments, refutation of false deputies, and responses to personal requests of Shias.^[21]

Validity of Tawqi's

For Shiite jurists, any tawqi' that is surely issued from the Imams is valid,^[22] which is why a number of Shiite jurists have appealed to tawqi's to infer jurisprudential rulings.^[23] Some jurists have doubted the validity of tawqi's, however.^[24] In their view, such scripts are not as valid as oral hadiths.^[25] Nevertheless, there are no arguments in books of Shiite jurisprudence against the validity of tawqi's or their lesser value in comparison to oral hadiths.^[26]

Moreover, in reply to this skepticism, it is pointed out that written statements were part of the practice of Imams of the Shia and a common practice among different ethnicities.^[27]

Sources

The tawqi's are cited in different sources of Shiite hadiths. Many tawqi's by Imams of the Shia are cited in al-Kashshi's book of Rijal.^[29] Imam al-Mahdi's tawqi's are collected in independent sections in al-Shaykh al-Saduq's Kamal al-din and al-Shaykh al-Tusi's al-Ghyaba.^[30]

Moreover, independent works were written about tawqi's since the third/ninth century onward. Al-Najashi's Rijal lists a number of such works, including three works by 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far al-Himyari, the third/ninth century^[31] Shiite scholar of hadith, under Masa'il Abi Muhammad wa-tawqi'at, Qurb al-isnad ila sahib al-amr (a), and Masa'il al-rijal wa-mukatabatihim Aba al-Hasan al-Thalith (a) and a work by Muhammad b. 'Isa b. 'Ubayd, a companion of Imam al-Jawad (a), under al-Tawqi'at.^[32]

Another work is al-Tawaqi' by 'Abd Allah b. Salt, a companion of Imam al-Rida (a).^[33]

^{https://en.wikishia.net/view/Tawqi'#:~:text=Tawqi's were sent through deputies of Imams of,and received answers through the same network. [14]}

 

[Ashvazdanghe]

9 hours ago, علوي said:

The system of maraj'a is a system created after the time of the imams (عليهم السلام) in which everyone is obligated to choose a scholar to follow. The argument for this system is that if you want to follow Islamic law to the T, the only way to do so is by learning from educated scholars.

The problem with this system is that there is no evidence for its legitimacy or any instructions from the imams (عليهم السلام) regarding it

Notion

The term, "nāʾib" (Arabic: نائب) is used to mean a successor, a surrogate, or a deputy.^[1] According to one view, the use of the term to mean bab, absolute representative, and the only mediator between Imam al-Mahdi (a) and the Shi'as is restricted to the four deputies in the period of the Minor Occultation, and the representatives of the Imams (a) during their presence were not called "na'ib", because there was still a direct contact between the Imams (a) and the Shi'as although those people served as representatives or babs of the Imams (a). Thus, the highest-ranking representatives of the Imams (a) in the period of their presence do not count as "na'ib", successors, or absolute surrogates of the Imam (a).^[2]

One piece of evidence for this view is the use of the term, "wakīl" (Arabic: وکیل, representative), for 'Uthman b. Sa'id in the period of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a), and the use of the term, "na'ib" (deputy), for him in the period of Imam al-Mahdi (a) by Qutb al-Din al-Rawandi.^[3]

https://en.wikishia.net/view/Special_Deputyship

Salam Sytem of Maraja'a has been known as system of Wukala (plural of wakīl)  who have been agent/deputies of infallible Imams which during our era system of Wukala (plural of wakīl) has been labeled as Sytem of Maraja'a in order to people not mistaken them with speical deputies of Imam Mahdi (aj) during minor occultation so therefore changing the name of system due to conditions of each era  doesn't mean not having "evidence for its legitimacy or any instructions from the imams (عليهم السلام) regarding it"

 

Quote

According to al-Najashi, many Kufan muhaddithun, such as Muhammad b. Muhammad b. al-Ash'ath, Ahmad b. Sahl, al-Husayn. b. `Ali al-Misri, and Isma` il b. Musa al-Kazim, moved to Egypt and carried on their activities there. One of these activities was to circulate the traditions of the Prophet concerning al-Qa’im al-Mahdi and the fact that he would be from the progeny of al-Husayn[247].

A narration mentioned by al-Kulayni suggests that they gained considerable adherents there, namely, that `Ali b. Asbat al-Kufi came from Egypt to Medina to see al-Jawad so as to describe him to the Imamites in Egypt[248].

Throughout the land of the caliphate the Imamite system of sending out agents (wukala') became more developed and managed to save their organization from certain disintegration. The Imam's agents spread in many provinces, like al-Ahwaz[249], Hamadan [250], Sistan, Bist' [251], Rayy [252], Basra[253], Wasit, Baghdad[254], and the traditional centres of the Imamites, Kufa and Qumm[255].
They allowed their partisans to work in the `Abbasid administration. Thus Muhammad b. Isma'il b. Bazi and Ahmad b. Hamza al-Qummi occupied high ranks in the vizierate[256], and Nuh b. Darraj was the qadi of Baghdad and then of Kufa. Because his relatives were the agents of al-Jawad, he hid his faith during his occupation of this post[257].
Other Imamites became governors of some `Abbasid provinces, such as al-Husayn b. `Abd Allah al-Nisaburi, the governor of Bist and Sistan, and al-Hakam b. `Alya al-Asadi, the governor of Bahrain. Both of these men paid the khums to al-Jawad while hiding their allegiance to him[258].
At this stage the underground activities of the agents only aimed at controlling and carrying on the religious and financial affairs of the Imamites, not at endangering al-Ma’mun's rule. However in the year 210/825 the people of Qumm, most of whom were Imamites, appealed to the caliph to reduce their land-tax (al-kharaj), just as he had reduced the kharaj of the inhabitants of Rayy, but he ignored their appeal. Therefore they refused to pay the kharaj and took control of the affairs of Qumm[259].
As a result al-Ma’mun dispatched three regiments of his army from Baghdad and Khurasan to quash their revolt. The leader of the Abbasid army, `Ali b. Hisham accomplished his task. He demolished the wall of Qumm and killed many people, amongst them Yahya b. `Umran, who, according to Ibn Shahr Ashub, was the agent of al-Jawad[260].

In the last few years of al-Jawad's Imamate the system and the tactics of the Imamite agents were highly developed. The Imam's followers in Khurasan allowed themselves to be recruited into the `Abbasid army and participated in subduing the rebellion of the Khurramiyya. According to al-Tusi, in 220/834 they seized a large amount of booty from the rebels, so al-Jawad ordered them to pay the khums either to him directly or to his agent[267]. Al-Jawad himself, on hearing of al-Mu'tasim's command to present himself inBaghdad, asked his representative Muhammad b. Al-Faraj to hand the khums to his son 'Ali al-Hddi as a .sign that he was to be his successor[268].

https://erfan.ir/english/17136.html

Pretenders of the Position of Special Deputy

Throughout the history, some companions of the Imams (a) and other Shi'as pretended to be special deputies of Imam al-Mahdi (a). Some of them are mentioned in a letter from Imam al-Mahdi (a) in which pretenders of the position of special deputy are reproached and cursed.

Muhammad b. Nusayr al-Namiri

Main article: Muhammad b. Nusayr al-Namiri

Muhammad b. Nusayr al-Namiri was a companion of Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a). After al-Shari'i, he pretended to be the special deputy. His claim led Muhammad b. 'Uthman al-'Amri, the special deputy of Imam al-Mahdi (a), to curse him.^[10]

 

[10] Ṭūsī, al-Ghayba, p. 247.

https://en.wikishia.net/view/Special_Deputyship

 

[Ashvazdanghe]

11 hours ago, علوي said:

The problem with this system is that there is no evidence for its legitimacy or any instructions from the imams (عليهم السلام) regarding it.

Addendum

The Underground Activities of the Twelth Imam as seen in the Actions of the Saf’irs

1. A Brief Study of the Wikala Before the Twelfth Imam

As mentioned in Chapter Two, a critical situation the Imams faced, brought about by the ‘Abbasids, forced the Imams to search for a new means to communicate with the members of their congregation. The Imamite sources indicate that the sixth Imam al‑Sadiq was the first Imam to employ an underground system of communication (al­Tanzim al‑Sirri) among his community1.

The main purpose of the Wikala was to collect the khums, the zakat, and other kinds of alms for the Imam from his followers. Although the Wikala may have had other purposes at that time, the sources rarely record them. Al‑Sadiq directed the activities of the organization with such care that the ‘Abbasids were not aware of its existence.

As part of his prudent fear (al‑Taqiyya), he used to ask some of his followers to carry out certain tasks for the organization without informing them that they were in fact his agents. Al‑Tusi reports that Nasr b. Qabus al‑Lakhmi spent twenty years working as an agent (wakil) for al‑Sadiq, without knowing that he had actually been appointed as one.

The agents faced another campaign of arrests in 179/795 instigated by the caliph al‑Rashid. It caused the Imamite organization considerable damage. The agent in Baghdad, Muhammad b. Abi ‘Umayr, was arrested and tortured in the unfulfilled hope that he would reveal the names and locations of al‑Kazim's followers, while his sister was put in jail for four years7.
 

Quote

After the death of al‑Kazim the members of the Imamite organization found themselves faced with an internal theological and political question involving the doctrine of al-Qa’im al‑Mahdi and his occultation.

Between the years 183‑202/799‑817 al‑Riďa managed to solve this problem at least partially by clarifying to the members of the Waqifa the true nature of al-Qa’im al‑Mahdi, as transmitted on the authority of the previous Imams. According to al‑Kashshi, he seems to have been able to persuade some of the members of the Waqifa, like al‑Rawwasi and his followers to recognize his Imamate14.

Meanwhile the role of the Wikala was expanded to embrace the new needs and tasks of the congregation. Al‑Riďa's agents were ‘Abd al‑‘Aziz b. al‑Muhtadi in Qumm15, Safwan b. Yahya in Kufa16, ‘Abd Allah b. Jandab and ‘Abd al‑Rahman b. al‑Hajjaj in Baghdad17.

Along with another eighty agents ‘Abd al‑Rahman b. al‑Hajjaj controlled the leadership of the organization through the time of the ninth Imam, al‑Jawad18, who achieved considerable success in protecting the organization from new schisms.

Quote

Moreover the tactics of his agents developed in new directions especially in widening the sphere of al‑Taqiyya (prudent fear) by allowing some of his partisans to participate in the administration and the army of the ‘Abbasids.19

During the long Imamate of the tenth Imam, al‑Hadi (220-254/835‑868) new trends emerged amongst the Imamites due to historical circumstances, trends which were later to play a dangerous role during the time of the Twelfth Imam.

The absence of direct contact between the Imam and his followers led to an increase in the religious and political role of the Wikala, so that the agents of the Imam gained more authority in running its affairs. Gradually the leadership of the Wikala became the only authority which could determine and prove the legitimacy of the new Imam.

 

Each area was entrusted to an independent agent, beneath whom many local agents were appointed.

11 hours ago, علوي said:

legitimacy or any instructions from the imams (عليهم السلام) regarding it.

The workings of this system can be observed in letters of instruction attributed to al‑Hadi concerning the organization's administration. It is reported that he sent a letter in 232/847 to his local agent, ‘Ali b. Bilal, saying:

Quote

"I have substituted Abu ‘Ali b. Rashid for ‘Ali b. al‑Husayn b. ‘Abd Rabba. I have entrusted him with this post since he is sufficiently qualified so that no one can take precedence over him. He has been informed that you are the chief (shaykh) of your own area, since I wished to invest you with that area. However, you have to follow him and hand all the revenues to collect over to him."

In a letter to his agents in Baghdad, Mada’in and Kufa, al‑Hadi wrote,

Quote

"O Ayyub b. Nuh, I am commanding you to cut off relations between yourself and Abu ‘Ali. Both of you should engage yourselves with what you have been entrusted and ordered to do in your areas. If you do so you should be able to manage your affairs without consulting me ... O Ayyub, I am ordering you neither to receive anything from the people of Baghdad and Mada’in, nor to give anyone amongst them permission to contact me.

If anyone brings you revenue from outside your area, order him to send it to the agent of his own area. O Abu 'Ali, I am ordering you to follow what I have ordered Ayyub."23

This system saved the organization from otherwise inevitable damage after the harsh attack of al‑Mutawakkil upon its underground political cells in 235/850. In the same way it was saved from the attack of al‑Musta’in in 248/862.

It should be noted that during the time of the tenth and eleventh Imams, the leadership of the organization in the four areas, was monopolized by a few individuals. Their tasks later fell to their descendants and remained under their control during the shorter occultation of the Twelfth Imam. For example, ‘Ali b. Mazyar was the agent of al‑Jawad and al‑Hadi in al‑Ahwaz24, while his sons were the agents of the Twelfth Imam in the same region25.

Quote

A) Iraq: The Centre of the Wikala

B) The Second Area: Egypt, the Hijaz and Yemen

C) The Third Area: Azerbayjan and Arran

D) The Fourth Area: Qumm and Dinawar

E) The Fifth Area: Rayy and Khurasan

 

Quote

Ibrahim b. Muhammad al‑Hamadani was the agent of al‑Hadi in Hamadan26, while his offspring inherited this post from father to son until the time of the Twelfth Imam27.
Another agent was Isma’il b. Ishaq b. Nawbakht28, whose family later directed the members of the organization in Baghdad, while one of his relatives, al‑Husayn b. Ruh, became the third Saf’ir or "representative" of the Twelfth Imam.

Among the agents, the most important was ‘Uthmari b. Said al­‘Umari, who, as we shall see, was brought up under the auspices of the tenth Imam, al‑Hadi. He made him first his own agent and then the agent of his son, Imam al‑ ‘Askari. After the death of the latter ‘Uthman controlled the whole leadership of the organization as the first representative of the Twelfth Imam, and his son Muhammad later succeeded him to the post, as the second Saf’ir.

The fact that the Imam's activities were underground made it easy for certain people to claim falsely to be the representatives of al‑Hadi and al‑ ‘Askari, and thus to collect money from the Imamites. It seems that this practice was carried out by the extremists (al‑Ghulat) and increased throughout the time of the Twelfth Imam at the expense of his rightful agents29.

https://www.al-islam.org/occultation-twelfth-imam-historical-background-jassim-m-hussain/underground-activities-twelth-imam

Edited November 26, 2024 by Ashvazdanghe

[علوي]

On 11/26/2024 at 9:05 PM, Ashvazdanghe said:

Addendum

The Underground Activities of the Twelth Imam as seen in the Actions of the Saf’irs

1. A Brief Study of the Wikala Before the Twelfth Imam

As mentioned in Chapter Two, a critical situation the Imams faced, brought about by the ‘Abbasids, forced the Imams to search for a new means to communicate with the members of their congregation. The Imamite sources indicate that the sixth Imam al‑Sadiq was the first Imam to employ an underground system of communication (al­Tanzim al‑Sirri) among his community1.

The main purpose of the Wikala was to collect the khums, the zakat, and other kinds of alms for the Imam from his followers. Although the Wikala may have had other purposes at that time, the sources rarely record them. Al‑Sadiq directed the activities of the organization with such care that the ‘Abbasids were not aware of its existence.

As part of his prudent fear (al‑Taqiyya), he used to ask some of his followers to carry out certain tasks for the organization without informing them that they were in fact his agents. Al‑Tusi reports that Nasr b. Qabus al‑Lakhmi spent twenty years working as an agent (wakil) for al‑Sadiq, without knowing that he had actually been appointed as one.

The agents faced another campaign of arrests in 179/795 instigated by the caliph al‑Rashid. It caused the Imamite organization considerable damage. The agent in Baghdad, Muhammad b. Abi ‘Umayr, was arrested and tortured in the unfulfilled hope that he would reveal the names and locations of al‑Kazim's followers, while his sister was put in jail for four years7.
 

Meanwhile the role of the Wikala was expanded to embrace the new needs and tasks of the congregation. Al‑Riďa's agents were ‘Abd al‑‘Aziz b. al‑Muhtadi in Qumm15, Safwan b. Yahya in Kufa16, ‘Abd Allah b. Jandab and ‘Abd al‑Rahman b. al‑Hajjaj in Baghdad17.

Along with another eighty agents ‘Abd al‑Rahman b. al‑Hajjaj controlled the leadership of the organization through the time of the ninth Imam, al‑Jawad18, who achieved considerable success in protecting the organization from new schisms.

During the long Imamate of the tenth Imam, al‑Hadi (220-254/835‑868) new trends emerged amongst the Imamites due to historical circumstances, trends which were later to play a dangerous role during the time of the Twelfth Imam.

The absence of direct contact between the Imam and his followers led to an increase in the religious and political role of the Wikala, so that the agents of the Imam gained more authority in running its affairs. Gradually the leadership of the Wikala became the only authority which could determine and prove the legitimacy of the new Imam.

 

Each area was entrusted to an independent agent, beneath whom many local agents were appointed.

The workings of this system can be observed in letters of instruction attributed to al‑Hadi concerning the organization's administration. It is reported that he sent a letter in 232/847 to his local agent, ‘Ali b. Bilal, saying:

In a letter to his agents in Baghdad, Mada’in and Kufa, al‑Hadi wrote,

This system saved the organization from otherwise inevitable damage after the harsh attack of al‑Mutawakkil upon its underground political cells in 235/850. In the same way it was saved from the attack of al‑Musta’in in 248/862.

It should be noted that during the time of the tenth and eleventh Imams, the leadership of the organization in the four areas, was monopolized by a few individuals. Their tasks later fell to their descendants and remained under their control during the shorter occultation of the Twelfth Imam. For example, ‘Ali b. Mazyar was the agent of al‑Jawad and al‑Hadi in al‑Ahwaz24, while his sons were the agents of the Twelfth Imam in the same region25.

 

Among the agents, the most important was ‘Uthmari b. Said al­‘Umari, who, as we shall see, was brought up under the auspices of the tenth Imam, al‑Hadi. He made him first his own agent and then the agent of his son, Imam al‑ ‘Askari. After the death of the latter ‘Uthman controlled the whole leadership of the organization as the first representative of the Twelfth Imam, and his son Muhammad later succeeded him to the post, as the second Saf’ir.

The fact that the Imam's activities were underground made it easy for certain people to claim falsely to be the representatives of al‑Hadi and al‑ ‘Askari, and thus to collect money from the Imamites. It seems that this practice was carried out by the extremists (al‑Ghulat) and increased throughout the time of the Twelfth Imam at the expense of his rightful agents29.

https://www.al-islam.org/occultation-twelfth-imam-historical-background-jassim-m-hussain/underground-activities-twelth-imam

These righteous companions were appointed by the Imams, unlike the modern-day maraje3.

[Ashvazdanghe]

On 11/30/2024 at 5:06 PM, علوي said:

These righteous companions were appointed by the Imams, unlike the modern-day maraje3.

Salam 

MARJA’IYYAH ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR AWAITED SAVIOUR IMAM MAHDI (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف)

There is a well-known Hadith defining who the rightful religious scholars are to follow. They are the ones who:

1.  Take care of themselves and conduct their lives righteously
2. Guard religion
3. Oppose their desires
4. Obey the commands of Almighty Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى)
5. Stand for justice

The Imams of Ahlul Bait ((عليه السلام)) have declared that such religious leaders in our time are the trusted custodians of what Almighty Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) considers Halaal (permissible) and Haraam (forbidden).

Quote

There was a lengthy Hadith about Imam Mahdi (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف) which Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani ((رضي الله عنه)) narrated from one of the Imams of the Ahlul Bait ((عليه السلام)), who said that the people during the era of Imam Mahdi (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف) will be better than the people during the era of Imam Ali ((عليه السلام)) and our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWA)!

The obvious question is how can this be? And the reason is that the people during the era of Imam Mahdi (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف) have never seen him, but their intellectual capacity and level of spirituality reached the status where their faith and belief in Imam Mahdi (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف) is higher and stronger than those who have seen the proofs of Almighty Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) on the earth ie. Rasulullah (SAWA) and his Ahlul Bait ((عليه السلام)).

 

https://ijtihadnet.com/marjaʻiyya-powerful-institution-of-great-pride-for-shia-muslims-tribute-to-ayatollah-safi-golpaygani/

What is Marjaeya?(full definition )

What do marjaeya and marja’ mean?

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 It has been narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (p) that he has said, “The scholar must reveal and spread his knowledge if  innovations appear, because if he does not, the light of faith will be plundered [by those who seek to corrupt it].”^[2] The Imam also said “The scholars amongst our Shia are like stationed guards who protect against Satan and his minions who harbor hatred for the Ahl al-Bayt (p). They prevent them from targeting and assaulting Shia who are weak [in faith]. Therefore, those of our Shia who takes this upon themselves is better than those who fought the Romans, the Ottomans, and the Khazars a thousand and thousand times, because the former are protecting the religion of our lovers while the latter are only defending their bodies (i.e., personal interests).”^[3]

3. Supervising the affairs and interests of Muslims

One of the priorities of the jurists who have assumed a position of authority is to monitor the condition and situation of Muslims, the state of their countries, their interests, and contending with those who wish evil upon Islam, the well-being of the Muslims, and their countries. As such, they assume the responsibility of providing advice, guidance, and direction in various social and political matters, and even have to resort to intervening and confronting if necessary, as was the case in the Iraqi constitution and elections.^[4] Similar instances of when the religious authority took such positions and issued a ruling concerning the protection of Muslims, their interests, and their lands include the Tobacco Protest in 1890 in Iran^[5], the Iraqi revolt of 1920^[6], and the fight against ISIS in 2014 in Iraq^[7].

 

1. The believers must always defend the religious authority, and not just because a particular scholar should be defended, but rather because of the importance of the religious authority as an immutable and public institution.^[19] Defending the religious authority means defending the religion and the sect, because the source of its strength is a group of current and active religious authority that is intimately familiar with the era and culture it is in, and knows how to navigate and guide the people as needed. ^[20]

https://imam-us.org/what-is-marjaeya

 

 

Thanks to @A follower

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Whoever claims to consult me before the emergence of Sufyani and the heavenly Voice, he is a deceiver and liar. There is no power and strength except that of Allah, the Al-mighty the High.

(bismillah)

(salam)

Have you even read the commentary on this hadith by our great scholars? More to that have you ever read incidents which are verified by others where the Imam [ajtf] met many of our Marjas and Scholars? Please do not mock something or someone without full knowledge of the subject as that is total ignorance!

Take the best to the best of scholars of Shia Islam, Sheikh Mufeed, Allama Hilli, Allama Majlisi, Sheikh Saduq, Allama Tabatabai and many more had the honour of meeting the Imam [ajtf]. So before labelling them liars go read the hadith as it is mentioned in the books and see the commentary of it too and then label people to be liars!

As for the others the Marjas have met the Imams [ajtf] on many occasions however they never never state these things openly in a gathering, only a few trusted people are blessed with these experiences. Sheikh Mujtaba Ansari had the honour of meeting the Imam [ajtf], he also narrated the whole experience to a friend of his and put a condition on it that till he is alive no one should know about this only after his death people can tell others. There have been many stories which have been attributed to our Marjas which later have been no more than false reports. For example take the incident of Ayatollah Bahjat seeing that killer of Imam Al Mahdi [ajtf]. That was nothing but a false report to generate hype into the public. Ayatollah Bahjat himself denied this.

Let me leave you with a question: To strengthen our Faith and Eman does it require hearing the experiences of Marjas meeting the Imam [ajtf]? Is our faith based on the authencity of their experiences?

Wsalaams

Marjaʻiyya: Powerful Institution Of Great Pride For Shia Muslims: Tribute To Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani

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MARJA’IYYAH ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR AWAITED SAVIOUR IMAM MAHDI (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف)

One can argue that on the level of spirituality, direct access to the leader is not a requirement, as the existence of the Imam is itself sufficient. A useful analogy to illustrate the point is when the sun is behind the clouds. We do not see the sun in that case, yet we continue to benefit from the sun, while it is concealed behind the clouds.

 

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IMAMS OF AHLUL BAIT ((عليه السلام)) DEFINED THE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY AS A MARJA

What we really appreciate is that the Imams of Ahlul Bait ((عليه السلام)) left a system of guidance and leadership for us, during this time when we do not have direct access to our living Imam Mahdi (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف). They asked us Shia Muslims to follow the direction given by the religious scholars and jurists. They are our leaders during this period.

There is a well-known Hadith defining who the rightful religious scholars are to follow. They are the ones who:

1.  Take care of themselves and conduct their lives righteously
2. Guard religion
3. Oppose their desires
4. Obey the commands of Almighty Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى)
5. Stand for justice

We are required to follow (Taqleed) such personalities in our midst and accept them as our leaders. With this leadership of religious and pious scholars in academic and cultural, jurisprudential and socio-political matters, this institution of Marja’iyyah was born, upon the dawn of the era of the occultation of our living Imam, namely Imam Mahdi (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف).

Our Imams of the Ahlul Bait ((عليه السلام)) established this framework of guidance very strongly, to the point where they have declared whoever rejects the authority of the religious scholars fulfilling the criteria described above (Marja) would amount to rejecting them, the Ahlul Bait ((عليه السلام)).

https://ijtihadnet.com/marjaʻiyya-powerful-institution-of-great-pride-for-shia-muslims-tribute-to-ayatollah-safi-golpaygani/

[علوي]

On 12/1/2024 at 6:27 PM, Ashvazdanghe said:

Salam 

MARJA’IYYAH ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR AWAITED SAVIOUR IMAM MAHDI (عجّل الله تعالى فرجه الشريف)

There is a well-known Hadith defining who the rightful religious scholars are to follow. They are the ones who:

1.  Take care of themselves and conduct their lives righteously
2. Guard religion
3. Oppose their desires
4. Obey the commands of Almighty Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى)
5. Stand for justice

The Imams of Ahlul Bait ((عليه السلام)) have declared that such religious leaders in our time are the trusted custodians of what Almighty Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) considers Halaal (permissible) and Haraam (forbidden).

 

https://ijtihadnet.com/marjaʻiyya-powerful-institution-of-great-pride-for-shia-muslims-tribute-to-ayatollah-safi-golpaygani/

What is Marjaeya?(full definition )

What do marjaeya and marja’ mean?

3. Supervising the affairs and interests of Muslims

One of the priorities of the jurists who have assumed a position of authority is to monitor the condition and situation of Muslims, the state of their countries, their interests, and contending with those who wish evil upon Islam, the well-being of the Muslims, and their countries. As such, they assume the responsibility of providing advice, guidance, and direction in various social and political matters, and even have to resort to intervening and confronting if necessary, as was the case in the Iraqi constitution and elections.^[4] Similar instances of when the religious authority took such positions and issued a ruling concerning the protection of Muslims, their interests, and their lands include the Tobacco Protest in 1890 in Iran^[5], the Iraqi revolt of 1920^[6], and the fight against ISIS in 2014 in Iraq^[7].

 

1. The believers must always defend the religious authority, and not just because a particular scholar should be defended, but rather because of the importance of the religious authority as an immutable and public institution.^[19] Defending the religious authority means defending the religion and the sect, because the source of its strength is a group of current and active religious authority that is intimately familiar with the era and culture it is in, and knows how to navigate and guide the people as needed. ^[20]

https://imam-us.org/what-is-marjaeya

 

 

Thanks to @A follower

Marjaʻiyya: Powerful Institution Of Great Pride For Shia Muslims: Tribute To Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani

 

https://ijtihadnet.com/marjaʻiyya-powerful-institution-of-great-pride-for-shia-muslims-tribute-to-ayatollah-safi-golpaygani/

Salam,

I acknowledge and understand the hadiths regarding righteous scholars, as well as the sincere piety of the majority of maraje3. But having a formalised system of pretty much blind following is contradictory to the teachings of the Imams. 

By all means, follow righteous scholars. But when your following becomes systematic and in some cases forms your identity, we risk being misguided.

[Abu_Zahra]

This thread is not about debating marja'iyyah,  rather the aim was to answer a simple question. Further posts debating marjaiyyah will be removed. 

[OrthodoxTruth]

On 11/23/2024 at 4:35 AM, BlackShia74 said:

Which Shia Maraja is best to follow. Was Sunni for many years but now a Shia for two now so still learning.

In post 1970’s Shia reality, it depends if you want to engage in political activism or not. Some scholars focus solely on religion, others are active politicians who use religion to advance their political agendas. Sadly, the main criteria is not anymore about scholarly credentials and religious knowledge.