Marja'

In Shia Islam, marjaʿ (Arabic: مرجع‎; plural: marājiʿ), also known as a marjaʿ taqlīd or marjaʿ dīnī (Arabic: مرجع تقليد / مرجع ديني‎), literally meaning "source to imitate/follow" or "religious reference", is a title given to the highest level Shia authority, a Grand Ayatollah with the authority to make legal decisions within the confines of Islamic law for followers and less-credentialed clerics. After the Qur'an and the prophets and imams, marājiʿ are the highest authority on religious laws in Usuli Shia Islam.

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Marja' . Makeup

Is applying makeup permitted by any of the Maraje? If yes then in what situations is it allowed, and if not then why not?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 6 years ago

No Marja' of Taqleed has the authority to go against the Quran. Quran is very clear that showing the beauty or ornamentation is not allowed (ولا يبدين زينتهن) Al-Noor : 31.

Wassalam.

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Marja' . Beard . Shaving

I have read on a Marja website that shaving is not permissible as obligatory precaution. Does this mean that it is not absolutely impermissible?

Obligatory precaution means you Must act upon it or refer to the second most knowledgeable Marja' who has a verdict in this matter.

Wassalam.

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Prophet Muhammad . Marja' . Shi'a

What is a Marja? And why should the Shi’a follow them? Isn’t the Prophet (pbuh) and his family (as) enough? Can I be Shi'a without following any Marja?

When you can directly meet the Prophet (SAWA) or Ahlul Bayt ( AS), you will not need any one after them, but when we are unable to meet them, we need to follow their teachings and since the gap between us and them is big, there are many different narrations on same subjects, we need to refer to the most learned scholars who know which narrations are authentic and which narrations are not authentic, and can explain the meanings of the narrations in the best way. That is why, you need to follow the evidence provided by the Marja' of Taqleed to be sure that you are really following the Prophet (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt ( AS) and not something or someone else.

With out following the Marja' of Taqleed, your religious acts will be with out authentic evidence. Such evidence can not be found and taken but from the most learned scholar who is called Marja' of Taqleed.

Wassalam.

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Tattoo . Marja'

Is there a difference in the ruling of the Maraji' on the permissibility of having tattoo's? If so, what is the reason for the difference?

There is no difference between the well recognized Maraaji’ of Taqleed on the permissibility of having Tattoo. All of them say that it is permissible as far as it does not contain Quran or holy names of Allah and Infallible, and it should not be shown to non Mahram man if it is on female.

Wassalam.

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Marja' . Tab'id

Can I rely on different Marja's on specific matters at the same time? Is it not the case that one Marja' may not deliver perfect judgements on every topic and could sometimes make mistakes?

The Taqleed should be to the most learned scholar who is called Marja’ Taqleed. If the Marja’ has no verdict ( Fatwa) in a specific matter, you should refer to the most learned scholar after him.

Wassalam.

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Conversion to Islam . Islam . Shi'a . Marja' . Taqlid

As an American revert to Shi'a Islam how do I go about deciding on a Marja' to follow in Taqleed?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 6 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

The concept of taqleed is indeed something important to look into, and although it sounds complex it is pretty straight forward.

1. Read about this topic from reliable sources, and educate yourself about the basics of taqleed.

2. Consult with a reputable qualified scholar about the selecting of a Marja'.

3. It should not take more than a few minutes for you to make the intention and follow the correct criteria for following a Marja' taqleed.

4. Do not complicate things by politicising your choice, or being influenced by hearsay, or looking for an "easy" Marja'.

5. Stick with mainstream, and do not be diverted to other ways.

Wassalam

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Marja' . Moon Sighting

I live in a Gulf country where the local Islamic date is different from what the Marja’ I follow has declared. Which one should I follow?

You should follow the Marja of Taqleed and not the announcement of the government where you live. You dont need to disclose that you do not follow the government as Taqiyyah is Must on every believer.

Wassalam

Mohammad Al-Musawi

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Islamic Law . Hadith . Marja' . Qur'an . Mufti

Is a cleric (marja or mufti) responsible for the correctness of actions of followers who rely on his rulings? If yes, is there any evidence for it from the Qur'an or hadith?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 7 years ago

Thank you for your question. A marja is responsible for deriving rulings based on sound methods from the scriptural sources when possible, or ascertaining the appropriate action that a Muslim should adopt in any given situation based on the principles of jurisprudence.

The correctness of a person's action is their own responsibility and for that reason, people in the time of the greater occultation are faced with two choices when they are unable to ascertain the rulings for themselves. They may take precaution in all matters they are not certain about (assuming they know when it is appropriate to take precaution) or they can refer to the rulings of a person who is qualified to ascertain those rulings to the best of his ability and act in accordance with them.

The main evidence for resorting to someone who is qualified, when a person themselves has no means by which to derive the rulings for themselves, is that this is the action of rational people. In the same light, the justification for corresponding with the rulings of the most qualified or most knowledgeable jurist (when the knowledge of who the most knowledgeable marja is, is possible) is that by following the most knowledgeable jurist, you can be more certain that your actions will be acceptable on the Day of Judgment.

May you always be successful.

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Salah (Prayers) . Fatwa . Marja' . Leather

I have a question regarding wearing a leather belt during prayer, I was wondering what is the Fatwa from different Maraje'?

Liyakatali Takim, Professor Liyakat Takim is the Sharjah Chair in Global Islam at McMaster University in Canada. Answer imported 7 years ago

The Maraji' have generally ruled that wearing things like leather belts in salat is not allowed if the leather is not slaughtered in an Islamic way. See Islamic Laws of Ayatullah Seestani's Tawdhihu'l Masa'il p. 160.

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Marja'

What are the conditions for switching marjas if the previous marja is still alive?

Liyakatali Takim, Professor Liyakat Takim is the Sharjah Chair in Global Islam at McMaster University in Canada. Answer imported 7 years ago

You can only change taqlid from one living Mujtahid to another one if, after research, you are satisfied that the second Mujtahid is the most learned one (a'lam).

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