Ali al-Sistani

Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani ( Arabic : علي الحسيني السيستاني ; born 4 August 1930) is an Islamic scholar and the dean of the Hawza in Najaf , Iraq. A Grand Ayatollah, Sistani is considered one of the leading religious leaders of Twelver Shia Muslims . After the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent overthrow of the authoritarian Baathist regime , Sistani advocated for democratization instead of the system of Wilayat al-Faqih . He has likewise endorsed rule of law, Iraqi nationalism and non-sectarianism. He has been a vocal critic of foreign interference in Iraqi affairs and has warned foreign actors against imposing their will on the Iraqi people. Born in Mashhad , Iran to a Sayyid family, Sistani studied in Qom under Hossein Borujerdi and later in Najaf under Abu al-Qasim al-Khu'i. An Usuli, Sistani rose to the rank of mujtahid in 1960 and succeeded Abd al-A'la al-Sabziwari as Grand Ayatollah. Sistani was included in top positions of The Muslim 500: The World's Most Influential Muslims from 2004 to 2024 and named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2004 and 2005. When Khoei died in 1992, Sistani was selected by his peers to head the most important hawza—or network of schools—in Najaf. “Since summer 2003, Sistani has called for democratic elections and citizen participation that advanced the institutionalization of a legitimate Iraqi government.” "Ayatollah Sistani: Much More Than a "Guide" for Iraqis" . “In general, over the last decade and a half, Sistani chose rule of law over chaos, Iraqi nationalism over sectarianism, and popular sovereignty over authoritarian rule.” "السيد السيستاني يشدد على منع التدخلات الخارجية وحصر السلاح بيد الدولة" (in Arabic). "No person or group, no side with a particular view, no regional or international actor may seize the will of the Iraqi people and impose its will on them," Sistani said in his weekly sermon read by a representative in the Shiite holy city of Karbala. "نص الخطبة الثانية التي ألقاها ممثل المرجعية الدينية العليا فضيلة العلاّمة السيد أحمد الصافي في يوم الجمعة (3/ ربيع الأول/ 1441 هـ) الموافق (1/11/2019)" (in Arabic).