List of current maraji

The English used in this article or section may not be easy for everybody to understand. You can help Wikipedia by reading Wikipedia:How to write Simple English pages, then simplifying the article.

This article needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can help by editing it.

Maraji (plural of marja) are the supreme legal authority followed by Twelver Shia Muslims, also known as Imamiyyah, around the world. The concept of a Marja al-taqlid (lit. 'source of emulation') is central to Usuli Shi'a Islam. Marja al-taqlid provides religious interpretations on matters of law and rituals. Ideally, the most just and knowledgeable specialists in the field of Islamic law become recognized as the marja-i taqlid. In practice, this rarely happens and there are several marja al-taqlid whom an individual may choose to emulate.

Clerics who reach the apex of Shi'a theological hierarchy, in centers of learning, become marja-i taqlids. Approximately since 1940, marja-i taqlids are often referred to by their followers with the honorific of Ayatollah al-`Uzma (Arabic: Grand Ayatollah, where "ayatollah" means "sign of God"). Among the responsibilities of marja-i taqlids are the collection and distribution of religious taxes, such as zakat and khums.

Current

No	Image	Name	Birth year CE	Birth place	Residence	Notes
1		Hossein Wahid Khorasani حسین وحید خراسانی‎	(1921-01-01) 1 January 1921 (age 105)	Nishapur, Qajar Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website Archived 2025-09-07 at the Wayback Machine
2		Hossein Noori Hamedani حسین نوری همدانی‎	(1925-03-21) 21 March 1925 (age 101)	Hamadan, Qajar Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
3		Naser Makarem Shirazi ناصر مکارم شیرازی‎	(1927-02-25) 25 February 1927 (age 99)	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 98)	Qom, Imperial State of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
5		Mohammad Rahmati Sirjani محمد رحمتی سیرجانی‎	1928 (age 97–98)	Sirjan, Imperial State of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website Archived 2009-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
6		Ja‘far Sobhani جعفر سبحانی‎	(1929-04-09) 9 April 1929 (age 97)	Tabriz, Islamic republic of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website
7		Sayyid Ali Husayni Sistani سید علی حسینی سیستانی‎	(1930-08-04) 4 August 1930 (age 96)	Mashhad, Islamic republic of Iran	Najaf, Iraq	Official Website
8	File:Ayatollah Taqi Majlesi Isfahani.jpg	Muhammad Taqi Majlesi Isfahani محمد تقى مجلسى اصفهانى‎	1930 (age 95–96)	Isfahan, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
9		Abdollah Javadi-Amoli عبدالله جوادى آملى‎	(1933-05-05) 5 May 1933 (age 93)	Amol, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
10		Hossein Mazaheri حسین مظاهری‎	(1933-11-16) 16 November 1933 (age 92)	Isfahan, Islamic republic of Iran	Isfahan, Iran	Official Website
11		Sayyid Ali Mohammad Dastgheib Shirazi سید علی محمد دستغیب شیرازی‎	(1935-03-14) 14 March 1935 (age 91)	Shiraz, Islamic republic of Iran	Shiraz, Iran	Official Website
12	File:Ayatollah Yadollah Duzduzani.jpg	Mirza Yadollah Duzduzani میرزا یدالله دزدوزانی‎	1935 (age 90–91)	Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
13	File:Ayatollah Shamsodin Vaezi.jpg	Shamsodin Vaezi شمس الدین الواعظی‎	1936 (age 89–90)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
14		Mohammad Ali Gerami Qomi محمدعلى گرامى قمی‎	1938 (age 87–88)	Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website Archived 2015-09-12 at the Wayback Machine
15	File:Ayatollah Kazem Haeri.jpg	Sayyid Kazim Hussaini al-Haeri سید كاظم حسينی حائريی‎	1938 (age 87–88)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iran	Official Website Has officially resigned as Marja
16	File:Ayatollah Rahimi Azad.jpg	Ali Asghar Rahimi Azad علی اصغر رحیمی آزاد‎	1939 (age 86–87)	Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website Archived 2018-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
17	File:Yasubedin Rastegar Jooybari.jpg	Sheikh Yasubedin Rastegar Jooybari شيخ يعسوب دين رستگار جويباری‎	1940 (age 85–86)	Juybar, Islamic republic of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website Archived 2017-12-13 at the Wayback Machine
18	File:Ayatollah Tahir khaqani.jpg	Mohammad Mohammad Taher Aleshobair Khaqani محمد محمد طاهر آل شبير الخاقاني‎	1940 (age 85–86)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
19		Sheikh Khalil Qudsi Mehr Tabrezi شیخ خلیل قدسی مهر تبریزی‎	1940 (age 85–86)	Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official website Archived 2021-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
20		Sayyid Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi سید صادق حسینی شيرازی‎	(1942-08-20) 20 August 1942 (age 84)	Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq	Qom, Iran	Official Website
21		Asadollah Bayyat Zanjani اسدالله بیات زنجانی‎	(1941-12-23) 23 December 1941 (age 84)	Zanjan, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
22		Dosti Zanjani دوستى زنجانى‎	1941 (age 84–85)	Islamic republic of Iran	Qom, Iran	Official Website Archived 2022-11-05 at the Wayback Machine
23		Ali Karimi Jahromi علی کریمی جهرمی‎	(1942-04-10) 10 April 1942 (age 84)	Jahrom, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
24		Bashir Hussain Najafi بشير حسين النجفي‎	1942 (age 83–84)	Jalandhar, British India	Najaf, Iraq	Official Website
25		Sheikh Noori Hatim Saadi الشيخ نوري حاتم الساعدي ‎	1944 (age 81–82)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	-
26		Sayyid Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi السيد محمد تقي المدرسي ‎	(1945-07-01) 1 July 1945 (age 81)	Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website[permanent dead link]
27		Sayyid Ali Asghar Dastgheib سید علی‌اصغر دستغیب‎	(1945-11-25) 25 November 1945 (age 80)	Shiraz, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website Archived 2022-09-25 at the Wayback Machine
28	File:Ayatollah Hassan Baghdadi.jpg	Sayyid Ahmad Hassani Baghdadi السيد احمد الحسني البغدادي ‎	1945 (age 80–81)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
29		Sayyid Allaedin Ghoraifi السيد علاء الدين الغريفي ‎	1945 (age 80–81)	Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
30		Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini Zanjani سید محمد حسینی زنجانی‎	1947 (age 78–79)	Qom, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
31	File:Ayatollah Saleh Taei.jpg	Saleh Taei صالح الطائي‎	1948 (age 77–78)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
32		Ali Al-Saleh علي الصالح‎	1948 (age 77–78)	Kuwait	Kuwait	-
3		Seyed Javad Alavi Borujerdi سید جواد علوی بروجردی‎	(1951-04-16) 16 April 1951 (age 75)	Qom, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
34	File:Ayatollah Mohammad Amin Mamqani.jpg	Mohammad Amin Mamaqani محمد أمين المامقاني‎	(1951-06-10) 10 June 1951 (age 75)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Biography Official Website Archived 2020-06-28 at the Wayback Machine
35	File:Ayatollah Jawad Khalesi.jpeg	Jawad Khalesi [ar] جواد الخالصي‎	(1951-09-13) 13 September 1951 (age 75)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	-
36	File:Ayatollah Kashani.jpg	Khalil Mobasher Kashani خلیل مبشر کاشانی‎	1951 (age 74–75)	Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
37		Sayyid Husayn Esmaeel al-Sadr السيد حسين إسماعيل الصدر ‎	1952 (age 73–74)	Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website Archived 2025-11-09 at the Wayback Machine
38		Fazel Maleki فاضل المالكي‎	(1954-04-08) 8 April 1954 (age 72)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website
39	File:Ayatollah Ali Hassani Baghdadi.jpg	Sayyid Ali Hassani Baghdadi سید علي الحسنی البغدادی ‎	1955 (age 70–71)	Kingdom of Iraq	Iraq	Official Website Archived 2019-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
40		Seyed Mohammad Yasrebi سید محمد یثربی‎	1955 (age 70–71)	Qom, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
41		Sayyid Kamal al-Haydari سید كمال الحیدری‎	(1956-01-01) 1 January 1956 (age 70)	Karbala, Kingdom of Iraq	Iran	Official Website
42	File:Ayatollah Ghazanfari Khansari.jpg	Sayyid Mohammad Hadi Ghazanfari Khansari سید محمد هادي غضنفری خوانساری‎	1957 (age 68–69)	Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Biography Archived 2022-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
43		Sayyid Muhsin Hojjat Kabuli سید محسن حجت كابلی‎	1957 (age 68–69)	Kingdom of Afghanistan	Afghanistan	Official Website
44		Seyed Mohammad Amin Khorasani [fa] سید محمد امین خراسانی‎	(1958-02-09) 9 February 1958 (age 68)	Sabzevar, Islamic republic of Iran	Iran	Official Website
45		Mohammad Jamil Hammoud al-Amili محمد جميل حمود العاملي‎	1959 (age 66–67)	Beirut, Lebanon	Lebanon	Official website Archived 2026-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
46		Mohammad Yaqoobi محمد اليعقوبي‎	(1960-09-09) 9 September 1960 (age 66)	Najaf, Iraqi Republic (1958–1968)	Najaf, Iraq	Official Website
47		Sayyid Reza Hosseini Nassab سيد رضا حسینی نسب‎	1960 (age 65–66)	Yazd, Islamic republic of Iran	Canada	Official Website
48	File:Ayatollah Movahedi Najafi.jpg	محمد باقر موحدى ن

1. ↑ Pike, John. "Twelvers / Ithna Ashari Islamic Schools of Thought". www.globalsecurity.org.
2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lara Deeb, An Enchanted Modern: Gender and Public Piety in Shi'i Lebanon, Princeton University Press, pp.69-70
3. 1 2 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.^{[permanent dead link]}
13. ↑ "Seyed Reza Hosseini Nassab". Archived from the original on 2011-06-13.
14. ↑ Islamopedia Ayatollah Hosseini Nassab.