Mohammed Ridha al-Sistani

Muhammad-Ridha al-Sistani
السيد محمد رضا الحسيني السيستاني
Personal
Born18 August 1962
ReligionIslam
Children
  • Hasan
  • Husayn
  • Muhsin
ParentAli al-Sistani (father)
JurisprudenceTwelver Shia Islam
RelativesMirza Shirazi (great-great grandfather)

Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad-Ridha al-Husayni al-Sistani (Arabic: محمد رضا الحسيني السيستاني; Persian: محمدرضا حسينى سيستانى, romanizedMohammad-Reza Hoseyni Sistāni, born 18 August 1962), is an Iraqi-Iranian Shia scholar, and the son of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Sistani primarily runs his father's office and oversees the financial and administrative work.

Early life and education

Early life

Sistani was born to Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, and the daughter of Sayyid Muhammad-Hassan al-Shirazi (grandson of Mirza Shirazi). He comes from a respectable lineage of scholars, traced back to the 17th century.

His family claim descent from the fourth Shia Imam, Ali ibn Husayn.

Education

He joined the Najaf seminary in September, 1974. He conducted his jurisprudence studies under the leading jurist of his time, Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei in September, 1979. He attended the principles of jurisprudence classes of his father, Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, in March, 1991.

He began teaching manasik in September 2003.

Political stances

His position on developments in Iraq have been called close to Iran's; he has stated that any intervention is not designed to be permanent.

He played a major role in ending the 2022 Baghdad clashes by calling Muqtada al-Sadr by phone and conveying a message to him from his father Ali al-Sistani, which stated that Sadr was responsible for any bloodshed and urged him to call on his group to end the violence. Sadr responded by ordering his forces to end their attacks, as well as apologizing for the violence that broke out.

He has said that Iraqis have the right to govern themselves and choose their own rulers without the domination or interference of foreigners.

Works

Sistani has written a number of books in jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence. Some of them include:

  • Wasa'il al-Injab al-Sina'iya (Fertilization Through Assisted Technological Methods)
  • Wasa'il al-Man' Min al-Injab (Contraceptive Methods)
  • Janabat al-Mar'a Bighayr al-Muqaraba (Women's State of Impurity Without Intercourse)
  • Zaawaj al-Bikr al-Rashida Bighayr Ithn al-Wali (Marriage of a Virgin Without Guardians Consent)
  • Buhuth Fiqhiya (Jurisprudential research regarding meat slaughter without the use of metal, veiling, beauty and other issues.)
  • Buhuth Fi Sharh Manasik al-Hajj (Research in dissecting manasik of Hajj). 10 volumes.

See also