thumb|upright=1.2| [[Marja'|Ayatollahs of Qom, Iran; religious leaders who have the authority to interpret sharia sources in Shia Islam used assertive titles such as Hujjat al-Islam, Ayatollah, Ayatollah Al-Uzma and gained tutelage over people and the administration.]]
Ayatollah is a title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy. It came into widespread usage in the 20th century. Those who hold this title must be men and specialists in Islamic sciences such as jurisprudence (fiqh) and principles (usul), often teaching in seminaries. The next lower rank among these clergy is Hojjatoleslam.
Originally used as a title bestowed by popular/clerical acclaim for a small number of the most distinguished marja' at-taqlid mujtahid, it suffered from "inflation" following the 1979 Iranian Revolution when it came to be used for "any established mujtahid". By 2015, it was further expanded to include any student who had passed their Mujtahid final exam, leading to "thousands" of Ayatollahs. The combination has been translated to English as 'Sign of God', It is a frequently used term in the Quran, but its usage in this context is presumably a particular reference to the verse "We shall show them Our signs on the horizons and in their own selves",
Variants used are (), Traditionally, the title Ayatollah was awarded by popular usage only to the very few highest ranking,
According to Michael M. J. Fischer, the Iranian Revolution led to "rapid inflation of religious titles", so that almost every senior cleric began to be called an Ayatollah. raising the number of individuals who call themselves an Ayatollah dramatically. An unwritten rule of addressing for Shia clerics has been developed after the 1980s as a result of Iranian Revolution, At first the title that had been reserved for a Marja', was gradually applied to an established Mujtahid. Since the 2010s, sources under government control have tended to give him more distinguished titles like Grand Ayatollah and Imam. Certain clerics, such as Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari who had fallen out of favor with the rulers were downgraded by not being addressed as an Ayatollah.
Usage
Origins, early 20th century
The earliest known address of this title is for Ibn Mutahhar Al-Hilli (died 1374), however it was not in use as a title for those qualifying until the 20th century.
Hamid Algar maintains that this title entered general usage possibly because it was an "indirect result of the reform and strengthening of the religious institution in Qom".
Stages of contemporary titles for Shia clerics in Iran
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| colspan="4" style="background-color:#FFE6E6; padding:0.3em;" | Usually a Marja and issues fatwa
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| colspan="2" style="background-color:#FFE8D0; padding:0.3em; width:5em;"| Can be a lesser Mujtahid
| colspan="1" style="background-color:#FFE8D0; padding:0.3em;" | Can be a greater Mujtahid
| colspan="3" style="background-color:#FFE8D0; padding:0.3em;" | Usually a greater Mujtahid
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| colspan="8" style="background-color:#FFF8DC; padding:0.3em;" | Allowed to receive charity
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| colspan="14" style="background-color:#FFFFE0; padding:0.3em;" | Allowed to wear clerical clothing
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| colspan="2" style="width:12em; border:2px solid black; margin:1em; padding:1em;" | Talabah<br>()
| colspan="2" style="width:12em; border:2px solid black; margin:1em; padding:1em;" | Seghatoleslam<br>()
| colspan="2" style="width:12em; border:2px solid black; margin:1em; padding:1em;" | Hujjat al-Islam<br>()
| colspan="2" style="width:12em; border:2px solid black; margin:1em; padding:1em;" | Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin<br>()
| colspan="2" style="width:12em; border:4px solid black; margin:1em; padding:1em;" | Ayatollah<br>()
| style="width:12em; border:4px solid black; margin:1em; padding:1em;" | Ayatollah al-Uzma<br>()
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Grand Ayatollah
Only a few of the most important ayatollahs are accorded the rank of Grand Ayatollah (Ayatollah Uzma, "Great Sign of God"). When an ayatollah gains a significant following and they are recognized for religiously correct views, he is considered a Marja'-e-Taqlid, which in common parlance is "grand ayatollah". Usually as a prelude to such status, a mujtahid is asked to publish a juristic treatise in which he answers questions about the application of Islam to present-time daily affairs. Risalah is the word for treatise, and such a juristic work is called a risalah-yi'amaliyyah or "practical law treatise". A Grand Ayatollah is often seen as a spiritual guide and mentor to millions of Shia Muslims. His influence extends beyond the mosque and into the social and political arenas. Unlike many religious leaders of other religions, a grand ayatollah is often involved in state affairs, especially in countries with large Shia populations such as Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon.
Use of the term as a pejorative
In the West, particularly the United States, the term "Ayatollah" may be used as a pejorative to describe religious fundamentalism. Sam Miller of London Review of Books states that following the Iranian Revolution, "ayatollah" became common use; Miller described the pejorative version of the term as "[evoking] an old, turbaned, bearded man, sitting in judgment, looking like a crow and ordering the execution of the impure".
The term is generally used to describe any kind of fundamentalism, not just Islamism. For example, in the choice of title for the 1987 English translation of Raphael Mergui and Philippe Simonnot's book Israel's Ayatollahs: Meir Kahane and the Far Right in Israel, or in the United States, where former jurist and lawyer Roy Moore has been called the "Ayatollah of Alabama" by his critics due to espousing Christian nationalism, opposition to secularism, and far-right politics.
During the production of the film Heaven's Gate, the production crew referred to director Michael Cimino as an Ayatollah due to his demanding behavior.
See also
- Akhoond
- Allamah
- Faqīh
- Mullah
- Sheikh
- Ulama
- Clericalism in Iran
- List of current maraji
- Seghatoleslam
- Twelver Shia holy days