Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani (; 20 February 1919 – 1 February 2022) was an Iranian

Grand Ayatollah Marja (; plural ''marājiʿ''; ) is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric, with the authority given by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated) to make legal decisions within the confines of Sh ...

. He was at one point the most senior

Twelver Shia Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as th ...

scholar (

Marja' Marja (; plural ''marājiʿ''; ) is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric, with the authority given by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated) to make legal decisions within the confines of Sh ...

) in Iran until his death. He resided in

Qom Qom (; ) is a city in the Central District of Qom County, Qom province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is the seventh largest metropolis and also the seventh largest city in Iran. The city is ...

and taught Islam in the

Qom Seminary The Qom Seminary (') is the largest and one of the foremost Shia Islam, Shia hawzas (Islamic seminaries), located in the city of Qom, Iran. It is the largest seminary in Iran, established in 1922 by Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Karim Haeri Yazdi in Qom to ...

Personal life and education

Lotfollah was born in

Golpayegan Golpayegan () is a city in the Central District of Golpayegan County, Isfahan, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The city is northwest of Isfahan and southeast of Arak, at an altitude of 1,830 m. Its temperat ...

on 20 February 1919 into a religious family. His father, Mohammad Javad Safi Golpaygani, was a high ranking

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

scholar (

). His mother, known as Fatemeh Khanom, was the daughter of a

Mujtahid ''Ijtihad'' ( ; ' , ) is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning by an expert in Islamic law, or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a legal question. It is contrasted with '' taqlid'' (i ...

called Akhund Mohammad Ali. His brother,

Ali Safi Golpaygani Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Ali Safi Golpaygani (, 1913 – 3 January 2010) was an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja. He was born in Golpayegan, Iran. He has studied in seminaries of Najaf, Iraq under Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi. He taught at the Semina ...

was also a high ranking Shia scholar. He is also the son-in-law of

Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani Grand Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani (; March 20, 1899Ayatollah Ayatollah (, ; ; ) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy. It came into widespread usage in the 20th century. Originally used as a title bestowed by popular/clerical acclaim for a small number of the most di ...

Ali Karimi Jahromi. While a child in Golpayegan, he was first introduced to basic books in Arabic literature Jalil al-Qadr, and Mullah Abu al-Qasim known as "Qutb". He continued his Islamic Studies with his father in Golpeygan, while there his father taught him

Islamic Theology Schools of Islamic theology are various Islamic schools and branches in different schools of thought regarding creed. The main schools of Islamic theology include the extant Mu'tazili, Ash'ari, Maturidi, and Athari schools; the extinct ones ...

(Aqidah), Interpretation of the Quran (Tafsir),

Hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

Islamic Jurisprudence ''Fiqh'' (; ) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence.Fiqh
Encyclopædia Britannica ''Fiqh'' is of ...

(Fiqh),

Principles of Islamic jurisprudence Principles of Islamic jurisprudence () are traditional methodological principles used in Islamic jurisprudence (''fiqh'') for deriving the rulings of Islamic law (''sharia''). Traditional theory of Islamic jurisprudence elaborates how the scri ...

(Usool Fiqh), as well as several other subjects. At the age of 22 in 1941, he left Golpeyegan and settled in

to further his Islamic Studies in the

. After spending a few years there, he visited

Najaf Najaf is the capital city of the Najaf Governorate in central Iraq, about 160 km (99 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam an ...

to attend the

Hawza Najaf The Najaf Seminary (), also known as the al-Hawza Al-Ilmiyya (الحوزة العلمية), is the oldest and one of the most important Shia seminaries (hawza) in the world. It is located near the Imam Ali Shrine in the city of Najaf in Iraq, and ...

for approximately 1 year, then returned to Qom to partake in advanced Islamic Studies (Darse Kharej). He would spend the next 15 years there learning and attending lessons under many high ranking Shia scholars, as well as debating

Islamic Mysticism Sufism ( or ) is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism, and asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are referred to as "Sufis" (from , ), and ...

Teachers

Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani's teachers and tutors included

Hossein Borujerdi Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Hossein Ali Tabatabaei Borujerdi ( Luri/; 23 March 1875 – 30 March 1961) was a leading Iranian Shia Marja' in Iran from approximately 1947 to his death in 1961. He was a major proponent for the elimination of Baha'is in I ...

, Seyyed Mohammad Hojjat Kooh Kamari,

Sadr al-Din al-Sadr Sadr al-Din Sadr (; 1882 – 26 November 1953
erfan.ir) was the father of

Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani Grand Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani (; March 20, 1899

Political activities

Before the

1979 Iranian revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

, Lotfollah was a critic of the

Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...

SAVAK The Bureau for Intelligence and Security of the State (), shortened to as SAVAK () or S.A.V.A.K. () was the secret police of the Imperial State of Iran. It was established in Tehran in 1957 by national security law. and continued to operate un ...

had banned some of his works in Iran as a response to this. After the revolution, he was elected by the

Markazi province Markazi province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Arak. The present borders of the province date to 1977, when the province was split into the current Markazi and Tehran provinces, with portions being annexed b ...

to represent them in the

Assembly for the Final Review of the Constitution The Assembly for the Final Review of the Constitution (AFRC; ), also known as the Assembly of Experts for Constitution (), was a constituent assembly in Iran that was convened in 1979 to condense and ratify the draft prepared beforehand for the C ...

Ruhollah Khomeini Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini (17 May 1900 or 24 September 19023 June 1989) was an Iranian revolutionary, politician, political theorist, and religious leader. He was the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main leader of the Iranian ...

also appointed him to be the secretary in the

Guardian Council The Guardian Council (also called Council of Guardians or Constitutional Council, ) is an appointed and constitutionally mandated 12-member council that wields considerable power and influence in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The constitution ...

Works

Throughout his life, Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani published over 100 works in both Persian and Arabic. Here are some of them. * al-Taazil: Anvah va Molhaghate (Taazil: its types and its accessories) - Winner of

Iran's Book of the Year Awards Iran's Book of the Year Awards is an annual award about books in categories of religion, social sciences, language, applied sciences, art and literature. It is the most prestigious book award in Iran and is granted by the Iranian president during ...

* The Way of Reforming or Enjoining in Good, and Forbidding Evil * Hajj Travelogue * Hajj * Prayers in Arafat * An Attitude Towards Mysticism and Philosophy * A Ray of Greatness of

Imam Hussein Husayn ibn Ali (; 11 January 626 – 10 October 680 CE) was a social, political and religious leader in early medieval Arabia. The grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and an Alid (the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Muhammad's daughter ...

(as) - Winner of Provincial Book of the Year in Iran *

Diwan (poetry) A diwan (from Persian language, Persian ; ) is a collection of Poetry, poems by a single author – usually excluding the poet's Mathnawi (poetic form), long poems – in Islamic cultures of West Asia, Central Asia, North Africa, Sicily and So ...

* Weeping for Imam Hussein * Aware Martyr * Ramadan in the History of Historical Events * Theology in Nahj al-Balagha * The Call for Islam in Europe * Events Around the Day of Ghadir * Judgment Between

Sheikh Saduq Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Babawayh al-Qummi (Persian: ; –991), commonly referred to as Ibn Babawayh (Persian: ) or al-Shaykh al-Saduq (Persian: ), was a Persian Shia Islamic scholar whose work, entitled '' Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih'' ...

and Sheikh Mofid * Biography of Mullah Mohammad Javad Safi * Oqat Salawat * A Detailed Introduction of 'Muqtadab al-Athar', 'Makial al-Makarem', and 'Muntaqi al-Jaman' * Comments on the Treatise of al-Jabr and al-Qadr * A treatise against Philosophy and Mysticism (nigrashi bar falsafa o irfan)

Views

Criticism of Islamic Philosophy and Mysticism

Safi Golpaygani was a critic of

Islamic Philosophy Islamic philosophy is philosophy that emerges from the Islamic tradition. Two terms traditionally used in the Islamic world are sometimes translated as philosophy—''falsafa'' (), which refers to philosophy as well as logic, mathematics, and p ...

and

Mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute (philosophy), Absolute, but may refer to any kind of Religious ecstasy, ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or Spirituality, spiritual meani ...

. In one of his essays, he wrote: Commenting on Mysticism, he said: He wrote a book, ''nigrashi bar falsafa o irfan'', on this topic too. He was also a critic of

Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli Hasan Hasanzade Amoli (: 10 February, 1927 – 25 September, 2021) was an Iranian Schools of Islamic theology#Shia schools of theology, Shi'ite theologian known for his Mysticism, mystical tendencies and Islamic philosophy. He was among clerics w ...

. In a speech with

Ahmad Mojtahedi Tehrani Ayatollah Ahmad Mojtahedi Tehrani (Persian language, Persian: احمد مجتهدی تهرانی) was an Iranian Twelver Shia ayatollah/scholar who was born on 2 October 1923 in Tehran in a religious family. His father was Mohammad-Baqer, and his ...

, he spoke against a poem of

Rumi Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (), or simply Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century poet, Hanafi '' faqih'' (jurist), Maturidi theologian (''mutakallim''), and Sufi mystic born during the Khwarazmian Empire ...

, and Hassan Amoli and said they are "against us". He is among several high ranking Shia scholars who reject Islamic Mysticism and claims it to be nothing but dreamy and artificial, and that the pursuit of such things is a waste of life.

Reducing poverty in Iran

Safi Golpaygani often spoke out against poverty in Iran. He claimed that a just Islamic System should eradicate poverty. In an interview with

Tasnim News Agency Tasnim News Agency () is a semi-official news agency in Iran associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Launched in 2012, its purpose is to cover a variety of political, social, economic and international subjects along with ma ...

, he highlighted that the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee should focus on reducing poverty and social problems in Iran.

Calling for Iran to establish good relations with all countries around the World

On 21 October 2021,

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (, born 23 August 1961) is an Iranian Iranian Principlists, conservative politician, former military officer, and current List of Speakers of the Parliament of Iran, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Parli ...

met with Safi Golpaygani. Lotfollah emphasised the need for Iran to establish good relations with all nations around the world. He was very concerned about the economic situation, and the problems the people are facing. After this, he received criticism from several outlets, most notably from

Hossein Shariatmadari Hossein Shariatmadari () is the managing editor of ''Kayhan'', a conservative and hard-line Iranian newspaper. Career A strong supporter of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he has been described as being "a close confidant of Iran's supreme lead ...

with

Kayhan newspaper ''Kayhan'' () is a Persian-language newspaper published in Tehran, Iran. It is considered "the most conservative and hard-line Iranian newspaper." Hossein Shariatmadari is the editor-in-chief of ''Kayhan''. According to the report of the '' ...

Condemnation of the Taliban

After the

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

took control of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

in August 2021, there was a fear among the Shia of Afghanistan as to what would happen to them due to their

Persecution Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...

in Afghanistan under the Taliban. Safi Golpaygani issued a message for the World to help the people of Afghanistan.

The Shahin Najafi affair

When

Shahin Najafi Morteza Najafipour Moghadam (; born 1980), better known as Shahin Najafi (), is an Iranian musician, singer, composer, poet, author, and political activist. Najafi's songs mostly deal with issues su ...

released a song called " Naghi", he angered many Shia Muslims in Iran, and around the world. In the song, Shahin was accused of insulting the 10th Imam of

The Twelve Imams The Twelve Imams (, '; , ') are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, including that of the Alawite and Alevi. According to Twelver theology, the Twelve Imams are exemplary ...

Ali al-Hadi Ali al-Hadi (; – ) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tenth Imamate in Shia doctrine, Imam in Twelver Shi'ism, Twelver Shia, succeeding his father, Muhammad al-Jawad (). Born in Medina in 828, Ali is known with the ti ...

. He also depicted the

Imam Reza Shrine The Imam Reza shrine (; ) is a Shi'ite shrine, imamzadeh and mausoleum complex, located in Mashhad, in the province of Razavi Khorasan, Iran. The shrine contains the grave of Ali al-Rida, who is regarded as the eighth Imam in Shia Islam. Als ...

(shrine of 8th Imam,

Ali al-Ridha Ali al-Rida (, 1 January 766 – 6 June 818), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī, was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the eighth imam in Twelver Shia Islam, succeeding his father, Musa al-Kazim. He is also part of th ...

) in a sexual manner representing a woman's breast, alongside a

rainbow flag A rainbow flag is a multicolored flag consisting of the colors of the rainbow. The designs differ, but many of the colors are based on the seven spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. History In the 18th century, American Revolutionary ...

. Two weeks prior to the release of his song, a

Fatwa A fatwa (; ; ; ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (sharia) given by a qualified Islamic jurist ('' faqih'') in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist issuing fatwas is called a ''mufti'', ...

was issued by Safi Golpaygani claiming those who insult the Imams should be issued a death penalty. It was after the release of his song that this Fatwa was then issued for Shahin Najafi.

Death

In the early hours of Tuesday, 1 February 2022, Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani died in a hospital in Qom due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 102. His death was mourned by many Shias around the World, figures such as

Ali Khamenei Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third President of Iran, president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure ...

Ali al-Sistani Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani (; born 4 August 1930) is an Islamic scholar and the dean of the Hawza of Najaf in Iraq. A Grand Ayatollah, Sistani is considered one of the leading religious leaders of Twelver Shia Muslims. After the invasion of ...

and

Hossein Wahid Khorasani Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Hossein Wahid Khorasani (; born Mohammad-Hossein Molla-Saleh (Persian: )‎; 1 January 1921) is an Iranian author and Shia Islam, Shia marja'. He is the current head of the Qom Seminary. Khorasani is considered to be the ...

sent a message of condolence on his death. His funeral took place on 2 February in Qom, many attended his funeral. His son-in-law Ali Karimi Jahromi led his funeral prayers. His body was transferred to

Karbala Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...

and was buried in the Imam Husayn Shrine on 3 February as per his will. Golpaygani Funeral