Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani ( fa, لطف‌الله صافی گلپایگانی; 20 February 1919 – 1 February 2022) was an Iranian

Grand Ayatollah Marji ( ar, مرجع, transliteration: ''marjiʿ''; plural: ''marājiʿ''), literally meaning "source to follow" or "religious reference", is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia authority, a Grand Ayatollah with the authority giv ...

. He was at one point the most senior

Twelver Shia Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...

scholar (

Marja' Marji ( ar, مرجع, transliteration: ''marjiʿ''; plural: ''marājiʿ''), literally meaning "source to follow" or "religious reference", is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia authority, a Grand Ayatollah with the authority gi ...

) in Iran until his death. He resided in

Qom Qom (also spelled as "Ghom", "Ghum", or "Qum") ( fa, قم ) is the seventh largest metropolis and also the seventh largest city in Iran. Qom is the capital of Qom Province. It is located to the south of Tehran. At the 2016 census, its popul ...

and taught Islam in the

Qom Seminary The Qom Seminary () is the largest Islamic seminary (''hawza'') in Iran, established in 1922 by Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Karim Haeri Yazdi in Qom. It trains Usuli scholars. History Although big Shi'a academies existed in Qom dating back as early ...

Personal life and education

Lotfollah was born in

Golpayegan Golpayegan ( fa, گلپایگان, Golpāyegān; also known as Shahr-e Golpāyegān meaning "City of Golpayegan") is a city and capital of Golpayegan County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 217,849, in 44,263 fam ...

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

Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the ...

scholar (

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

Mujtahid ''Ijtihad'' ( ; ar, اجتهاد ', ; lit. physical or mental ''effort'') 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 l ...

called Akhund Mohammad Ali. His brother,

Ali Safi Golpaygani Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Ali Safi Golpaygani ( Persian: علی صافی گلپایگانی) (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 A ...

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, 1899 – December 9, 1993) was an Iranian Shia Muslim and '' marja scholar and was born in 1899 in Gogad village near the city of Golpaygan, Iran. He was taught preliminary studies by his ...

, and father-in-law of

Ayatollah Ayatollah ( ; fa, آیت‌الله, āyatollāh) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy in Iran and Iraq that came into widespread usage in the 20th century. Etymology The title is originally derived from ...

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 '' ʿaqīdah'' (creed). The main schools of Islamic Theology include the Qadariyah, Falasifa, Jahmiyya, Murji'ah, Muʿtazila, Bat ...

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

Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...

Islamic Jurisprudence ''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh. The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...

(Fiqh),

Principles of Islamic jurisprudence Principles of Islamic jurisprudence, also known as ''uṣūl al-fiqh'' ( ar, أصول الفقه, lit. roots of fiqh), are traditional methodological principles used in Islamic jurisprudence (''fiqh'') for deriving the rulings of Islamic law (' ...

(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 ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...

to attend the Hawza Najaf for approximately 1 year, then returned back 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 ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

Teachers

Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani's teachers and tutors included

Hossein Borujerdi Grand Ayatollah Seyyed, Sayyid Hossein Ali Tababataei Borujerdi (Luri language, Luri/ fa, آیت الله العظمی سید حسین طباطبایی بروجردی; 23 March 1875 – 30 March 1961) was a leading Iran, Iranian Shia Islam, Shia ...

Seyyed Mohammad Hojjat Kooh Kamari Seyyed Mohammad Hojjat Kooh Kamari was a contemporary Iranian Muslim Faqīh and a Twelver Marja' who was in charge of the administration of the Qom Seminary for ten years. He was born on 17 March 1893 and died on 19 January 1953. He was a p ...

, Sadr al-Din al-Sadr, and

Political activities

Before the

1979 Iranian revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

, Lotfollah was a critic of the

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ( fa, محمدرضا پهلوی, ; 26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980), also known as Mohammad Reza Shah (), was the last ''Shah'' (King) of the Imperial State of Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow in the Irani ...

SAVAK SAVAK ( fa, ساواک, abbreviation for ''Sâzemân-e Ettelâ'ât va Amniat-e Kešvar'', ) was the secret police, domestic security and intelligence service in Iran during the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty. SAVAK operated from 1957 until prim ...

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

Assembly for the Final Review of the Constitution The Assembly for the Final Review of the Constitution (AFRC; fa, مجلس بررسی نهایی قانون اساسی) also known as the Assembly of Experts for Constitution ( fa, مجلس خبرگان قانون اساسی), was a constituent a ...

. Ruhollah Khomeini also appointed him to be the secretary in the

Guardian Council The Guardian Council, (also called Council of Guardians or Constitutional Council, fa, شورای نگهبان, Shourā-ye Negahbān) is an appointed and constitutionally mandated 12-member council that wields considerable power and influence i ...

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: it's 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 (as) - Winner of Provincial Book of the Year in Iran *

Diwan (poetry) In Islamic culture Islamic culture and Muslim culture refer to cultural practices which are common to historically Islamic people. The early forms of Muslim culture, from the Rashidun Caliphate to the early Umayyad period and the early Abbas ...

* 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: ar, أَبُو جَعْفَر مُحَمَّد ٱبْن عَلِيّ ٱبْن بَابَوَيْه ٱلْقُمِيّ; –991), commonly referred to as Ibn Babawayh (Persian: ar, ...

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 *

Jabir ibn Hayyan Abū Mūsā Jābir ibn Ḥayyān (Arabic: , variously called al-Ṣūfī, al-Azdī, al-Kūfī, or al-Ṭūsī), died 806−816, is the purported author of an enormous number and variety of works in Arabic, often called the Jabirian corpus. The ...

Views

Shahin Najafi

When Shahin Najafi 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 ( ar, ٱلْأَئِمَّة ٱلْٱثْنَا عَشَر, '; fa, دوازده امام, ') are the spiritual and political successors to the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Twelver branch of Islam, including that of the Alawi ...

Ali al-Hadi ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Hādī ( ar, عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْهَادِي; 828 – 868 CE) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tenth of the Twelve Imams, succeeding his father, Muhammad al-Jawad. He ...

. He also depicted the Imam Reza Shrine (shrine of 8th Imam,

Ali al-Ridha Ali ibn Musa al-Rida ( ar, عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُوسَىٰ ٱلرِّضَا, Alī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā, 1 January 766 – 6 June 818), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī, was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the e ...

) 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 spectral colors of the visible light spectrum. The LGBT flag introduced in 1978 is the most recognized ...

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

Fatwa A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist ...

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.

Criticism of Mysticism

Safi Golpaygani was a critic of

, he was also a critic of Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli. In a speech with Ahmad Mojtahedi Tehrani, he spoke against a poem of

Rumi Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī ( fa, جلال‌الدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā ( fa, مولانا, lit= our master) and Mevlevî/Mawlawī ( fa, مولوی, lit= my ma ...

, 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 ( fa, خبرگزاری تسنیم) is a semi-official news agency in Iran. It has links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Launched in 2012, its purpose is to cover a variety of political, social, economic and int ...

, 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 or Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf ( fa, محمد باقر قالیباف, born 23 August 1961) is an Iranian conservative politician, former military officer, and current Speaker of the Parliament of Iran since 2020. He held o ...

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 with Kayhan newspaper.

Condemnation of the Taliban

After the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pas ...

took control of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...

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.

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 Sayyid Ali Hosseini Khamenei ( fa, سید علی حسینی خامنه‌ای, ; born 19 April 1939) is a Twelver Shia ''marja and the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran, in office since 1989. He was previously the third president ...

Ali al-Sistani Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani ( ar, علي الحسيني السيستاني; fa, , Ali-ye Hoseyni-ye Sistāni; born 4 August 1930), commonly known as Ayatollah Sistani, is an Iranian–Iraqi Twelver Shia Ayatollah and marja'. He has been described ...

and Hossein Wahid Khorasani 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 or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Govern ...

and was buried in the

Imam Husayn Shrine The Imam Husayn Shrine ( ar, مَقَام ٱلْإِمَام ٱلْحُسَيْن ٱبْن عَلِيّ, Maqām al-ʾImām al-Ḥusayn ʾibn ʿAlī) is the mosque and burial site of Husayn ibn Ali, the third Imam of Shia Islam, in the city of K ...

on 3 February as per his will. Golpaygani Funeral