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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Uswat Al-Aarifeen: A Look at the Life of Ayatullah Bahjat The Marji`iyya of Grand Ayatullah Sheikh Bahjat, his Wisdom and Political Awareness The Marji'iyya Sheikh Bahjat is regarded as one of the most famous faqihs (jurists) in our time. He taught the subjects of Kharij al-Fiqh and Usul for more than thirty years, but he, despite all of that, was always avoiding becoming a marji` taqlid .

Commenting about the reason why the mentor [finally] accepted to be a marji` and how his condition did not change following his acceptance of this responsibility, Sayyid Misbah says, "The house of Ayatullah Bahjat did not change after his acceptance of the marji`iyya . Since it was not possible the meetings and visits to be held at his house, these meetings took place at the Fatimiyya Mosque during the Eid (feast) days and on commemorative occasions.

I think the acceptance of the mentor of the marji`iyya responsibility is one of his karamat , may Allah safeguard him. In other words, the circumstances of his life and age, which exceeded eighty years, did not require him to shoulder such a responsibility. The individuals who knew him closely could not believe that he would agree to bear the banner of the marji`iyya and accept its responsibility.

There is no doubt that the acceptance of the Sheikh of this responsibility was only due to his deep feeling that accepting this matter was a specific obligation. We have to say that the conduct of the Sheikh in our time, despite all this piety and asceticism, had driven the argument home against others.

One can be a religious authority ( marji` ) and at the same time live with simplicity and without changing the way he dressed himself, ate, resided and undertook his other matters of life." After the demise of the late Ayatullah Sayyid Ahmad al-Khunsari, the Sheikh started correcting the first and second volumes of the book titled Dhakirat al-`Ibad which is now called Jami` al-Masaail . He ordered it to be distributed to only a select group from among his students.

He also permitted the publication of his scholarly dissertation (the collection of his edicts, fatawa ) prior to the demise of the able authority, Grand Ayatullah al-Araki.