Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: True justice requires leaders to live like the poor

The Supreme Religious Authority, Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Sadiq al-Husseini al-Shirazi, emphasized that a just Imam in Islam must live at the same level as the poor, citing the words of Imam Ali (peace be upon him): “Indeed, Allah has made it obligatory upon just leaders to measure themselves by the weakest among the people, so that poverty does not overwhelm the poor.”

The Supreme Marja pointed out that this approach, followed by Imam Ali (peace be upon him), was not merely a personal choice but a divine obligation upon just leaders. They are required to live as the poor do in terms of food, clothing, and housing so that the impoverished do not feel deprived in comparison to their rulers.

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi explained that Imam Ali embodied this principle in practice, as he owned nothing beyond what he had brought from Medina to Kufa, noting that many scholars and religious authorities followed this path, including Sheikh Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi, who, despite his high religious and revolutionary status, lived in a rented house until his death.

The Grand Marja criticized the lifestyle of rulers who strayed from these values, highlighting that the Umayyad and Abbasid rulers lived in palaces and squandered the wealth of Muslims. In contrast, Imam Ali and the Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them) led lives of simplicity and austerity, underscoring the stark contrast between true Islam and the distorted version adopted by oppressive regimes throughout history.

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi reiterated the call to reexamine authentic Islam as derived from the life of the Prophet and his family (peace be upon them), stressing that the world today is in dire need of understanding true Islam, which is based on justice and equality, free from the distortions that emerged after the martyrdom of the Holy Prophet.