Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: Judges Cannot Act Based on Their Own Knowledge

Another daily scholarly session led by Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Hosseini al-Shirazi was held in his honourable residence in Qom on Wednesday, the 28th of Rajab. As in previous sessions, the Supreme Marja addressed attendees’ questions regarding various jurisprudential issues.

In discussing the role of a judge, his Eminence stated that according to the views of Shia jurists, a judge cannot act based on their own knowledge and must rely on evidence and oaths when making judgments.

He highlighted the practices of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him), noting that both figures based their judgments on evidence and testimonies rather than personal knowledge.

Furthermore, Grand Ayatullah Shirazi emphasized that even if a judge possesses extensive knowledge, they must still base their rulings on the testimonies and oaths of individuals.

In response to claims made by some that Imam Al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) judges based on his own knowledge, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi stressed that this assertion contradicts the practices of the Prophet and Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon them both, and there are no authentic narrations supporting this claim.

Let us watch the remarks of Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: