Grand Ayatollah Shirazi Permits Use of “Language of State” in Mourning Poetry

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi Permits Use of “Language of State” in Mourning Poetry
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In another scholarly session held on Saturday, 14th of Safar 1447, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq Husayni Shirazi addressed attendees’ jurisprudential questions. During the session, His Eminence stated that if mourning poems or lamentations attributed to the Infallibles are in the “language of state” (i.e., expressed in a heartfelt, first-person style), then there is no religious objection to them.

Ayatollah Shirazi added that such expressions mean that the emotional state of those revered figures is being conveyed, and as long as it is presented as their internal state (“language of state”), it remains valid.

He also cited a supplication from Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him), where it is stated: “O Allah, make the good words we utter reside in our hearts’ intentions.” He noted that recognizing and sincerely understanding the meaning of a Ziyarah or prayer enhances its spiritual reward.

The Supreme Marja continued, explaining expressions in hadiths like “he said with his hand” or “he said with his foot” or “he said with his head” are used descriptively, analogous to how people commonly gesture with their body parts to emphasize meaning.