Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: Infallible Imam has authority over life and property, Qualified Jurist Doesn’t

The daily scholarly meeting of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Sadegh Hosseini Shirazi was held on Sunday, the third of Safar, 2023. In this session, like the previous meetings, the Marja answered the questions of the attendees about various jurisprudence issues.

In this meeting, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi discussed the two following narrations: firstly, “But if there was one of the jurists who restrains his carnal self, protects his religion, acts against his desires, and is obedient to God’s command, it is on the people to follow him,”, secondly, “In the events that happen to you, you should refer to the narrators of our hadith (scholars), they are my Hujjat on you and I am God’s Hujjat on them”.

In this regard, his Eminence said: When an Infallible Imam lives visibly amongst us, all religious dues must be paid to him, and permission should be acquired from him in all spendings.

He further added: When the Infallible Imam says that the qualified jurists are my deputy executors, everything that belongs to him can also be in the hands of the qualified jurist, except for what has been explicitly excluded.

Based on evidence in Hadith, the Infallible Imam has authority over the life and property of people, but the qualified jurist does not have this right.

The Supreme Religious Authority further explained that: If a minister has powers and privileges, and goes on a trip and appoints a deputy, all those powers and privileges will be transferred to the deputy, except for what has been explicitly excluded.

He went on to say that this exception was not made regarding Khums, and therefore, just as during the presence of the Infallible Imam, people gave Khums, including the Imam’s share and the sadat’s share, to the Infallible Imam or sought his permission, during the period of occultation, the established practice of prominent Jurists from Shaykh al-Mufid to date reveals that Khums should be given to the qualified Jurist or permission should be obtained from him in all related spending.

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi also said that anyone can pay zakat directly, but in the case of khums, the imam’s share and the sadat’s share should be given to the qualified jurist.

His Eminence continued to discuss the difference between the authority of the Infallible Imam and the qualified jurist, and said: The jurist only has the right of guardianship and execution of spending with regard to religious duties, but he does not have the right to possession, whereas the Infallible Imam also owns all religious duties.

He also pointed out that some jurists have allowed direct payment to Sadat, but what his Eminence deduces from the traditions is that both Sadat’s share and Imam’s share should be placed in the custodian of the qualified jurists.