What is an Ayatollah?
The title of ayatollah, which means sign of God, is given to Shi’a clerics who have amassed many followers and become experts in religious, ethical, philosophical, and jurisprudence matters. It is the highest rank of Shi’a theologians. Ayatollahs do not exist in the Sunni Islamic sect; Sunni Islam does not have such a formal religious hierarchy as the Shi’a but they too have religious titles such as Mufti. In order to become an ayatollah, a Shi’a cleric must study the Qur’an and Islam for many years. The title is not bestowed in an official manner, and the Islam faith has not laid out any requirements that a cleric must meet before becoming an ayatollah. Instead, the title is earned by studying, teaching, and preaching over a long period of time and also gathering followers and garnering the respect of other Shi’a clerics. An aspiring cleric usually starts by studying theology, science, law, and philosophy in a Shi’a holy city. After some years of studying, the cleric will begin to lec
An Ayatollah is a spiritual leader; he is someone who is very knowledgeable about Islam, and who knows all of the Quran and all the Hadith and can interpret it all clearly. Such people are usually given a high role and can create new laws based on the Quran and Hadith. But these days the title seems to be handed out to anyone in some countries, and it has lost some of the respect that is used to bring.
