The Ayatollah reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Ayatollah

Ayatollah (آية الله in Arabic, or آیت‌الله in Persian) means "sign of God". This is one of the high level epithets for the major shiite clergymen. They are experts in Islamic sciences such as Jurisprudence, Ethics, Philosophy and Mysticism, and usually teach in schools (hawza) of Islamic sciences.

When Western people say "the Ayatollah", they usually mean Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, or possibly the Supreme Leader of Iran.

Famous examples:

• Ali Khamenei
• Ruhollah Khomeini
• Ali al-Sistani

See also: List of Ayatollahs

External links

• Slate Magazine's "So you want to be an Ayatollah" explaining how Shiite clerics earn the title

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