Naser Makarem Shirazi
Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi (, born 25 February 1927 in Shiraz, Iran) is an Iranian Shia marja' and religious leader. Biography He was born in the city of Shiraz, Iran. According to his website, his father was Ali Mohammad, his grandfather was Mohammad Karim, his forefather was Mohammad Baqer, and his progenitor was Mohammad Sadeq. According to Parvaneh Vahidmanesh one of the opponents of the Iranian regime, he has Jewish ancestors. He finished his school in Shiraz. He started formal Islamic studies at 14 in the Agha Babakhan Shirazi seminary. After completing the introductory studies, he studied jurisprudence (fiqh) and its principles (usool al-fiqh). He made rapid progress and finished studying the introductory and intermediate Islamic studies levels in approximately four years. During this time, he also taught at the Islamic seminary in Shiraz. At the age of 18, he formally entered the theological seminary of Qom, and for the next five years, was present in the religious gatherings and classes of some of the leading Islamic teachers of those days, such as Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Burujerdi, & Ayatollah Seyyed Kazem Shariatmadari. In Najaf In 1950, he made his way to the seminary of Najaf, Iraq. Here, he was able to take part in classes of teachers such as Ayatollah Muhsin al-Hakim, Ayatollah Abul-Qassim Khoei and Ayatollah Abdul Hadi ash-Shirazi. At 24, two senior scholars in Najaf granted him complete ijtihad. Ayatollah Muhsin al-Hakim also wrote a short, comprehensive letter of commendation for him. In 1951, he returned to Qom, since he did not have the means to survive and continue his studies in Najaf. After returning to Iran, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi began teaching the intermediate and higher level of studies in usul al-fiqh and fiqh. Also, he was a member of the editorial board of the first Islamic magazine published in Iran named "Maktab'e Eslam", next to Ayatollah Shariatmadari. He has won the Iranian Royal Academy of Philosophy award for his essay "Filsuf-Namaha". Fatwas (Rulings) and Statements Women's attendance in stadia In the aftermath of an attempt by President Ahmadinejad to allow women to attend soccer matches in stadiums (something they are not able to do now), Makarem issued a fatwa objecting to this. Alternatives to stoning Makarem's fatwa concerning stoning to death for adultery reads: "In certain circumstances, death by stoning can be replaced by other methods of punishment". Smoking Makarem issued a fatwa declaring smoking as forbidden (Haram). Dogs and pets In 2010, he responded to a request inquiring why a dog is considered unclean under shariah despite a lack of any prohibition on keeping dogs as pets in the Quran. In his fatwa, he emphasized that under shariah, dogs are indeed considered unclean based upon riwayahs, reliable narrations (hadith) handed down from the Prophet Muhammad and his household. Makarem described the current Iranian inclination toward dogs as "blindly imitating the West"; something that he believes will result in "evil outcomes." Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance reacted to this fatwa by banning all