Yousef Saanei facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yousef Saanei
يوسف صانعى
The late Grand Ayatollah Yousef Saanei in his office.
Religion	Islam
Personal
Nationality	Iranian
Member of the Assembly of Experts
In office 10 December 1982 – 8 October 1990
Preceded by	Office Began
Succeeded by	Ahmad Khomeini
Constituency	Tehran Province
Prosecutor-General of Iran
In office 1983–1985
Appointed by	Ruhollah Khomeini
Preceded by	Mohammad-Mehdi Rabbani Amlashi
Succeeded by	Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha
Born	16 October 1937 Isfahan, Iran
Died	12 September 2020(2020-09-12) (aged 82) Qom, Iran
Relations	Hassan Sane'i (brother)
Senior posting
Title	Grand Ayatollah
Religious career
Website	http://saanei.org/

Grand Ayatollah Yousef Saanei (Persian: يوسف صانعى; 16 October 1937 – 12 September 2020) was an important Twelver Shi'a religious leader, known as a Marja', and a politician in Iran. He was a member of Iran's powerful Guardian Council from 1980 to 1983. He also served as the Attorney-General of Iran from 1983 to 1985.

His status as a Marja' (a top religious authority) was sometimes debated. He was known for his calls for major political changes in Iran. These ideas were very controversial. In 2010, a group called the "Qom Theological Lecturers Association" said he was no longer qualified to be a Grand Ayatollah. However, many of his followers still saw him as their Marja. Other influential religious leaders, like Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, also recognized him.

Early Life and Education

Yousef Saanei was born on October 16, 1937, in a small farming village called Yingabad, near Isfahan, Iran. He was the third of four children. His father, Mohammed Ali Saanei, was a religious scholar who served his community for 50 years. Yousef's grandfather, Hajjmulla Yousef Yingabadi, was also a cleric known for fighting for social justice.

Yousef started school at age six. His father soon noticed his intelligence and taught him at home. In 1947, just before his tenth birthday, he moved to Isfahan with his father and brother Hassan to study at a religious school called a hawza. His most important teacher there was Mirza Mohammed Ali Habib Abadi.

In 1951, Saanei finished his early studies and moved to Qom to continue learning. By 1955, he did very well in his exams and received praise from Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi. In Qom, he studied with many leading religious thinkers. His most important learning came from the seven years he spent with Khomeini until 1964. At 22, he earned the degree of Ijtihad. This meant he could make his own religious judgments.

In September 1964, Ayatollah Saanei married Khanum Shafiei. They had two sons and one daughter. One of his sons, Fakruddin, also became a cleric.

Career and Influence

Yousef Saanei began teaching regularly in the hawza of Qom in the 1950s. In 1975, he became a teacher at the Haghani School of Divinity. Later, he became a Grand Ayatollah.

In 1980, he was chosen to lead the Guardian Council. This is a very powerful group in Iran. Saanei left the council in 1983 and did not hold any political jobs after that. Many people saw him as a spiritual leader for the Iranian political opposition movement. In 1993, he published his risalah, a book of religious laws. This made him a Marja', a guide for others on religious matters.

Later Life and Death

Ayatollah Saanei passed away on September 12, 2020. He had fallen at his home in Qom a few days earlier, breaking his pelvis and arm. He also had other health problems, including diabetes and liver issues. He died during a medical treatment.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no public funeral. He was buried in Sheikhan Cemetery in Qom. Many religious leaders and people across Iran, including the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, expressed their sadness.

Key Views and Beliefs

Ayatollah Saanei was known for his progressive views on many topics.

Inheritance Rules

He had specific views on how property should be inherited:

• A non-Muslim person could inherit from a Muslim, and vice versa.
• A child born outside of marriage could inherit from both parents.
• A widow could inherit a share of her deceased husband's movable property and the same value from his real estate.
• If a widow was the only heir, she would inherit all of her husband's property.

Betting and Games

Saanei believed some types of betting and games were allowed:

• Betting by people watching or playing sports was fine.
• Government or private lotteries and raffles were allowed. This was true if the money went to charity, even if players just wanted to win.
• Using games like arcade games or board games for fun was allowed.
• Prizes in school competitions were allowed.
• However, any game where the organizer kept all the money for themselves was not allowed.
• Playing games like cards or backgammon with the goal of gambling was not allowed.

Halal Meat

He had flexible views on Halal meat:

• A non-Muslim could perform the Halal slaughter. It was enough to say God's name in any language.
• If Halal meat was not available, it was okay to eat non-Halal meat to avoid hardship.

Adoption

Saanei believed that foster parents should treat an adopted child like their own. This included the mother not needing to wear a hijab around a male adopted child. However, this did not automatically mean the child would inherit property, unless the original heirs agreed.

Nuclear Weapons

Ayatollah Saanei strongly believed that nuclear bombs are forbidden in Islam. He told The San Francisco Chronicle that using such weapons to kill innocent people is against Islamic law. He said this was why Iran did not use chemical weapons against Iraq during the 1980-88 war, even when Saddam Hussein used them.

Women's Rights

He declared that women have equal status in Islam. Saanei believed that a woman could lead a man in prayer. He also said that a Muslim woman could marry a non-Muslim man. He even thought that women could become a marja' in Islam, meaning men and women could follow a female religious scholar's judgments.

Views on Iranian Politics

During the 2009 Iranian election protests, there were rumors that he said the election results were invalid. He was also reported to have said that confessions made in prison were not valid.

Saanei was a strong supporter of Islamic democracy. He believed that the religious leadership in Iran should have the support of the people and be elected.

Challenges and Opposition

After the death of another important religious leader, Hossein-Ali Montazeri, Saanei became a leading critic of the Iranian government. He said the government was not legitimate.

In December 2009, about 1,000 members of a pro-government militia attacked Saanei's offices in Qom. They broke windows and insulted his staff. Police reportedly sided with the attackers. The attackers called for Saanei to be removed from his religious position.

In October 2010, news sites linked to the opposition reported that Saanei's website was blocked in Iran. People trying to visit it were sent to government-approved websites.

Demotion from Religious Authority

On January 2, 2010, a major religious body in Qom, the Qom Theological Lecturers Association, announced that Saanei no longer qualified as a marja al-taqlid. This is the highest religious rank in Shia Islam. They said they had investigated his qualifications for a year.

However, many traditional religious scholars disagreed with this decision. They questioned whether this government-supported group had the authority to make such a ruling. They pointed out that even Ayatollah Sistani, another major religious leader, was not listed by this group.

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