Zohreh Sefati
Encyclopedia
Madam Zohreh Sefati is a female Ayatollah
(Mujtahideh). She was born in Abadan, Iran
and today is considered a powerful personality in the country. Sefati is a member of the Socio-Cultural Council and a representative to the Supreme Council of Cultural Reforms. Madam Sefati was raised in a religious family. She studied her high school level subjects at home before attending theology school in 1966. Sefati took preliminary lessons of jurisprudence, literature and Islamic sciences in Abadan. In 1970, she left to attend Qom
Theology School to continue her studies. She was a student of renowned scholars such as Ayatollah Shahidi, Ayatollah Haqqi, Ayatollah Ali Meshkini
and Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faqih
(who is her husband). Sefati achieved the highest jurisprudence degree (Ijtihad), an accomplishment made only by a small number of women. Her Ijtihad degree was approved by several ayatollahs, including Ayatollahs Ali Yari Gharavi-Tabrizi (a student of Ayatollah Naeini), Safi Gulpaygani
, Fazel Lankarani, and Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faqih
.
Sefati has also co-founded a theology school for women in Qom, which later became known as Maktab-e Tawhid. Sefati was one of the 3,000 exemplary women commended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and received a plaque of honor from the chief executive in October 2006.
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
(Mujtahideh). She was born in Abadan, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and today is considered a powerful personality in the country. Sefati is a member of the Socio-Cultural Council and a representative to the Supreme Council of Cultural Reforms. Madam Sefati was raised in a religious family. She studied her high school level subjects at home before attending theology school in 1966. Sefati took preliminary lessons of jurisprudence, literature and Islamic sciences in Abadan. In 1970, she left to attend Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
Theology School to continue her studies. She was a student of renowned scholars such as Ayatollah Shahidi, Ayatollah Haqqi, Ayatollah Ali Meshkini
Ali Meshkini
Ayatollah Ali Akbar Feyz Meshkini was an Iranian hardline cleric and politician.-Life:Meshkini was an Iranian Azerbaijani born in a village near Meshkinshahr and the Sabalan mountain. He was born as Āli, but preferred the pronounciaton, Ali during his career. He succeeded Ayatollah Montazeri as...
and Ayatollah Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faqih
Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faqih
Ayatollah Mirza Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faghih was an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja....
(who is her husband). Sefati achieved the highest jurisprudence degree (Ijtihad), an accomplishment made only by a small number of women. Her Ijtihad degree was approved by several ayatollahs, including Ayatollahs Ali Yari Gharavi-Tabrizi (a student of Ayatollah Naeini), Safi Gulpaygani
Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani
Grand Ayatollah Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani is an Iranian Twelver Shia Marja. He was born in Golpaygan, Iran. He has studied in seminaries of Najaf, Iraq under Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi. He currently resides and teaches in the Seminary of Qom, Iran....
, Fazel Lankarani, and Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faqih
Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faqih
Ayatollah Mirza Mohammad Hassan Ahmadi Faghih was an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja....
.
Sefati has also co-founded a theology school for women in Qom, which later became known as Maktab-e Tawhid. Sefati was one of the 3,000 exemplary women commended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and received a plaque of honor from the chief executive in October 2006.