Ayatollah: High-ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī'a Muslim clerics
An ayatollah (UK: /ˌaɪəˈtɒlə/ or US: /ˌaɪəˈtoʊlə/; Persian: آيتالله, romanized: āyatullāh, from Arabic: آية الله, romanized: ʾāyatu llāh Sign of God) or ayatullah is a high-ranking Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah cleric.
Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, Quran reading, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hujjat al-Islam.
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