Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad-Reza Golpayegani
Title	Grand Ayatollah
Personal
Born	Mohammad-Reza Golpayegani (1899-03-20)March 20, 1899 Isfahan, Sublime State of Persia
Died	December 9, 1993(1993-12-09) (aged 94) Qom, Iran
Resting place	Fatima Masumeh Shrine, Qom
Religion	Islam
Nationality	Iranian
Era	Modern history
Region	Shia Islam
Main interest(s)	Jurisprudence
Muslim leader
Predecessor	Ruhollah Khomeini, Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei
Successor	Ali al-Sistani, Mohammad Fazel Lankarani
Influenced by Seyyed Muhammad Hasan Khansari, Ayatollah Haeri, Ayatollah Muhammad Taqi Golpayegani, Ayatollah Muhammad Baqer Golpayegani, Ayatollah Muhammad Reza masjed Shahi Isfahani, Allameh Naieni, Allameh Sheykh Muhammad Hossein Qaravi Esfahani, Ayatollah Borujerdi, Muhaqeq Iraqi, Seyyed Abul Hasan Isfahani, Sheykh Abul Qasem Kabir
Influenced Morteza Haeri Yazdi, Ali Meshkini, Morteza Motahhari, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Mohammad Beheshti, Ahmad Jannati, Mir Asadollah Madani, Morteza Moghtadai, Mohammad Mofatteh, Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani, Mohammad Alavi Gorgani, Naser Makarem Shirazi

Grand Ayatollah Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani (March 20, 1899^[1] – December 9, 1993) was an Iranian Shia Muslim and marja' scholar.^[2] He was born in 1899 in Gogad village near the city of Golpaygan, Iran. He was taught preliminary studies by his father, Mohammad Bagher. At the age of 9, his father died and later on moved to Golpaygan to continue his studies. He was one of the highest-ranking Islamic clergies to participate in the Iranian Revolution, and a one-time serious contender to succeed Ruhollah Khomeini in the 1989 Iranian Supreme Leader election. However, his candidacy was voted down by the Assembly of Experts, in favor of the eventual successor, Ali Khamenei.

Family and early life

Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad-Reza Golpayegani's father, Sayyed Muhammad Bagher, was a great scholar^[3] who made sure that his son learned primary education and religious sciences under great masters.^[4] At the age of 20, he moved to Arak to study under Abdul-Karim Ha'eri Yazdi and became one of his most noteworthy students.^[5] After completing his education and achieving high scientific and spiritual positions, he started teaching and went on to become one of the most important masters of his time. After Ha'eri Yazdi and Ayatollah Mohammad Taghi Khansari founded the hawza of Qom, he moved there and delivered lectures in the Islamic Seminary.^[6]

Masters

The following are his main masters:

1. Seyyed Muhammad Hasan Khansari
2. Ayatollah Haeri
3. Ayatollah Muhammad Taqi Golpayegani

His temporary masters

1. Ayatollah Muhammad Baqer Golpayegani
2. Ayatollah Muhammad Reza Masjed Shahi Isfahani
3. Mirza Naini
4. Allameh Sheykh Muhammad Hossein Qaravi Esfahani
5. Ayatollah Borujerdi
6. Muhaqeq Iraqi
7. Seyyed Abul Hasan Isfahani
8. Sheykh Abul Qasem Kabi

His students

After the death of "Ayatollah Abdul Karim Haeri" many students and scholars participated in methodology (Osul) classes of Ayatollah Golpayegani:

1. The late Ayatollah Murteza Haeri
2. The late Sheikh Muhammad Fakour
3. Martyr Murteza Mutahari
4. Martyr Seyyed Muhammad Ali Qazi
5. Martyr Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti
6. Martyr Mufatteh
7. Martyr Qoddusi
8. Martyr Shah Abaadi
9. Ayatollah Meshkini
10. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
11. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati
12. Ayatollah Ostadi
13. Ayatollah Kharazi
14. Ayatollah Tuiserkani
15. Ayatollah Salawati

Works

He wrote many treatises and books about Jurisprudence and Islam, among them:

• The book of Hajj in 3 volumes
• The Guiding for whom Have Velayah
• The book of Judgment
• The book of witnesses
• Noted on Qrvah Al Vosqa
• Notes on ways of saving
• Issues of hajj
• Treatise on non-distorting of the Holy Quran
• The praying of Jumah day

Death

Ayatollah Golpayegani died in 1993 in Qom near the Shrine of Hazrate Masoumeh.