Ayatollah al-Fayyad, Senior Shia Authority, Dies at 96 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Ayatollah Muhammad Ishaq al-Fayyad, one of the highest-ranking religious authorities in the Shia world, died at a hospital in Baghdad on Saturday at the age of 96. Born in 1930 in Afghanistan, al-Fayyad traveled to Najaf at a young age to pursue religious studies. He became one of the most prominent students of Grand Scholar Abu al-Qasim al-Hui. Al-Fayyad was among the four senior religious references in Najaf, a position that carries significant authority for millions of Shia Muslims worldwide. According to statements from Hashd Shaabi senior officials and the group's official social media accounts, his death leaves Najaf's highest religious posts in the hands of Ayatollah Sistani and Basir al-Najafi. In September 2021, Ayatollah Muhammad Said al-Hakim also died, leaving a significant gap in the Shia religious hierarchy before al-Fayyad's passing.