Ayatollah Hadi al-Sistani, Brother of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Passes Away

Ayatollah Sayyed Hadi al-Sistani, the younger brother of the world-renowned Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani, has passed away. He had been suffering from a prolonged illness and was undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Mashhad, Iran, at the time of his passing. The news was confirmed by the Iranian News Agency and has led to an outpouring of grief from religious leadership and followers across the region.

Both brothers were born into a prestigious family of scholars in the holy city of Mashhad, tracing their lineage to the Prophet Muhammad through the line of Imam Hussain. While the elder brother, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, migrated to Iraq in the early 1950s to study in the prestigious seminaries of Najaf, Sayyed Hadi remained closely tied to the scholarly tradition in Iran. Their family is synonymous with the “quietist” school of thought, which emphasizes religious scholarship and moral guidance over direct political governance.

إنّا لله وإنّا إليه راجعون

Condolences on the departure of a light of knowledge. The brother of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Sistani, Sayyid Hadi Al-Sistani, has passed away.

Al-Fatiha. pic.twitter.com/l4lvGPbRoK

— Awaited Hope (@Awaited_Hope) January 16, 2026

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani rose to become the most influential spiritual leader for millions of Shiite Muslims worldwide, particularly in Iraq. His leadership has been defined by his role as a stabilizing force during times of extreme civil unrest, most notably following the 2003 US-led invasion and the rise of ISIS in 2014. Despite his global reach and immense authority, he has maintained an ascetic lifestyle, living in a modest home in Najaf and rarely appearing in public.

Sayyed Hadi al-Sistani, while less involved in the political sphere than his brother, was a respected figure in his own right within the religious circles of Mashhad. He dedicated much of his life to maintaining the family’s scholarly heritage in Iran, providing guidance to local students and maintaining the spiritual connections of the Sistani family in their ancestral home. His passing represents the loss of a vital link between the two major centers of Shiite learning, Najaf and Mashhad.

Following the announcement, high-ranking officials and religious leaders, including Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, have sent their condolences to the Grand Ayatollah and his family. Funeral arrangements are expected to be held in Mashhad, where followers and scholars will gather to pay their final respects to a man whose family has significantly shaped the modern landscape of Islamic jurisprudence and spiritual leadership.