Grand Ayatollah

In Shia Islam, Marjaʿ (Plural: marājiʿ), also known as a marjaʿ taqlīdī or marjaʿ dīnī , literally means "Source to Imitate/Follow" or "Religious Reference"., is the label provided to the highest level Shia authority, a Grand Ayatollah with the authority to make legal decisions within the confines of Islamic law for followers and less-credentialed clerics. After the Qur'an and the Prophets and Imams, marājiʿ are the highest authority on religious laws in Usuli Shia Islam.