Famous Iranian Spiritual & Religious Leaders

Abdul Qadir Gilani was a Sunni Muslim ascetic, mystic, preacher, theologian, and jurist. He is best remembered for founding the Qadiriyya tariqa of Sufism, which is named after him. Abdul Qadir Gilani was famous for his preaching and is credited with converting numerous Christians and Jews.

Hassan-i Sabbah was an Islamic religious leader best remembered for founding the Nizari Isma'ili state and its infamous military group, the Order of Assassins. In the West, he came to be known as the Old Man of the Mountain and his life has inspired several works of art, including novels.

Mani was a Parthian prophet best remembered for founding a major religion called Manichaeism which was once widespread. Mani is believed to have performed several miracles including teleporting, levitation, and healing, which gained him many followers. He was martyred in 274 and his death drew comparisons to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Baháʼu'lláh was an Iranian religious leader. He is credited with founding a world religion called Baháʼí Faith, which emphasizes the spiritual unity of mankind. It is the only independent world religion of the modern age. Some of his works, such as The Book of Certitude and The Hidden Words, have been translated into more than 800 languages!

Baháʼu'lláh was an Iranian religious leader. He is credited with founding a world religion called Baháʼí Faith, which emphasizes the spiritual unity of mankind. It is the only independent world religion of the modern age. Some of his works, such as The Book of Certitude and The Hidden Words, have been translated into more than 800 languages!

The Bāb was an Iranian religious leader who is credited with founding a monotheistic religion called the Bábi Faith. He is also one of the most influential figures of the Baháʼí Faith; Baháʼu'lláh, who founded the Baháʼí Faith, was one of his ardent followers.

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj was an Islamic scholar best remembered for his hadith collection, which became known as Sahih Muslim. The collection is counted among the six most important hadith collections in Sunni Islam. Along with Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim is considered one of the most authentic hadith collections.

Shoghi Effendi Rabbānī served as the first Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith. He is credited with overseeing the expansion of the Baháʼí Faith to many new countries which he achieved by creating a series of teaching plans. By the end of his reign as the leader of the Baháʼí Faith, the number of followers had grown from 100,000 to 400,000.

Ali al-Rida was a descendant of Muhammad ibn Abdullah. He was the eighth Imam and is often viewed as a major religious figure by many Sunnis, particularly Sufis. He is credited with writing Al-Risalah al-Dhahabiah, a treatise on medical cures. This treatise is considered the most valuable Islamic literature in the field of medicine.

Abolqasem al-Khoei was an Iranian-Iraqi spiritual leader of Shia Muslims. He spent much of his life trying to establish welfare, social, educational, and cultural institutions for Muslims worldwide. Abolqasem al-Khoei is credited with establishing many institutions such as The Al-Iman School and Imam al-Khoei Islamic Center in New York and Imam al-Khoei Islamic Center in London.

Morteza Motahhari was an Iranian Twelver Shia philosopher, scholar, and lecturer. A co-founder of the Combatant Clergy Association and Hosseiniye Ershad, Motahhari had a prominent influence on the principles of the Islamic Republic. Morteza Motahhari wrote more than 50 books that dealt with philosophy and theology. In 1965, he was honored with the UNESCO Award.

Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad was an Ismaili missionary who is credited with founding the Druze religion. He flourished during the reign of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in Cairo. However, his teachings and the Druze movement were wiped out after the disappearance of Al-Hakim and Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad's death.

Abd al-A'la al-Sabziwari was an Iranian-Iraqi Shia religious leader. Counted among the most influential religious authorities, al-Sabziwari briefly served as the head of the Najaf seminary. A prolific writer, Abd al-A'la al-Sabziwari wrote on various topics, such as philosophy and Islamic jurisprudence.

Reza Mohammadi Langroudi was an Iranian Twelver Shia cleric who served as a representative of Ali Khamenei in Langroud. He is best remembered for his influential role during the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Reza Mohammadi Langroudi also served as the Friday imam of Amlash and Langroud for a brief period of time. 

Subh-i-Azal was an Iranian religious leader best remembered for his dispute with Baháʼu'lláh over headship of the Bábí community. He was also a prolific writer and a large collection of his works are preserved in several institutions like the British Museum Library Oriental Collection in London, the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, and the Browne Collection at Cambridge University.

Shaykh Junayd was an Iranian religious leader. The son of Shaykh Ibrahim, Junayd took over the headship of the Safaviyya and served as its religious head from 1447 to 1460. Shaykh Junayd was also the grandfather of Shah Ismail I, who founded the Safavid dynasty. 

Fakhr-al-Din Iraqi was a Persian Sufi master, writer, and poet. He is best remembered for authoring a collection of lyric poetry. Fakhr-al-Din Iraqi’s best known work Lama’at or Divine Flashes has been translated into Swedish, French, and English. 

Al-Hamadānī was an Iranian mystic and theologian responsible for teaching and mentoring several Sufis of the Kubrawiyah order in present-day Kashmir. He traveled extensively and documented his experiences of different places. Al-Hamadānī's best known work is titled Dhakhirat al-muluk.