Ismail as-Sadr

Ismail as-Sadr (Arabic: اسماعيل الصدر‎‎) (died 1919-1920) was a Lebanese Grand Ayatollah (literally "sign of Allah"), a title which is used in Iran and Iraq referring to a Twelver Shi'a scholar who is a fully qualified mujtahid who asserts authority over peers and followers by virtue of sufficient study and achievement of the level of necessary competencey needed to obtain permission (ijāza) to practice ijtihad.

Sayyid Ismail as-Sadr is the grandfather of the well-known and respected Sadr family. He is the first to be known with the last name of as-Sadr after his father Sadr ad-Din ibn Salih, whose ancestors had been from the Jabal Amel in Lebanon.

Ismail As-Sadr was born in Isfahan, Iran. He is the youngest of five brothers all of whom became scholars of Shia Islam. He resided in Najaf, Iraq and became the sole marja until his death in 1338 A.H. (ca. 1919-1920). He was survived by Muhammad Mahdi as-Sadr, Sadr ad-Din as-Sadr (died 1954), Haydar as-Sadr (died 1937), and a fourth son. Muhammad Mahdi is the great grandfather of Muqtada as-Sadr, Sadr ad-Din is the father of Sayyid Musa as-Sadr (died 1978?) and Haydar is the father of Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr (died 1980).

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