The text of Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s message is as follows:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return.
The passing of the eminent religious authority and jurist of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), Ayatollah Sayyid Musa Shabiri Zanjani (may Allah’s mercy be upon him), is a painful loss and an immense calamity.
That eminent figure, who spent the whole of his blessed life in research and teaching, was among the great scholars and pillars of the blessed Islamic Seminary of Qom, and a distinguished example of the God-fearing scholar.
His precious scholarly works and other religious services stand as a valuable legacy, and his conduct and practical demeanor will forever remain a lasting model for the people of knowledge.
May Allah exalt his noble station and gather him with his pure and virtuous forefathers.
I, with great sorrow and regret, extend my condolences for this great tragedy to the sacred threshold of His Eminence, the Master of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for him), to the seminaries, to the respected relatives of the blessed departed—especially his honored and esteemed sons—and to the believers at large, and I ask Almighty Allah to grant everyone beautiful patience and abundant reward.
There is no power and no strength except in Allah, the Exalted, the Almighty.
Ali al-Husaini al-Sistani
9 Rabi’ al-Thani 1448 AH
