conventional juridical individualism and resulting independence enjoyed by the mujtahids in discovering the divine purposes for the Muslim community could, and did, create an explosive situation, with a far-reaching impact on the future of the Islamic republic under an ayatollah.
To minimize the occurrence of such a division in the religious leadership in a nation-state, the concept of the governance of the jurist, as expounded by Khomeini, made it obligatory that if and when a qualified marja al-taqlid existed, he should assume the function of governance, at which point the entire community was under a religious obligation to obey him in all his directives in the interest of Islam and Muslims. The interest of Islam and Muslims, of course, had to be defined by the holder of that office.
Political and juridical problems aside, the institution of the mar)a in the modern history of the worldwide Shiite community has been plagued by two fundamental problems: (I) the irrelevance of many of the traditional religious directives that af‌ fect interpersonal relations and the ensuing law of transactions in the modern world, and (٢) the self-serving attitudes that have characterized the immediate family mem‌ bers and close associates of the leading ayatollahs. The loss of confidence in the institution that has been known for its austere. puritanical lifestyle, in addition to the deaths of several leading members of the religious establishment in the first half of the ١٩٩٠s, have brought to the fore the age-old question about the reforms necessary to make the marja relevant in the most challenging times for the community around the globe.
Al-Khuis death, then, accelerated the decline of Najaf as the major center of religious scholarship and the home of modern ShTite leadership, which has clearly shifted to Qumm in Iran. Najaf chose to follow Ayatollah al-Sistani, one of the close disciples and associates of al-KhuL whereas Qumm found another prominent dis‌ ciple of al-Khui, Sayyid Mubammad al-RubanT (d. ١٩٩٧). to be among a handful of mujtahids that were qualified to assume the supreme religious authority of the marja al-taq!Td. Besides his constituencies in Iraq, Kuwait, and. to a certain extent, Leba‌ non, al-Sistani seems to be gaining followers in Iran. In other words, al-Khuis political and religious legacy is being continued both at the level of leadership and among the followers.

al-Khuis Legal and Exegetical Thought

al-Khuis rigorous quietism allowed him to pursue his scholarly agenda during the most tumultuous periods in the social and political history of the Shiites of Iraq. His position that the politicization of religion should be avoided at all costs was based on his conviction that religion belonged to the domain of personal conscience, which must be protected from governmental interference. At the same time, he was aware of the challenges faced by Muslims who were living under all kinds of secular ide‌ ologies that were inimical to their religious heritage. The attraction to Communism among the downtrodden Shiite youths and the exploitation of the revolutionary potential of ShTism by the Communist leaders of Iraq in the ١٩٥٠s were still fresh in the memories of many religious leaders of Najaf. Hence. ai-Khurs major concern