🔹 Statement by Ayatollah Alavi Borujerdi regarding recent seminary holidays

In today’s jurisprudence class session (03/10/1403), Ayatollah Alavi Borujerdi referred to the recent seminary closures due to weather conditions and shortages of resources, stating: some had objected that in the past, even in half a meter of snow, classes were not suspended, and this is true; cold weather, snow, and rain did not lead to the تعطیلی of lessons. However, the current situation is different. The seminary administration correctly announced that the issue is not cold weather or adverse conditions, but rather a shortage of resources, particularly electricity, gasoline, and fuel. Unfortunately, this situation is the result of mismanagement that society is currently facing.

He added: when government offices and even banks are closed due to shortages and normal life is disrupted, the seminary cannot act as an institution separate from the people. We are not an isolated entity and must act in line with others in such matters. In his view, the seminary administration’s decision to announce the closures was completely correct. This decision ensures that people do not see the seminary as separate from their problems and feel that we also share in their difficulties. This measure was taken not because of travel hardship or cold weather, but to consider the general public situation.

🔹 Criticism of financial centralization in marja offices and the need to support scholars in local areas

In continuation, Ayatollah Alavi Borujerdi addressed the concentration of marja offices in major cities and the management of religious funds, offering critical remarks.

He stated: “I am opposed to the idea that maraji should have offices in every city. I have also told some friends that an office means that whoever has religious dues must deliver them there and not elsewhere. This is not correct. May God have mercy on Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi; he used to say: every scholar’s house is my office, and every mosque of a scholar is my office. People should give their religious dues to the local scholar, and he would then send it to me. Even if someone brought funds from a city to Qom, he would ask: why did you not give it to your local scholar?”

He explained that this approach first ensured local needs were covered and only surplus funds were sent to Qom, helping sustain mosques and strengthen local seminaries.

He stated that this system has now changed, leading to a decline in scholarly presence in various regions and the weakening of mosques, particularly in cities such as Tehran, where many mosques remain without active leadership.

He further narrated an anecdote from Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi: when a group from a village brought religious dues to him, he told them to give it to their local cleric and support him, even sending additional funds for that scholar. When asked whether he knew that scholar, he replied no, but emphasized that even with limited knowledge, that cleric preserved the presence of Shiism in that region. This approach elevated the status of that scholar in the eyes of the people.

He emphasized that financial and administrative systems must prioritize local scholars first. Centralizing all religious funds in Qom and concentrating offices there does not strengthen the seminary system; rather, it weakens Shiite presence in different regions. He added that when Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi passed away, despite his status, none of his children owned personal homes, and he himself passed away with significant debts—reflecting a system that prioritized local communities over personal comfort.

In conclusion, he stated that the survival of Shiism depends on marja authority and local religious bases, and that abandoning this structure in favor of excessive centralization will ultimately leave nothing for the future.