This book has set out to explain the transnational constitution of clerical authority in contemporary Shi'ism. Through the lens of the al-Hakim and al-Khu'i families, it has explored the main processes by which the ‘ulama’ establish and maintain themselves in positions of authority across borders. Their networking, philanthropic and political practices have been identified as three domains accounting for their prominent status. Each is relevant to the transnational leadership structures that have been considered here. Though different in nature – informal and institutionalised, old and new – the marja'iyya, international NGOs and (exiled) political groups have in common a tight and interpersonal-based internal organisation, an unwavering preoccupation with charity and a capacity to assume the mantle of political leadership. As will be reviewed first, the structural and functional facets of authority take on meaning in practice because they are spheres of social engagement for clerics to reach out to co-religionists across borders. As approached theoretically in the Introduction and verified in the case studies, moreover, the field of social relations that is transnationalism – in our specific case the ties between clerical leaders and their communities – is not constituted independently of the state. The many ways in which the state is factored in will be recapitulated next. Finally, four central features of transnational clerical authority have emerged throughout the discussion and also need to be clarified. Those entail a capacity to reproduce itself, its visibility, its adaptability to changing circumstances and the possibility for its cross-border linkages to reconfigure notions of distance and proximity.

Reaching Out to the Community

To put it bluntly, without a community recognising its leadership, the Shi'i religious establishment would not have any raison d’être. The constitution of interpersonal networks, the distribution of patronage and political participation each constitute a sphere of social engagement within which relations of authority are built and sustained. This takes place both at the micro level, for the purpose of promoting specific clerical leaderships, and at the macro level, to uphold the centrality of the ‘ulama’ in society.

The interpersonal nature of clerical authority has been discussed first. Blood, marital and scholarly ties are commonly used for the formation of the informal and institutionalised structures through which it is exercised. The practice is important to project authority towards the community.