The Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Husseini al-Shirazi, may God grant him Long life stated:

"You must investigate for yourselves and take responsibility in this matter. Know that every Muslim man, woman, and youth will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment for accepting and acting upon any belief. The Holy Quran affirms this by stating: ‘And stop them, for they are to be questioned’ (Surah As-Saffat, 37:24).

Therefore, I urge you, faithful men and women, to study as much as you can. If something is unclear to you, research it and seek guidance from the righteous in this field."

The Grand Ayatollah al-Shirazi emphasized:

"I find it necessary to mention some instances—among many—of deviation from the teachings of Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) and the disastrous consequences of such misguidance.

One well-known scholar, whose book has been published and is being taught as an Islamic text in academic circles, considers himself a Muslim scholar. In his book, he writes:

‘God—Glorified and Exalted—is He—has created various types of animals: some for carrying loads, like beasts of burden; others for human consumption, like cows and sheep. He has also created another category, which is women. They were created in human form so that men would not be frightened by them.’

Such immature and nonsensical statements are made despite the fact that the Holy Quran has honored women, describing them as an essential part of men’s existence. The Quran states:

‘He created for you from yourselves spouses, that you may find tranquility in them’ (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:21).

Elsewhere, when mentioning men and women together, the Quran states:

‘Surely, the Muslim men and the Muslim women, the believing men and the believing women…’ (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:35). Yet, despite such clear Quranic verses, an individual emerges who categorizes women as mere animals.

Such views stem from deviation from the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them), and deviation from their path leads to disastrous consequences.

To illustrate another example, there is a book titled Al-Bahr Al-Zakhar, in which one of the so-called religious leaders who has deviated from the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) presents an illogical claim. He states:

‘If a marriage contract is performed between a girl in the east and a boy in the west, even if they never see each other, and the girl becomes pregnant and gives birth, the child is legally attributed to the man and he is considered the father.’

The Grand Ayatollah posed a question:

"What does this self-proclaimed Imam and others who have deviated from the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) intend to achieve? Clearly, he seeks to pave the way for corruption in the name of religion and Islam. Whenever society distances itself from the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) and deviates from their path, this is the inevitable result.

His Eminence added:

This illogical and unreasonable trend is the consequence of straying from the teachings of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them). In the same book, Al-Bahr Al-Zakhar, it is stated—quoting some deviants who call themselves Imams—that the longest possible pregnancy lasts nine years! This implies that if a man dies and his widow gives birth nine years later, the child is still legally attributed to the deceased husband.

These individuals claim to follow the Quran, yet they are entirely disconnected from it. They have opened a path that leads Islamic society into corruption, bringing nothing but disaster. Scientifically, such claims are baseless—no child can remain in the womb for nine years. Though the individual who issued this ruling—who is referred to as ‘Imam of the Muslims’—lived in ancient times, his fatwa is still followed today, along with many other deviations.

We all bear responsibility in this regard—men, women, the elderly, and especially the youth, who have more time to investigate. Do not merely accept what you hear. Instead, examine what the Holy Quran, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and his pure progeny say. The correct framework includes all three: the Quran, the Prophet, and the Ahlul Bayt—not just parts of the Quran, or the Quran and the Prophet without the Ahlul Bayt.

Everyone must act and operate within the framework of the Quran, the Prophet, and the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) to avoid mistakes, errors, and deviation. If one has the ability to investigate but fails to do so, God Almighty will not accept any excuses."

Lecture Source: https://alshirazi.org/news-item/6826?langs=FA