I’m a Sunni who is thinking about converting to a Shia but I’m very confused on 1 particular matter which is not the faith itself but with the clerics. I have several Shia friends and some of them follow Iranian clerics such as Ayatollah Khamaini and Makerem Shirazi while the others follow Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi. Both of them tell me to convert to their side because the other side aren’t true Shia and have extreme beliefs and they fight eachother over their scholars. The Iranian clerical Shia friends tell me the other side is funded by western governments while the followers of Ayatollah Sadiq Shirazi say that the other side is too soft and does "Taqqiyah". They constantly confuse me and curse the other sides scholars. I’m so confused I’m thinking of not turning Shia anymore because both sides seem so ignorant to me. What can I do in this situation to further my knowledge and decide which side to follow in taqlid?

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My advice is to follow Ayatollah Sistani who is considered to be the most knowledgeable Shi’a jurist by many. Regarding what you said, it’s claims by followers who are emotional and biased. It’s best to contact the actual offices rather than rely on what people say