Liz Sly writes about Iraq

"It was also a significant triumph for Sadr, the heir to the legacy of one of Shiite Islam’s most revered religious families".  What is a religious family in Shi`ite Islam, Ms. Sly? There is no such thing. I asked an expert on Shi`ite religious tradition to comment and he wrote to me: "I'm not sure what that means. The Sadr family has a tradition of scholars in it. How far that goes, I'm not sure. But one of the "most revered religious families" does not make much sense to my ears. What is a "religious family" supposed to mean other than a family with a tradition of scholars? What other families are 'revered religious families" in Shiite Islam? The Hakim family has a number of revered scholars in it. It would be more accurate to say it is a family with a tradition of scholars -- just as there are families with a business tradition."