Ayatollah Arbab is among three Ayatollahs who never wore the traditional turban. Members of the Council are generally ayatollahs and hojatoleslams (a step before ayatollah). He has studied in seminaries of Qom and Najaf under Grand Ayatollahs Borujerdi and Khomeini. Like many other Grand Ayatollahs, Ali Khamenei believes that women should be wives and mothers. Several senior Grand Ayatollahs preside over hawzas, religious seminaries. The Iranian Ayatollahs have criticized Azerbaijan's decision to ban the hijab. Some of the known Shia Grand Ayatollahs were trained in the Najaf seminary. While not Marjas themselves, several influential Ayatollahs have made statements regarding the 2009 Iranian elections. At the time of his death, he was one of seven Grand Ayatollahs in Iran. Azari started his studies at Qom in 1941 under Ayatollahs Borujerdi, Mohaqqeq-Damad and Tabatabai. Members of the family are notable for being the Ayatollahs of Karbala. Several senior Grand Ayatollahs constitute the hawza. This list contains only the names of Ayatollahs. Traditionally only the most renowned ayatollahs of the given time published a risalah. Several ayatollahs, however, declined to recognize him as such.