Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel (غلامعلی حداد عادل in Persian) born in 1945 in Tehran, Iran, is an Iranian philosopher, politician and former chairman of the Iranian parliament. He is the first non-cleric in the post since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

While officially ranking as the last (30th) candidate of Tehran in the Iranian Parliament election, 2000 after some recounts by the Council of Guardians which had led to annulment of 700,000 Tehrani votes and removal of Alireza Rajaei and Ali Akbar Rahmani from the top 30, Haddad-Adel collected the most votes from Tehran four years later, in Iranian Parliament election, 2004, when many reformist candidates where not allowed to run. He was supported by the Abadgaran alliance. He became the Speaker of Parliament for one year on June 6, 2004, with 226 votes out of 259. There was no other candidate running.

Haddad-Adel got his PhD in philosophy from University of Tehran in 1975, and has a BSc and an MSc in Physics, respectively from University of Tehran and University of Shiraz. He has studied Islamic philosophy under Morteza Motahhari and has also studied under Sayyed Hossein Nasr who is famous for his critique of Marxism. He is a critic of Ali Shariati's viewpoints on Safavid Shiism, and promotes a conservative order active in culture and intellect.

Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (Arabic: علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب, Transliteration: ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, [ʕaliː ibn ʔæbiː t̪ˤɑːlib]; 13^thRajab, 24 BH–21^stRamaḍān, 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661). The son of Abu Talib, Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of Islamic prophet Muhammad, ruling over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam.Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the Rashidun (rightly guided Caliphs), while Shias regard Ali as the first Imam and consider him and his descendants the rightful successors to Muhammad, all of which are members of the Ahl al-Bayt, the household of Muhammad. This disagreement split the Ummah (Muslim community) into the Sunni and Shia branches.

Muslim sources, especially Shia ones, state that since Muhammad's time, Ali was the only person born in the Kaaba sanctuary in Mecca, the holiest place in Islam. His father was Abu Talib and his mother was Fatima bint Asad, but he was raised in the household of Muhammad, who himself was raised by Abu Talib, Muhammad's uncle, and Ali's father. When Muhammad reported receiving a divine revelation, Ali was the first male to accept his message, dedicating his life to the cause of Islam.

Ali Ardashir Larijani (Persian: علی اردشیر آملی لاریجانی‎; born 3 June 1958 in Najaf, Iraq) is an Iranian philosopher, politician and the current chairman of the Parliament of Iran. Larijani was the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from August 15, 2005 to October 20, 2007, appointed to the position by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, replacing Hassan Rowhani. Acceptance of Larijani's resignation from the secretary position was announced on October 20, 2007 by Gholamhossein Elham, the Iranian government's spokesman, mentioning that his previous resignations were turned down by President Ahmadinejad.

Larijani is one of the two representatives of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to the council, the other being Hassan Rowhani. In his post as secretary he effectively functioned as the top negotiator on issues of national security, including Iran's nuclear program.

Larijani was born on 3 June 1958 in Najaf, Iraq. His father, Ayatollah Mirza Hashemi Amoli was an ayatollah that worked in Najaf after being exiled by Mohammad Reza Shah. They moved to Iran after the Iranian Revolution in 1979.