Sistani himself claims to have been born in Mashhad, Iran, however there are disputes as to whether or not he was born in Mashhad or in Sistan and then moved to Mashhad as a child due to Iran not issuing birth certificates in its eastern provinces (now known as Region 5) until decades later.
Sistani sendiri mengklaim lahir di Mashhad, Iran, namun terdapat persengketaan mengenai apakah ia memang lahir di Mashhad atau di Sistan kemudian berpindah ke Mashhad pada masa kecil karena Iran tidak mengeluarkan sertifikat kelahiran di provinsi-provinsi timurnya (sekarang dikenal sebagai Wilayah 5) sampai beberapa dekade kemudian.