Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Najafi

Grand Ayatollah Allama Shaikh Muhammad Hussain Najafi (Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

/Persian

Persian language

Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

/Urdu: آية الله العظمی علامہ الشیخ محمد حسین النجفي) (born April 1932) was the first Twelver Shi'a alim

Ulama

-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...

from Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

to be elevated to the status of marjiyyat, and the next in the line of Marjas of South Asia

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

after Seyyed Ali Naqi Naqvi of Lucknow

Lucknow

Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. At present, there are two Marjas of Pakistan

Pakistan

i descent, the other one Ayatollah Sheikh Basheer Hussain Najafi. As Ayatollah Hafiz Bashir Najafi has chosen to reside in Najaf

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

, Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

, Muhammad Hussain Najafi is the only Marja

Marja

Marja , also known as a marja-i taqlid or marja dini , literally means "Source to Imitate/Follow" or "Religious Reference"...

on Pakistani soil running his Hawza

Hawza

Hawza or ḥawza ʻilmiyya is a seminary of traditional Islamic school of higher learning. It is a term used mostly by the Shi'a Muslims communities to refer to a traditional Shi'a centre where clerics are trained...

in Sargodha

Sargodha

Sargodha is a city in the Sargodha District of Punjab province, Pakistan.Sargodha is located in the northwest of Pakistan. It is the eleventh largest city of Pakistan and also known as Pakistan's best citrus-producing area. It is an agricultural trade centre with various industries...

. He was included in the list of "The 500 Most Influential Muslims 2010", being one of the 24 individuals selected from Pakistan.

Childhood and family

Muhammad Hussain was born in Jahanian Shah in district Sargodha

Sargodha

(Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...

, Pakistan

Pakistan

), in April 1932. He belongs to the Dhakku branch of Jat people. He had two paternal uncles, both of whom were Shia ulema

Ulema

Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...

: Maulana Imam Bakhsh was a religious teacher in Jahanian Shah, while Maulana Sohrab Ali Khan was a reputed alim

Ulama

of Uch Sharif. His father Rana Tajuddin was not an alim

Ulama

, but he had the wish of making his son a great alim

Ulama

. However, he died in 1944 when Muhammad Hussain was 12 years old, after which the family members persuaded the widow that Muhammad Hussain should look after the family lands, but she kept up the wish of her dead husband.

Early education in Pakistan

After secondary school education, he got admission in Madrasah Muhammadia in Jalalpur Nankiana, Sargodha

Sargodha

, where one of his prominent teachers was Ayatollah Allama Hussain Bakhsh Jarra. In 1947, he studied the courses of Dars-i-Nizami

Dars-i-Nizami

Dars-i Nizami is a study curriculum used in a large portion of Islamic religious school in South Asia. It was standardized Mullah Nizamuddin Sehalvi at Firangi Mahal, a famous seminary belonging to a family of Islamic scholars in Lucknow, India.The Dars-i-Nizami system orginated from early 18th...

from Ayatollah Allama Muhammad Baqir Naqvi in Jhang

Jhang

- Demographics :According to 1981 census of Pakistan population of Jhang was 1,970,944 with the 434,495 housing units in Jhang. In 1998 census, population of Jhang was 2,834,545, whose annually growth rate was 2.16%. Male population was 1,474,099 and female population was 1,360,446...

. Allama Baqir Naqvi had migrated from Iraq to spread Shia formal education in Pakistan. Since (the First Biggest prominent Shia scholar in Pakistan Ustad ul ulama)Grand Ayatollah Allama Syed Muhammad Yar Shah naqvi Najfi, the most prominent disciple of Allama Baqir Naqvi, had moved from his ancestral city Alipur

Alipur

Alipur may refer to:Bangladesh* Alipur, Jhalokati*Alipur, Mymensingh* Alipur, NetrokonaIndia* Alipur, Andaman and Nicobar Islands* Alipur, Andhra Pradesh* Alipur, Bihar* Alipur, Delhi* Alipore, Gujarat* Alipur, Mahendragarh district in Haryana...

to Jalalpur

Jalalpur

Jalalpur is a city and a municipal board in Ambedkar Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Jalalpur is located at . It has an average elevation of 118 metres ....

, Muhammad Hussain moved to Jalalpur to complete Dars-i-Nizami for the next five years. In 1953, he passed the examination of Molvi Fazil from Punjab University

University of the Punjab

University of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...

, and moved to Najaf

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

in 1954 for higher education.

Marital life

Before going to Najaf

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

for higher religious education, he was married to his maternal cousin in 1952. His teacher Allama Yar Shah had links with ulema of Najaf, and he wanted Muhammad Hussain to get married in a scholarly family of Najaf, but Muhammad Hussain declined this proposal due to cultural differences.
In 1954, his only son Muhammad Sibtain was born. At the age of five, he got seriously ill and died, as Muhammad Hussain did not have enough money for his treatment. (Muhammad Hussain used to spend his stipend money on household and buying books.)
After Sibtain's death, Ayatollah Najafi did not have children for next eleven years. He married the daughter of Haji Muhammad Shafi (Faisalabad

Faisalabad

Faisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...

) in 1970. He had three daughters from this marriage. His first wife died in 1996.

Education at Hawza Elmiye Najaf

In 1954, he moved to Hawza Elmiye

Hawza

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

to finalize his religious education . He attended the lectures of the following marja

Marja

Marja , also known as a marja-i taqlid or marja dini , literally means "Source to Imitate/Follow" or "Religious Reference"...

Grand Ayatollah Mohsin Al-Hakim for dars-e-kharij of Fiqh
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Javad Tabrizi for dars-e-kharij of Kifaya-tul-Usool
Grand Ayatollah Meerza Baqir Zanjani for dars-e-kharij of Usool-e-Fiqh
Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani for Fehm-e-Hadees-o-Rajjal & Kutb Shanasi
Grand Ayatollah Mahmood Shahroudi for dars-e-kharij of Fiqh
Grand Ayatollah Abdul Aala Sabzwari for dars-e-kharij of Fiqh
Grand Ayatollah Abul Qasim Rashti for Rasail-o-Makatib
Grand Ayatollah Abdul Hussain Amini (the writer of famous Al-Ghadeer) for Ilm-e-Munazira
Grand Ayatollah Mulla Sadra for Satheeyat & Asfar
Grand Ayatollah Aqae Muhaqqiq for Darse Manzooma Sabzwari
Grand Ayatollah Aqae Fazel for Ilm-e-Kalam
Grand Ayatollah Abdul Karim Zanjani for Tanawwo dar Islami Uloom-o-Funoon and Ittehad-e-Islami

In an interview to the Hawza Elmiye

Hawza

Qom

Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....

's monthly magazine "Hawza", he was asked:

Hawza Team: Hazrat, tell us about your education at Hawza Elmiye

Hawza

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

and your teachers there.

Ustad Najafi: My stay at Najaf was short ... I completed my education in 6 years ... At Najaf, the total number of courses I used to study and teach daily often reached up to ten. ... Once my teacher Grand Ayatollah Shaikh Jawad Tabrizi said to me in light mood:

"Why do you take so much strain, what is the logic in taking ten courses daily? Iranians say: 'The climate of Najaf is dry, thus taking one course in Najaf is not enough, but taking two courses is more than enough.'"(Read interview online)

He wrote the following books during his stay at Najaf:

Isbat ul-Imamat
Tahqeeqat ul-Fariqain fi Hadis as-Saqlain
Iqd ul-Juma'n (Translation of Mafatih al-Janan
Mafatih al-Janan
Mafatih al-Jinan by Shaikh Abbass Qumi is a Twelver Shi'a compilation of selected chapters from Quran, Taaqeebat e namaz , supplications narrated from the Ahle bayt and text of Ziyarats....

)
A'dab ul-Mufeed wal Mustafeed (Translation of Munia tul-Murid)
Faiz ur-Rehman (Translation of Lu'lu wal Marjan)

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammed Hassan Razi popularly known as Aqa Bozorg Tehrani , was born in Tehran. He was a Shia marja from Hawza Elmiye Najaf...

has mentioned these books in his famous book Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia (A list of Shia Books) (Read online), and Aalulbayt Global information Center has mentioned these books in their Musannifat-ush-Shia (Shia Books) (Read here, and here).
Najafi is fluent in Arabic, Persian

Persian language

, Punjabi

Punjabi language

Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...

and Urdu

Urdu

Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...

languages.

Ijtihad and Marjiyyat

He received ijazah

Ijazah

An ijazah is a certificate used primarily by Sunni Muslims to indicate that one has been authorized by a higher authority to transmit a certain subject or text of Islamic knowledge...

's of ijtihad

Ijtihad

Ijtihad is the making of a decision in Islamic law by personal effort , independently of any school of jurisprudence . as opposed to taqlid, copying or obeying without question....

from following marjas of Hawza Elmiye

Hawza

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

, in 1960 AD (1379 AH):

Grand Ayatollah Mohsin Al-Hakim
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Javad Tabrizi
Grand Ayatollah Mara'shi Najafi
Grand Ayatollah Meerza Baqir Zanjani
Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani
Grand Ayatollah Mahmood Shahroudi
Grand Ayatollah Abdul Aala Sabzwari
Grand Ayatollah Abul Qasim Rashti
Grand Ayatollah Abdul Karim Zanjani
Grand Ayatollah Najam ud-Din ash-Sharif as-Samarrai
Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Raza al-Musavi
Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Mahdi al-Kazmaini
Grand Ayatollah Ahmed al-Mustanbit

He published his Tawzih ul Masail

Resalah

A Resalah , also resalah amaliyah is a book written by a Shia Marja that contains his practical rulings arranged according to topics dealing with ritual purity, worship, social issues, business, and political affairs, and outlining the principles used to derive specific rulings.All resalahs begin...

named "Qawaneen ush-Sharia fi Fiqh-e-Jafariya" in 1980 AD (1400 AH). He is being followed by a number of Shia Muslims in matters of fiqh

Fiqh

Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....

from Pakistan and abroad.

Clerical activities in Pakistan

Principal of Dar-ul-Uloom Muhammadia

After returning to Pakistan in 1960, Pir Fazal Shah (Parhezgar) asked him to become the principal of Dar-ul-Uloom Muhammadia, Sargodha

Sargodha

, which he eagerly accepted.

In 1971, due to increased involvement in majalis

Majlis

' , is an Arabic term meaning "a place of sitting", used in the context of "council", to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups be it administrative, social or religious in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to Islamic countries...

and Shia political movements it became impossible for him to run the affairs of Dar-ul-Uloom Muhammadia, therefore he stepped down from this post.

Participation in Shia educational affairs

In 1963, the principals of Shia madrasah

Madrasah

Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...

s from all over Pakistan gathered in Karbala Gamey Shah, Lahore

Lahore

Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...

, and founded Tanzeeme Madarise Arabia Shia Pakistan (Organization of Shia Madrasahs of Pakistan). Ayatollah Najafi was elected its president.

In 1965, a high-level organization of Shia ulema Mautamar Ulemae Shia Pakistan (Conference of Shia Ulema of Pakistan) was formed with Ayatollah Najafi as its president. and Mufti Jafar Hussain as its patron. Other members included Allama Gulab Ali Shah, Allama Akhtar Abbas, Allama Hussain Bakhsh Jarra

Allama Hussain Bakhsh Jarra

Ayatollah Allama Hussain Bakhsh Jarra was a prominent Shia scholar from Punjab, Pakistan. He earned his degree of ijtihad from Hawza Elmiye Najaf, Iraq, and was a marja-e-taqleed as he had authored his fiqhi resalah named Anwar-ush-Sharia for his followers....

, Hafiz Saifullah Jafari, Allama Syed Safdar Hussain Najafi

Syed Safdar Hussain Najafi

Maulana Syed Safdar Hussain Najafi was a great scholar and leader of Islam.-Family & Childhood:Maulana Syed Safdar Hussain Najafi was born in 1932 at Alipur, a tehsil of Muzaffargarh District in the Panjab province of Pakistan. He is the son of Syed Ghulam Sarwar Naqvi from a well known Naqvi Syed...

, Mufti Inayat Ali Shah, Allama Muhib Hussain, Allama Riaz Hussain Najafi and Allama Ghulam Hassan Jarra.

Participation in Shia politics

In 1964, Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Najafi played a pivotal role in gathering about 250 Shia ulema and leaders in Imam Bargah Rizvia

Rizvia Society

Rizvia Society is one of the neighbourhoods of Liaquatabad Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. This neighbourhood is predominantly populated by Shia Muslims....

, Karachi

Karachi

Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...

, where "Shia Mutalbat Committee" was formed with Syed Muhammad Dehlavi

Syed Muhammad Dehlavi

Ayatollah Allama Syed Muhammad Dehlavi was a Shia scholar, who was elected as the first president of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria . He had authored his fiqhi resalah named Wasael-ush-Sharia in Urdu, and the famous Urdu book Tuhfa-tul-Awam on Jafari fiqh was largely based on it.-References:...

as its president.

In 1978, after Zia ul Haq's announcement of promulgating Hanafi

Hanafi

The Hanafi school is one of the four Madhhab in jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. The Hanafi madhhab is named after the Persian scholar Abu Hanifa an-Nu‘man ibn Thābit , a Tabi‘i whose legal views were preserved primarily by his two most important disciples, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad al-Shaybani...

fiqh

Fiqh

, Shia ulema and leaders gathered in Bhakkar

Bhakkar

Bhakkar is the principal city of Bhakkar District, Punjab, Pakistan. It lies on the left bank of the Indus river. It has a population of almost 300,000 and was given status of district in 1981.-Administration:...

and founded Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria (later called Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan) with Mufti Jafar Hussain

Mufti Jafar Hussain

Ayatollah Mufti Jafar Hussain was a Pakistani Shia mujtahid and a political leader. He was elected as the President of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria Ayatollah Mufti Jafar Hussain was a Pakistani Shia mujtahid and a political leader. He was elected as the President of...

as its president. Ayatollah Najafi was a part of this organization's supreme council. After Mufti Jafar's demise, it was upon Ayatollah Najafi's recommendation that Allama Arif Hussain Hussaini

Allama Arif Hussain Hussaini

Arif Hussain Al Hussaini was a Shia leader in Pakistan.- Early life :Shaheed Hussaini was born on 25 November 1946 in the Village Piwaar of Kurram Agency, Parachinar into the house of Fazal Hussain Shah. His family belongs to the Husseini branch of Syeds, which trace descent to the fourth Shi'a...

was elected the new president of the organization.

Jamia Sultan ul-Madaris

In 1978, Raja Mumtaz Ali Khan gifted 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) land to Ayatollah Najafi for madrasah

Madrasah

Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...

, on which Jamia Ilmia Sultan ul-Madaris al-Islamia was constructed.

In 2004, he founded Jamia Aqeela bani Hashim for the religious education of women.

He is also the patron of the following madrasahs:

Madrasah Muhammadia, Sargodha
Sargodha
Sargodha is a city in the Sargodha District of Punjab province, Pakistan.Sargodha is located in the northwest of Pakistan. It is the eleventh largest city of Pakistan and also known as Pakistan's best citrus-producing area. It is an agricultural trade centre with various industries...
Madrasah Ahya ul-Uloom Haideria, Mandi Bahauddin
Mandi Bahauddin
Mandi Bahauddin is the capital of Mandi Bahauddin District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town is some 220 metres above the sea level and is situated in upper Punjab, between the rivers Jhelum and Chenab . Mandi Bahauddin city is situated some 50 km from the M2 - Motorway of...
Madrasah Baqir ul-Uloom, Bhakkar
Bhakkar
Bhakkar is the principal city of Bhakkar District, Punjab, Pakistan. It lies on the left bank of the Indus river. It has a population of almost 300,000 and was given status of district in 1981.-Administration:...
Madrasah Wali ul-Asr, Jhang
Jhang
- Demographics :According to 1981 census of Pakistan population of Jhang was 1,970,944 with the 434,495 housing units in Jhang. In 1998 census, population of Jhang was 2,834,545, whose annually growth rate was 2.16%. Male population was 1,474,099 and female population was 1,360,446...
Madrasah Hazrat Amir ul-Momineen, Layyah
Layyah
Layyah, also spelt Leiah , is the capital city of the Layyah District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 30°58'0N 70°56'0E with an altitude of 143 metres .-Old History:...
Madrasah Jamia tul-Qaim, Layyah
Layyah
Layyah, also spelt Leiah , is the capital city of the Layyah District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located at 30°58'0N 70°56'0E with an altitude of 143 metres .-Old History:...
Madrasah Jafaria, Uch Sharif
Madrasah Bab ul-Hussain, Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan
Dera Ismail Khan is a city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is situated on the west bank of the Indus River, west of Lahore and northwest of Multan. The city is the capital of the district and tehsil of the same name. In Pakistan, its name is often abbreviated to D. I...

Burning of library

After the publication of "Tajalliat-e-Sadaqat", which was written in response to the anti-Shia book "Aftab-e-Hidayat", his family library was set ablaze by the opposite sect in Muharram

Muharram

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...

1983. He was in Quetta

Quetta

is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...

for reciting majalis

Majlis

of Muharram

Muharram

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...

Participation in 17th Islamic Unity Conference, Tehran

On the invitation of the Iranian Supreme Leader

Supreme leader

A supreme leader typically refers to a figure in the highest leadership position of an entity, group, organization, or state, who exercises strong or all-powerful authority over it. In religion, the supreme leader or supreme leaders is God or Gods...

Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...

, he attended the 17th Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran

Tehran

Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...

, Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

in May 2004.

He also visited Hawza Elmiye

Hawza

Qom

, where he had meetings with Ayatollah Morteza Moghtadai

Morteza Moghtadai

Ayatollah Morteza Moghtadai is an Iranian Shia scholar, and deputy chairman of Society of Seminary Teachers of Qom. He was re-elected to the fourth Assembly of Experts...

, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani

Hossein Noori Hamedani

Grand Ayatollah Hosein Nuri-Hamadani is an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja. Nuri-Hamadani has been called a "hard-line cleric," who has expressed his strong disapproval of Sufis and dervishes, Jews, the intellectual Abdolkarim Soroush and the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of...

and Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi

Naser Makarem Shirazi

Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi is an ayatollah in Iran. He is a spiritual guide for many Shia Muslims.-In Iran:He started his formal Islamic studies at the age of 14 in the Agha Babakhan Shirazi seminary....

. He was interviewed by the state television and the Hawza Elmiye Qom's official magazine Hawza

Hawza

Participation in 21st Islamic Unity Conference, Tehran

On the invitation of the Iranian Supreme Leader

Supreme leader

Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hoseyni Khāmene’i is the Supreme Leader of Iran and the figurative head of the Muslim conservative establishment in Iran and Twelver Shi'a marja...

, he attended the 21st Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran

Tehran

, Iran

Iran

in May 2008, along with Allama Sajid Naqvi, Shaikh Mohsin Najafi, Hafiz Riaz Hussain Najafi and Maulana Sami ul Haq

Maulana Sami ul Haq

Maulana Sami ul Haq is a Pakistani religious leader and a politician. He is known for his close ties to the Taliban and has been referred to as the "Father of the Taliban"...

.

He also visited Hawza Elmiye

Hawza

Qom

, where he had meetings with Ayatollah Jafar Subhani, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Shahroudi

Mohammad Shahroudi

Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Mohammad Shahroudi was born in Najaf, Iraq. He is an Iraqi Twelver Shi'a Marja He was taught the preliminary the lessons of the seminary studies by his father, Shaykh Ali Al-Shahrbabaki. Since 1963, he has been delivering lectures in the Islamic Seminary of Qom.-References:...

, Grand Ayatollah Mousa Shubairi Zanjani

Mousa Shubairi Zanjani

Grand Ayatollah Mousa Shubairi Zanjani is an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja. He was born in Qom, Iran. He has studied in the seminaries of Qom under Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi and Mohaqeq Damad. He currently resides and teaches in the Seminary of Qom, Iran...

, Grand Ayatollah Qorban Ali Kaboli

Qorban Ali Kaboli

Grand Ayatullah Mohaqiq Kabuli was born in the village of Turkman in Afghan province of Parwan north west of Kabul. He is a Twelver Shia Marja in Afghanistan. He is an ethnic Hazara.-Early life:...

, Ayatollah Ahmed Mobalighi and Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi

Naser Makarem Shirazi

. (Watch Online) He also addressed a gathering arranged in memory of Shaikh Aktar Abbas Najafi and Shaheed Ghulam Hussain Najafi in Madrasah Hojatieh, Hawza Elmiye Qom. (Watch Online)

Majalis and Q&A sessions

For past thirty years, he has been addressing majalis

Majlis

in almost all parts of Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

, Pakistan

Pakistan

. For the last five years he has been addressing majalis

Majlis

in Imambargah Shah Gardez

Shah Gardez

Within the city of Multan Pakistan there is a beautiful shrine of Hazrat Muhammad Shah Yusaf Gardezi commonly known as Shah Yousaf Gardez just inside the Bohar Gate. It is a rectangular dome-less building decorated with glazed tiles, a work of considerable beauty. He came to Multan in 1088 AD and...

, Multan

Multan

Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...

where all the major Shia ulema

Ulema

Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...

address majalis

Majlis

before him, including Allama Akhter Abbas Naseem, Principal of Madrasah

Madrasah

Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...

Jamia tus-Saqlain, Multan

Multan

. Last year the famous Ayatollah

Ayatollah

Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...

Syed Aqeel-ul-Gharavi

Syed Aqeel-ul-Gharavi is a leading Shia scholar and community activist of India. He is also a professor at Hauz-e-Ilmiya Jamiat-us-Saqalain, Delhi. During early 1990s he was principal of this Hauza. and co-supervisor of Safinatul Hidaya Trust, Batla House, Okhla, Delhi...

also addressed majalis

Majlis

at the same place.

He has also been addressing post-Muharram

Muharram

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited...

majalis

Majlis

in Islamabad

Islamabad

Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...

and Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

for many years. (Watch 2009 Birmingham Majalis online)

After his majalis

Majlis

, questions pertaining to fiqh

Fiqh

, aqaid and tafsir

Tafsir

Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...

are put before him from the gathering. He gives answers to these questions with references from Quran and Hadith

Hadith

The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....

of The Fourteen Infallibles

The Fourteen Infallibles

The Fourteen Infallibles are Twelver Shī‘ah Islam religious figures from between the 6th and 9th century whom Twelvers believe are infallible, i.e. "divinely bestowed [with] freedom from error and sin". This quality of infallibility is known as Ismah...

. At certain occasions, these Q&A sessions have spanned hours.

Books

Faizan ur-Rahman fi Tafsir ul-Quran

It is a 10-volume comprehensive Tafsir

Tafsir

of Quran.

Masail ush-Sharia (Translation of Wasael ush-Shia)

It is the Urdu

Urdu

translation of the great Shia book of Hadith Wasael ush-Shia

Wasael ush-Shia

Wasā'il al-Shīʿa is a reputable book of hadith in Shia Islam, compiled in the 17th century by Shaikh al-Hur al-Aamili. It is a 20-volume collection, meant to include all 'authentic' Hadith from the available Shia hadith books, checking their authenticity on the strict principles of...

by Shaikh al-Hur al-Aamili

Shaikh al-Hur al-Aamili

Muhammad bin al-Ḥassan b. Ali b. al-Ḥusayn al-ʿĀmili al-Mashghari , commonly known as Al-Ḥurr Al-ʿĀmili , was a muhaddith and a prominent Twelver Shi’a scholar of the Akhbari school of thought...

. 13 volumes out of 20 have been published.

Kawakib-e-Muzayya (Translation of Al-Jawahar as-Sunnia fil-Ahadees-al-Qudsia)

It is the Urdu

Urdu

translation & explanation of Shaikh al-Hur al-Aamili

Shaikh al-Hur al-Aamili

's book on Hadith Qudsi.

Ahsan ul-Fawaid fi Sharh al-Aqaid

It is a 2-volume Urdu

Urdu

translation & explanation of Sheikh Saduq's famous Risala "Al-Aqaid". It contains all the Shia beliefs, and their truthfulness in the light of Quran and Hadith

Hadith

The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....

. (Read online)

Usool ush-Sharia fi Aqaid ush-Shia

This book discusses the beliefs of Ghali

Ghali

-People with Ghali as a surname:* Boutros Ghali, Egyptian politician* Fathia Ghali, Egyptian princess* Salah Ali Al-Ghali, Sudanese politician* Samia Ghali, French politician-Religion:...

's, Tafwizi

Ghali

-People with Ghali as a surname:* Boutros Ghali, Egyptian politician* Fathia Ghali, Egyptian princess* Salah Ali Al-Ghali, Sudanese politician* Samia Ghali, French politician-Religion:...

's and Shaykhi

Shaykhism

Shaykhism is an Islamic religious movement founded by Shaykh Ahmad in early 19th century Qajar Iran. It began from a combination of Sufi and Shi‘a doctrines of the end times and the day of resurrection. Today the Shaykhi populations retain a minority following in Iran and Iraq...

's (which they have spread in the name of Shia Islam), and negates them in the light of Quran and Hadith

Hadith

The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....

. (Read online)

Aitaqadat-e-Imamia

It is the Urdu

Urdu

translation & explanation of Allama Majlisi

Allamah al-Majlisi

Muhammad Baqir Majlesi, known as Allamah Majlesi or Majlesi-ye Thani , was a renowned and very powerful Iranian Twelver Shi'a cleric, during the Safavid era...

's "Risala tul-Lailia". (Read online)

Aqsam-e-Tauheed
Mukhtasir Aqaid ush-Shia

Qawaneen ush-Sharia fi Fiqh-e-Jafariya (Tawzih ul-Masail)

It is a 2-volume fiqh

Fiqh

i book, covering all the aspects of human life according to Jafari Jurisprudence

Fiqh

, including the modern human issues. The superiority of Jafari Jurisprudence

Fiqh

over other Islamic Schools of Jurisprudence has been proved in the light of Quran and Hadith

Hadith

The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....

. (Read online)

Khulasa tul-Ahkam

It is an abridged version of Qawaneen ush-Sharia.

Hurmat-e-Ghina Aur Islam

This book discusses the hurmat

Haraam

Haraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...

of ghina

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

in Islamic Sharia

Sharia

Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...

Hurmat-e-Reeshtarashi

This book discusses the hurmat

Haraam

of shaving beard in Islamic Sharia

Sharia

Namaz-e-Juma Aur Islam

It is a book proving that Juma Prayers

Jumu'ah

Jumu'ah is a congregational prayer that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon in lieu of dhuhr...

are wajib even in Imam Mahdi's Ghaibat

The Occultation

The Occultation in Shia Islam refers to a belief that the messianic figure, or Mahdi, who in Shi'i thought is an infallible male descendant of the founder of Islam, Muhammad, was born but disappeared, and will one day return and fill the world with justice. Some Shi'is, such as the Zaidi and...

. It was published by Syed Muhammad Dehlavi

Syed Muhammad Dehlavi

in Karachi

Karachi

Iqd ul-Juma'n (Translation of Mafatih al-Janan
Mafatih al-Janan
Mafatih al-Jinan by Shaikh Abbass Qumi is a Twelver Shi'a compilation of selected chapters from Quran, Taaqeebat e namaz , supplications narrated from the Ahle bayt and text of Ziyarats....

)

Ayatollah Najafi translated Mafatih al-Janan

Mafatih al-Janan

Mafatih al-Jinan by Shaikh Abbass Qumi is a Twelver Shi'a compilation of selected chapters from Quran, Taaqeebat e namaz , supplications narrated from the Ahle bayt and text of Ziyarats....

during his stay at Najaf

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

, but did not publish it as another translation was published from Lahore

Lahore

.

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammed Hassan Razi popularly known as Aqa Bozorg Tehrani , was born in Tehran. He was a Shia marja from Hawza Elmiye Najaf...

has mentioned it in his famous book "Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia" (A list of Shia Books), and Grand Ayatollah Hussaini in his book "Ziyarat".

Zaad-ul-Ibad li-youmil-Ma'ad

It is a collection of supplications from reliable Shia books.

Saadat ud-Darain fi Maqtal al-Hussain

It is a comprehensive account of the Battle of Karbala

Battle of Karbala

The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...

in 61 AH and the tragic martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali

Husayn ibn Ali

Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib ‎ was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...

, all narrated from reliable sources only. (Read online)

Faiz ur-Rehman (Translation of Lu'lu wal Marjan)

Ayatollah Najafi translated Allama Noori's famous book Lu'lu wal Marjan during his stay at Najaf

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

, but did not publish it as another translation "Jawahir ul-Bayan" was published from Sargodha

Sargodha

.

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammed Hassan Razi popularly known as Aqa Bozorg Tehrani , was born in Tehran. He was a Shia marja from Hawza Elmiye Najaf...

has mentioned it in his famous book "Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia" (A list of Shia Books), and has written that its foreword about hurmat

Haraam

of ghina

Music

Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...

is indeed useful.

Shuhda-e-Khamsa kay Haalat-e-Zindagi

It contains biographies of the five martyr Shia ulema:

Shaheed-e-Awal Muhammad Jamal uddin Makki Amili
Shahid Awwal
Muhammad Jamaluddin al-Makki al-Amili also known as Shahid Awwal was the first Islamic martyr and the author of Al-Lum'ah ad-Dimashqiya. He was one of the greatest Shi'a scholars.- Life :Shahid Awal was born in 734 A.H Muhammad Jamaluddin al-Makki al-Amili (1334–1385) also known as Shahid Awwal...
Shaheed-e-Sani Zain uddin Amili
Shahid Thani
Zayn al-Din al-Juba'i al'Amili was the second martyr .- Career :Thani was one of the greatest shi'a scholars. He studied under famous Sunni and Shi'a in Jabal 'Amel, Damascus, Cairo, Jerusalem among many others. He was known and respected by sunnis in Baalabeck for this...
Shaheed-e-Salis Qazi Nurullah Shustari
Qazi Nurullah Shustari
Qazi Nurullah Shustari also known as Shaheed-e-Salis was an eminent jurist and scholar of his time, 1542 A.D.-1610/11. Qazi Nurullah Shustari also known as Shaheed-e-Salis (third martyr) was an eminent jurist (faqih) and scholar (alim) of his time, 1542 A.D.-1610/11. Qazi Nurullah Shustari ...
Shaheed-e-Rabey Mirza Muhammad Kamil Dehlavi
Shaheed-e-Khamis Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr

Isbat ul-Imamat

It is a book on the issue of Khilafat

Caliphate

The term caliphate, "dominion of a caliph " , refers to the first system of government established in Islam and represented the political unity of the Muslim Ummah...

& Imamat, and establishes that Imam Ali was the true successor to the Prophet

Succession to Muhammad

The Succession to Muhammad concerns the various aspects of successorship of Muhammad after his death, comprising who might be considered as his successor to lead the Muslims, how that person should be elected, the conditions of legitimacy, and the role of successor...

. (Read online)

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammed Hassan Razi popularly known as Aqa Bozorg Tehrani , was born in Tehran. He was a Shia marja from Hawza Elmiye Najaf...

has mentioned it in his famous book "Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia" (A list of Shia Books).

Tahqeeqat ul-Fariqain fi Hadis as-Saqlain

It is a book presenting extensive research from both the Shia & Sunni books of Hadith

Hadith

The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....

, as regards the truthfulness of Hadith of the two weighty things

Hadith of the two weighty things

The Hadith al-Thaqalayn refers to a saying about al-Thaqalayn, which translates to "the two weighty things." In this hadith Muhammad referred to the Qur'an and Ahl al-Bayt as the two weighty things...

(Hadis as-Saqlain). (Read online)

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammed Hassan Razi popularly known as Aqa Bozorg Tehrani , was born in Tehran. He was a Shia marja from Hawza Elmiye Najaf...

has mentioned it in his famous book "Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia" (A list of Shia Books).

Tajalliat-e-Sadaqat fi Jawab Aftab-e-Hidayat

It is a 2-volume book in response to the anti-Shia book "Aftab-e-Hidayat" by Maulvi Karam Deen. (Read online)

Tanzeeh ul-Imamia amma fi Risala Mazhab ush-Sha

It is the book in response to the anti-Shia risala "Mazhab ush-Shia" by Pir Siyyalvi.

Khatm-e-Nabuwwat bar Khatmi Martabat

This book proves Khatme Nabuwwat

Khatme Nabuwwat

Khatim an-Nabuwwah , or Seal of Prophethood, is an Islamic belief unique to Prophet Muhammad. However, there is a difference of interpretation within Muslims; orthodox Muslims hold a consensus that this implies that prophethood came to an end after Muhammad, whereas other groups such as Ahmadiyya...

(i.e. Prophethood

Prophets of Islam

Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...

has come to an end after Muhammad

Muhammad

Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

A'dab ul-Mufeed wal Mustafeed (Translation of Munia tul-Murid)

Ayatollah Najafi translated Shaheed-e-Sani's famous book Munia tul-Murid during his stay at Najaf

Najaf

Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...

, but did not publish it as another translation by Mufti Inayat Ali Shah was published.

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammed Hassan Razi popularly known as Aqa Bozorg Tehrani , was born in Tehran. He was a Shia marja from Hawza Elmiye Najaf...

has mentioned it in his famous book "Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia" (A list of Shia Books).

Islah ul-Majalis wal-Mahafil

This book discuss the wrong customs associated with majlis of Imam Hussain, and how to correct them.

Islah ur-Rusoom az-Zahira ba Kalam al-Itrat at-Tahira

It is a comprehensive book discussing all the bid‘ah's and false customs in Islamic society, and how to correct them. (Read online)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Childhood and family

Early education in Pakistan

Marital life

Education at Hawza Elmiye Najaf

Ijtihad and Marjiyyat

Clerical activities in Pakistan

Principal of Dar-ul-Uloom Muhammadia

Participation in Shia educational affairs

Participation in Shia politics

Jamia Sultan ul-Madaris

Burning of library

Participation in 17th Islamic Unity Conference, Tehran

Participation in 21st Islamic Unity Conference, Tehran

Majalis and Q&A sessions

Books

See also

External links