Grand Ayatollah
Marji ( ar, مرجع, transliteration: ''marjiʿ''; plural: ''marājiʿ''), literally meaning "source to follow" or "religious reference", is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia authority, a Grand Ayatollah with the authority giv ...
Sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhamma ...
Abu al-Qasim al-Musawi al-Khoei ( ; ar, أبو القاسم الموسوي الخوئي; fa, ; November 19, 1899 – August 8, 1992) was an
Iranian
Iranian may refer to:
* Iran, a sovereign state
* Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran
* Iranian lan ...
-
Iraqi Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mo ...
marja'. Al-Khoei is considered one of the most influential
twelver
Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...
scholars.
After the death of
Muhsin al-Hakim
Muhsin al-Tabatabaei al-Hakim ( ar, محسن الطباطبائي الحكيم; 31 May 1889 – 2 June 1970) was an Iraqi Shia religious authority.
He became the leading marja' of Najaf in 1946 after the death of Abu al-Hasan al-Isfahani, and ...
, he became the spiritual leader of much of the Shia world until his death in 1992. He was succeeded briefly by
Abd al-A'la al-Sabziwari
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abd al-A'la al-Musawi al-Sabziwari ( fa, ; ar, عبد الأعلى الموسوي السبزواري; December 21, 1910 – August 16, 1993) was an Iranian- Iraqi Shia marja'. He is regarded as one of the most influenti ...
, until his death in 1993. Then his former student,
Ali al-Sistani
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani ( ar, علي الحسيني السيستاني; fa, , Ali-ye Hoseyni-ye Sistāni; born 4 August 1930), commonly known as Ayatollah Sistani, is an Iranian–Iraqi Twelver Shia Ayatollah and marja'. He has been describe ...
, took leadership of the seminary, whereby many of his followers became followers of al-Sistani.
Biography
![Alkhoi-saddam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Alkhoi-saddam.jpg)
Al Khoei was born in the
Iranian
Iranian may refer to:
* Iran, a sovereign state
* Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran
* Iranian lan ...
city of
Khoy
Khoy (Persian and az, خوی; ; ; also Romanized as Khoi), is a city and capital of Khoy County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2012 census, its population was 200,985.
Khoy is located north of the province's capital and largest city ...
,
West Azerbaijan province in 1899, Khoei grew up in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. Around the age of 13, along with his older brother,
Abdullah
Abdullah may refer to:
* Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname
* Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village
* ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan
* '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...
, he moved to
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
and took up residence in the holy city of
Najaf
Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...
where he began studying Shia theology with the scholars of that city. He eventually attained the rank of Ayatollah and was subsequently made a
marja. Khoei would continue to live in Najaf, becoming a teacher for the remainder of his life, and overseeing the studies of scholars who would be qualified to issue fatwas based on Shia theology.
Due to his prominent position as a teacher and scholar in Najaf, he became an important leader of worldwide Shia's. He was made the most prominent Grand Ayatollah in 1971 after the death of
Muhsin al-Hakim
Muhsin al-Tabatabaei al-Hakim ( ar, محسن الطباطبائي الحكيم; 31 May 1889 – 2 June 1970) was an Iraqi Shia religious authority.
He became the leading marja' of Najaf in 1946 after the death of Abu al-Hasan al-Isfahani, and ...
. In this position, he became a patron of numerous institutions across the globe that sought to provide welfare, and also provided scholarships to theological students from across the Muslim world.
He is considered as the architect of a distinct school of thought in the principles of jurisprudence and Islamic law, and one of the leading exponents of '
kalam
''ʿIlm al-Kalām'' ( ar, عِلْم الكَلام, literally "science of discourse"), usually foreshortened to ''Kalām'' and sometimes called "Islamic scholastic theology" or "speculative theology", is the philosophical study of Islamic doc ...
'-scholastic theology- and '
rijal
Biographical evaluation ( ar, عِلْمُ الرِّجال, ʿilm al-rijāl; literally meaning'' 'Knowledge of Men' , ''but more commonly understood as the ''Science of Narrators)'' refers to a discipline of Islam, Islamic religious studies wi ...
'- study of the biographies of transmitters of ahadith, the prophetic traditions, '
fiqh
''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh.
The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...
'- jurisprudence- and '
tafseer
Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...
'- exegesis of the Qur'an. His interests included astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy.
Al-Khoei's status as the pre-eminent scholar of his age did not go unchallenged. In the 1970s, Grand Ayatollah
Mohammed Al-Shirazi, a radical theologian based in
Karbala had a long-running feud with Al Khoei and his fellow clerics in Najaf over the legitimacy of theocratic rule. The dispute resulted in Al-Khoei seeking to dismiss Al Shirazi's status as a religious scholar.
After the
Persian Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
, Khoei was arrested by
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...
during the mass Shia uprising that followed the defeat of Iraqi forces. While under arrest, he was taken to
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. I ...
and forced to make public appearances with Saddam Hussein. Hussein eventually allowed Khoei to return to Najaf, but he was placed under house arrest. Khoei died on 8 August 1992 in
Najaf
Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...
at the age of 92. His funeral was led by his student
Ali al-Sistani
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani ( ar, علي الحسيني السيستاني; fa, , Ali-ye Hoseyni-ye Sistāni; born 4 August 1930), commonly known as Ayatollah Sistani, is an Iranian–Iraqi Twelver Shia Ayatollah and marja'. He has been describe ...
. He was buried in
Shrine of Imam Ali in
Najaf
Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...
.
Legacy
Welfare
![Imam Al-Khoei Foundation 8989 Van Wyck jeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Imam_Al-Khoei_Foundation_8989_Van_Wyck_jeh.jpg)
He was fervently dedicated to establishing welfare, social, cultural, and educational institutions for Muslims worldwide. The following are some of the institutions he established:
* Imam al-Khoei Islamic Center in
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
,
NY.
*
al-Iman School in Queens, New York.
* As-Sadiq and Az-Zahra Schools in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
* Imam al-Khoei Islamic Center in London, U.K
* Jamia-tul-Kauthar in
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...
.
* Darul Hikmah in Najaf.
* Madinatul Ilm in
Qom. It is considered one of the biggest theology centers in the Shia world. The complex comprises the school building and living quarters capable of accommodating 500 families.
* As-Sayyid al-Khoei Center in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
.
* As-Sayyid al-Khoei Center in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
.
* Imam al-Khoei Orphanage in
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
.
* Imam-e-Zamana Mission in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
.
* Najafi House in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
.
He was also the patron of about 1,000 grant-maintained students of theology from Iraq and other countries like Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Persian Gulf States, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, South East Asia. He provided financial support for maintaining the schools including boarding expenses, teachers' salaries, and lodging costs.
Students
![Ayatollah al-Khoi and Ali al-Sistani](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Ayatollah_al-Khoi_and_Ali_al-Sistani.jpg)
Former student
Ali al-Sistani
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani ( ar, علي الحسيني السيستاني; fa, , Ali-ye Hoseyni-ye Sistāni; born 4 August 1930), commonly known as Ayatollah Sistani, is an Iranian–Iraqi Twelver Shia Ayatollah and marja'. He has been describe ...
is currently the most senior Shia cleric in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
and widely regarded as "wield
ngenormous power over Iraq's Shia majority." The degree of success of his articulation of moderate Shia politics in Iraq have been said to be "in no small part traceable to the legacy of his mentor and teacher", al-Khoei.
Another significant student of al-Khoei, is
Muhammad-Sadiq Rohani, who also shared a close relationship with al-Khoei.
He is also currently considered one the highest religious authorities in Iran, alongside
Waheed Khurasani. However his influence is limited due to his stance with the
Islamic republic.
Works
Khoei wrote on various topics, ranging from Islamic
jurisprudence
Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...
to
mathematics and
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
and was a prolific writer in these disciplines. He wrote 37 books and treatises, most of which have been published. His works include:
* Lectures in the Principles of Jurisprudence - 10 volumes
* Biographies of Narrators of Tradition - 24 volumes.
* Islamic Law - 18 volumes.
*
Al-Bayan Fi Tafsir al-Quran
Al-Bayan Fi Tafsir al-Quran ''(The Elucidation of the Exegesis of The Qur'an and sometimes entitled The Prolegomena to the Quran)'' is a tafsir by the Shiite scholar Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Musawi al-Khoei ( ; ...
(The Elucidation of the Exegesis of The Qur'an and sometimes entitled The Prolegomena to the Quran)
* Minhaju-us-Saliheen (The Path of the Righteous) - 2 volumes, reprinted 78 times (guide book on religious practice and law).
* Anthology of Religious Questions - Concise version of the Path of the Righteous - in Arabic, Urdu, Persian, English, Turkish, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, and Gujarati.
* Mabani al-Istinbat (Edifices of Deduction) Principles of Jurisprudence.
* Ajwad-at-Taqrirat (The Best of Regulations) Principles of Jurisprudence.
* Sharh-el-Urwatul-Wuthqa (Commentary on The Steadfast Handle) - Jurisprudence.
* Treatise on Suspected Attire - Risala fil Libas Al-Mashkok, Evidential Jurisprudence.
* Nafahat-ul Ijaz (the Fragrance of Miracles), in defense of the Qur'an.
Internet
*
Imam Al-Khoei Benevolent Foundation
Personal life
![FaghihImani-Khoei](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/FaghihImani-Khoei.jpg)
al-Khoei was married and had seven sons:
* Jamal al-Din. He was al-Khoei's eldest son and spent his life in the service of his father's marja'iya. He died in Tehran after being diagnosed with cancer, in 1984. He was buried in the Fatimah Masumah shrine in Qom. His notable works are: ''Sharh Kifayat al-Usul'', ''Bahth Fi al-Falsafa Wa Ilm al-Kalam'', ''Sharh Diwan
al-Mutanabi''.
* Ali al-Khoei. He was killed young in a car accident between Baghdad and Najaf.
* Abbas
* Abd al-Sahib. Current secretary general of the Imam al-Khoei Foundation in London.
*
Muhammad-Taqi. He was the secretary general of the Foundation in 1989. He was placed under house arrest with his father after the 1991 Shaban uprising. Muhammad-Taqi was allegedly assassinated by
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolutio ...
, who set up a car accident, on the night of 21 July 1994. Besides reports of his father's lectures, he has authored ''Kitab al-Iltizamat al-Taba'iya Fi al-Uqud''.
*
Abd al-Majid. He emigrated from Iraq soon after the Shaban uprising and left for London. He became the secretary-general of the Foundation after his brother, Muhammad-Taqi's death. Soon after the fall of Baghdad to US forces in 2003, he returned to Iraq with plans to revive Najaf to the glory and splendor it enjoyed under the patronage of his father. However, he was assassinated on April 10, 2003, near the
Imam Ali Mosque
The Sanctuary of Imām 'Alī ( ar, حَرَم ٱلْإِمَام عَلِيّ , Ḥaram al-ʾImām ʿAlī), also known as the Mosque of 'Alī ( ar, مَسْجِد عَلِيّ, Masjid ʿAlī), located in Najaf, Iraq, is a mosque which many Musl ...
in Najaf.
* Ibrahim. He was abducted from his house by the Baathist regime after the Shaban uprising, in 1991.
See also
*
Muhammad Kazim Khurasani
Ayatullah Sheikh Muhammad Kazim Khurasani ( fa, ; 1839 – 12 December 1911), commonly known as Akhund Khurasani ( fa, ) was a Shia jurist and political activist.
He is known for using his position as a Marja as legitimizing force behind the ...
*
Mirza Husayn Tehrani
Ayatollah Mirza Husayn Khalili Tehrani (Persian: میرزا حسین خلیلی تهرانی) was an Usuli Shi'a jurist and among the four sources of emulation at the time of Iranian Constitutional Revolution. He worked alongside Akhund Khurasan ...
*
Abdallah Mazandarani
*
Muhammad Hossein Naini Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Mohammad-Hossein Naini Gharavi ( fa, ; May 25, 1860 – August 14, 1936) was Iranian Shia marja'.
His father Mirza Abdol Rahim and grandfather Haji Mirza Saeed, both one were Sheikhs of Nain and Mohammad Hussein proved him ...
*
Mirza Ali Aqa Tabrizi
Mirza Ali-Aqa Tabrizi, () known as Thiqat-ul-Islam Tabrizi (; January 19, 1861 - December 31, 1911) was an Iranian nationalist who lived in Tabriz, Iran, during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and was a reformist Shia cleric. He was hanged b ...
*
Mirza Sayyed Mohammad Tabatabai
Mirza Seyyed Mohammad Tabatabai ( Persian: آیت الله میرزا سید محمد طباطبائی, also known as Mohammad Sang-e-laji,;''Sang-e-laj'' (سَنگِلَج) is one of the neighbourhoods of the Old Tehran, not far from the Grand B ...
*
Seyyed Abdollah Behbahani
Seyyed Abdollah Behbahani ( fa, سیدعبدالله بهبهانی, 1840–1910) was a Shi'a theologian and a prominent leader of the constitutional movement. He was born in Najaf and was educated by scholars such as Morteza Ansari.
During the c ...
*
Mirza Ali Aqa Tabrizi
Mirza Ali-Aqa Tabrizi, () known as Thiqat-ul-Islam Tabrizi (; January 19, 1861 - December 31, 1911) was an Iranian nationalist who lived in Tabriz, Iran, during the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and was a reformist Shia cleric. He was hanged b ...
*
Fazlullah Nouri
Sheikh Fazlollah bin Abbas Mazindarani (; 24 December 1843 – 31 July 1909), also known as Fazlollah Noori (), was a twelver Shia Muslim scholar and politician in Qajar Iran during the late 19th and early 20th century and founder of islamis ...
*
Ruhollah Khomeini
*
Islamic Government
''Islamic Government'' ( fa, حکومت اسلامی, ''Hokumat-i Eslami''), also known as ''The Jurist's Guardianship: Islamic Government'',
( fa, حکومت اسلامی ولایت فقیه, ''Velayat-e faqih: Hokumat-i Eslami '') Abrahamian, ...
(book by Khomeini)
*
Abd al-A'la al-Sabziwari
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abd al-A'la al-Musawi al-Sabziwari ( fa, ; ar, عبد الأعلى الموسوي السبزواري; December 21, 1910 – August 16, 1993) was an Iranian- Iraqi Shia marja'. He is regarded as one of the most influenti ...
*
Muhammad-Hadi al-Milani
*
Ali al-Sistani
Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani ( ar, علي الحسيني السيستاني; fa, , Ali-ye Hoseyni-ye Sistāni; born 4 August 1930), commonly known as Ayatollah Sistani, is an Iranian–Iraqi Twelver Shia Ayatollah and marja'. He has been describe ...
References and notes
External links
Official websiteImam Al-Khoei Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khoei, Abul-Qassim
1899 births
1992 deaths
Iraqi ayatollahs
People from Khoy
Iranian emigrants to Iraq
Al-Moussawi family
Critics of Sunni Islam
Burials at Imam Ali Mosque
Biographical evaluation scholars
20th-century Iranian people
Iranian Shia clerics
Shia hadith scholars