Najaf Seminary

The Najaf Seminary (Arabic: حوزة النجف‎), also known as the al-Hawza al-Ilmiyya, is the most important Shia seminaries (hawza) in the city of Najaf, Iraq. The school also operates a campus in Karbala. It is located near the Imam Ali Mosque. It was established in the 11th century by Grand Ayatollah Shaykh al-Tusi.

History

Shaykh Tusi went to Baghdad to continue education. After 12 years, he was forced to leave Baghdad and go to Najaf for sectarian differences.[1] He established the seminary in Najaf in 430 AH (the 11th century AD),[2] which continued as a center of study until the establishment of modern Iraq in 1921. He died in 460 AH (1067 CE).[3][4] The seminar was one of the biggest and most important hawza of the world for educating and training Shia clerics.[5]

Subjects

The subjects taught at the seminary include:[6]

• Mantiq (Logic)

• Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)

• Fiqh (Jurisprudence)

• Tafsir al-Qur'an (Qur'an Exegesis)

• Ulum al-Qur'an (Qur'an Sciences)

• Ilm al-Hadith (The Study of Traditions)

• Ilm ar-Rijal (Science of Narrators)

• Tarikh (History)

• Aqaid / Kalam (Theology)

• Lugha (Language Studies)

• Falsafa (Islamic Philosophy)

• Irfan (Islamic Mysticism)

Trained scholars

Some of the known Shia Grand Ayatollahs were trained in the Najaf seminary.[7] • Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ardabili - he was one of the most famous Shia scholars. He was known as Mohaghegh (researcher) and Moghaddas (saint).[8]

• Moḥammad Mahdī Baḥr al-ʿUlūm - he was known as Baḥr al-Ulum for his considerable knowledge. Bahr al-Ulum was a popular Shia Muslim scholar. He is specifically known as one of the few individuals who attained the climax of spiritual perfection.[9] • Mohammad Bagher Shafti - he was the leader of Isfahan seminary.[7]

• Akhund Khorasani - he was a student of Morteza Ansari. Khorasani was the greatest Marjaʿ after Mirza Shirazi and before Mohammad Fadhil Sharabiani, he was known as an indubitable master of usul al-fiqh.[10] He authored a book focused on commercial law.[11]

• Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei - Ali al-Sistani was his student.[12] He was made the most prominent Grand Ayatollah in 1971 after the death of Muhsin al-Hakim.[13] He was well-known author in Hadith studies and Rijal and Kalam knowledge.[12][14] • Ibn Idris Hilli - he founded the Hillah seminary.[7]

• Mirza Shirazi - he was the leader of Samarra seminary and Tobacco Protest.[11]

• Hajj Muhammad Ibrahim Kalbasi - he was the leader of Isfahan seminary.[7]

• Abdul-Karim Haeri Yazdi - he was the founder of the Qom Seminary in Iran.[15] Ruhollah Khomeini was his student. He was Marjaʿ.[16]

• Kashif al-Ghita - he was the leader and great Marjaʿ of Shia.[7]

• Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi - he authored Javaher al-kalam Fi sharh-e Sharay-e al-Islam[17]and was a leader of the Najaf seminary.[18]

• Morteza Ansari - he was the leader of Najaf seminary after the death of Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi.[7] He has been called "first effective" Marjaʿ of the Shia[19] or "the first scholar universally recognized as supreme authority in matters of Shii law".[20][7]

• Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi - his popular students included Imam Khomeini, Hossein Vahid Khorasani, Sayed Ali Khamenei, Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani, and Dr. Seyed Ali Mirlohi Falavarjani.[21] Borujerdi was the sole marja "in the Shia world" from 1945-6 until his death in 1961.[22] Borujerdi was the first Marja who attempted Islamic unity. He sent Sayyid Muhaqqiqi to Hamburg, Germany, Aqa-e-Shari'at to Karachi, Pakistan, Al-Faqihi to Medina and Musa al-Sadr to Lebanon.[23][24]

• Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i - he authored Tafsir al-Mizan[25] and he was one of the most prominent Intellectuals of philosophy and contemporary Shia Islam.[26][27]He was an expert in philosophy in Islam. His philosophy is focused upon the sociological treatment of human problems.[26] His book, Shi'ite Islam, was translated into English by Hossein Nasr and William Chittick as a project of Colgate University. He was interviewed by Henry Corbin.[28]

• Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi - he was one of the greatest Marja in Lebanon. He attempted to bring Shia and Sunni closer.[29]