Muhammad Husayn Kashif al-Ghita': Difference between revisions

 

==Participation in Jihad==

 

During World War I, following Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Yazdi fatwa against the English occupiers, Kashif al-Ghita' joined Iraqi soldiers. In his biography, he gave reports on the battles, English troops, defeat in Shua'ybiyah and withdrawal of Turks, the uprisings in Najaf, Karbala and Hillah, the death of English Marshall, siege and occupation of Najaf by English troops, arresting revolutionaries and saving a number of them from execution and also other historical issues of Iraq, especially those related to Shi'a Muslims' role. <ref>Kashif al-Ghita' 'Uqud Hayati p.103-109</ref>

Kashif al-Ghita' had a couple of travels to Iran. As he said, in one of his travel (1327 solar/1948), Muhammad Rida Pahlavi asked him for a meeting, but he rejected it. In another travel, two years later, Shah insisted on having a meeting, and finally he admitted a meeting with Shah and Lieutenant Razmara, minister of theology. <ref>Kashif al-Ghita', 'Uqud Hayati, p.286 </ref> He also had other meetings in Iran with Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri, Ayatollah Kashani, Mirza Khalil Kamari'i, Ahmad Shahrudi, Sayyid Husayn Qummi and many other notable scholars.  

In some of his travels to Syria and Egypt he met Sunni scholars and religious intellectuals who were the inspirers of Islamic awakening and Islamic unity. In 1350 A.H(1932), he was invited to a conference in Quds by Islamic Majlis of Palestine. In al-Aqsa mosque, in time of 'Isha' (night) prayer, among scholars and intellectuals of different Islamic sects including Rashid Rida, Sayyid Muhammad Zabarah and Shaykh Nu'man al-Uzma, Palestinian Mufti, Amin al-Husayni, and Imam of the mosque (leader of congregational prayer) both asked Kashif al-Ghita' to be the Imam of salat al-jama'a. <ref>Amir Shakib Arsalan, Hadir al-'alam al-islami, vol.1 p.193 </ref> He had many consultations with different Sunni influential religious figures.  

Kashif al-Ghita' took some Kharij fiqh and Usul courses from Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Yazdi and Ayatollah Akhund Khurasani to become mujtahid. He has written a commentary in four volumes on al-'Urwa al-Wuthqa by Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Yazdi which is supposed to be the first commentary on this book. <ref>Away-i Bidari, p.31 </ref>

His writings are penned in different subjects, including: Shi'a fiqh, gloss on al-'Urwa al-wuthqa, commentary on Tabsira al-muta'allimin and Wajiza al-ahkam. In addition, he has written works on Kalam and theological subjects, in defending Islam and divine religions confronting new theories like Darwin theory. <ref>www.khabaronline.ir</ref> Some of his writings are about introducing and defending Shi'ism, like Asl al-Shi'a wa usuluha.  

Kashif al-Ghita' has corrected and explained literary books and poetical works; besides he was an expert poet. He also composed poems as an answer to the questions raised by opponents on Shi'ism, like a poem in rejecting Qasidah poems of Shukri Alusi which was against Imam al-Mahdi (a). <ref>Kashif al-Ghita', 'Uqud Hayati, p.58 </ref>

Al-Ahkam al-'Adliyya was taught in most of the Islamic and Arabic colleges, which is considered as one of the most important sources in fiqh and Islamic law. It is also the main source for judges, law scholars and specialists of the field. Kashif al-Ghita' pointed out the fiqhi value of this book and admired efforts done by other religions' faqih. He stated, we appreciated the efforts have been made by others, while all of our attention is toward God and he promised decent rewards to all people. So if any notable Muslim faqih, make efforts in ijtihad, he will be paid back with blessing. <ref>www.hawzah.net</ref>

One of the controversial and audacious theories that Kashif al-Ghita' declared in seminary center of Najaf was allowing decent (non-sinful) music. He considered music as a valuable art which is one of the elements of life and an obscure gift for most of people. <ref>www.hawzah.net</ref>

Kashif al-Ghita' was the first mujtahid who gave the right of divorce to the women whose husband suffer from tuberculosis; he believed such women can get a divorce without their husbands' permission, while according to Shari'a only men have the right to divorce. It seems Kashif al-Ghita' came to conclusion considering the lack of haraj (hardship) principle, according to the verse: "Ma ja'ala alaykum fi al-din min haraj" (Hajj/78)(Allah has laid upon you no hardship in religion). <ref>www.hawzah.net</ref>

Considering women's right was another aspect of his intellectualism. While he emphasized on matrimonial rights and rising of virtuous future generation, Kashif al-Ghita' advised women to learn reading and writing, which was hugely significant, considering the social and historical condition of Iraq. He advised men to respect their women, as their life companions; he believed men and women have equal rights. Kashif al-Ghita' declared God didn't limit reasoning and maturity only to men, also the riwayat mentioning deficiency in women's reasoning are ascribed to their experimental reasoning, not to their instinct reasoning; although experimental reasoning can be acquired through frequent relations, trades etc. <ref>www.hawzah.net</ref>

On the verge of young ages, he wrote Al-Din wa al-Islam on new Kalam discussions, while only two of its parts have been published yet, and the other two parts remained hand-written. In the first part, he generally explained the truth of religion and the necessity of religion for mankind. In the second part, he mentioned the truth of Islam as the factual religion. In addition, he remarked new subjects in order to reject the atheists and materialists' beliefs, and also those mubashirs intended to cast doubt on prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (s) and insult Islamic beliefs. Considering the new approach toward Kalam, some researchers believe Kashif al-Ghita' was the pioneer Shi'a scholar among other Muslim intellectuals, except Muhammad 'Abduh, whose book Risala al-Tawhid, made way for the new era of Kalam. <ref>www.hawzah.net</ref>