Grand Ayatollah ShaikhMuhammad Hussain Najafi (Arabic: آيت الله العظمى علامه شيخ محمد حسين; 10 April 1932 – 21 August 2023) was a Pakistani TwelverShiaMarja. Muhammad Hussain Najafi was running a Hawza in Sargodha.[1] Najafi was included in all the editions of "The Muslim 500: The World's Most Influential Muslims" since 2010.[2][3] He is one of the nine marja's mentioned in the most recent edition.[4]
Childhood and family
Muhammad Hussain was born in small town of Jehania shah in Sargodha District of Punjab province of Pakistan in April 1932. He had two paternal uncles, both of whom were Shiaulema: Maulana Imam Bakhsh was a religious teacher in Jahanian Shah, while Maulana Sohrab Ali Khan was a reputed alim of Uch Sharif. His father Rana Tajuddin was not an alim, but he had the wish of making his son a great alim. 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.[1][5]
Early education in Pakistan
After secondary school education, he got an admission in Madrasah Muhammadia in Jalalpur Nankiana, Sargodha, where one of his prominent teachers was Ayatollah Allama Hussain Bakhsh Jarra. In 1947, he studied the courses of Dars-i-Nizami from Ayatollah Allama Muhammad Baqir Naqvi in Jhang. Allama Baqir Naqvi had migrated from Iraq to spread Shia formal education in Pakistan. Since (the first 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 to Jalalpur, 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, and moved to Najaf in 1954 for higher education.[1][6]
Marital life
Before going to Najaf 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.[7]
In 1954, his only son Muhammad Sibtayn 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.)[8]
After Sibtayn's death, Ayatollah Najafi did not have children for the next eleven years, later he had one daughter. He married the daughter of Haji Muhammad Shafi (Faisalabad) in 1970. He had two daughters from this marriage. His first wife died in 1996.[1][9]
Education at Hawza Elmiye Najaf
Hawza Elmiye Qom's Team interviewing Ayatollah Najafi.Ayatollah Najafi leading prayers after interview with Hawza's Team.
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[10]
In an interview to the Hawza ElmiyeQom's monthly magazine "Hawza", he was asked:
Hawza Team: Hazrat, tell us about your education at Hawza ElmiyeNajaf 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.'"[11][12][13][14][15]
He wrote the following books during his stay at Najaf:
A'dab ul-Mufeed wal Mustafeed (Translation of Munia tul-Murid)
Faiz ur-Rehman (Translation of Lu'lu wal Marjan)[16]
Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani has mentioned these books in his famous book Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia (A list of Shia Books),[17][18][19] and Aalulbayt Global information Center has mentioned these books in their Musannifat-ush-Shia (Shia Books).[20][21][22][23]
Najafi was fluent in Arabic, Persian, Punjabi and Urdu languages.
He published his Tawzih ul Masail (treatise) named "Qawaneen ush-Sharia fi Fiqh-e-Jafariya" in 1980 AD (1400 AH). He was being followed by a number of Shia Muslims in matters of fiqh from Pakistan and abroad.[14][26]
Clerical activities in Pakistan
Addressing ulema and students at Madrasah Imam Ali Qom (May 2004).
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, which he eagerly accepted.[27] In 1971, due to increased involvement in Majlis 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.[28]
Participation in Shia educational affairs
In 1963, the principals of Shia madrasahs from all over Pakistan gathered in Karbala Gamey Shah, Lahore, and founded Tanzeeme Madarise Arabia Shia Pakistan (Organization of Shia Madrasahs of Pakistan). Ayatollah Najafi was elected its president.[citation needed]
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, Hafiz Saifullah Jafari, AllamaSyed Safdar Hussain Najafi, Mufti Inayat Ali Shah, Allama Muhib Hussain, Allama Riaz Hussain Najafi and Allama Ghulam Hassan Jarra.[29]
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, Karachi, where "Shia Mutalbat Committee" was formed with Syed Muhammad Dehlavi as its president.[citation needed]
In 1978, after Zia ul Haq's announcement of promulgating Hanafifiqh, Shia ulema and leaders gathered in Bhakkar and founded Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria (later called Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan) with Mufti Jafar Hussain as its president. Ayatollah Najafi was a part of this organization's supreme council.In 1980,Shias protested in Islamabad against the forced collection of money by Zia on the name of Zakat. It was Ayatollah Najafi Who held talks with the regime and because of his extra-ordinary debating abilities Shias were exempted from this law. After Mufti Jafar's demise, it was upon Ayatollah Najafi's recommendation that Allama Arif Hussain Hussaini was elected the new president of the organization.[30] No Doubt, Ayatollah Najafi was the most powerful support for all of the Shia Political Leaders (Presidents Shia Ulmaa Council). He was the one from whose efforts Shias of Pakistan got their first official Political Supreme Leader and he supported them all till his last breath.
In 1978, Raja Mumtaz Ali Khan gifted 3-acre (12,000 m2) land to Ayatollah Najafi for madrasah, on which Jamia Ilmia Sultan ul-Madaris al-Islamia was constructed.[citation needed]
In 2004, he founded Jamia Aqeela bani Hashim for the religious education of women.[citation needed]
He was also the patron of the following madrasahs:[citation needed]
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 followers of the sunni sect in Muharram 1983. He was in Quetta for reciting Majlis of Muharram.[1][32][33]
Participation in 17th Islamic Unity Conference, Tehran
After his Majlis, questions pertaining to fiqh, aqaid and tafsir were put before him from the gathering. He gave answers to these questions with references from Quran and Hadith of The Fourteen Infallibles. At certain occasions, these Q&A sessions spanned hours.[37]
Death
Grand Ayatullah Muhammad Hussain Najafi died on 21 August 2023, around 7 A.M in morning at the age of 91 in Quaid E Azam International Hospital, Islamabad.[38] Thousands of people (Approximately 1 Lac) attended the funeral prayer. Many devotees could not reach due to shortage of Funeral Time. Namaz e Janaza(Funeral Prayer) was performed in his seminary Jamia Ilmiya Sultan Ul Madaris, Sargodha and led by Maulana Syed Taqi Shah Naqvi. All senior Islamic scholars from all over the Pakistan participated. Due to the extreme number of devotees, many people were not able to perform Namaz E Janazah (As the vast ground was full and entrance was blocked). On assistance of those momineens who were not able to perform Janazah, two additional Namaz E Janazah were performed so that the remaining ones could also pay their last tribute to their Marja E Taqleed. Marjas/Grand Ayatullahs from all over the world sent Letters of condolence and arranged Majlis E Tarheem and recitation of Holy Quran for the only Marja' of South Asia, Ayatullah Muhammad Hussain Najafi. He is buried in his Seminary Jamia Sultan Ul Madaris, Zahid Colony, Sargodha.
This book discusses the beliefs of Ghali's, Tafwizi's and Shaykhi's (which they have spread in the name of Shia Islam), and negates them in the light of Quran and Hadith.[39][45][46]
Ayatollah Najafi translated Mafatih al-Janan during his stay at Najaf, but did not publish it as another translation was published from Lahore.
Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani 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".[52][53]
Zaad-ul-Ibad li-youmil-Ma'ad
It is a collection of supplications from reliable Shia books.[39][52]
Ayatollah Najafi translated Allama Noori's famous book Lu'lu wal Marjan during his stay at Najaf, but did not publish it as another translation "Jawahir ul-Bayan" was published from Sargodha.
Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani 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 of ghina is indeed useful.[16][53]
Shuhda-e-Khamsa kay Haalat-e-Zindagi
It contains biographies of the five martyr Shia ulema:
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, but did not publish it as another translation by Mufti Inayat Ali Shah was published.
Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani has mentioned it in his famous book "Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia" (A list of Shia Books).[53][56]
Islah ul-Majalis wal-Mahafil
This book discusses 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 perceived false customs in Islamic society, and how to correct them.[39][62][63]
^Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 162
Bibliography
Grand Aytollah Bazurg Tehrani (1974), Az-zareeya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia (A List of Shia Books), Hawza Elmiye Najaf, Iraq
Aalulbayt Global Information Centre, Musaniffat-ush-Shia (Shia Books), Aalulbayt Global Information Centre
Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi (2006), Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, Jamia Wali-ul-Asr (Layyah, Pakistan)
Maulana Syed Hussain Arif Naqvi, Tazkarae Ulemae Imamia Pakistan
Maulana Riaz Hussain Jafari, Mayyar-e-Mawaddat (Ayatollah Allama Syed Muhammad Yar Shah Najafi ki Majalis ka Majmoo'a), Idara Minhas-us-Salehin (Lahore, Pakistan)
