Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid 'Ali al-Husaini
as-Seestani
The Prophet of Islam (Peace be upon him and his family)
said:
"One
Scholar is more powerful against the Devil
than one thousand worshippers."
FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY, the school of the late Grand
Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Abu al-Qasim
al-Musawi al-Khu'i (May Allah raise his
rank) has been an inexhaustible spring that
has enriched and enlivened Islamic thought
and knowledge throughout the world. From his
school graduated hundreds of jurists,
scholars, and dignitaries who took it upon
themselves to continue his ideological path,
which was full of achievements and
sacrifices in the service of faith,
knowledge, and the society.
Among those, are the outstanding 'Ulama' of the Hawza
'Ilmiyyah, especially those in the holy
cities of Najaf and Qum. Some of them have
attained the level of Ijtihad - the
competence to deduce independent legal
judgments - enabling them to assume the
office of supreme religious authority.
Others have reached lofty levels qualifying
them for shouldering the responsibilities of
teaching and educating the future generation
of scholars.
One of the most distinguished among these towering figures
in today's age is His Eminence Grand
Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid 'Ali
al-Husayni as-Seestani. He ranks among the
brightest, most qualified and knowledgeable
of Imam al-Khu'i's (May Allah raise his
status) students.
1. His Birth and Upbringing
His Eminence, Ayatullah al-'Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid 'Ali al-Husayni
as-Seestani was born in 1349 A.H. (1928) in
the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in the holy city
of Mashad, Iran, where the sacred shrine of
Imam 'Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (Peace be upon
him) is located. His father was one of the
devout Scholars of his region, and in order
to help his son continue his Islamic studies
and to gain a deeper knowledge of the
Islamic sciences, he introduced him to the 'Ulama
and scholars of the Hawza 'Ilmiyyah.
Ayatullah al-'Uzma as-Seestani began his introductory
'Arabic studies, including eloquence
(Balagha), in Khurasan under the renowned
teacher of 'Arabic, Muhammad Taqi Adib
Nishaburi. He also studied jurisprudence
(Fiqh), principles of jurisprudence (¬sul),
logic (Man§iq), and beliefs (Aqaid) under
the great 'Ulama and teachers of Khurasan.
It was in this city that he took part in
Dars-e-Kharij (the highest level of studies
in the Hawza). At this time, he also
benefited from the presence of Allamah
Muhaqqiq Mirza Mahdi Isfahani (May Allah
sanctify his spirit).
In order to advance further and complete his studies, he
traveled to the city of Qum in 1368 A.H.
(1948), so as to benefit from the 'Ulama of
the grand Hawza in this city. The Hawza
'Ilmiyyah of Qum was at that time under the
supervision and guidance of the sole Marja'
of the Shi'a world, namely Ayatullah
al-'Uzma as-Sayyid al-Hajj Husayn Burujerdi
(May Allah raise his rank).
Ayatullah Seestani who was present in the lessons of Fiqh
and Usul, which at that time were being
taught by Ayatullah Burujerdi, was quickly
recognized as the brightest student in the
fields of Fiqh, Usul, and Rijal. He also
took part in the classes of Ayatullah
al-Uzma Hujjat Kuhkumrai and other teachers
and scholars in order to quench his thirst
for knowledge.
As-Sayyid as-Seestani excelled his peers, especially in the
force-fullness of his interjections, his
quick wit, research in
jurisprudence, biographies of the transmitters of ahadith,
and his keeping abreast with many theories
in different fields of the theological
sciences.
In the year 1371 A.H. (1951), Ayatullah Seestani once again
moved, this time to Najaf al-Ashraf. At that
time, the Hawza of Najaf was blooming and
was full of splendor and glory. He took part
in the classes that were being offered and
learnt the various Islamic sciences from the
most well known 'Ulama of that time.
For more than 10 years he took part in the lessons of
Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Abu al-Qasim
al-Musawi al-Khu'i (May Allah be pleased
with him). At this time, he also attended
the lessons taught by Ayatullah al-'Uzma as-Sayyid
Mohsin al-Hakim (May Allah sanctify his
spirit). He also finished one complete
course in Usul al-Fiqh under the auspices of
Ayatullah al-'Uzma al-Shaykh Husayn Hilli
(May Allah be pleased with him).
In the year 1380 A.H. (1960), in recognition of his
achievements, he was awarded the distinction
certifying that he had attained the level of
Ijtihad - deduction of legal judgment in
matters of religion, by Imam al-Khu'i and
again, by al-Shaykh al-Hilli.
In the same year, he was awarded certification by the
distinguished traditionalist and scholar
al-Shaykh Agha
Buzurg al-±ehrani testifying to his skill in the science of
'Ilm al-Rijal, or research into the
biographies of the narrators of ahadith. He
achieved this grand status when he was a
mere 31 years of age!
In the year 1381 A.H. (1961), after years of studies and
participating in the lessons of Usul, Fiqh,
and Man§iq in the Hawzas of Mashad, Qum, and
Najaf he started to teach his own lessons in
Dars-e-Kharij, revolving around the book,
al-Makasib by Shaykh Ansari (May Allah be
pleased with him). After teaching
Dars-e-Kharij based on the framework found
in al-Makasib for years, he advanced his
lessons onto a higher level by teaching from
the book Urwatul Wuthqa.
2. His Comparison Between the Various Schools of
Thought
In order to put forward a sound study for any subject,
as-Sayyid as-Seestani compares his findings
with those of
al-Mirza Mahdi al-Isfahani, representing the Mashhad school
of thought, as-Sayyid al-Burujerdi of Qum,
and of as-Sayyid al-Khu'i and al-Shaykh
Hussain al-Hilli representing Najaf.
3. His Juristic Methodology
His juristic methodology has the following distinct
characteristic: Comparative Jurisprudence
between Shi'a and Sunni. Familiarizing
oneself with the Sunni juristic thought,
contemporary to the time of the text such as
Imam Malik's "al-Muwatta" or Abu Yusuf's
"al-Khiraj", make clear to us the opinions
and goals of the A'immah (Peace be upon
them) at those times. Making use of
modern-made laws in certain juristic
respects, as is the case with his reference
to Iraqi, Egyptian and French laws when he
discusses the topic of "Contract of Sale and
Right of Withdrawal", widens one's scope in
analyzing juristic principles, its goals,
and expands its practical use.
4. His Inventiveness of Approach
Unlike traditional clerics who follow literally what they
have been taught, as-Sayyid as-Seestani's
approach to juristic
principles is characterized by lending weight to some of
these principles by re-interpreting them. To
give an example, the principle of Izlam
(compulsion) is expounded by some jurists as
follows: "A practicing Muslim may make use
of the laws of other Islamic Schools of
Thought insofar as his personal interest is
best served even though his school of
thought does not approve it."
As-Sayyid as-Seestani interprets such a practice on the
basis of respect (ihtiram) i.e. showing
respect for other peoples' laws and
opinions. He has based his interpretation on
the freedom of expression, like when we say,
"Everyone has his/her own way of conducting
marriage"; hence "the lawfulness of marriage
of a polytheist".
5. His Examining the Text in its Social Context
Investigating the text in its social climate and the
circumstances surrounding it helps us to
arrive at a better understanding of it and
leads to deducing a sound legal judgement.
Such is the approach of as-Sayyid as-Seestani for example
when he tackled the hadith of the Holy
Prophet (Peace be upon him and his family)
at Khaybar forbidding the eating of donkey
meat. As-Sayyid as-Seestani's interpretation
was that such was prohibition is confined to
that particular incident at that point in
time. The evidence he puts forward is that
the Prophet's forbidding was due to a
military requirement, in that the donkey was
a means of transportation and protecting it
was needed to serve that purpose. Hence, no
extrapolation should be made from it at a
later time since circumstances have changed.
6. His Expertise in the Tools of Deduction
This great Marja' is of the opinion that a jurist cannot be
called as such until he has acquired all the
necessary qualifications to enable him to be
one. Among such vehicles is the mastery of
Arabic, full knowledge of the traditions of
the Prophet and his Progeny (Peace be upon
all of them) and detailed accounts of their
narrators - for the science of 'Ilm al-Rijal
(biographies of transmitters of hadith) is a
prerequisite for the jurist to achieve
authenticity.
In this respect he holds many opinions which may go against
what is universally held. He also stresses
the importance of familiarizing oneself with
the different compilations of hadith and
their different copies to ensure knowledge
about the author as regards to the accuracy,
authenticity, and the manner of compiling.
7. His Character
Those who come into close contact with as-Sayyid
as-Seestani will discover that he is endowed
with ideal spiritual traits. Of these are
the following:
1. Fairness and respect for the other opinion.
Based on his love for science and knowledge, interest in arriving at
the truth, and upholding freedom of
expression and the constructive word, he is
constantly reading in order to acquaint
himself with the different opinions -
whether they are expressed by well-known
scholars or less known ones. Thus, he may
quote an opinion expressed by al-Shaykh
Muhammad Rida al-Mudhaffar in his book "Usul
al-Fiqh" (Fundamentals of Jurisprudence);
and by the same token he may take the
liberty of alluding to another opinion which
he admires, though it may belong to a peer,
rival, friend, or a less famous scholar.
2. Etiquette of debate. His manner of
conducting a debate or discussion is a far
cry from the heated, aimless, time wasting
arguments that others indulge in. He never
resorts to silencing others, interrupting
them or belittling their contribution to the
subject that is to be discussed. No matter
who the other side is - teacher, or student
- and he always uses polite words to address
them. Thus, he adopts an appropriate
approach in handling any category without
overstepping the line of courtesy and good
manners in order to preserve the integrity
and respect of those involved.
3. Manners of the Teacher.
Teaching is not simply a paid profession - if it is not coupled with
the concern for the advancement of the
student and showing love and affection for
him, then the teaching process will be
devoid of its noble aims and objectives in
producing a committed, well-mannered
generation, fully aware of their
responsibilities towards themselves and the
society in general. As-Sayyid as-Seestani is
considered among the elite, just like
as-Sayyid al-Hakim and as-Sayyid al-Khu'i
who viewed teaching as an heavenly
obligation which must be fulfilled to the
best ability of the teacher. Thus, he
constantly reminds his students to spare no
effort in asking about everything, however
trivial it may seem to them, such as
inquiring about the number of pages in a
book, so that they may get used to close
contact with the teacher. Moreover, he often
encourages them to compare his study and
research with the others in the same field,
with a view to find out their strengths and
weaknesses.
4. Godfearing and Piety.
There is a striking phenomenon that the majority of scholars and great
men seem to share, in that they do not allow
controversy and disputes to get between
them. Such a stand has proven to be wise
since they have been necessitated by the
concern for the public interest. Indeed,
"...at times when innovations threaten to
creep into the religion, it is incumbent on
the scholar to put his knowledge to use in
the defence of faith - otherwise Allah will
take away the light of belief of the
scholar," as the Prophet of Islam (Peace be
upon him and his family) had put it.
When trials and tribulations are deployed to serve the
personal ends of a scholar, or the community
experiences propaganda warfare fanned by
mutual enmity and envy, the 'Ulama' of the
Hawza 'Ilmiyyah, one of them being as-Sayyid
as-Seestani, prefer silence and refrain from
entering the conflict.
Such was the state of affairs in the aftermath of the death
of as-Sayyid al-Hakim and as-Sayyid
al-Burujerdi, and history repeated itself
after the departure of the Guardian of the
Hawza 'Ilmiyyah, as-Sayyid al-Khu'i where
competition and jockeying for titles and
positions became widespread.
Furthermore, as-Sayyid as-Seestani's contentment and
humility is reflected in his simple attire,
the small house in which he lives (but does
not own) and the simple furniture therein.
5. His ideological production.
As-Sayyid as-Seestani is not a jurist so to speak. Rather, he is a
highly educated man who keeps in touch with
modern visions with regard to the
development of political and economic
thought. He has very good ideas in the realm
of administrative theory, as well as social
thought that is compatible with modern
progress. With all this in perspective, he
views the dispensation of religious edicts
as a right of the Islamic society.
6. Office of the supreme religious authority.
Some scholars of the Najaf center for theological studies (Hawza an-Najaf)
were quoted as saying that after the death
of as-Sayyid Nasrullah al-Mustanbit, they
advised the late as-Sayyid al-Khu'i to groom
someone for the office of the supreme
religious authority and the guardianship and
overseeing of the Najaf Hawzah. The choice
fell on as-Sayyid as-Seestani for his
excellence, knowledge, and impeccable
character. Accordingly, he started leading
the prayer in Imam al-Khu'i's masjid, al-Khadra,
during the lifetime of his late teacher, and
writing and compiling his annotation based
on as-Sayyid al-Khu'i's "Islamic Laws."
After the passing away of Marja' Taqlid of the Shi'a world,
and the Guardian of the Hawza 'Ilmiyyah, the
Late Ayatullah al-Uzma al-Hajj as-Sayyid Abu
al-Qasim al-Khu'i, Ayatullah al-'Uzma
al-Hajj as-Sayyid 'Ali al-Husayni as-Seestani
was among the six people who were permitted
to take part in his funeral and performed
the services on the deceased.
8. Works of this Scholar
Ayatullah Seestani, for close to 40 years, has been
continuing the important task of teaching
Dars-e-Kharij in Fiqh and Usul, and Rijal,
and the fruits of his struggle for knowledge
and his accomplishments have been preserved
in writing (now numbering over 40 books).
Many of these books have been translated
into the various world languages including;
English, Urdu, Gujarati, Turkish, and
others.
9. Books translated into English
1. Islamic Laws (Translation of Tawdhiul Masa'il).
2. Manasek Hajj.
3. Contemporary Legal Rulings in Shi'i Law.
4. Jurisprudence Made Easy.
5. Simplified Islamic Laws for Youth and Young Adults.
6. A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West
7. Rules Relating to the Deceased: Condensed Version.
8. Rules Relating to the Deceased: Philosophy and Ahkam.
www.seestani.org
seestani@seestani.org
Tel:
98-251-7741415,
Fax:
98-251-7741420
