Grand

Ayatollah Ayatollah (, ; ; ) is an Title of honor, honorific title for high-ranking Twelver Shia clergy. It came into widespread usage in the 20th century. Originally used as a title bestowed by popular/clerical acclaim for a small number of the most di ...

Sheikh Basheer Hussain Najafi () (born 1942) is a Pakistani

Twelver Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the Islamic schools and branches, largest branch of Shia Islam, Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twel ...

Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

Marja' Marja (; plural ''marājiʿ''; ) is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric, with the authority given by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated) to make legal decisions within the confines of Sh ...

and one of the Four Grand Ayatollahs of

Najaf Najaf is the capital city of the Najaf Governorate in central Iraq, about 160 km (99 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam an ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. He was born in

Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...

, a city in then-British

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He resides in Najaf, Iraq now.

Migration to Pakistan

After the

partition of British India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Pakistan is the Islam ...

into the

Dominion of India The Dominion of India, officially the Union of India, * * was an independent dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations existing between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950. Until its Indian independence movement, independence, India had be ...

and

Dominion of Pakistan The Dominion of Pakistan, officially Pakistan, was an independent federal dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations, which existed from 14 August 1947 to Pakistan Day, 23 March 1956. It was created by the passing of the Indian Independence ...

in 1947, his family moved to Pakistan and settled in the city of

Gujranwala Gujranwala is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fourth most-populous city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. Located in northern-central Punjab's Rachna Doab, it serves as the headquarters of its Gujranwala District, epony ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

. In Gujranwala he had his initial education in religion. He was then able to move to

for studies in the early 1960s. He is one of many individuals from

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

and one of the few

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

s to have ever been elevated to the highest rank of

Grand Ayatollah Marja (; plural ''marājiʿ''; ) is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric, with the authority given by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated) to make legal decisions within the confines of Sh ...

Shia Islam Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

. He was one year senior to Grand Ayatollah

Ali Sistani Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani (; born 4 August 1930) is an Islamic scholar and the dean of the Hawza of Najaf in Iraq. A Grand Ayatollah, Sistani is considered one of the leading religious leaders of Twelver Shia Muslims. After the invasion of Ir ...

. Al Najafi was attacked on 6 January 1999 by a group of armed men, reportedly members of

Fedayeen Saddam Fedayeen Saddam () was an Iraqi paramilitary militia Fedayeen organization loyal to the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein. The group's name means "Saddam's Men of Sacrifice". At its peak, they had 30,000 to 40,000 members. The Fedayeen operate ...

, while he and members of his seminary were performing religious duties. The attack, which included use of a

hand grenade A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...

, resulted in the death of three persons and injury to a number of members of the seminary, including the Grand Ayatollah.

History

He is from a family of religious background, born in Jalandhar a city in British India. After the

independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

in 1947, his family migrated to the city of

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. He undertook his basic religious studies at a religious school in Lahore known as Jamia tul Muntazar. After completing his basic studies there in 1965, in order to further his religious knowledge and to continue his studies in higher Islamic education, he arrived in Najaf-e-Ashraf (the city of Ameer ul Momineen) in Iraq. In Najaf, he remained with his Dars and Tadrees (studying and teaching), eventually becoming widely considered a Marjah of the Shia world, and since then the routine of Dars-e-Kharij is continuing. He is one of the

Ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

signatories of the

Amman Message The Amman Message () is a statement calling for tolerance and unity in the Muslim world that was issued on 9 November 2004 (27 Ramadan 1425 AH) by King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, and his advisor Sheikh Izz-Eddine Al-Tamimi. The messa ...

, which gives a broad foundation for defining Muslim orthodoxy. He has 3 brothers and one sister. Ayatollah's oldest brother Sheik Maulana Manzoor Hussain Abidi was also a scholar in Lahore who died on 29 June 2014. He was running his main office in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In 2016 he was pictured alongside

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis Jamal Ja'far Muhammad Ali Al Ibrahim ( ', 16 November 1954 – 3 January 2020), better known by his ''kunya'' Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (), was an Iraqi paramilitary leader and former chief of staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). At th ...

receiving a briefing on on-going operations in the

Third Battle of Fallujah The Third Battle of Fallujah, code-named Operation Breaking Terrorism () by the Federal government of Iraq, Iraqi government, was a military operation against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL launched to capture the city of Fallujah a ...

. He is reported as having praised the ongoing successes of Iraqi forces against the

Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

and proclaimed, "all of Iraq must be cleansed from

Daesh The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signif ...

terrorists." He also stressed the necessity of protecting public and private property during the Fallujah operation and said, "Members of the security forces and popular mobilization are the pride of the clergy.""Iraqi holy warriors and fighters must have serious will to liberate the remaining areas under the occupation of terrorism and not to give an opportunity for the invasion of this country’s soil." The head of his office and his son, Sheikh Ali Najafi, also called for the protection of civilians in Fallujah "so they are free the clutches of terrorism with the least harm." He likewise praised "members of popular mobilization who with faith and courage have once again demonstrated to the world and proved that they stand against the enemies with strength and treat innocent humans with kindness and gentleness."

Hawzah Najaf al Ilmiya Projects

The Grand leader of the Shia community, Ayatollah Al-Uzma Sheikh hafiz Basher Hussain al Najafi has initiated different projects to serve the community and religion. Some of these projects are completed while others are not.

Completed Projects

Reconstruction of Hawza Ilmiya Najaf e Ashraf

Hawza Ilmiya Najaf e Ashraf, which is the centre of all the madaris, was demolished by Sadaam. Enemies wanted to close down the doors of Ilm e Rasool, and to remove Najaf as the central point of the world of knowledge. For the same reason he demolished the madaris, the historical places, mosques and Imambarghs. To add up all, printing press, bookshops and libraries were burnt down. Only those valuable things were protected which were hidden and buried underground and were covered. He availed the chance, hence he reconstructed the above-mentioned madaris to save the epicenter of Ilm and that the doors of Ilm e Rasool to be opened so that the world and people be benefited from it. * Jamia tul Najaf known as madrassa Jamia Qalantar. * Madrassa Abdul Aziz Al Baghdadi. * Madrassa Al Mahdi * Madrassa Yazdi. * Madrassa Lebnaniya (Khanal Mukhazar). * Madrassa Shubariya Bazurg. * Madrassa Imam Ali. * Madrassa Afghaniya (Established by Mudaris Afghani). * Madrassa Kazmiya known as Sadrul Azam. * Madrassa Brujardy (Established by Ayatollah Al Uzma Brujardy). * Madrassa Akhund Al Kubra. * Madrassa Akhund Al Sughra. * Madrassa Al Imam Al Sadiq known as Madrassa Shubariya. * Madrassa Hindiya * Madrassa Mahdiya Kashif ul Ghita. * Madrassa Al Kashif ul Ghita. * Madrassa Al Qizwini. * Madrassa Dar Ul Abrar. * Madrassa Dar Ul Mutaqeen. * Madrassa Al Hussainiya Al Shiraziya.

Projects in process

He is continuously trying that in South Asia there should be continuity of Marjiat. The following projects are under completion: # Madrassa for male students. # Madrassa for female students. # Hussainian Hall (imambargah): a place for classes and to perform majalis so that students and zawaar from

can pay their respects to Ahle Bayt according to their culture and language. # Imam Ali hospital: where free medical treatment shall be provided to students and zawaar (pilgrims) and for this, place has been purchased near baab ul qibla of Imam Ali shrine and it is awaiting construction. # Najaf colony Madina tul Ilm: along with the difficulties faced by students, regarding courses, teachers, residence permit from government (iqama), they are also facing accommodation problems. They live in small rented quarters where sometimes rent is raised and sometimes they have to move to another place, and due to this problem many leave the Hawsa without completing the studies. He has obtained permission for the construction of 1000 quarters from the government and the area has been purchased at baab ul qibla of Imam Ali shrine, but is waiting for respectable momineen to sponsor the construction. This project has been included in the map of the colony madrassa for male and female and hussainia is also included. Beside these in all the parts of

: * Madrassa to be established as in Najaf e Ashraf. * Syllabus of Hawza Ilmiya Najaf e Ashraf to be taught all around. * Construction of mosques and imambargahs in areas of momineen. * To support ulema when momineen can't afford there expenses and accommodation.

Works

Below are some of Ayatullah Al-Najafi's works:Biography in English
/ref> * ''Al-Deen Al-Qayim: Rules and Verdicts for worships and interactions'' - a total of three volumes, it has been translated to English, Urdu and the Gujarati language. * ''Following Late Clerics'' -(multiple issues were published) * ''Improving your level in Usool (Murqat al-Usool) '' - (multiple issues were published * ''Laws of Hajj'' - (published) -Rules of Modesty (a number of issues were printed) * ''100 Questions Regarding Khums'' - (published) * ''Guidance for the Youth'' -(published) * ''The Laws and Rituals of the Holy Month of Ramadan'' (multiple issues were published) * ''Najaf: the Pioneer for Hawzas around the World'' - (multiple issues were published). * ''The Laws of Taqleed'' - (multiple issues were published) * ''Mustafi Al-Deen al-Qaim'' -(multiple issues were published) * ''A Friendly Guide to the Holy Kaa'ba'' - (published) * ''A Fresh Guide for Muslims in the West'' - (published) * ''Research in Modern Jurisprudence'' - (published) * ''Explaining the features of Usool'' - (Handwritten) * ''The Rules Surrounding Qiblah'' -(Handwritten) ''Rules and Laws of I'tikaf'' - (Handwritten) * ''Justice'' - (Handwritten) * ''Laws of Backbiting'' - (Handwritten) * ''Rules of Correct & Incorrect Guarantees'' * ''Explaining Kifayat Al-Usool'' - (Handwritten) * ''Classifying Narrators'' - (unfinished) * ''An Intensive Paper Regarding the Science of Intellect'' - (Handwritten) * ''Explaining Manthoomat Al-Sibzawari'' - (Handwritten) * ''Reviewing the theme of "Qawaneen (laws) of Usool"'' - (handwritten) * ''The Indian Circle used for Defining Qiblah'' - (Handwritten) * ''Commentary on Sharh Al-Tajreed'' - (Handwritten) * ''Explaining Inheritance in "Luma'ah"'' - (Handwritten) * ''Rules of Radio, Television, and Acting'' (Handwritten) * ''Khums'' - (Handwritten) * ''The Rules of Friday Prayers'' * ''Upholding Traditions for Imam Hussain and the Mourning Ceremony'' * ''Those Who Repent are the Beloved of Allah'' - multiple issues were published * ''Nasabi'' - a reply to misconceptions brought up by one of the Nasabis (handwritten) * ''The Birth of Imam Mehdi'' - multiple issues were published, translated to Urdu * ''A Summarized Edition of Rules & Verdicts'' - translated into Urdu. (Published) * ''For the Youth'' - (advice and instructions from Ayatollah Al-Najafi to the youth - (multiple issues were published)

References

External links

Official Website (Arabic)

Official Website (English)

Imamia Mission (followers of Ayatollah Bashir)

Official Twitter Account
{{DEFAULTSORT:Najafi, Bashir 1942 births Living people Pakistani grand ayatollahs Pakistani Shia Muslims Pakistani expatriates in Iraq Iraqi grand ayatollahs 20th-century Islamic religious leaders 21st-century Islamic religious leaders Iraqi people of Pakistani descent People from Jalandhar