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 ...

Sayyid ''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer ...

Muhammad-Kadhim al-Musawi al-Qazwini (; ; March 13, 1930 – November 17, 1994) was an Iraqi

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 ...

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

and

orator An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled. Etymology Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French ''oratour'', Old French ''orateur'' (14 ...

of Iranian descent. He was born in Karbala, Iraq and died in Qom, Iran. He was a dubbed the 'master of Karbala's orators'. He authored a series of leading books on the biographies of the Ahl al-Bayt called ''Min al-Mahd Ila al-Lahd'' (From the Cradle to the Grave).

Biography

Early life

Al-Qazwini was born to Sayyid Muhammad-Ibrahim al-Qazwini (d. 1941), the son 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 ...

Sayyid Muhammad-Hashim al-Qazwini (d. 1908). His mother died when he was still very young, whilst his father died when he was only 11 years old. He was taken in by his cousin Sayyid Muhammad-Sadiq al-Qazwini, who took care of him and took him to the seminary of Karbala, to pursue a religious education.

Education

Al-Qazwini took the classes of scholars like Sheikh Jafar al-Rashti, Sayyid Muhammad-Hadi al-Milani, Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi, Sheikh Yusuf al-Khurasani and Sheikh Muhammad al-Khatib. He studied oratory under his third cousin, Sayyid Muhammad-Salih al-Qazwini (d. 1956; author of notable book, ''al-Mawʿiḍa al-Ḥasana'', a critique of Ali al-Wardi's ''Wuʿaẓ al-Salaṭīn''), and excelled in his public speaking.

Emigration

Al-Qazwini immigrated twice. The first time was to Kuwait, in 1973, due to the pressures and prosecutions of the Baathist regime, where he practiced his religious activities from Masjid Bin Nakhi. He remained in Kuwait for seven years, and in 1980 travelled to Iran and took residence in Qom, until his death.

Religious career

He founded the Islamic Publishing Association in Karbala, and managed to print and publish large amounts of Islamic books across various Arabian, African and European countries. He also founded the Kitab Wa al-Itra oratory school, which helped produce a generation of religious orators, under his supervision. The school was then closed down by the Baathist regime. He led the prayers in the Husayn shrine after his brother-in-law Muhammad al-Shirazi immigrated to Kuwait in 1970.

Personal life

Al-Qazwini was married to Fatima al-Shirazi, the daughter of grand Ayatollah Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi. He has five sons, whom are all clerics, and three daughters. His three sons in law were Sayyid Mehdi al-Kashafi, Sayyid Ali al-Qazwini and Sayyid Kamal al-Din al-Shahidi. He is the second cousin, twice removed of the renowned Sayyid Ibrahim al-Qazwini (d. 1848), author of ''al-Dhawabit''.

Death

Towards the end of his life, al-Qazwini suffered from a neurological disease that began to take a significant toll on his health, especially his speech, until he died because of it, in the evening of Thursday, November 17, 1994 in Qom. He was buried in Qom under the pulpit of the

Hussainiya A Husayniyya () is a building designed specifically for gatherings of Shia Muslims for spiritual practice, religious education and commemoration ceremonies, especially the Mourning of Muharram. The Husayniyya is a multipurpose hall for the comm ...

he frequently recited in. However, he had declared in his will, that when it were possible, his corpse be transferred to Karbala, to be reburied, as that was his initial wish, but it was impossible due to the Baathis regime. It took the fall of the regime to allow for this to happen, and on May 8, 2011, his family decided to have his corpse exhumed and transferred to Karbala, and was buried in the Imam Husayn shrine. It is reported that when they took his corpse out in Qom, upon inspection, his body was fresh and as if he had just been buried.

Works

Al-Qazwini came to write scores of articles and books in religious beliefs including: * ''Sirat al-Rasul al-A'tham'' (Biography of the Greatest Messenger). * ''Min al-Mahd'' ''Ila al-Lahd'' (From the Cradle to the Grave) series: **''al-Imam Ali'' (

Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...

). ** ''Fatimah al-Zahra'' (

Fatima Fatima bint Muhammad (; 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra' (), was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima's husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun caliphs and the first Shia imam. ...

). ** ''Al-Imam al-Husayn'' ( Husayn). ** ''Al-Imam al-Jawad'' (

Muhammad al-Jawad Muhammad al-Jawad (, – ) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the ninth of the Twelve Imams, succeeding his father, Ali al-Rida (). He is known by the epithets al-Jawād () and al-Taqī (). Like most of his predecessors, M ...

). ** ''Al-Imam al-Hadi'' (

Ali al-Hadi Ali al-Hadi (; – ) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tenth Imamate in Shia doctrine, Imam in Twelver Shi'ism, Twelver Shia, succeeding his father, Muhammad al-Jawad (). Born in Medina in 828, Ali is known with the ti ...

). ** ''Al-Imam al-Askari'' (

Hasan al-Askari Hasan al-Askari (; ) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He is regarded as the eleventh of the Twelve Imams, succeeding his father, Ali al-Hadi. Hasan Al-Askari was born in Medina in 844 and brought with his father to the garris ...

). ** ''Zaynab al-Kubra'' ( Zaynab). * ''Al-Imam al-Mahdi: Min al-Mahd Ila al-Zuhur'' (Imam Mehdi: From the Cradle to Reappearance). * ''Faji'at al-Taff Aw Maqtal al-Husayn'' (The Tragedy of Taff or The Murder of Husayn). * ''Mawsu'at al-Imam al-Sadiq'' (Encyclopedia of Imam al-Sadiq). * ''al-Islam Wa al-Ta'alim al-Tarbawiya'' (Islam and Ethical Teachings). * ''Sharh Nahj al-Balagha'' (Explaining

Nahj al-Balagha () is the best-known collection of sermons, letters, and sayings attributed to Ali, Ali ibn Abi Talib (), the fourth Rashidun Caliphate, Rashidun caliph (), the first Imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia imam, and the cousin and son-in-law of the P ...

), 5 volumes.

References

External links

Library of al-Qazwini's books
by ''al-Feker E-book Network'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Qazwini, Mohammad Kadhim 1930 births 1994 deaths Iraqi ayatollahs Iraqi scholars People from Karbala Iraqi people of Iranian descent Iraqi emigrants to Iran Iranian Shia clerics