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 ...

Sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...

Muhammad-Husayn Kashif al-Ghita' (b. Najaf, 1877; d. Karand, 1954) was a Shiite

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree) and often a Lawyer, legal prac ...

, philosopher, author, teacher, and lecturer. He was considered to be one of the highest ranking scholars in Iraq, yet less popular. He worked for the welfare of the

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 ...

community in

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 ...

and for Sunni-Shia rapprochement and solidarity.

Early life and education

Kashif al-Ghita' was born to Sheikh Ali Kashif al-Ghita' in Najaf in 1877. He hails from a long line of illustrious Shia jurists. He studied in the Islamic seminaries of Najaf, under grand scholars such as Mirza Husayn Nuri, Mulla Reza Hamadani (d. 1904), Mirza Ḥusayn Ḵalili (d. 1908), Sheikh

Mohammad-Kazem Khorasani Marja', Ayatullah Sheikh Muhammad Kazim Khurasani (; 1839 – 12 December 1911), commonly known as Akhund Khurasani () was a Shia Islam, Shia jurist and political activist. He is known for using his position as a Marja', Marja as legitimizing ...

, and Sayyid

Mohammed Kazem Yazdi Mohammed Kazem Tabataba'i Yazdi (; 1831–1919) was a Twelver Shia Marja' based in Najaf, most famous for compiling a collection of religious rulings, al-Urwa al-wuthqa. Constitutional Revolution He was apolitical, and therefore during the Iran ...

.(Anjavi Nejad Sayyed Mahdi, Biography of Kasef Al Geta,p.120, Islamic studies Magazine, winter 1356 solar, number 25)

Works

Kashif al-Ghita' wrote nearly 80 books on religious sciences such as jurisprudence, authority and hadith. Some of them include: * ''Daʿwat al-Eslāmiya elā maḏhab al-Emāmiya'' n Islamic invitation to the Imami School'.'' 4 volumes. * ''Tawżiḥ fi bayān mā howa al-Enjil wa mā howa al-Masiḥ'' clarification on what the Bible is, and who Jesus was* ''Aṣl al-Šiʿa wa oṣulohā'' he origin of Shiʿite Islam and its principles This book was translated to Persian by Sheikh

Naser Makarem Shirazi Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi (, born 25 February 1927) is an Iranian Shia ''marja and religious leader. Biography Shirazi was born in the city of Shiraz, Iran on 25 February 1927. According to his website, his father was Ali Mohamm ...

, titled, ''This is our school''. * ''al-Āyāt al-bayyenāt'' lear signs * ''al-Moṯol al-ʿolyā fi’l-Eslām, lā fi Beḥamdun'' he supreme ideals are to be found in Islam, not at Bhamdun * ''Al Ardh wa al-Torbah Al Husayniyyah'' he ground and dust of Imam Husayn

Death

Kashif al-Ghita' died in Kerend on July 19, 1954. He was buried in the

Wadi-us-Salaam Wadi-us-Salaam (, , ) is an Islamic cemetery, located in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq. It is the largest cemetery in the world. The cemetery covers and contains more than 6 million bodies. It also attracts millions of pilgrims annually. The ceme ...

cemetery in Najaf.

Early life and education

Works

Death

References

Further reading