Syed Ali Naqi Naqvi

Grand Ayatollah Syed Ali Naqi Naqvi Nasirabadi (December 26, 1905 – May 18, 1988) (26 Rajab 1323 AH – 1 Shawal 1408 AH), also known as Naqqan Sahib, was an Indian Twelver Shia Marja, poet, writer, jurist and interpreter of the Quran. His written works include numerous books in Arabic as well as works in Urdu such as ''Shaheed-e-Insaniyat'' and ''Tareekh-e-Islam'', and a translation of, and commentary on, the Quran.

Naqvi wrote over 100 books and 1000 shorter works on Shia Islam.

Early life and education

Naqvi was born in 1905 in Lucknow, British India. Around 1327 Hijri, when he was three or four years old, his father Syed Abul Hasan Naqvi (Mumtaz al-Ulama) took him and his family to Iraq. At the age of seven his 'Bismillah' ceremony was held at the Rauza-e-Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq. Naqvi's formal education then began in Iraq, where he studied Arabic and Farsi grammar, and the basics of the Quran.

In 1914 the family returned to India, and Naqvi's religious education continued under his father's tuition. He later attended the Sultan al-Madaris seminary and studied Arabic literature with Mufti Muhammad 'Ali. Naqvi passed the exam for certification as a religious scholar (alim) from Allahabad University in 1923, and soon gained certifications from Nazamiyyah College and Sultan al-Madaris. seminary. In 1925 he was awarded a degree in literature (Fazil-e Adab).

In 1927, Ali Naqvi departed for the seminaries of Iraq to study Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic theology (Kalam). He had already written and published four books. While studying in Iraq Naqvi wrote several works in Arabic, including ''Rooh Aladab Sharah Alamiyatal Arab'', ''Albait Al Mamoor Fi Emaratal Qubur'', ''Faryaad e Musalmanane Aalam'', and ''Altawae Haj Per Sharaee Nuqtae Nazar Se Bahas''. His first book published in Arabic, "''Kashf annaqab ann aqaaed Abdul Wahab Najdi''," was written in Najaf during his student days and is claimed to be the first book written against Wahhabis. His second book in Arabic, "''Aqalatalaashir fi eqamatalshaaer''", defended the act of "Matam".

Naqvi studied Islamic jurisprudence with Ayatullah Na'ini, Ayatollah Abu Hasan Isfahani and Ayatulla
Sayyid Diya' Iraqi
Hadith with Shakyh 'Abbas Qummi and Sayyid Husayn Sadr; and Islamic theology with Sayyid Sharf al-Din
Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Kashif al-Ghita
, Shaykh Jawad Balaghi, and Sayyid Muhsin Amin Amli. After completing his seminary education, he received certification (ijaza') for ijtihad and became a mujtahid at the age of 27. He was given ijazah by Ayatollah Naaini.

Career

In 1932, Naqvi returned to India, and in 1933 he was appointed as a professor in the Oriental College Department of Lucknow University, where he taught Arabic and Farsi for over two decades.

In 1959, Aligarh Muslim University invited him to take up the position of Reader in the Theology (Dniyat) Department, which did not yet have a teaching faculty. The department created two parallel streams of Sunni and Shi'i theology, and Ali Naqvi began to oversee the affairs of the Shi'i branch. He was the Dean of Shi'i theology from 1967 to 1969, and retired from the university in 1972.

From 1972 to 1975, Naqvi was awarded a research professorship through the University Grants Commission (UGC), and he stayed permanently in Aligarh.

Death

Naqvi died of a stroke in 1988 in Lucknow on Eid-ul-Fitr at the age of 83.

Publications

Naqvi's works include:

# ''Alami Mushkilat ka hal'' in Shu'a-i 'Amal (Jul 2009): 30–39 https://archive.org/stream/syed_ali_naqan/syed_ali_naqan_djvu.txt
# ''Ashk-i matam'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1957.
# ''Asiri-yi ahl-i haram'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1940.
# ''Aurat awr Islam'' in Shu'a'-i 'Amal (May 2009): 6–13
# ''Aza-yi Husayn ki ahamiyat'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press,1959.
# ''Aza-yi Husayn par tarikhi'' tabsarah. Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, np.
# ''Bani umayyah ki adavat-i-Islam ki mukhtasir tarikh'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1994.
# ''Hamaray rusum va quyud'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1939. 313
# ''Hayat-i qaumi'' Lucknow: Imamia Mission, 1941
# ''Hazrat 'Ali ki shakhsiyat: 'Ilm aur a'taqad ki manzil par'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1969.
# ''Husayn aur Islam'' Lucknow: Manshurah Imamiyah Mission, 1931. (Pdf Hindi)
# ''Husayn Husayn aik tarruf'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1964.
# ''Husayn ka atam balaydan'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1936.
# ''Husayn ka paygham 'alam-i insaniyat kay nam'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1959 (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Husayn ki yad ka azad Hindustan say mutalbah'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1950
# ''Husayni iqdam ka pahla qadam'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1953.
# ''Ibadat aur tariqi ibadat'', 2nd ed. Lucknow: Nizami Press, np.
# ''Iqalat al-athir fiiqamat al-sha'a'ir al-Husayniyah'' Najaf: Matba'ah Haydariyyah, 1929.
# ''Isbat-i pardah'' Lahore: Imamia Mission, 1961.
# ''Islam ka paygham pas-uftadah aqwam kay nam'' Lucknow: Imamiah Mission, 1936.
# ''Islam ki hakimanah zindagi'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1935.
# ''Islami culture kia hay?'' Lahore: Imamiyah Mission, 1960.
# ''Jadid tuhfatul avam'' Lahore: Iftikhar Book Depot, np.
# ''Karbala ka tarikhi vaqi'ah mukhtasar hay ya tulani?'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1960.
# ''Karbala ki yadgar payas'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1959.
# ''Khilafat-i Yazid kay muta'alliq azad ara'in'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1953. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Khuda ki ma'rafat'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1938.
# ''Khutbaat-e-Karbala''
Pdf Hindi / Pdf Urdu
# ''Khutbat-i Sayyidul 'ulama' muta'lliq karnama-yi Husayn'' Lucknow: Idarah-yi Payam-i Islam, np.
# ''La tufsidu fi alard''. 3rd ed. Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1998.
# ''Ma'rakah-yi Karbala'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1935.
# ''Majmu'ah-yi taqarir''. 5 vols. Lahore: Imamiyah Kutubkhana, np.
# ''Maqalat-i Sayyidul 'ulama’'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1996.
# ''Maqsad-i Husayn'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1956.
# ''Mas'alah-yi hayat an-nabi aur vaqi'ah-yi vafat-i rusul'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1973.
# ''Masa'il va dala'il'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1944.
# ''Mawlud-e-Ka'bah'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, np. (Pdf Hindi)
# ''Mazhab aur 'aql'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1941. 314
# ''Mazhab shi'ah aik nazar main'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1970. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Mazlum-i Karbala'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission 1941.
# ''Mi‘raj-i insaniyat: sirat-i rasul aur al-i rasul ki roshni main'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1969
# ''Mujahidah-yi Karbala'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1933.
# ''Muqaddamah-yi tafsir-i Qur'an'' Lucknow: Idarah 'Ilmiyah and Nizami Press, 1940.
# ''Muqaddema Nahjul-balagha''
# ''Muslim personal law – Na qabil-i tabdil'' Lucknow: Imamia Mission, 1996.
# ''Mut'ah aur Islam'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1933.
# ''Nigarshat-e-Sayyidul 'ulama’''. Lahore: Imamiah Mission, 1997.
# ''Nizam-i zindagi'', 4 vols. Lucknow: Al-Va'iz Safdar Press, 1940. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Qatil al-'abrah'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1960.
# ''Qatilan-e-Husayn ka madhhab'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1932.
# ''Qur'an aur nizam-i hukumat'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1972.
# ''Qur'an kay bayan al-aqvami irshadat'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1976. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Qur'an-i majid kay andaz-i guftagu main ma'yar-i tahzib va ravadari'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1976. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Radd-i Wahhabiyya'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, np. (Pdf English / Pdf Hindi / Pdf Urdu)
# ''Rahbar-i kamil: Savanih-i 'Ali'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961.
# ''Rahnumayan-i Islam'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1962. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Rusul-i Khuda'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961.
# ''Safar namah-yi Hajj'' Lucknow: Nizami Press, 1977. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Sahifah al-'amal'' Lucknow: np., 1939.
# ''Shahid-i insaniyat'' Lahore: Imamiyah Mission Pakistan Trust, 2006.
# ''Shuja'at kay misali karnamay'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1954.
# ''Ta'ziahdari ki mukhalfat ka asal ra'' z Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1963.
# ''Tadhkirah-i huffaz-i shi'a'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1935.
# ''Tafsir fasl al-khatab''. 8 vols Lahore: Misbah al-Qur'an Trust, 1986.
# ''Tahrif-i Qur'an ki haqiqat'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1932.
# ''Taqiyah'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1952. (Pdf Hindi)
# ''Tarikh-i Islam'' 4 vols. Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961. 315
# ''The compilation of Nahjul-balagha '' (Pdf Urdu
English

# ''Tijarat aur Islam'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1933. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Usul aur arkan-i din'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1973 (Pdf Hindi)
# ''Usul-i din aur Qur'an'' Lahore: Imamiyah Mission, 1964.
# ''Usvah-yi Husayni'' Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1986.
# ''Va'dah-yi jannat'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1979.
# ''Vujud-i hujjat'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1932. (Pdf Urdu)
# ''Yad aur yadigar'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1968.
# ''Yazid aur jang-i Qustantaniyah'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1965.
# ''Zikr-i Husayn'' Lucknow: Imamia Mission, np.
# ''Zindah savalat'' Aligarh University Press, 1971.
# ''Zindah-i javid ka matam'' Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1935.

Controversy

Naqvi faced opposition from some members of the Shia Islam community for some contents of his book ''Shaheed-e-insaniyat''. Parts of the book alleged the presence of water in the tents of Husayn ibn Ali during the Battle of Karbala and questioned the martyrdom of Ali Asghar by Hurmula's arrow.

''Shaheed-e-insaniyat'' was privately published by Idaar-e-Yaadgar-e-Husaini, an organization of 300 members whose purpose was to review, compile, edit, and present a book on Karbala that would be acceptable to an international inter-sect readership. The book was written in 1942 (1361 AH) by a team of Ulemas from different religions: Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Naqi Naqvi compiled their contributions into a book form.

Initially, 500 copies were printed for review by the organization members, who were asked to comment on the text. The release of this draft version to the public led to the controversy, and Naqvi was blamed because the public believed he was the sole author.

Family

After his father's early death, Naqvi raised his four brothers, all of whom became scholars of Shia Islam.

* Maulana Syed Abdul Hasan Naqvi (1940-2001), Lucknow, India
* Maulana Syed Murtaza Naqvi (1927-1994), Lucknow, India
* Maulana Syed Kazim Naqvi (1934-2018), Chairman, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
* Maulana Syed Baqir Naqvi (1938–Present), Dubai, UAE

Naqvi's son, Professor Syed Ali Mohammad Naqavi, was the Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Aligarh Muslim University, a position previously held by his uncle. Naqavi currently heads the Dara Shikoh Interfaith Center of Aligarh Muslim University and has published at least 34 books on various topics.

References

External links

PhD Thesis of Syed Rizwan Zamir on Syedul Ulama Syed Ali Naqi Naqvi t.s.Syed ul ulama hayat aur karname – By Salamat RizviVideo Majalis of Syed Ul Ulema Allama Ali Naqi Naqvi (Naqqan Sahib)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Naqvi, Ali Naqi
Ayatollah Syed ul-Ulema Ali Naqi Naqvi
1905 births
1988 deaths
Indian Shia Muslims
Indian Shia clerics
Ijtihadi family
Scholars from Lucknow
Academic staff of Aligarh Muslim University
Academic staff of the University of Lucknow