Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhsin al-Tabataba'i al-Hakim (1889–1970)

A rare photo of the top Shi’i jurist of his time, Grand Ayatollah Sayed Mohsen Al Hakim (d. 1970), teaching most likely in the 1960s in the famous Masjid Al Hindi in Najaf.

With the success of the Bolsheviks in Russia, the Red movement started to gain extensive support around the world. Particularly in the Middle East, many Muslims saw communism as the solution to all their socio-economic woes, and communist parties around the Arab world began to attract massive numbers of disenfranchised youth, especially in Iraq. And yet, the disastrous results of communism were already foreseen by a seemingly out-of-touch old cleric living and teaching in the Shia seminary of Najaf, whose religious edict declaring communism equivalent to Shirk and Kufr (polytheism and disbelief) marked the end of communism in Iraq.

He was born Sayyid Mohsin ibn Sayyid Mahdi Tabatabai al-Hakim to a scholarly family in the holy city of Najaf in 1306 AH. He received his religious education in Najaf, studying under such great giants of the seminary as Akhund al-Khurasani, Sayyid Abul Hasan al-Isfehani, Sayyid Kadhim Tabatabai Yazdi, and Shaikh Muhammad Hussain Naini. Upon the demise of his teachers, Sayyid Mohsin al-Hakim was recognized as the de facto leader of the Najaf seminary, and upon Ayatollah Burujardi's death in 1380 AH, he was accepted as the sole Marja Taqleed (Religious Authority) by Shias around the world.

Under Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim, the seminary grew extensively. He embarked on a program to collect various books and manuscripts that had hitherto been ignored or disorganized, culminating in his famous library containing over 30,000 books and nearly 5,000 various manuscripts. 

It is said that in times of financial shortage, Ayatollah Mohsin al-Hakim used to offer the prayers and fasts for diseased individuals and would use that money to buy these books and manuscripts from their owners. He also established several new religious schools, including the Madresa Sharif al-Ulema in Karbala, Madresas Sayyid Yazdi, Dar al-Hikma, and Ilmiya in Najaf, Madresa Ilmiya in Hilla, as well as a religious school especially for students of Afghan and Central Asian origin. His list of students includes such great names as Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khoei, Sayyid Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini, Martyr Sayyid Qadhi Tabatabai, Martyr Sayyid Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr, Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani, Sayyid Sa'eed Tabatabai Hakim (his grandson), Shaikh Husain Waheed Khurasani, and Shaikh Nasir Makarem Shirazi. Read full

Fifth Anniversary of Fatwa Against ISIS

Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s advice on the 5th anniversary of his fatwa against ISIS

June 14, 2019/in All News, Featured, Human rights, Middle East, NEWS BRIEFS, Other News, Shia islam, world /

SHAFAQNA– On the fifth anniversary of the fatwa (edict) that was issued by top Shia marja’a Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani against the ISIS terrorist group, his remarks addressing the people of Iraq was read by his representative Sheikh Ahmad al-Safi during Friday prayers sermons in the holy city of Karbala.

According to Shafaqna, A statement released by the office of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani reads:

Five years ago on June 13, 2014, the Iraqi Shia religious authority issued a fatwa from the Holy Shrine of Imam Husayn (A.S) in Karbala. The edict called on every able-bodied Iraqi man to take up arm and defend the country, the nation and its sanctuaries against the ISIS (Daesh) terrorists who had taken vast swathes of land and were threatening the Iraqi capital Baghdad as well as other governorates.

After this edict -which was al-jihad al-kifa’i or a collective obligation – was declared, Iraqi men from all walks of life, old and young, enthusiastically rushed to the battle fields and fought for more than three years against the terrorists. They displayed acts of heroism and made sacrifices to save the country and its sacred sites, they had tens of thousands of martyrs and injured. As the result, God Almighty granted them victory; they could defeat the terrorists, purge Iraqi lands of nasty aggressors and eradicate terrorists’ delusional state.
Full Story

:::::World's Biggest Pilgrimage Now Underway:::::

It's not the Muslim Hajj, or the Hindu Kumbh Mela.. Known as Arbaeen, it is the world's most populous gathering and you've probably never heard of it! Not only does the congregation exceed the number of visitors to Mecca (by a factor of five, in fact), it is more significant than Kumbh Mela, since the latter is only held every third year. In short, Arbaeen dwarfs every other rally on the planet, reaching twenty million last year. That is a staggering %60 of Iraq's entire population, and it is growing year after year.

Above all, Arbaeen is unique because it takes place against the backdrop of chaotic and dangerous geopolitical scenes. Daesh (aka 'Islamic State') sees the Shia as theirmortal enemy, so nothing infuriates the terror group more than the sight of Shia pilgrims gathering for their greatest show of faith.

There's another peculiar feature of Arbaeen. While it is a distinctively Shia spiritual exercise, Sunnis, even Christians, Yazidis, Zoroastrians, and Sabians partake in both the pilgrimage as well as serving of devotees. This is remarkable given the exclusive nature of religious rituals, and it could only mean one thing: people regardless of color or creed see Hussein as a universal, borderless, and meta-religious symbol of freedom and compassion.

Read Full

Don't Display Photo At Public Places

The office of the Supreme Religious Authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, assured once more his rejection to hang his photos on walls of public areas and governmental institutions.

Ayatollah Sistani's office reported in a statement directed to the Head of Najaf Provincial Council received by Iraq News Agency''We have noticed in few cases that the photos of the Supreme Religious Authority, Ali al-Sistani, are hanged on walls of some governmental institutions, such as your offices, and public areas, thus we would like to assure our pervious appeals not to hang the photos on walls of public areas.''

''We hope you to instruct the concerned sides to consider our appeal,'' the statement concluded. (Read Source)

Grand Ayatollah Sistani: Urges Nation to Unite Against Terrorism

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Ayatollah Sistani has met with top Sunni scholars stressing the necessity of unity between Shia and Sunni and urged the Iraqi nation to unite against terrorists.

Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani, in a meeting with Sunni scholars and head of Shafi'i institute called for the Iraqi nation to conjoin and stand against terrorists.

The Ayatollah warned against the enemies and said, "Enemies are looking for separating us," adding that "there was no difference between Shia and Sunni."

In this meeting Shaykh Adnan al-a'ani, prayer leader of Sharjeel Mosque in Baghdad, accused the former Baath party regime of Iraq to spread sedition in the Iraqi nation and stressed that the nation will maintain its unity.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali al-Hussaini al-Sistani, the highest ranking Shia leader in Iraq, is also the leader of Najaf Seminary.

Apart from his prominent role as Twelver Shia jurisprudent, he plays an important role in political issues of post-invasion Iraq.

Wonderful Experience of Pilgrimage to Syria, Iraq & Iran

Shrine of Janabe Zainab (a.s.)

The Pilgrimage to the Shrines in Syria, Iraq and Iran was wonderful. The weather was favorable and the co-passengers were caring and co-operative with each other. We are 46 pilgrims, all from different regions of India. Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bulandshaher, Lucknow, Ajmer and Mumbai. They were all excited to be in front of the holy shrines. Ayyame Faatemi coincided our visit to Sayyedah Zainab, at the Shrine of Zainabe Kubra, the elder daughter of Amirul Mo'mineen Imam Ali (a.s.).
It took us 30 hrs. to reach Damascus from Mumbai. The flight of Saudi Airlines was supposed to take-off from Sahaar Airport at 6.35 AM on Friday 15th April, delayed for 14 hrs. and were in transit at Riyadh Airport for another 8 hrs. while normally it takes 9 hrs. including transit, to travel from Mumbai to Damascus. The reason for delay was sandstorm in Madina and in the northern part of Saudi Arabia.
Most of the tour operators to save money travel by Air Arabia, a low fare airline. The airline does not serve free meals or water in the aircraft. Even a bottle of water comes at a cost. Passengers are not allowed to carry water in the aircraft due to security reasons. Syrian government issues paper visa to the visitors coming in groups or caravans.
We stayed at the Hotel Bina al-Qasim at Sayyeda Zainab, just 200 away metres from the holy shrine.

Syria, Iraq and Iran Ziyarat Opportunity

Preferring Food Over F-16 Fighter Jets: An Iraqi Initiative

Food Over F-16 Fighter Jets

Iraq has delayed the purchase of F-16 fighter jets for its air force to put $900mn of allocated funds into its national food ration programme instead, a government official said yesterday.
Iraq had hoped to have the first of the Lockheed Martin Corp combat aircraft in operation by 2013 to help shape its air force after years of war.
But a growing number of demonstrations over food and electricity shortages have worried the government after popular uprisings have toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt.
“The (F-16) contract was postponed and the $900mn that was allocated to it was transferred to support the (food) ration card (programme),” said Tahseen al-Sheikhli, adviser to government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.
The F-16 is seen as a symbol of military and political cooperation between Iraq and the US.

Full Story

Saudi Thoughts on Shias in Wikileaks Trove

This cable speaks of the Saudi Arabia on Shias and its enmity towards them. Though this was another effort by US and Zionists to create a wider gulf between Shias and Sunnis with the help of their Wahhabi trusted and faithful ally.  Here is a clip of the evil design. The AbZ is referred to the UAE Foreign Minister" Abdullah bin Zayed."(which can be misspelled as Ibne Ziyad)

Today, Day of Arafah, the Day of Repentance

The day of Arafah is the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah and is one of the most sacred days of the Islamic Calendar. On this day Allah invites his servants towards his worship and obedience, and spreads his bounties and blessings.

It is highly recommended to be on this day in Karbala, Iraq. The presence over there carries a great reward. After the downfall of the tyrant Saddam, the pilgrims gather in Karbala on this day and outnumber the Haajis in Arafat at Hajj. There are above 5 million visitors at Karbala pouring from all over the world, while in Makkah there are 2 to 3 millions.

There are different a'maal to be performed on this particular day. Dua of Imam Husain (a.s.) known as Dua Arafah and Dua of Imam Zainul Aabidin (a.s.) are the important Duas to be recited. The theme of these duas is the forgiveness of the sins from Allah. It is the day of repentance.

Imam Zaynul Aabidin (a.s.) says about this great day: "O God, this is the day of Arafah a day which you have made noble, given honor and magnified within it. You have spread your mercy, showed kindness through your pardon, made plentiful your giving and by it you have been gracious towards your servants." (Sahifa as-Sajjadiyyah, Du'a no. 47)

It is also narrated that once Imam saw a man begging from people on the day of Arafah. He said "Woe unto you that on a day like this you are asking from other than God. This is a day when the mercy and grace of Allah reaches (even) the fetus in the womb."
In Mumbai City the congregational A'maal is organised at various places. seeking forgiveness from All-Merciful Almighty Allah.

Click on this link for the A'maal of this day 

Protests in Mumbai on al-Quds Day

There was a huge participation outside Shia Jaame' Masjid, Dongri in Mumbai South after the Friday prayers protesting the occupation of Israel of the First Qibla in Jerusalem. The last Friday of the month of Ramadhan is observed as the protest of al-Quds day.
Looking at the currents events involving Zionist government's atrocities towards Palestinians and the siege of Gazza has made the Muslims angry towards America and its partners in occupation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The protesters shouted slogans against the US and the Israel. They were also angry on the hypocrisy of the France and the United Kingdom. One of the protester who has taken off from his office today to be the part of the rally said, "On the atrocities to the Palestinians, the wealthy Arabs are to be blamed as well." Sadiq Abbas an IT professional shouted that the First Qibla is occupied by the Yahudis and the Second one by the Saudis.
While elsewhere in the world there huge rallies in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey and other Muslim countries. As per the news agencies thousands of Palestinians have poured into the streets of Gazaa, marking the International Quds Day.
Chanting anti-Israeli slogans, the angry demonstrators said they will gladly sacrifice all they have to end the Israeli occupation of al-Quds (Jerusalem).
Palestinians have repeatedly said that they insist on East al-Quds, which Israel occupied in 1967 and annexed in 1981, as the capital of their future state. Under international law the area is an occupied territory.
Angry Palestinians also condemned the so-called reconciliation talks between Israeli Prime Minister and acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas. The talks were held in Washington on Thursday.
Millions of people around the world have marked the international Quds Day by participating in rallies denouncing Israel's atrocities against Palestinians. The rallies were held to show solidarity with the Palestinians, demanding an end to Israel's occupation of their territories.

The Dumb Americans

Lost? Don't ask an American. Sixty-three percent of young Americans can't find Iraq on a map, despite the ongoing U.S involvement there. Nine out of 10 can't find Afghanistan—even if you give them the advantage of a map limited to Asia. And more than a third of Americans of any age can't identify the continent that's home to the Amazon River (above), the world's largest.

 Click for Other examples of their DUmbneSS

Today, the Shahadat of 7th Imam (a.s.)

Name : Musa ibn-e-Jaffar - the 7th Holy Imam
Titles :Al-Kazim
Agnomen :Abu Ibrahim.
Father :Imam Jaafar as-Sadiq(a.s.) - the 6th Holy Imam
Mother :Hamidah al - Barbariyyah.
Birth : At Abwa' ( between Makkah and Madina ) Sunday , 7th Safar 128 AH. (744 AD)
Martyred :In Baghdad at age 55 on 25th Rajab 183 AH (799 AD)
Cause of Death/Burial :    Poisoned by Harun-ur-Rashid and buried in Kadhmain, Baghdad.
The 7th Holy Imam Musa al-Kazim(a.s.) was the son of Imam Jafar as-Sadiq(a.s.), the Sixth Imam . The name of his mother was Hamidah , the daughter of a noble man hailing from the States of Barbary.

Lebanon's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah dies

Lebanon's leading Shia Muslim cleric, a key figure in the founding of Hezbollah, has died aged 74, hospital sources have said.
Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah died in a Beirut hospital on Sunday where he was admitted on Friday for internal bleeding.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah was regarded as Hezbollah's spiritual guide after it was founded in 1982.
A vocal critic of the United States, Ayatollah Fadlallah used to slam US warmongering policies in the Middle East, particularly its alliance with Israel.

Born in Najaf, Iraq, Fadlallah studied Islamic sciences in Najaf before moving to Lebanon in 1952.

In Najaf, Fadlallah was a pupil of the Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Sadr, one of the pillars of Iraqi Islamic rebirth between 1950-1960 and a co-founder of the Dawa Party.
Sadr, who was executed by Saddam Hussein's regime in April 1980, said of Fadlallah: "Anyone who leaves Najaf loses something of Najaf, except Fadlallah. When he left, it was Najaf that lost something."

In the following decades, he delivered many lectures, engaged in intense scholarship, wrote dozens of books, founded several Islamic religious schools, and established the Mabarrat Association.
Through that association he established a public library, a women's cultural center, and a medical clinic.

Entire village in France converts to Mazhab-i-Haqqa

By: Ismail Zabeeh
HOLY CITY OF KARBALA, Iraq: Accompanied by an Islamic delegation from France, the Islamic thinker and scholar Dr. Muhammad Tijani Samawi paid a Visit to the holy Shrine of Imam Hussain peace be upon him, Ahlul Bayt News Agency (ABNA) reported.

After the visit, the delegation met with the Secretary General of the Holy Shrine Sheikh Abdel Mahdi al-Karbalai.

In a statement to the correspondent of NON14, Mr Tijani said that "this is the fourth visit, which I have the honour to pay to the holy shrines in Iraq after the fall of the dictatorship, and during each visit, I noticed that there are developments in Iraq as whole and in the holy shrines in particular," he added that "In this trip I came along with Mr (Abdul-Karim Mohammed), a Muslim French man who converted to Islam since he was 15 years old and followed the doctrine of Ahl ul-Bayt (Shia Islam) through me more than thirty years ago, and his French Muslim wife as well. "

For his part, Mr Abdul-Karim Mohammed told NON14: "I came, accompanied by Mr. Tijani and my wife (Zahra), who is French and who has converted to Islam and became a follower of Ahl ul-Bayt (the prophet Household Members A.S). He elaborated: "I have embraced Islam since my young age, and met my wife, who embrace the same thoughts that I embrace, so it was a good occasion for marriage. I was participating in the congressional prayers that were held by Imam Khomeini in France, although i had not knew him; however Dr. Tijani introduced me to his character at that time.

He (Muhammad) continued to say that his village in France converted to Islam and followed the creed of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), explaining that the village embracement of the Islamic religion and the doctrine of the prophet's household members was due to Dr (Mohamed Tijani). The French Muslim (Abdel Karim Mohammed) described his feelings when he entered the pure Shrine of Imam Hussain A.S as someone who entered a jewel in Paradise […]. He added "I was very excited to visit the Infallible Imams peace be upon them where I knew them before, but I did not had the privilege of visiting their Holiness, pointing out that this visit, is according to an invitation extended by Tijani to them and they are now hosted by Imam Hussain peace be upon him and he is full of happiness with his wife in the vicinity of the pure Imams.” 

The Funeral of Salman

The funeral took place on Monday 12th April 2010 at Rehmatabad Graveyard, Bombay. He passed away the same morning at 11.00 AM in Bandra. He had been in the ICCU for 40 days. Later brought back to his home, but, never recovered fully. He is survived by his wife and 2 daughters, 2 sisters and a brother including his mother. He had been on Hajj in 2006 and later went for ziyarat to Syria, Iran and Iraq. He was an active member of Anjumane Azadaraane Husain (a.s.). Organised Juloos, Majalis and Mahafil. His father, Niyaz Banarsi, a poet, died just 18 months back. He had a large social contacts. Well known in Shia community. A surah Fateha is all we can gift him for the increase of his barzakhi status.

Collateral Murder by US forces in Baghdad

Read full story

Abdulaziz Hakim dies in Tehran

Abdulaziz Hakim, the head of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, has died at 60 of lung cancer in a hospital in Tehran.

Earlier his son, Ammar, said that he was in 'critical health condition' due to lung cancer.

The death of Hakim will add to political uncertainty ahead of national polls in January and after a series of devastating bombings.

Hakim was hospitalized in an advanced medical faculty in Tehran last month.

Mohsen Hakim told IRNA that his brother, Ammar Hakim, arrived in Tehran and attended at his father's bedside.

The Shia political figure, who heads Iraq's most powerful party, was diagnosed with lung cancer in a Texas hospital in the United States.

Following the diagnosis, he made several trips to Iran for chemotherapy before being hospitalized.

(PressTV)

What a Justice?

The fellow who hurled shoes at Bush received a three-year prison sentence,
while US occupation troops and contractors (one of them BlackWaters) who killed Iraqi civilians are proudly roaming the streets of Iraq.

A million Iraqi Shiites pray in Samarrah

As many as one million pilgrims prayed in the Iraqi holy city of Samarra on last Friday.

Samarra, a Sunni-majority city 80 miles (125 kilometres) north of the capital and a former hotbed of Iraq's insurgency, houses a major Shiite mausoleum blown up by suspected Al-Qaeda forces in 2006.

Sadr, head of the Mahdi army, last month urged the faithful to restore a traditional pilgrimage halted since the 2003 US-led invasion and to pray at Samarra's golden-domed shrine to commemorate the death of the 11th imam, Hassan al-Askari, at his mausoleum.

The commemoration falls this year on March 6.

Iraqi television stations reported the gathering swelled to more than a million.

"About 800,000 pilgrims arrived in the city," said Samarra governor Hamad Homoud al-Shagti well before midday as crowds continued to pour in.

"The security situation is good and there have not been any security violations so far," he told reporters. "Iraqi forces are deployed along the roads."

"Iraqi and US air forces are hovering over the area" in helicopters, Shagti said.

Police Major General Rasheed Flayeh said cars had been banned from the city to prevent bombings.

No serious incidents had been reported by mid-afternoon.

Tens of thousands of people died in violence sparked by the destruction three years ago by alleged al-Qaeda Sunni extremists of the dome of the revered Al-Askari mosque, built in 944. The golden dome was added in 1905.

Although security has improved in Iraq recently, dozens of Shiites were killed last month in bomb blasts as they headed into the holy city of Karbala, south of Baghdad, for a major religious ceremony.

AFP - 6 march 2006