Grand Ayatollah Shaikh Muhammad Hussain Najafi (; 10 April 1932 – 21 August 2023) was a Pakistani Twelver Shia Marja. Muhammad Hussain Najafi was running a Hawza in Sargodha. Najafi was included in all the editions of "The Muslim 500: The World's Most Influential Muslims" since 2010. He is one of the nine marja's mentioned in the most recent edition.
Childhood and family Muhammad Hussain was born in small town of Jehania shah in Sargodha District of Punjab province of Pakistan in April 1932. He had two paternal uncles, both of whom were Shia ulema: Maulana Imam Bakhsh was a religious teacher in Jahanian Shah, while Maulana Sohrab Ali Khan was a reputed alim of Uch Sharif. His father Rana Tajuddin was not an alim, but he had the wish of making his son a great alim. However, he died in 1944 when Muhammad Hussain was 12 years old, after which the family members persuaded the widow that Muhammad Hussain should look after the family lands, but she kept up the wish of her dead husband.Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 35–36
Early education in Pakistan After secondary school education, he got an admission in Madrasah Muhammadia in Jalalpur Nankiana, Sargodha, where one of his prominent teachers was Ayatollah Allama Hussain Bakhsh Jarra. In 1947, he studied the courses of Dars-i-Nizami from Ayatollah Allama Muhammad Baqir Naqvi in Jhang. Allama Baqir Naqvi had migrated from Iraq to spread Shia formal education in Pakistan. Since (the first prominent Shia scholar in Pakistan Ustad ul ulama) Grand Ayatollah Allama Syed Muhammad Yar Shah Naqvi Najfi, the most prominent disciple of Allama Baqir Naqvi, had moved from his ancestral city Alipur to Jalalpur, Muhammad Hussain moved to Jalalpur to complete Dars-i-Nizami for the next five years. In 1953, he passed the examination of Molvi Fazil from Punjab University, and moved to Najaf in 1954 for higher education.Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 44
Marital life Before going to Najaf for higher religious education, he was married to his maternal cousin in 1952. His teacher Allama Yar Shah had links with ulema of Najaf, and he wanted Muhammad Hussain to get married in a scholarly family of Najaf, but Muhammad Hussain declined this proposal due to cultural differences.Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 36
In 1954, his only son Muhammad Sibtayn was born. At the age of five, he got seriously ill and died, as Muhammad Hussain did not have enough money for his treatment. (Muhammad Hussain used to spend his stipend money on household and buying books.)Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 36–37 After Sibtayn's death, Ayatollah Najafi did not have children for the next eleven years, later he had one daughter. He married the daughter of Haji Muhammad Shafi (Faisalabad) in 1970. He had two daughters from this marriage. His first wife died in 1996.Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 38
Education at Hawza Elmiye Najaf
In 1954, he moved to Hawza Elmiye Najaf to finalize his religious education . He attended the lectures of the following marjas: Grand Ayatollah Mohsin Al-Hakim for dars-e-kharij of Fiqh Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Javad Tabrizi for dars-e-kharij of Kifaya-tul-Usool Grand Ayatollah Meerza Baqir Zanjani for dars-e-kharij of Usool-e-Fiqh Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani for Fehm-e-Hadees-o-Rajjal & Kutb Shanasi Grand Ayatollah Mahmood Shahroudi for dars-e-kharij of Fiqh Grand Ayatollah Abdul Aala Sabzwari for dars-e-kharij of Fiqh Grand Ayatollah Abul Qasim Rashti for Rasail-o-Makatib Grand Ayatollah Abdul Hussain Amini (the writer of famous Al-Ghadeer) for Ilm-e-Munazira Grand Ayatollah Mulla Sadra for Satheeyat & Asfar Grand Ayatollah Aqae Muhaqqiq for Darse Manzooma Sabzwari Grand Ayatollah Aqae Fazel for Ilm-e-Kalam Grand Ayatollah Abdul Karim Zanjani for Tanawwo dar Islami Uloom-o-Funoon and Ittehad-e-IslamiHojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 46–48 In an interview to the Hawza Elmiye Qom's monthly magazine "Hawza", he was asked: Hawza Team: Hazrat, tell us about your education at Hawza Elmiye Najaf and your teachers there. Ustad Najafi: My stay at Najaf was short ... I completed my education in 6 years ... At Najaf, the total number of courses I used to study and teach daily often reached up to ten. ... Once my teacher Grand Ayatollah Shaikh Jawad Tabrizi said to me in light mood: "Why do you take so much strain, what is the logic in taking ten courses daily? Iranians say: 'The climate of Najaf is dry, thus taking one course in Najaf is not enough, but taking two courses is more than enough.'"حوزہ، شمارہ سوم، سال بیست و يکم، مرداد و شہریور 1383, pp. 135–136Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 46 He wrote the following books during his stay at Najaf: Isbat ul-Imamat Tahqeeqat ul-Fariqain fi Hadis as-Saqlain Iqd ul-Juma'n (Translation of Mafatih al-Janan) A'dab ul-Mufeed wal Mustafeed (Translation of Munia tul-Murid) Faiz ur-Rehman (Translation of Lu'lu wal Marjan)Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 160 Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani has mentioned these books in his famous book Az-Zariya ila Tasaneef ush-Shia (A list of Shia Books), and Aalulbayt Global information Center has mentioned these books in their Musannifat-ush-Shia (Shia Books). Najafi was fluent in Arabic, Persian, Punjabi and Urdu languages.
Ijtihad and Marjiyyat Najafi received ijazah's of ijtihad from following marjas of Hawza Elmiye Najaf, in 1960 AD (1379 AH): Imam Ruhollah Khomeini Grand Ayatollah Mohsin Al-Hakim Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Javad Tabrizi Grand Ayatollah Mara'shi Najafi Grand Ayatollah Meerza Baqir Zanjani Grand Ayatollah Bazurg Tehrani Grand Ayatollah Mahmood Shahroudi Grand Ayatollah Abdul Aala Sabzwari Grand Ayatollah Abul Qasim Rashti Grand Ayatollah Abdul Karim Zanjani Grand Ayatollah Najam ud-Din ash-Sharif as-Samarrai Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Raza al-Musavi Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Mahdi al-Kazmaini Grand Ayatollah Ahmed al-MustanbitHojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 48 He published his Tawzih ul Masail (treatise) named "Qawaneen ush-Sharia fi Fiqh-e-Jafariya" in 1980 AD (1400 AH). He was being followed by a number of Shia Muslims in matters of fiqh from Pakistan and abroad.
Clerical activities in Pakistan
Principal of Dar-ul-Uloom Muhammadia After returning to Pakistan in 1960, Pir Fazal Shah (Parhezgar) asked him to become the principal of Dar-ul-Uloom Muhammadia, Sargodha, which he eagerly accepted.[Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 37] In 1971, due to increased involvement in Majlis and Shia political movements it became impossible for him to run the affairs of Dar-ul-Uloom Muhammadia, therefore he stepped down from this post.Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 179–180
Participation in Shia educational affairs In 1963, the principals of Shia madrasahs from all over Pakistan gathered in Karbala Gamey Shah, Lahore, and founded Tanzeeme Madarise Arabia Shia Pakistan (Organization of Shia Madrasahs of Pakistan). Ayatollah Najafi was elected its president.
In 1965, a high-level organization of Shia ulema Mautamar Ulemae Shia Pakistan (Conference of Shia Ulema of Pakistan) was formed with Ayatollah Najafi as its president. and Mufti Jafar Hussain as its patron. Other members included Allama Gulab Ali Shah, Allama Akhtar Abbas, Allama Hussain Bakhsh Jarra, Hafiz Saifullah Jafari, Allama Syed Safdar Hussain Najafi, Mufti Inayat Ali Shah, Allama Muhib Hussain, Allama Riaz Hussain Najafi and Allama Ghulam Hassan Jarra.Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 183–184
Participation in Shia politics In 1964, Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Najafi played a pivotal role in gathering about 250 Shia ulema and leaders in Imam Bargah Rizvia, Karachi, where "Shia Mutalbat Committee" was formed with Syed Muhammad Dehlavi as its president.
In 1978, after Zia ul Haq's announcement of promulgating Hanafi fiqh, Shia ulema and leaders gathered in Bhakkar and founded Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria (later called Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan) with Mufti Jafar Hussain as its president. Ayatollah Najafi was a part of this organization's supreme council. In 1980, Shias protested in Islamabad against the forced collection of money by Zia on the name of Zakat. It was Ayatollah Najafi Who held talks with the regime and because of his extra-ordinary debating abilities Shias were exempted from this law. After Mufti Jafar's demise, it was upon Ayatollah Najafi's recommendation that Allama Arif Hussain Hussaini was elected the new president of the organization.Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 182–183 No Doubt, Ayatollah Najafi was the most powerful support for all of the Shia Political Leaders (Presidents Shia Ulmaa Council). He was the one from whose efforts Shias of Pakistan got their first official Political Supreme Leader and he supported them all till his last breath.
Jamia Sultan ul-Madaris
In 1978, Raja Mumtaz Ali Khan gifted land to Ayatollah Najafi for madrasah, on which Jamia Ilmia Sultan ul-Madaris al-Islamia was constructed.
In 2004, he founded Jamia Aqeela bani Hashim for the religious education of women.
He was also the patron of the following madrasahs: Madrasah Muhammadia, Sargodha Madrasah Ahya ul-Uloom Haideria, Mandi Bahauddin Madrasah Baqir ul-Uloom, Bhakkar Madrasah Wali ul-Asr, Jhang Madrasah Hazrat Amir ul-Momineen, Layyah Madrasah Jamia tul-Qaim, Layyah Madrasah Jafaria, Uch Sharif Madrasah Bab ul-Hussain, Dera Ismail KhanHojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 180–181
Burning of library After the publication of "Tajalliat-e-Sadaqat", which was written in response to the anti-Shia book "Aftab-e-Hidayat", his family library was set ablaze by followers of the sunni sect in Muharram 1983. He was in Quetta for reciting Majlis of Muharram.Maulana Syed Hussain Arif Naqvi,Tazkarae Ulemae Imamia Pakistan, pp. 322Hojatol Islam Tahir Abbas Qomi, Mard-e-Ilm Medan-e-Amal Mein, pp. 50
Participation in 17th Islamic Unity Conference, Tehran
On the invitation of the Iranian Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he attended the 17th Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Iran in May 2004.
Najafi also visited Hawza Elmiye Qom, where he had meetings with Ayatollah Morteza Moghtadai, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Noori Hamedani and Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi. He was interviewed by the state television and the Hawza Elmiye Qom's official magazine Hawza.
Participation in 21st Islamic Unity Conference, Tehran On the invitation of the Iranian Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he attended the 21st Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Iran in May 2008, along with Allama Sajid Naqvi, Shaikh Mohsin Najafi, Hafiz Riaz Hussain Najafi and Maulana Sami ul Haq.
Najafi also visited Hawza Elmiye Qom, where he had meetings with Ayatollah Jafar Subhani, Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Shahroudi, Grand Ayatollah Mousa Shubairi Zanjani, Grand Ayatollah Qorban Ali Kaboli, Ayatollah Ahmed Mobalighi and Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi. He also addressed a gathering arranged in memory of Shaikh Aktar Abbas Najafi and Shaheed Ghulam Hussain Najafi in Madrasah Hojatieh, Hawza Elmiye Qom.
Majalis and Q&A sessions
In the later years of his life, he addressed Majlis in almost all parts of Punjab, Pakistan. He also addressed Majlis in Imambargah Shah Gardez, Multan where all the major Shia ulema address majalis before him, including Allama Akhter Abbas Naseem, Principal of Madrasah Jamia tus-Saqlain, Multan. The famous Ayatollah Syed Aqeel-ul-Gharavi also addressed majalis at the same place.