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Hawza Najaf

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Najaf Seminary
حوزة النجف (Arabic)
Other name
Hawza of Najaf
TypeHawza
EstablishedPossibly 9th century AD, see Founding
Religious affiliation
Twelver Shia Islam
DeanAli al-Sistani
Location
Najaf
,
 Iraq
CampusUrban
Language Arabic
Hawza Najaf is located in Iraq
Hawza Najaf
Location in Iraq
Ali Sistani (current chancellor of Hawza 'Ilmiyya Najaf) and Abu al-Qasim Khoei (ex-chancellor of Hawza 'Ilmiyya Najaf)

The Najaf Seminary (Arabic: حوزة النجف), also known as the al-Hawza Al-Ilmiyya (الحوزة العلمية), is the oldest and one of the most important Shia seminaries (hawza) in the world.[1] It is located near the Imam Ali Shrine in the city of Najaf in Iraq, and also operates a campus in Karbala, Iraq.

Grand Ayatollah Sayed Ali Sistani currently serves as head of the Hawza Al-Ilmiyya in Najaf, which includes two other Ayatollahs - Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad and Bashir al-Najafi.[2] The number of students studying there has waxed and waned in modern times, from 15,000-20,000 in the mid-20th century, down to 3000 during the repressive reign of Saddam Hussein, to around 13,000 as of 2014.[3]

As of 2014 the curriculum has been updated to include many modern subjects as well as interfaith and inter-sect initiatives.[3]

History

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Founding

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The exact date of the establishment of the Hawza of Najaf is unknown, and indeed in what century it was established is disputed,[4] with one view maintaining that the Hawza existed possibly as early as the 9th century AD[5] in the form of a guild of learned men centered around the Imam Ali Shrine whose deanship was held by a number of scholars, such as Ibn al-Sidra Sayyid Sharif al-Din Mohammed and Nasir al-Din Mutahhar Ibn Radhi al-Din Mohammed Ibn Husayn.[6]

Another view, however, claims that Shaykh Tusi (385 AH/995 CE – 460 AH/1067 CE)[7] established the Hawza in the 11th century AD.[8] Shaykh Tusi first migrated from his native Tus to study in Baghdad —the capital of the Islamic world at the time— but after 12 years he was forced to leave the city due to sectarian tensions, after which he decided to relocate to Najaf.[9] He died in 460 AH (1067 CE).[10][11]

Modern period

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In the mid-20th century, the Hawza "witnessed huge developments in its educational program"[3] and the student population grew to 15,000-20,000. During the repression of the Baath party era it declined to around 3000 as the Shiite political awakening (Sahwa) was attacked by the regime and attendance by foreign students fell off because of the Iran-Iraq war.[3] By the time Saddam fell in 2003, there were only approximately 3000 students[3] and 2000 clerics in Najaf.[12] Their number then commenced to grow again, and as of 2014 there are 13,000 students, according to a census by Al-Monitor news service,[3] including approximately 50 from foreign countries — Iran, India, Thailand, France, the United States, Canada, etc.[3]

Structure

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One of the main pillars of the Najaf Seminary is its leadership, known as the za‘ama (supreme authority). The leader of the seminary is the figure through whom the core positions and policies of the seminary are articulated. This individual typically holds the highest religious rank within the seminary. Although the leader's decisions are not issued as formal orders, they are generally followed and respected. In recent decades, the leadership of the Najaf Seminary has been held by Grand Ayatollahs Muhsin al-Hakim, then Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, and currently Ali al-Sistani.[13]

The Najaf Seminary is regarded as a foundational institution in the Shia Islamic scholarly tradition. It places strict emphasis on jurisprudence (fiqh) and legal theory (usul al-fiqh), the development of jurists (faqih) and mujtahids (those qualified for independent legal reasoning) above all else. Unlike other seminaries, such as its counterpart in Qom, Najaf places limited focus on philosophy and mysticism (irfan), instead concentrating on advanced jurisprudential studies (dars al-kharij). The seminary favors oversight of politics rather than direct political engagement in the conventional sense. Students are generally discouraged from participating in executive or administrative political roles, and political activism in the typical sense is uncommon within the seminary. Economically, the Najaf Seminary operates independently of government funding, relying instead on public donations and the collection of khums (the one-fifth tax).[13]

In terms of social conduct, Najaf's seminary students adhere to traditional norms and remain largely faithful to its customs.[14] They do make use of modern communication tools. The Seminary does not have a specialized clerical court, as disciplinary matters are handled within Iraq’s regular judicial system. Its senior clerics rarely give interviews or issue political statements. Moderation is valued among Najaf scholars, and they have expressed openness to interfaith dialogue.[13] An example is the 2021 meeting between Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and Pope Francis, which marked a historic dialogue between Najaf and the Vatican.[15] While clerics in Najaf generally do not view existing global governments as ideal, they choose to maintain a positive approach toward engaging with various states.[13]

The Najaf Seminary entered a period of intense scholarly activity beginning in the 11th century AH (17th century CE). This intellectual revival began with Muhammad Baqir Behbahani and continued through recognized scholars such as Mohammad Mahdi Bahr al-‘Ulum, Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi (author of Jawahir al-Kalam), Murtadha Ansari, Hossein Wahid Khorasani, Mirza Shirazi, and Muhammad Hussain Naini, among others. In contemporary times, major religious authorities in Najaf include Ali al-Sistani, Muhammad Is'haq Fayadh, Bashir al-Najafi, and Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim, who died on 3 September 2021.[16]

Teaching in the Najaf Seminary takes place in various venues, including religious schools (such as the courtyards of the Imam Ali Shrine and the Kashif al-Ghita’ School,) as well as in mosques and libraries.[17] Between 14,000 to 15,000 students are currently enrolled in the Najaf Seminary.[13]

Subjects

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The subjects taught at the seminary include:[18]

  • Mantiq (Logic)
  • Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
  • Fiqh (Jurisprudence)
  • Tafsir al-Qur'an (Qur'an Exegesis)
  • Ulum al-Qur'an (Qur'an Sciences)
  • Ilm al-Hadith (The Study of Traditions)
  • Ilm ar-Rijal (Science of Narrators)
  • Tarikh (History)
  • Aqaid / Kalam (Theology)
  • Lugha (Language Studies)
  • Falsafa (Islamic Philosophy)
  • Irfan (Islamic Mysticism)
  • Fiqh al-Muqaran (Comparative jurisprudence)
  • Ilm al-Ma’rifah (Epistemology)

Trained scholars

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Some of the known Shia Grand Ayatollahs were trained in the Najaf seminary.[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "A rare look inside the 'heart of society' for Iraq's Shi'ites". Reuters. 12 October 2017.
  2. ^ Marcinkowski, Christoph (25 April 2007). Thinking ahead : Shi'ite Islam in Iraq and its seminaries (hawzah 'ilmiyyah) (PDF). Singapore: S. Rajaratnam School of international Studies. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Mamouri, Ali (8 April 2014). "Najaf's Shiite seminaries enter 21st century". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Al Hawza of Najaf Iraq" (PDF). Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
  5. ^ "تاريخ حوزة النجف الأشرف". Arabic Radio.
  6. ^ "بداية الحوزة العلمية الدينية في النجف الاشرف" (in Arabic). Haydarya.
  7. ^ http://www.al-islam.org/fiqh/chap2.html [1] FIQH and FUQAHA - An Introduction to Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) Containing Forty Four Life Sketches of the Great Past Masters, Published by the WORLD FEDERATION OF KHOJA SHIA ITHNAASHERI MUSLIM COMMUNITIES
  8. ^ "Part 2: The Fuqaha". World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities.
  9. ^ Jaffer - XKP, Mulla Asghar Ali M. (4 November 2015). FIQH and FUQAHA (PDF). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (November 4, 2015). ISBN 978-1519106759. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-26.
  10. ^ "Hawza - Advanced Islamic Studies". Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011.
  11. ^ Sreeram Chaulia. "Shiites and Democracy". Mideast Monitor. Archived from the original on 26 June 2008.
  12. ^ Mamouri, Ali (11 April 2018). "The dueling ayatollahs". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e "The Najaf School of Thought from an Outside Perspective". Entekhab News (in Persian). 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  14. ^ "History and Antiquity of the Najaf Seminary". hawzah.net. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  15. ^ "Statement from the Office of Grand Ayatollah Sistani Regarding His Meeting with Pope Francis". sistani.org. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  16. ^ "The Najaf Seminary: A Religious School with Over a Thousand Years of History". Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  17. ^ "Religious Schools and Seminaries". Official Website of the Imam Ali Shrine. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  18. ^ "Hawza - Advanced Islamic Studies". Archived from the original on 2011-03-08.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g Khoshkhu, Rasoul Imani (10 November 2016). "A Glimpse at the Major Shi'a Seminaries part 1". Ahlul Bayt World Assembly.
  20. ^ Ghobadzadeh, Naser (2015). Religious Secularity: A Theological Challenge to the Islamic State (Religion and Global Politics). Oxford University Press; 1 edition (December 1, 2014). ISBN 978-0199391172.
  21. ^ Litvak, Meir (2 May 2002). Shi'i Scholars of Nineteenth-Century Iraq: The 'Ulama' of Najaf and Karbala'. Cambridge University Press (May 2, 2002). ISBN 978-0521892964.
  22. ^ Hairi, A.; Murata, S. (1984). "AḴŪND ḴORĀSĀNĪ". Encyclopædia Irannica.
  23. ^ a b Mottahedeh, Roy (18 October 2014). The Mantle of the Prophet. Oneworld (August 15, 2000). ISBN 978-1851682348.
  24. ^ a b Who's who in Iraq: Ayatollah Sistani, 26 August, 2004
  25. ^ "The Wall Street Journal: Index, Volume 2". Dow Jones & Co., 1992. 1992.
  26. ^ Allawi, Ali A. (2007). The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace. Yale University Press; Reprint edition (March 18, 2008). p. 207. ISBN 978-0300136142. al-Khoei is lead rijal.
  27. ^ "Haeri Yazdi، Ayatollah Abdulkarim". Archived from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  28. ^ Mottahedeh, The Mantle of the Prophet, (1985, 2000), p.229
  29. ^ Sachedina, Abdulaziz Abdulhussein (8 October 1998). The Just Ruler in Shi'ite Islam: The Comprehensive Authority of the Jurist in Imamite Jurisprudence. Oxford University Press; Revised edition (October 8, 1998). ISBN 978-0195119152.
  30. ^ Arjomand, Saïd Amir (January 1988). Authority and Political Culture in Shi'ism (SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies). SUNY Press; Annotated edition (July 8, 1988). ISBN 978-0887066399.
  31. ^ Mottahedeh, Roy (18 October 2014). The Mantle of the Prophet. Oneworld (August 15, 2000). p. 210. ISBN 978-1851682348.
  32. ^ Esposito, John L. (21 October 2004). The Oxford Dictionary of Islam (Oxford Quick Reference). Oxford University Press; 1 edition (October 21, 2004). p. 21. ISBN 978-0195125597.
  33. ^ The course of Imam Khomeini's struggles narrated by SAVAK [Seir e mobarezat e imam khomeini be revayat e savak] (in Persian). Vol. 1. p. 45. and http://english.khamenei.ir/news/2130/bio
  34. ^ Mottahedeh, The Mantle of the Prophet, (1985, 2000), p.231
  35. ^ "Ayatollah Seyyed Hossein Borujerdi".
  36. ^ Chehabi, Abisaab, Houchang , Rula Jurdi (2006). Distant Relations: Iran and Lebanon in the Last 500 Years. I.B.Tauris (April 2, 2006). ISBN 978-1860645617.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ Biography of Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei by Amid Algar, University of California, Berkeley, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.
  38. ^ a b Legenhausen, Dr. Muhammad (19 February 2015). "'Allamah Tabataba'i And Contemporary Philosophical Theology". ALHODA PUBLISHERS.
  39. ^ Husayni Tihrani, Sayyid Muhammad Husayn (2011). Shining Sun. Islamic College for Advanced Studie; UK ed. edition (May 1, 2011). ISBN 978-1904063407.
  40. ^ Randall, Yafia Katherine (31 March 2016). Sufism and Jewish-Muslim Relations: The Derekh Avraham Order in Israel. Routledge; 1 edition (April 7, 2016). ISBN 978-1138914032.
  41. ^ Rizvi, Arsalan (11 August 2008). "Sayyid Sharafuddin al-Musawi".
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