Muhammad Hossein Naini

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Muhammad Hossein Naini Qaravi

Personal Details

Title Mirza

Born May 25, 1860

Nain, Isfahan, Iran

Died 1936

Najaf, Iraq

Cause of death Old age

Resting place Najaf, Imam Ali Mosque

Other names Mirza Muhammad Hossein Naini

Nationality Iranian

Region Twelver Shia

Religion Islam

Main interest(s) Islamic philosophy, Usul al-fiqh

Notable work(s) Dubios Habit

Vassilat'un Nijat

Ressalat la Zarar

Disciple of Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei

Muhsin al-Hakim

Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i

 Mohammad Hussein Naini Qaravi (Persian: ) was Iranian Twelver Shia Marja'.
His father Mirza Abdol Rahim and grandfather Haji Mirza Saeed, both one were Sheikhs of Nain and
Mohammad Hussein proved himself the most competent student of Ayatollah Kazem Khorasani.
Ayatollah Naini is considered to be the most famous theoretician of Irans Constitutional Revolution.
He died in 1936 and was buried next to shrine of Imam Ali in Iraq. Among his works, notable
references are his Dubios Habit, Vassilat'un Nijat, and Ressalat la Zarar. 50th death anniversary of
Ayatollah Mirza Mohammed Hussein Naini was memorialized by issue of Stamps Tickets, in Iran, in
1987.[1]

Contents
[hide]

1Biography

2Teaching and politics

o 2.1Bridge between religion and modern science

o 2.2Pupils

o 2.3Rationality claims merit not the relation

o 2.4Naini as a politician

3Works

4Exile

5See also

6References

Biography[edit]
Mirza Muhammad Hossein Naini was born to a respected and religious family of Nain on 25 May
1860 [2] ( 15 Dzulqadah 1276 Lunar Hijrah [3]). His father Mirza Abdol Rahim and grandfather Haji
Mirza Saeed, both one after another were Sheikhs of Nain. Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Naini,
who is better known as Mirza Naini, did his primary studies in Nain and then in 1877 when he was
17 years old, moved to Isfahan. Here he lived with Haji Shaikh Muhammad Baqir Isfahani for seven
years. The latter belonged to a distinguished clerical family of Isfahan and was himself the most
powerful Mujtahid of that city.[4] After completing basic education he moved to Najaf, Iraq, to achieve
the degree of Ijtihad. He proved himself the most competent student of Ayatollah Kazem
Khorasani [5] Ayatollah Naini is considered to be the most famous theoretician of Irans Constitutional
Revolution.

Teaching and politics[edit]

Bridge between religion and modern science[edit]
Colonialists of last two centuries invented the theory of separation of politics from religion and rivalry
between the old and the new sciences in order to create a gulf between these two systems. They not
only divided the language of religion from language of modern science, culture and philosophy, but
also developed a big difference between the two with the result that conciliation between these two
languages becomes difficult. That is why whenever an anyone of those religious minded people who
had been to Europe and were conversant with modern civilization and culture, tried to defend and
transmit whatever of religion was left to him, he in most cases presented religion in an ambiguous
form which materialized to be incompatible with modern civilization and modern sciences. Realizing
the situation, many of scholars, especially during the last 100 years have tried to bridge this gulf and
to introduce modern science and civilization in a perspective compatible with the broad and
progressive outlook of Islam and free from all misconception and misrepresentation. Mirza Naini is
considered to be the most influential authority by introducing his revolutionary approaches to combat
the gap between religion and modernity. The integrity of his students in the religious and modern
world is the criteria for constructive critic and appreciation.[6][7]
Pupils[edit]
Names of the some students benefited from the teaching of Mirza Naini, includes the
following scholars and clerics of their time:

1. Sheikh Mohammad Ali Kazemi Khorassani

2. Seyyed Mohsen Tabatabai Hakim.[8]

3. Grand Ayotollah Khoei.[9]

4. Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabai

5. Grand Ayatollah Taqi Bahjat

6. Sayyed Hadi Milani

7. Sayyed Jamal Al din Golpayegani

8. Sheikh Muhammad Ali Kazemini

9. Sheikh Mousa Khansari[10]

Rationality claims merit not the relation[edit]
Among the modern Usuliyan Shia scholars Mirza Naini is regarded as one of the founders of
modern principles of jurisprudence. Intellectual development in term of social progress of
science can be observed between Mirza Naini and his reverenced Master Ayatollah Kazem
Khorasani, which establishes the fact that difference of opinion is not the cause of hostilities
the very basis of battle is ignorance. His master represents Sadrian Islamic thought.
Defending principles of "Sadrian philosophy", with his full support to Sadrian view in the
interpretation of causality and its relation to freedom. On the other side, his intelligent pupil
(Mirza Naini) was one of the strong critics of Sadrian view. In a new way and method, he
criticized the Sadrian philosophical thought and presented a new viewpoint on the relation
between causality and human freedom.[11]
Naini as a politician[edit]
Ayatollah Naini was active both in Irans Constitutional Revolution and in Iraqi Politics. As a
politician his principal view with regard to form of government is very clear. He suggested
the form of government by an infallible ruler fully responsible to the will of God, which might
be alble to safefguard the interests of people. Such type of ruling is not possible in the era of
major occultation of Imam Mahdi. Therefore, efforts should be made to arrange the ruling of
just and honest men with duty to control the government, directly responsible to the will of
God through Imam Mahdi. He further argued that in such a situation it is the known fact that
access to leaders with such respected characteristics becomes unquestionable and people
usually have no say over such matters, it is thus obligatory to observe the following two
principles:
1. To implement law
2. To appoint wise men as "supervisors"
Obviously these were the possible steps for removal of huge gap between the existing
situation and the desired goals of forming progressive government for the betterment of
people.[12][13]

Works[edit]
Mirza Naini being an expert on Usul al Fiqh was the first human being in the history of
Iran to construe the idea of religious dictatorship. Naini stressed the concept of Aql
(dialectic reasoning) and believed that Islam was compatible with progress. He also
argued that the most intolerable form of autocracy is the tyranny imposed by a religious
state. He had written a book Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih Al-Milla (the awakening of the
community and refinement of the nations) which was translated into Arabic by Salih
Kashi al Gheta and published in 1909 by the Institute of Strategic Studies in Baghdad.
His book mainly relates to theory of constitutional revolution with his deliberations on the
major topics of Ignorance and Despotism. In his book, he discussed interalia, the view
that freedom of the pen and speech both are God given freedom necessary for
liberation from despotism (taghut). Elaborating his view and in replying to opponents
of Constitutionalism he pointed out that Islamic Law has two distinct categories: the
primary laws are based on theQuran and other known Islamic principles, were
unchangeable. The secondary laws, in contrast, were subject to change, depending on
temporal and spatial circumstances, making them the proper sphere for legislation. [14][15]

Exile[edit]
At [16] the beginning of World War-I, the Shiite Scholars and clerics of Iraq were not the
supporter of allied powers, however, they entered the scene and declared holy war
against the Central power. Consequently Mirza Naini was exiled with Abul Hassan
Isfahani to Iran. They were welcome and received by Abdul-Karim Ha'eri Yazdi, the then
head of Feizieh religious school. However, after a short stay Naini was allowed for his
return to Iraq with advice not to be involved in politics.

See also[edit]
Iranian Constitutional Revolution

Intellectual movements in Iran

Mohammad-Kazem Khorasani

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ http://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/463006-
Mirza_Mohammed_Hossein_Naini_1860-1936-
50th_death_of_Ayatollah_Mirza_Mohammed_Hossein_Naini-Iran retrieved: 2014-10-07

2. Jump up^ http://www.geni.com/people/Mirza-Mohammad-Hosein-Naini-

Gharawi/6000000013028128763 Retrieved: 2014-10-08

3. Jump up^ "Birth of Ayatollah Mirza Hossein Naini". 2014-09-11. Retrieved 2014-10-06.

4. Jump up^ Shiism and Constitutionalism in Iran ( A study of the Role played by the
Persian Residents of Iraq in Iranian Politics) By Abdul Hadi Hairi - by E.J. Brill Leiden,
Netherlands 1977, Printed in Belgium ISBN 90 04 04900 2

5. Jump up^ Comparative Study Thesis Umma Lalan and Tanbih Al Umma Mirza Naini, by
Amir Pourzaman - Rahim Vakilzadeh, Journal of Political & Social Sciences. Vol., 1 (1),
1-5, 2014 (ISSN 2148-51272014) Available online at http://www.jpssjournal.com

6. Jump up^ "Foreword to Ayatullah's Last Lectures". Dr. Sayyid Jamal Musavi.
Retrieved2014-10-07.

7. Jump up^ "Causality and Freedom". By: Mohsen Araki. Retrieved 2014-10-07.

8. Jump up^ "Imam Abul Qasim al-Khoei". Arsalan Rizvi. 2008-08-24. Retrieved 2014-10-
07.

9. Jump up^ "Imam Abul Qasim al-Khoei". By: Arsalan Rizvi. 2008-11-16. Retrieved 2014-
10-07.

10. Jump up^ Interview with Hajj Mehdi Qaravi, Hawzeh Magazine, num:76-77, p.407.
1375 solar

11. Jump up^ http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/vol17-no2-spring-2003/causality-and-

freedom-ayatullah-mohsen-araki/abstract Retrieved: 2014-10-08

12. Jump up^ Book: Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih al-Millah by Mirza Muhammad Husayn
Naini

13. Jump up^ Extracted from: "A Review of Imam Khumayni's Political Thought". By: Kazim
Qadizadeh and Mahdi Chamanzar. Retrieved 2014-10-07.

14. Jump up^ "Wilayat al Faqih & Despotism". Ataollah Mohajerani. 2009-07-22.
Retrieved2014-10-06.

15. Jump up^ p.70-71 God and Juggernaut by Farzin Vahdat, Syracuse University Press
New York, 2002

16. Jump up^ "Mohammad Hussein Naini". Tahereh Shokuhi. Retrieved 2014-10-06.