Basheer Hussain Najafi

Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Basheer Hussain Najafi is a Pakistani Twelver Shia Marja' who holds the rank of one of the Four Grand Ayatollahs of Najaf, Iraq. Born in 1942, he serves as a prominent theologian and writer within the Shia Islamic community.

Early life and education

He was born in Jalandhar, which was then a city in British India. Following the partition of British India into the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan in 1947, his family migrated to Pakistan. They settled in Lahore, though some reports indicate the family also resided in Gujranwala, Punjab. In Gujranwala, he received his initial religious education.

He later undertook his basic religious studies at Jamia tul Muntazar, a religious school located in Lahore. After he completed these basic studies in 1965, he moved to Najaf-e-Ashraf in Iraq to pursue higher Islamic education. This move allowed him to advance his religious knowledge through intensive study and teaching.

Career

Najafi is one of the few Pakistanis to reach the rank of Grand Ayatollah in Shia Islam. He was one year senior to Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. In Najaf, he engaged in Dars and Tadrees, which refers to the processes of studying and teaching. He is now widely considered a Marjah of the Shia world and continues the routine of Dars-e-Kharij.

His leadership involves several large-scale religious and infrastructure projects within the Hawzah Najaf al Ilmiya. He reconstructed numerous madaris that were previously demolished by Saddam, including Madrassa Al Mahdi and Madrassa Yazdi. He also rebuilt Jamia tul Najaf, which is known as madrassa Jamia Qalantar. Other completed works include the reconstruction of Madrassa Abdul Aziz Al Baghdadi and Madrassa Imam Ali.

He is currently working on several ongoing projects to serve the community. These include the construction of a Madrassa for male students and a Madrassa for female students. He has also purchased land near the baab ul qibla of the Imam Ali shrine for the construction of the Imam Ali hospital. This facility aims to provide free medical treatment to students and pilgrims.

Another major undertaking is the Najaf colony, Madina tul Ilm, which seeks to provide housing for students. He obtained government permission to construct 1000 quarters to address accommodation problems faced by those studying in the Hawsa. Additionally, he works to establish madrassas and mosques across South Asia to support the ulema.

As a scholar, he has authored many religious texts. His published works include Al-Deen Al-Qayim, which consists of three volumes and has been translated into English, Urdu, and Gujarati. He also wrote Laws of Hajj and Guidance for the Youth. Some of his other writings, such as Explaining the features of Usool, remain in handwritten form.

In 2016, he was pictured with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis during a briefing on operations in the Third Battle of Fallujah. During this period, he reportedly praised the successes of Iraqi forces against the Islamic State. He stated that all of Iraq must be cleansed from Daesh terrorists. He also emphasized that security forces and popular mobilization are the pride of the clergy.

On 6 January 1999, Najafi was attacked by a group of armed men while he was performing religious duties. It is reported that the attackers were members of Fedayeen Saddam. The attack involved the use of a hand grenade and resulted in the death of three persons. Several members of the seminary were injured during the incident, including the Grand Ayatollah himself.

Personal life

He comes from a family with a religious background. He has three brothers and one sister. His oldest brother, Sheik Maulana Manzoor Hussain Abidi, was a scholar in Lahore who died on 29 June 2014. This brother managed a main office located in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The Grand Ayatollah's son, Sheikh Ali Najafi, serves as the head of his office.