Mohammad Jawad al-Balaghi

Ayatollah Sheikh Muhammad-Jawad al-Balaghi al-Najafi (Arabic: محمد جواد البلاغي النجفي; 1865 – December 10, 1933) was an Iraqi Shia religious authority, author, poet, and polemicist.[1][2][3]

Ayatollah Sheikh
Muhammad-Jawad al-Balaghi
الشيخ محمد جواد البلاغي النجفي
Personal
Born1865 (1865)
Najaf, Baghdad Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
DiedDecember 10, 1933(1933-12-10) (aged 67–68)
Najaf, Kingdom of Iraq
Resting placeImam Ali Shrine
ReligionIslam
ParentSheikh Hassan al-Balaghi (father)
JurisprudenceTwelver Shia Islam

It is reported that besides his native Arabic language, al-Balaghi was also well-versed in English, Hebrew and Persian.[4]

He was a prominent student of Mirza Muhammad-Taqi al-Shirazi, supporting him throughout the Iraqi revolt of 1920; and Muhammad-Kadhim al-Khurasani.

Family

al-Balaghi was from the prominent religious al-Balaghi family. Their origins go back to the Rubeya clan of the tribal Arab Adnanite confederation. al-Balaghi's great ancestor, Sheikh Muhammad al-Balaghi immigrated to Karbala in 1457 to seek a religious education. The patriarch of the intellectual family was Sheikh Muhammad-Ali al-Balaghi who died in Karbala in 1592, who was a grand religious authority, and one of the disseminators of Usul al-Kafi. Later, Sheikh Muhammad-Ali's grandson, Sheikh Hassan al-Balaghi travelled to Najaf, and settled in 1693. al-Balaghi's lineage is as follows:[5][6][7][8]

Muḥammad-Jawād bin Ḥassan bin Ṭalib bin ʿAbbās bin Ibrahīm bin Ḥusayn bin ʿAbbās II bin Ḥassan bin ʿAbbās I bin Muḥammad-ʿAli bin Ḥassan bin Muḥammad bin Balāgh bin Walī-Allāh bin Darwīsh [leading to] Asad bin Rabīʿa bin Nizar bin Maʿad bin ʿAdnan.

Early life and education

al-Balaghi was born to Sheikh Hassan al-Balaghi (d. 1882) in November 1865. He grew up in Najaf, and moved to Kadhimiya in 1888 to pursue a religious education.[4]

Education

Upon completing his muqadamat (introductory studies), he returned to Najaf in 1894. Whilst in Najaf he studied under scholars like Sheikh Muhammad-Kadhim al-Khurasani, Sheikh Muhammad-Taha Najaf, Sayyid Muhammad al-Hindi, and Muhammad-Hassan al-Mamaqani. He then travelled to Samarra in 1908, to study under Mirza Muhammad-Taqi al-Shirazi. He remained in Samarra for ten years studying in its seminary.[3]

During the siege of Kut, Mirza Taqi travelled to Kadhimiya, who feared that Samarra could end up like Kut, and that way many from the religious sphere would die. al-Balaghi followed Mirza Taqi, and remained in Kadhimiya for two years. He then returned to Najaf in 1920 after his mentor was poisoned.[2]

Students

Some of al-Balaghi's most notable students included:

Works

al-Balaghi enjoyed a library of publications, and wrote about many things include jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, Quranic exegesis, inter-faith matters. Some of his books included:[3][7]

  • al-Huda Ala Din al-Mustafa (Guidance on the religion of al-Mustafa). 2 volumes. A response to the Christian Ethiopian hermit Abd al-Thaluth al-Habashi.
  • al-Rihla al-Madrasiyah (The School Journey). 3 volumes. A critique of other faiths.
  • Anwar al-Huda (The Light of Guidance). A deconstruction of atheism.
  • Nasa'ih al-Huda (Advice of Guidance). A deconstruction of Bábism.
  • Risalat al-Tawhid wal-Tathleeth (Letter of Oneness and Threeness)
  • A'jeeb al-Akatheeb (Wonders of Lies)
  • Ajiwabat al-Masa'il al-Baghdadiya (Answers to Baghdadi Questions). A book of principles of jurisprudence.
  • al-Balagh al-Mubeen (The True Eloquence). A book of mysticism.
  • Alaa' al Rahman Fi Tafsir al-Quran (The Mercifuls Wonders in the Exegesis of the Quran). A book of Quranic exegesis.

Personal life

al-Balaghi married the daughter of Sayyid Musa al-Jazayeri al-Kadhimi in 1889, whilst he was in Kadhimiya. He only had daughters, and no sons.[9]

Death

He died in the early hours of Friday December 3, 1933. He is buried in the third southern room of the west wing of the courtyard of the Imam Ali Shrine.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Allamah Shaykh Muhammad Jawad Balaghi Najafi || Imam Reza (A.S.) Network". www.imamreza.net. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  2. al-Tehrani, Agha Buzurg (2009). Tabaqat A'lam al-Shia; Nuqaba al-Bashar Fi al-Qarn al-Rabi' 'Ashar [Levels of the Notables of the Shia (14th Century)]. Vol. 13. Cairo, Egypt: Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-Arabi. pp. 323–26.
  3. al-Hasun, Muhammad (2009). al-Alama al-Balaghi: Rajul al-Ilm wal-Jihad [al-Balaghi Scholar: Man of Knowledge and Religious Strive] (in Arabic). Beirut, Lebanon: Manshoorat al-Rafid.
  4. "BALĀḠĪ, MOḤAMMAD-JAWĀD – Encyclopaedia Iranica". www.iranicaonline.org. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  5. al-Balaghi, Dr. Sanad (2016). Safha Min Tarikh al-Najaf: Muhammad-Ali al-Balaghi [A Page from the History of Najaf: Muhammad-Ali al-Balaghi] (in Arabic). Vol. 1. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Rafidain. p. 102.
  6. al-Hilfi, Kathim. I'rif Nasabak [Know Your Ancestry] (in Arabic).
  7. "Brief History of al-Balaghi". Al-Balaghi. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  8. al-Mahbooba, Jafar (1986). Madhi al-Najaf Wa Hadhiriha [History of Najaf and its Present] (in Arabic). Vol. 2. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Adhwa'. p. 58.
  9. al-Balaghi, Dr. Sanad (2016). Safha Min Tarikh al-Najaf: Muhammad-Ali al-Balaghi [A Page from the History of Najaf: Muhammad-Ali al-Balaghi] (in Arabic). Vol. 1. Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Rafidain. p. 554.

Further reading
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