Sayyid Abu al-Qasim Mousawi Khoei

Sayyid Abu al-Qasim Mousawi Khoei

Ayatollah Khoei (b. Rajab 15, 1317/November 19, 1899 - d. Safar 8, 1413/August 8, 1992) was an influential religious authority of Shi'a, scholar of rijal and the author of 23-volume set of M`ujam Rijal al-Hadith

Name

The Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abu al-Qasim Mousawi Khoei

Birth

Rajab 51th, 7131 AH /0091 AD in Khoy, Iran

His profile

After learning the recitation of the Holy Quran and also learning how to read and write, Sayyid Abu al-Qasim Khoei set out for Najaf, Iraq in companion with his family )parents( when he was thirteen and studied the Islamic knowledge and sciences under the prominent figures of Najaf Islamic Seminary. Even from his childhood he was famous for his intelligence, retentive memory and talent among his peers. He excelled in his education. Alongside his education Ayatollah Khoei used to teach as well so that every level of the education he received, he taught the books of its previous level.

During his fruitful lifetime Ayatollah Khoei was busy with teaching the intermediate and high-level seminary courses for some seventy years. It was almost 05 years that he had been holding the most prominent and most fruitful teaching sessions midst Najaf Islamic seminary, so that thousands of the scholars and the learned men from different Islamic countries ranging from India, Afghanistan, and Iran to Iraq, Arabia and Lebanon have been educated and trained by his teachings.

Ayatollah Khoei never had spare and idle time. His whole day and night was spent for teaching, researching, compiling, worshipping )saying prayers(, reciting the Holy Quran, replying the religious questions, meeting the people, performing congregational prayers and ziarat.

Modesty, modest life style, avoiding the luxury and welfare, assisting the needy, helping the helpless, and being bound to attend Imam Ali's shrine regularly for praying, were some of his distinct characteristics.

When the significant revolution of the Muslim nation of Iran under the leadership of Imam Khomeini against the Shah's regime started, accompanying other honorable authorities and Islamic scholars, Ayatollah Khoei played his role to enhance the Islamic movement of the Iranian nation, by issuing communiquقs sending messages and telegrams. His attempts that have been started from 3691/1431 manifest his deep thinking.

Works

Ayatollah Khoei was a voluminous compiler; the following is some of his writings:

- Al-Tanqih on jurisprudence, in 8 volumes

- Mustanad al-`Urwat al-Wuthqa in 5 volumes

- Fiqh al-Shi`ah in 5 volumes

- Minhaj al-Salihin in 2 volumes

- Misbah al-Fiqahah in 3 volumes

- Misbah al-Usoul in 2 volumes

- Al-Bayan fi tafsir al-Qur'an )on Quranic sciences( in 2 volumes

- Mu`jam Rijal al-Hadith in 32 volumes

- The Exposition of the Seminary lectures delivered by Ayatollah Na'ini in 2 volumes

Demise

Ayatollah Khoei died in 2991/3141 and was buried in al-Khadra Mosque in Najaf, Iraq.