Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi
Muhammad-Taqi al-Husayni al-Modarresi is an Iraqi-Iranian Shia marja' and political theorist.
al-Modarresi is the author of over 400 books on matters of theology, historiography, jurisprudence, philosophy, logic, and social science. The Anglican Center in Rome has stated that "Grand Ayatollah al-Modarresi is probably the second most senior Shia cleric after al-Sistani. His call for peace & human dignity is v significant."
Biography
Family
al-Modarresi was born into a distinguished Shia religious family in Karbala in Iraq. His father is Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad-Kadhim al-Modarresi, the grandson of grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad-Baqir Golpayegani. His mother is the daughter of grand Ayatollah Sayyid Mahdi al-Shirazi. He claims descent from Zayd ibn Ali, the great-great-grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.Early life
al-Modarresi began his religious education in the religious seminaries of Karbala, at the young age of 8. He studied under some of Karbala's most senior scholars such as Shaykh Muhammad al-Karbassi, Shaykh Jafar al-Rushti, Shaykh Yusuf al-Khurasani and his uncle, Sayyid Muhammad al-Shirazi. Due to the rising pressures of the Bathists anti-Shia sentiment, al-Modarresi emigrated to Kuwait in 1971. He settled there until 1979, after which he moved to Iran after the Islamic Revolution.Activism
The Risali Movement
In 1967, under the jurisprudential guidance of Muhammad al-Shirazi, al-Modarresi established a religious activist group, known as the Risali Movement. The word risali was inspired by the Quranic verse: " those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him and do not fear anyone but Allah. And sufficient is Allah as Accountant." .Before the Iranian revolution, the group remained a secret organisation, working on raising religious awareness, however, after the revolution, in 1979, it went public, calling for Islamism in the region, with different aliases across various countries. In Iraq, it was known as the Islamic Action Organisation. In Saudi Arabia, it was known as the Islamic Revolution of the Arabian Peninsula. In Bahrain, it was known as the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain and headed by his brother Hadi. But all these groups were identified as the risalis in the Islamic world.
The movement inspired some Sunni activists to support the movement in their writings, this included Dr. Ahmed al-Abyadh of the Renaissance Organisation in Tunisia and various activists from Morocco.
Despite the risali term being used in Iraq, it really resonated with many activist groups across the Islamic world, transcending differences and any sectarianism that existed in the region.
Many books were issued to propagate the Risali Movement, some of the ones al-Modarresi wrote included:
- Fi Suluk al-Risali
- Kayfa Nunami al-Fi'at al-Risaliya
- al-Masjid Muntalaq al-Thawra al-Risaliya
- Khalaya al-Muqawama al-Risaliya
- Tajarob Risaliya
'An al-I'lam Wa al-Thaqafa al-Risaliya - al-Sha'b al-Iraqi Wa Mas'uliyatahu al-Risaliya
- al-Mar'a Bayna Maham al Hayat Wa Mas'uliyat al-Risala
- Fatima al-Zahra Ra'idat al-Thawra al-Risaliya
Return to Iraq and role
Arrest by Coalition forces
With the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by American-led forces in 2003, al-Modarresi along with other Iran-based clerics returned to Iraq. On his return to Iraq on 22 April 2003, al-Modarresi was arrested along with his entourage by US military personnel. He was released after being brought to an undisclosed location.Iraqi politics
The Islamic Action Organization became an Iraqi Shia Islamist political party with al-Modaressi as its leader. The party contested the Iraq 2005 general election as was part of the National Iraqi Alliance of Shia Islamist parties including SCIRI, the Islamic Dawa Party and the Iraqi National Congress. In 2006, the Islamic Action Organization had one minister in government, State Minister for Civil Society Affairs, Adil al-Asadi.In an interview with PBS in 2004 al-Modarresi affirmed his commitment to a democratically elected government for the new Iraq, stating that he had derived this from "the true interpretation of Islam.. which says, "Religion shall not be imposed... Reason emerges from the unknown." He also stated that he had traveled to Europe and America, and that he believed "democracy would solve many of the problems" in the Middle East.
Call against ISIS
al-Modarresi was the first Shia religious leader to issue a call to popular resistance against ISIS, after its swift capture of large swathes of land in Iraq in June 2014. In his statement, al-Modarresi warned against the destruction of churches and temples belonging to all religions.COVID-19
al-Modarresi made an official statement regarding the COVID-19 strain, saying that the people of Iraq should self-isolate, and utilise the month of Rajab, by performing the recommended prayers and supplications at home. He also stated that Muslim community needs to increase its faith in God, so that He may protect us from all evil. al-Modarresi also called for the Iraqi government to take up all measures to face this new viral strain, which threatens the lives of many today. He added, the Iraqi people are always willing to stand by its government and provide aid, as is seen in the Arbaeen pilgrimage.International stage
Bahrain 2002
al-Modaressi traveled to Bahrain in 2002 on an official visit, at the invitation of the Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs, Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa.Vatican 2014
In December 2014, al-Modarresi was invited by the Pope to attend a summit of world religious leaders at the Vatican. This made him the first Grand Ayatollah to have met the Pope. In his speech, al-Modarresi asked world religious leaders to "engage in a symbiosis of civilizations and religions". He condemned terrorism, nuclear proliferation, modern day slavery and said:"At its core, divine religion is one, but failure to understand religion has divided human beings and created barriers between us.. We must exert extra effort to tear down those barriers and join religions under the umbrella of a common term.. We have a calling to love one another.. to protect the environment, to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and to end slavery in all its forms.".
Australia 2016
In 2016 he went to Australia, where he met community leaders as well as the Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. The two discussed Iraq, the war on terrorism, as well as how Muslims can be better integrated into the Australian community.Established institutions
- al-Qaim Seminary - established by al-Modarresi in 1980, in Mamazand, Tehran. The seminary was split into two buildings. The first building was previously a women's society building in the time of the Shah. It then became a seminary for the ladies, and accommodation for married students. The second building was one of Princess Farah's palaces. The building had three floors, which later, was split into departments for teaching and research as well as more accommodation. There is also a large theatre hall outside the buildings, with tiered seating, used for lectures, plays, and functions for religious events. Near the theatre hall there is a large kitchen, where food is made and prepared. The seminary's library stands to the right of its entrance. As for the land surrounding the seminary, it is filled with vegetation, as well as space for the students to roam around and perform in different sports. In its peak, the seminary contained students from 18 different countries. The main lessons taught included: - Jurisprudence: al-Masa'il al-Islamiyya by Muhammad al-Shirazi, Fiqh Imam al-Sadiq by Muhammad-Jawad Mughniyah, al-Lum'a al-Dimashqiyya by Shahid al-Awwal, al-Makasib by Shaykh al-Ansari, Mustamsak al-Urwa by Muhsin al-Hakim. - Foundations: Mabadi' al-Usul by al-Fadhli, Usul al-Fiqh by Shaykh al-Muthafar, al-Rasa'il by Shaykh al-Ansari, al-Kifaya by Akhund Khorasani. - Logic: Mantiq by al-Modarresi, al-Khilasa by al-Fadhli, Mantiq by Shaykh al-Muthafar. - Arabic Grammar: Al-Ajurrumiyya by Muhammad al-Adjurum, al-Minhaj by Imam al-Nawawi, al-Qawa'id by Imad Ali Juma, Qatr al-Nida by Ibn Hisham Al-Ansari, Jami' al-Durus al-Arabiyya by Mustafa al-Ghalayini, Sharh Ibn Aqeel by Abdullah al-Aqili, Mughni al-Labib by Ibn Hisham Al-Ansari. After the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the Iranian intelligence, headed by Mohammad Reyshahri, began to get involved in the seminary and it's syllabus. It began with introducing a mandatory Farsi class of 2.5 hours a day. This then was followed by the introduction of a few other lessons like al-A'immah al-Ithna Ashar by Adil al-Adib. In 1990, the seminary was stormed by 10 armed Iranian soldiers, and they began to arrest whoever was in front of them. However, when they noticed that all of those inside were either in black or white turbans, and since it was close to Dhuhr, they were preparing for prayer, the soldiers were surprised. So they told one of the senior teachers; "We're confused, we were told to break into this seminary because it was infested with Munafeqi Khalq, not religious people like yourselves." The soldiers then left that evening. A few days later, the seminary was stormed again, under the command of Shaykh Safarian this time. He ordered everyone to leave the seminary immediately. Nimr al-Nimr protested Safarian's command, and said that they will not move until al-Modarresi is phoned and informed of what was happening. When the news reached al-Modarresi, he ordered that nobody leave, unless an official order is issued by Khamenei's office. It got rather heated between Nimr and Safarian, until the official order from Khamenei's office came in. However it was in Farsi, to which Nimr protested again, and requested it be in Arabic. After much frustration, the Arabic order came in, ordering the vacant possession of the seminary, and that was the last of the seminary.
- Al-Jaafaria Shia Islamic Centre - established in 1991, in Kogarah, Sydney.
- al-Qaim School - established in 1995, in Sayyidah Zaynab, Damascus.
- al-Husayniya al-Zaynabiya''' - established in 2002, in Gonbad Sabz, Mashhad.