AYATULLAH KHOEI

(15 Rajab 1317 H. / November 19, 1899 A. D - 8 Safar 1412 A.H./August 8, 1992)

Seyyid Abulqasim Musawi Khoei was born in Azerbaijan, Iran and passed away in Najaf, Iraq. Educated in the established traditional way of Shi'a Theology by well known jurists, he joined the world-renown theological institution in the holy city of Najaf in 1912, the year he migrated fromIran.
He eventually attained the rank of Ayatollah and was subsequently made a marja. Khoei would continue to live in Najaf, becoming a teacher for the remainder of his life, and overseeing the studies of scholars who would be qualified to issue fatwas based on Shi'a theology.
He taught in Najaf for over 70 years. For 50 years, he specialized in supervising post-graduate studies, most advanced among which is 'Bahth-al-Kharij' (Graduation Classes - equivalent to a Doctoral thesis). Successful candidates are qualified to practice 'Ijtihad'.
He is considered as the architect of a distinct school of thought in the principles of jurisprudence and Islamic law, and one of the leading exponents of 'kalam'(scholastic theology) and 'rijal'(study of the biographies of transmitters of hadiths), the Prophetic traditions, 'fiqh'(jurisprudence) and 'tafsir'(exegesis of The Holy Qur'an). His interests included astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy.
His post-graduate institute normally accommodated some 150 students, at any given time. Among the students who attended classes and were personally supervised by Imam Khoei included: Sayyid Mohammad Baqir Sadr, Mahdi Hakim; Mohammad Mahdi Shamsuddin ( Lebanon), Imam Mousa Sadr ( Lebanon),Sayyid Mohammad Husain Fadhlallah ( Lebanon ), Mohammad Rohani ( Iran),Ardabili, former Chief Justice of Iran , Mohammad Ali Makki (Syria), Mohammad Ali Bahrul 'Ulum (UK), Poet Mustafa Jamaluddin ( Syria ).

His works:

He was a prolific writer in the aforesaid disciplines. He wrote 37 books and treatises, most of which have been published. His works include:

Lectures in the Principles of Jurisprudence - 10 volumes
Biographies of Narrators of Tradition - 24 volumes
Islamic Law - 18 volumes
Al-Bayan fi tafsir al-Qur'an ( The Elucidation of the Exegesis of The Qur'an)
Minhaju al Saliheen (The Path of the Righteous) - 2 volumes, reprinted 78 times ( guide book on religious practice and law )
Anthology of Religious Questions - Concise version of the Path of the Righteous - in Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, English, Turkish, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, and Gujarati
Mabani al-Istinbat ( Edifices of Deduction) Principles of Jurisprudence
Ajwad-at-Taqrirat (The Best of Regulations) Principles of Jurisprudence
Sharh-el-Urwatul-Wuthqa (Commentary on The Steadfast Handle) – Jurisprudence
Treatise on Suspected Attire - Risala fil Libas Al-Mashkok, Evidential Jurisprudence
Nafahat-ul Ijaz ( the Fragrance of Miracles ), in defence of The Noble Qur'an

Institutions for Muslims worldwide:

He was fervently dedicated to establishing welfare, social, cultural, and educational institutions for Muslims worldwide. The following are some of the institutions he established:Al-Akhund
Darul Hikmah (House of Theosophy)
Madinatul Ilm (City ofKnowledge) in Qom, Iran, considered one of the biggest theology centers in the Shi'a world. The complex comprises the school building and living quarters capable of accommodating 500 families.
As-Sayyid Al-Khoei Center in Bangkok, Thailand
As-Sayyid Al-Khoei Center in Dhakkah, Bangladesh
Ahlul-Bayt University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Ayatullah -Khoei Orphanage Beirut, Lebanon
Imam As-Sadiq Education Institute for Boys, London, U.K.
Imam As-Sadiq Education Institute for Girls, London, U.K.
Al-Iman School, New York, U.S.A.
Publishing House - Translation, printing and distribution of books worldwide, Karachi, Pakistan
Cultural Complex, Bombay, India. Considered among the biggest Shi'ite Muslims cultural centre-under construction

He was also the patron of about 1,000 grant-maintained students of theology from Iraq and other countries like Lebanon, Syria, Gulf States, India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South East Asia. He provided financial support for maintaining the schools including boarding expenses, teachers' salaries, and lodging costs.