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]
Muhammad-Jawad al-Balaghi | |
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الشيخ محمد جواد البلاغي النجفي | |
Personal | |
Born | 1865 |
Died | December 10, 1933 | (aged 67–68)
Resting place | Imam Ali Shrine |
Religion | Islam |
Parent | Sheikh Hassan al-Balaghi (father) |
Jurisprudence | Twelver 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.
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.
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]
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]
Some of al-Balaghi's most notable students included:
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-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]
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]
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