Abu l-Hasan al-Isfahani

Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abu al-Hasan al-Musawi al-Isfahani (Arabic: أبوالحسن الموسوي الأصفهاني; 1861–November 4, 1946) was an Iranian-Iraqi Shia marja'.

Abu al-Hasan al-Isfahani
أبوالحسن الموسوي الأصفهاني
Personal
Born 1861
Died November 4, 1946 (aged 84–85)
Religion Islam
Jurisprudence Twelver Shia Islam
Muslim leader
Based in Najaf, Iraq
Period in office 1937–1946
Predecessor Muhammad Hossein Naini
Successor Hossein Borujerdi
Post Grand Ayatollah

al-Isfahani became the leading marja' of the Shia world after the death of Muhammad-Hussein al-Naini.

Biography

al-Isfahani was born in Madiseh to Sayyid Muhammad al-Isfahani, a renowned alim of Isfahan.

He passed his preliminary training in Nimarud School in Isfahan and traveled to Najaf in 1890. He joined the lessons of Akhund Khorasani, who soon recognized the talents of his disciple. al-Isfahani received his degree of Ijtihad from Khorasani. After the death of his contemporary scholar, Ayatollah Mirza Hussein Naini, he became as sole Marja' for most of Shia Muslims. Isfahani was banished to Iran for protecting Iraqi Muslims against colonial policies. Also, he had a strong position towards the incidents of the Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad.

al-Isfahani had a grandson named Musa al-Musawi who studied with him for 17 years, he is widely regarded as a deviant for attempting to write revisionist and modernist works on Islamic history, theology and jurisprudence today his works are widely condemned and he is declared to have been a blasphemer and apostate of Shia Islam

Works

In Fiqh, Wasila al-Naja which due to its comprehensive nature, has been elucidated by many Fuqaha including Ruhollah Khomeini.

Students

Death

He died in Kadhimiya in 1946.

See also