In the name of the Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate

The global role in Najaf and the religious authorities(1)

  Sabrina Marvin [(2)], the French researcher, conducted a comprehensive interview with his eminence Al-Yaqoobi. The meeting included several directions about: the leadership of Shia community’s responsibilities, its role in the life of the nation and about the Hawza in Najaf and Qum. His eminence referred that to one of his works and speeches that answer many questions like “The Roles of Imams in Islamic Life” and in the introduction of a practical message “Ways of Peace”. Those works and speeches let us know the role of the religious authority that is the extension of Imams in the nation’s life. The second book called “Alryadhyat llfkih” and “Future Milestones for the Holy Hawza”. By those books, they lead us to know the renewal development milestones in the scientific Hawza and practical strides that done in reality  by Allah, blessed be his name.

          In consolidation by its busyness in studying Imam Hussain ceremonies in term of humanitarian and Anthropological aspects, his eminence made his interests in those trend of studies and he urges to get people have benefit from this science. He mentioned an example to deal with the deprecated imams on a single common platform of this science which he mentioned in his lectures [(3)] about fighting against AIDS which sat up at the same period of time to show it up on the next day on the occasion of World Aids Day.

          His eminence answered her question during the interview about the difference between the traditional Hawza and the modernized schools that their principles are one and both based on Quran and Sunna that all of them study the same sciences. The two schools have different visions on life, future responsibilities and their roles in nations. The traditional Hawza sees that its function limited to researches, teaching and get the legitimate rights and spend it on their resources and writing the scientific practical messages.

          ‘Hawza Speaking Movement’ has a message, seclusion and viable, according to leaders of this school that gave it different names and titles, the school sees that its responsibilities are wider than that which explained in the introduction of the practical message “Ways of Peace”. The school provides a magnificent importance for the religious scholar because they see him worthwhile because of the qualifications that he has and the ability of putting the suitable mechanism for managing the affairs of the country.

          As results of different visions and responsibilities that the potentiality to address the nation, the diversity of speech is different between the two schools. Whilst the traditional scientific Hawza is limited to the purely scientific language, the Movement school adds the solidity of idea in scientific matters, the common speeches, its comprehensiveness and its absorption when it deals about public issues and that is obvious because the diversity of the Movement school’s scholars and their publications, plus, traditional school limited on the circulating sciences of Al- Hawza.

           His eminence, talked about the political role for the spiritual leadership and his limitation in accordance with the divine functions and he mentions examples of deprecate imams (peace be up on them). He talked about the differences between Najaf and Qum schools and the way of getting and accessing the position of the religious authority, if it can be properly be so called, by natural selection.

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         [1] An article that appeared in issue No. (112) from Alsadqeen newspaper.

          [2] An interview that dated in the 2^nd of Muharam/1433 on November 28^th.2011. Dr. Salah Mahdi Al-Fardosi escorted a French orientalist specialized in the modern history and she lived in Lebanon many years. She closely met with her religious scholarships and she searched for Shia and Shiism in the modern history. She also searched for the Reformist Movement in Jabal Amel that done in the late of Ottoman era to the independence of Lebanon. The study printed in a book and then translated. Her interest now is to search about the religious authority and the scientific Hawza. Nevertheless, she is working on studying imam Hussein ceremonies from the humanitarian and anthropological sides. She got benefits from this interview that happened with his eminence in her lectures that took place in a conference in France which was sponsored by UNESCO organization and Sorbonne University early 2012. The conference was about geopolitical aspect of Najaf on the occasion choosing Najaf as an Islamic cultural-capital. During the conference¸ Academic senior researchers highlighted detailed information and of the seniors were a dean of Syrian University that he presented a research about the world of Najaf in comparison with 35 cosmopolitan cities and its global human dimension. Besides that, numbers of researchers and professors participated in the conference.

           [3] The original of this lecture is in a book called “Speech Stage”: 441/3. His eminence conducted on it some edits and comments, then recorded it for Al-Naeem TV channel late 2011.