Haji Naji
| Full Name | Ghulām ʿAlī Ḥājī Ismāʿīl |
|---|---|
| Well-known As | Ḥājī Nājī |
| Religious Affiliation | Ithna 'Ashri Khija |
| Birth | 1864 |
| Place of Birth | Bombay |
| Death/Martyrdom | 1943 |
| Activities | Publications of journals and magazines for the Twelve-Imam Shiites of Khoja. |
Ghulām ʿAlī Ḥājī Ismāʿīl (Gujarati: હાજી ગુલામઅલી સાહેબે) (b.1864 - d. 1943), known as Ḥājī Nājī (Gujarati: હાજી નાજી), was an influential figure and one of the first Twelve-Imam (Ithna 'Ashari) Khojas in Bombay. He has translated some works from Arabic to Gujarati; for example, the holy Qur'an, Mi'raj al-sa'ada, and some prayers, but much of his activities focused on the publications of journals and magazines for the Twelve-Imam Shiites of Khoja.
Biography
Ghulam 'Ali Haji Isma'il was born in Bombay in 1864; his father was a merchant who converted to Shiism, together with his son Haji Naji, by hearing from Ja'far Hiraji Miskawala.
In 1876 when he was just 12 years old, Haji Naji attended the lectures of Mulla Qadir Husayn. Within three years, he had a lot of Qur'anic information and learned Farsi and Urdu.
In 1901 when the Twelve-Imam Khoja of Bombay was first established, Ghulam 'Ali held meetings for sermons in his house. And in his pilgrimage to Karbala, he wrote down the answers to 200 problems in fiqh by Shaykh Zayn al-Abidin al-Mazandarani, and took them to Bombay. When the magazine "The path of salvation" (Rah-i nijat) was published in 1891, Ghulam 'Ali preferred to be called "Naji", and he came to be known by Shiites as Haji Naji.
He died in 1943. After that "The path of salvation" was published by his son, Khadim 'Ali Kawthari. When India was divided, Haji Naji's family immigrated to Pakistan, and inhabited in Karachi.
Writings
- A translation and an exegesis of the Qur'an in Gujarati, published in 1321/1903-4
- A translation of many prayers from Arabic to Gujarati
- Anwar al-bayan fi tafsir al-Qur'an (an exegesis of the Qur'an)
- A translation of Mi'raj al-sa'ada
- Nur-i hidayat (The light of Guidance)—an essay about daily prayers
- Mafatih al-janan (about Islamic laws)
- Chishma-yi gham (the spring of sadness, poems in the praise and elegy of Ahl al-Bayt (a))
The heads of publication houses in Pakistan hold that Haji Naji had written much more, but some of his unpublished works were burned when his house went on fire in 1932. The Library of Haji Naji collected and published the series of Rah-i nijat (the path of salvation) magazine at the 100th anniversary of the publication of this magazine.
Activities
- Purchasing a printing house in Ahmad Abad that came to be called Ithna 'Ashari Printing House
- Publishing the monthly magazine of Rah-i nijat (the path of salvation)
- Lectures and orations in different cities
- Publishing the monthly magazine of The light of faith in 1312/1894-5
- Publishing the magazine of The garden of salvation in 1326/1908-9
- The leader (Imam) of prayers in the Ithna 'Ashari Shiite Mosque of Malegaon
- Building a school in Mahora with the help of an Ithna 'Ashari Khoja
Travel to Karachi
Haji Naji traveled to Karachi in 1334/1915-6 upon an invitation from people there. He helped build a mosque there, and in 1336/1917-8 opened a mosque and a Husayniyya in this city. In 1340/1921-2 he made a pilgrimage to Imam al-Rida (a)'s Holy Shrine in Mashhad.
References
- The material for writing this article was mainly taken from حاجی ناجی in Farsi WikiShia.