Husayn Wahid Khurasani

Husayn Wahid Khurasani

Personal Information
Religious Affiliation	Twelver Shia
Birth	Rajab 11, 1339/March 21, 1921
Place of Birth	Nishapur
Residence	Qom
Studied in	Nishapur, Mashhad, and Najaf
Scholarly Information
Professors	Mirza Mahdi Isfahani, Mirza Mahdi Ashtiyani, Abd al-Hadi Shirazi, Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim, Sayyid Abu l-Qasim al-Khu'i
Permission for Ijtihad From	Sayyid Muhammad Hujjat Kuhkamara'i
Works	Exposition of Shara'i' al-islam, Commentaries on Kifaya, Commentaries on al-Makasib al-muharrama.

Ḥusayn Waḥīd Khurāsānī (Persian: حسین وحید خراسانی) is a Shiite marja' living in Qom. He was a student of Sayyid Abu l-Qasim al-Khu'i and a teacher of jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence in the Islamic Seminary of Qom. Wahid Khurasani was educated in Nishapur, Mashhad, and Najaf. His advanced lectures are among the mostly attended lectures in the Islamic Seminary of Qom.

He opposes the idea of seminary students studying philosophy, taking the Qur'an and hadiths to contain all knowledge needed by human beings. His works include an exposition of Shara'i' al-islam, commentaries on Kifaya, and commentaries on al-Makasib al-muharrama.

Educations and Teachers

Husayn Wahid Khurasani was born on Rajab 11, 1339/March 21, 1921 in Nishapur. After studying Arabic literature, he attended intermediary courses of Islamic seminary taught by Muhammad Nahawandi. He then attended advanced lectures of jurisprudence by Mirza Mahdi Isfahani and Mirza Mahdi Ashtiyani.

Wahid Khurasani learned philosophy from Mirza Abu l-Qasim Ilahi and Mirza Mahdi Ashtiyani. In 1948, he received a permission of ijtihad from Sayyid Muhammad Hujjat Kuhkamara'i after a conversation with him in Rey. At the age of twenty seven, he went to Najaf, where he attended lectures by Abd al-Hadi Shirazi, Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim, and in particular, Sayyid Abu l-Qasim al-Khu'i.

Residence and Teaching in Qom

In 1390/1970, Husayn Wahid Khurasani returned to Iran. At first, he taught in Mashhad upon requests by scholars of the city. He then moved to Qom to teach seminary courses.

Wahid Khurasani's advanced lectures of jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence are among the mostly attended lectures in the Islamic Seminary of Qom.

Marja'iyya

In 1994, after the demise of Muhammad 'Ali Araki, the Shiite marja' of the time, the Society of Teachers at the Islamic Seminary of Qom introduced seven people as those who can be followed as marja's, including Wahid Khurasani.

Work

According to his website, some books written by Wahid Khurasani include: Essay of fatwas, fatwas about immigrants, Halqa wasl-i risalat wa imamat (the connecting link of prophethood and imamate), An introduction to principles of the religion, Rituals of hajj, Bi yad-i awwal mazlum-i ruzigar (In the memory of the first oppressed person of all times [i.e. Imam 'Ali (a)]), Rayhana rasul allah, Bi yad-i anki madhhab-i haq yadigar-i ust (In the memory of the one from whom the right denomination was inherited [i.e. Imam al-Sadiq]), Bi yad-i bid'a khatam al-anbiya' dar Tus hadrat-i shams al-shumus (In the memory of part of the being of the last prophet in Tus, his highness the sun of all suns [i.e. Imam al-Rida]), and Bi yad-i akharin khalifa wa hujjat-i parwardigar (In the memory of the last caliph and the proof of the Lord [i.e. Imam al-Mahdi (a)]).

His other works include: an exposition of Shara'i' al-islam, a commentary on Kifaya, a commentary on al-Makasib al-muharrama, and a commentary on al-'Urwat al-wuthqa.

Opposition to Philosophy

Wahid Khurasani believes that philosophy is a useless discipline, and thus, he opposes any programs for educations in philosophy. He maintains that the Qur'an and hadiths from Ahl al-Bayt (a) provide human beings with all knowledge they need. He recommends seminary students to concern themselves with the Qur'an and hadiths, instead of philosophy.

Opposition to Showing the Face of 'Abbas (a)

In his speech for preachers of Islamic seminaries in 2010, Husayn Wahid Khurasani criticized the decision to show the face of Abu l-Fadl in TV series of Mukhtarnama, warning that if the decision was put into practice, he could say anything, and everything could happen. Also in a reply to an inquiry about showing faces of some religious figures in Karbala, such as Abu l-Fadl, in the film, Rastakhiz, he said that this is impermissible.