Sayyid Muhammad Ali Alawi Gurgani
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Well-Known As | Shia Marja' |
| Religious Affiliation | Imamiyya |
| Birth | 1939 |
| Place of Birth | Najaf |
| Residence | Qom |
| Studied in | Qom, Najaf |
| Death | Sha'ban 11, 1443/March 15, 2022 |
| Scholarly Information | |
| Professors | Ayatollah Burujirdi • Imam Khomeini • Ayatollah Gulpayigani •Ayatollah Araki • Murtada Ha'iri Yazdi and etc. |
Sayyid Muḥammad ʿAlī ʿAlawī Gurgānī (Persian: سید محمدعلی علوی گرگانی, b. 1939- d. 2022) was a Shi'a marja' and a teacher of advanced courses of jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence in Qom. He was a student of Ayatollah Burujirdi, Imam Khomeini, Ayatollah Gulpayigani and Ayatollah Araki.
'Alawi Gurgani wrote many books compiled and published by the Computer Research Center of Islamic Sciences. His public and civil services include the construction of a mosque and a clinic in Gorgan, and the foundation of a charity fund in Tehran.
Life and Educaiton
Sayyid Muhammad Ali Alawi Gurgani was born in Najaf in1939. His father, Sayyid Sajjad, was a scholar and jurist in Gorgan. Muhammad Ali moved to Iran, together with his father, when he was seven.
'Alawi Gurgani learned Arabic literature from his father. At the age of sixteen, he went on a pilgrimage to 'Atabat and hajj, and upon his return from the hajj pilgrimage, he intended to stay in Najaf, but he returned to Qom at the recommendation of al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim. He studied intermediate seminary courses with Mujahidi Tabrizi, Sultani Tabataba'i, and Sutuda Araki within four years.
He attended Ayatollah Burujirdi's advanced courses of jurisprudence for three years, Imam Khomeini's advanced courses of principles of jurisprudence for eight years, and Murtada Ha'iri Yazdi's advanced courses of jurisprudence for fifteen years. For seven years, he went to Najaf during summers, where he attended the lectures of scholars of the Seminary of Najaf, such as Ayatollah al-Khoei and Mirza Baqir Zanjani. His other teachers include Sayyid Muhammad Rida Gulpayigani, Abbas Ali Shahrudi, and Muhammad Ali Araki.
'Alawi Gurgani passed away on Sha'ban 11, 1443/March 15, 2022, at 82 in Qom.[1]
Scholarly Place and Marja'iyya
Alawi Gurgani began teaching religious sciences with teaching Arabic literature, and then he began teaching Ma'alim al-din, al-Qawanin, Sharh al-lum'a, al-Rasa'il, al-Makasib, Kifaya, and Sharh al-manzuma. In 1984, he began teaching advanced courses of jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence at the request of a number of his students. In 1991-2, a number of Shi'as, particularly from Mazandaran and Gilan, asked him to publish an essay of fatwas. He wrote the essay in Persian, and then it was translated into Arabic and Urdu and was presented to his followers.
Political and Social Views
According to Ayatollah 'Alawi Gurgani, it is permissible to use satellite TVs to watch political, social, and scientific shows, provided that it does not lead to the deviation of the family. In response to a question about genetically modified products, he believes that it is permissible to do research about them, but their commercial farming is not permissible.
Public Services
Ayatollah Alawi constructed mosques, Husayniyyas, clinics, and charity funds in different areas of Iran. He helped repair parts of the great mosque of Gorgan, founded and repaired a number of other mosques in Gorgan and its surrounding areas, built a clinic in the village of Alang, constructed the Husayniyya of Mahdishahr in Semnan, and established the charity fund of Hay'at Fatimiyya in Tehran.
Writings
Ayatollah Alawi Gurgani wrote a number of works concerning jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, hadiths, and rijal. His works are published by the Computer Research Center of Islamic Sciences within one compact disc. Some of his works include:
- Tawdih al-masa'il in Farsi and Urdu
- Manhaj al-salihin (essay of fatwas in Arabic)
- Ajwabat al-masa'il (answering to the newest religious questions)
- Manhaj al-nasikin (Hajj rituals in Arabic)
- Al-Manazir al-nadira fi ahkam al-'itrat al-tahira (Ijtihadi jurisprudence)
- Nur al-huda
- Golchini az anwar-i akhlaqi
- Rah-tusha parsayan (commentary on the will of Prophet (s) to Abu Dhar al-Ghifari)
References
- The material for this article is mainly taken from سید محمدعلی علوی گرگانی in Farsi WikiShia.