The Mirza Shirazi Seminary in Samarra was once the center of Shi’a learning and the seat of its most influential religious leaders. Under Sayed Sistani’s direction, today it opened its doors again and will hopefully thrive what is now the city of Imam Mahdi.. 
For some background on Mirza Shirazi, known today as Al Mojadded (the Reviver) and the leader of the Tobacco Revolution: islamicinsights.com/religion/histo…
Mirza Shirazi’s influence is such that his students went on to become giants that shaped modern Islamic scholarship: Sh. Abdul Karim Ha’eri, founder of the seminary in Qom, Sayed Kazem Yazdi, Mirza Na’ini, Akhund Khorasani, etc, whose impact is palpable for decades to come..
Sh. Morteza Ha’eri, son of Ayat. Abdul Karim Ha’eri - founder of the seminary in Qom - once asked his father why he spoke so highly of his alma mater in Samarra despite only having 300 students. Ayat. Ha’eri replies, they were just 300 but each one of them became achieved ijtihad
The founding of the seminary is Samarra by Mirza Shirazi is undoubtedly one of the most consequential events in modern Shi’a scholarship. May God bless our learned jurists like Mirza Shirazi and help us walk in their footsteps in acquiring and safeguarding knowledge of Ahlulbayt
For a more thorough biography of Mirza Shirazi, see: iranicaonline.org/articles/hasan…
It‘s clear that his edict against the use of tobacco represented one of the earliest challenges to imperial hegemony by a Shi’a leader and gave the colonizers a taste of the sheer power of the marj’a
It‘s clear that his edict against the use of tobacco represented one of the earliest challenges to imperial hegemony by a Shi’a leader and gave the colonizers a taste of the sheer power of the marj’a
Historians have reported that Mirza Shirazi’s edict against tobacco use had such rapid and far-reaching influence that even the monarch’s harem began throwing their ḡalyāns from the palace rooftops as a sign of conforming to the fatwa, in clear defiance of the Qajar ruler
What is incredible is that this movement, which led to a widespread revolt across Iran, was fueled by a mere few lines written by Mirza Shirazi from his small seminary all the way in Samarra! This stunning demonstration of power led to seismic changes for decades to come
The fatwa simply stated: “In the name of Allah; the Compassionate; the Merciful. Today, the use of tobacco in any way is tantamount to waging war against the Imam of the time - may God hasten his reappearance”.
The revolt that ensued as a result of Mirza Shirazi’s fatwa was followed by widespread protests and demonstrations, and eventually led to the Constitutional Revolution and ended the centuries old dynasty.
Mirza Shirazi spent much of his time as a student of classical Islamic sciences at the seminary of Karbala, a thriving center of learning for centuries. Upon passing, he was buried in Najaf. His student al Sadr reported that gatherings eulogizing his passing “lasted over a year”
The power of the Shi’a authorities (Marjas) cannot be disputed. While their influence may fluctuate depending on geopolitical factors, one thing remains constant; the world must reckon with & respect this institution and build bridges with the ~400 million adherents of the faith
This is the actual fatwa. Note how the most powerful authority of the Shi’a world signed his name: ‘Written by Mohammad Hasan al-Hussaini’!
No grandiose titles. No pomposity. No bio. Utter humility.
No grandiose titles. No pomposity. No bio. Utter humility.
