Ayatollah Mohsen Mohammadi Araki
President of the University
A Brief Introduction to the University President
Mohsen Mohammadi Araki was born in 1955 (Solar Hijri) into a family of learning and virtue in Najaf, Iraq.
His esteemed father, the late Grand Ayatollah Haj Sheikh Habibollah Araki, was a distinguished jurist and renowned teacher in the Najaf seminary. In addition to the eminent scholarly standing that placed him among the leading scholars of the Najaf seminary, he was also a pioneer in practice. His piety, devotion, worship, asceticism and other moral virtues were exceptional. He held a high spiritual station and was known for purity, spiritual refinement and divine experiences.
His late mother was the daughter of the pious scholar, the late Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Safar-Ali Araki.
The late Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Safar-Ali Araki was one of the great jurists and ascetics of the Najaf seminary. He wrote extensively on jurisprudence and legal theory, including a near-complete course of demonstrative jurisprudence and a comprehensive course in legal theory.
Teaching and Authorship
Teaching
From the beginning of his studies, after completing each level and moving to the next, he taught the previous level. In Najaf he taught introductory subjects through the level of Lum'a. After moving to Qom, he taught Sharh al-Lum'a, al-Rasa'il, al-Makasib, Nihayat al-Hikmah, Sharh al-Manzumah, al-Asfar, al-Isharat, Sharh al-Tajrid and Kifayat al-Usul.
In Ahvaz he also taught al-Makasib, al-Rasa'il and Sharh al-Lum'a.
From the beginning of his residence in Qom, at the Haqqani School, he taught subjects such as Arabic composition, philosophy and principles of doctrine. After the martyrdom of Ayatollah Qoddusi at the Shahidain School, he also taught al-Rasa'il and Sharh al-Lum'a there.
After being sent to England as the representative of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, and after establishing a seminary in London, he taught advanced jurisprudence (including Islamic government and judiciary) and legal theory. He also taught philosophy, al-Rasa'il, al-Makasib, advanced usul circles and Qur'anic interpretation in Persian, Arabic and English.
At present, Ayatollah Araki teaches advanced legal theory, political-system jurisprudence, economic-system jurisprudence, cultural-system jurisprudence, urban-planning jurisprudence, system-oriented legal theory, rijal and Qur'anic interpretation in the Qom seminary.
Authorship and Research
In 2012, he earned a PhD in Western philosophy from the University of Portsmouth in London. His doctoral thesis was published as Freedom and Causality.
Despite his many responsibilities, he has devoted sustained attention to authorship and has written numerous works in Persian, Arabic and English, including:
Works in Persian
- Political System Jurisprudence (six volumes to date)
- Modern Legal Theory (four volumes to date)
- Modern Legal Theory, Volume Two
- An Introduction to Islamic Mysticism
- Studies in the Theoretical Foundations of Religious Government
- Contemporary Islamic Awakening: Periods and Pioneers (Persian translation of al-Sahwah al-Islamiyyah al-Mu'asirah)
- Freedom and Causality (Persian text based on the doctoral dissertation)
- The Imamate in the Qur'an (Persian translation of al-Nass 'ala al-Imamah)
- Principles of Pure Islamic Mysticism in the Teachings of Imam al-Sajjad
- Islamic Economics (three volumes to date)
- A Look at Prophethood and Imamate
- Cultural-System Jurisprudence (in progress)
- Foundations of the Islamic Worldview
- A Critique of the Ideology of the People's Mojahedin Organization
- The Theory of Knowledge (formerly: Foundations of the Islamic Worldview)
- The Story of the First Human
- A Dialogue Between Two Schools (Persian translation of Hiwar fi al-Imamah)
Works in Arabic
- الولایه الإلهیه وولایه الفقیه
- مدخل إلى منهج المعرفه الإسلامیه
- المعرفه الإسلامیه، منهجاً وتصوراً
- نظریه النص على الإمامه فی القرآن الکریم
- صلح الإمام الحسن وثوره الإمام الحسین علیهما السلام
- حوار فی الإمامه
- مدخل إلى العرفان الإسلامی
- الأسس النظریه للدوله الإسلامیه
- أساس الحکم فی الإسلام
- معالم الفکر الأصولی الجدید
- حجیه سنه الصحابی، دراسه ونقد
- الصحوه الإسلامیه المعاصره، أدوار وروّاد
- نظریه الحکم فی الإسلام
- ثبوت الهلال فی الأماکن المتباعده
- سنن التطور الاجتماعی فی القرآن الکریم
- سنن القیاده الإلهیه فی التاریخ (formerly: Peace of Hasan and Revolution of Husayn)
- کتاب الخمس (two volumes)
- الموازین الشرعیه لشعائر الحسینیه
- کتاب القضاء
- ملکیه المعادن فی الفقه الإسلامی
- مبدأ العلیه والإراده (in progress)
- صلاه الجمعه
- ثوره الإمام الحسین (ع) من منظور السنن التاریخیه فی القرآن
Works in English
- Contemporary Islamic Awakening (English translation of al-Sahwah al-Islamiyyah al-Mu'asirah; Adwar wa Ruwad)
- Freedom and Causality in Contemporary Islamic & Western Philosophy (based on the doctoral dissertation)
Published Articles and Interviews
In Persian
- Love of the Ahl al-Bayt as the Criterion of True Unity in the Islamic Society
- Collective Identity and the Role of the Imam
- Social Unity and the Position of the Imam
- Islam and Sociology: The Relationship Between Imam and Society
- Mahdism and the Traditions of Divine Leadership in the Qur'an
- The Position of Consultation in Choosing an Islamic Ruler
- Third-Wave Opportunities: The General Functions of Spiritual Leadership in Today's World
- The Source of the Legitimacy of Power
- Proving the Authority of the Jurist Through Reason and the Qur'an
- The Absolute Authority of the Jurist as a Matter of Consensus
- The Political Thought of the Islamic Revolution
- Spiritual Leadership in Today's World
- Requirements of Political Jurisprudence (with Mohammad Javad Arasta)
- The Position of the People in the Islamic Governmental System from Imam Khomeini's Perspective
- The Position of the People in the Islamic Governmental System
- Formulating Norms for Islamic Government
- Reason in a Coma: Scientific Deceptions and Hidden Assumptions in Western Human Sciences
- The Rapid Reconstruction of the Seminary and the Link Between Past and Future Generations Will Revive the Seminary
- Seriousness, Continuous Research and Reflection
- A Brief Look at the Religious Reform Movement in Iran's Seminaries in the Second Half of the Twentieth Century
- The Comprehensive Personality of Imam Khomeini
- Living Together Without a Marriage Contract
- Martyr Sadr and Renewal in the Najaf Seminary
- The Reality of Perception and Its Stages in Mulla Sadra's Philosophy
- Is Free Will Incompatible with the Law of Causality?
- Constructing Identity Through Love and Hate
- We Need Another Look
- The Method of Deriving Regulatory Rules in Martyr Sadr's Thought (with Amin Abedinijad Davarani)
- The Nature of Islamic Progress and Its Analytical Requirements (with Amin Abedinijad Davarani)
- The Role of Social Transformations in Jurisprudential Theories
- Organizing the Seminary and the Marja'iyyah
- Shams in the Poetry of Rumi
- Shams as Narrated by Shams
- The Role of Social Transformations in Jurisprudential Theories
- Civilizations Dialogue: What Is It? Why? How?
- Islam and Sociology: Unity and the Accumulation of Wills
- What Is the Foundation of Islamic Sociology?
In Arabic
- العرفان الإسلامی الأصیل على ضوء المعارف السجادیه
- آلیات التبلیغ فی عاشوراء الحسین (ع)
- العداله، مفهومها وحقیقتها وطرق إثباتها
- الفرق بین علوم القرآن والتفسیر
- القرآن الکریم: نظره فی تاریخ علومه وأسمائه
- القرآن الکریم: أهمیه دوره وکیفیه التعامل معه
- کیف نزل القرآن؟
- فقه الحج فی دراسه استدلالیه مقارنه حج الصبیان
- الإمام الصدر ومشاریع النهضه فی الفکر الإسلامی
- حکم المعاطاه فی النکاح
- التعایش بین الجنسین
- التراث الثقافی فی الفقه الإسلامی
- الجرائم الصهیونیه على ضوء بیان القائد
- الشهید الصدر والمنجز الفکری والحضاری
Critical Editions and Research
- Critical edition of Maqalat al-Usul by Diya al-Din al-Iraqi (with Sayyid Mundhir Hakim)
- Critical edition of al-Lawami' al-Ilahiyyah fi al-Mabahith al-Kalamiyyah by Miqdad al-Suyuri (with Sayyid Ammar Abu Ragheef)
Institution Building
In 1987 (Solar Hijri), together with a group of seminary scholars, he established Majma' al-Fikr al-Islami, which published the complete works of Sheikh Ansari, revived a number of Shi'a scholarly works and published the academic journal al-Fikr al-Islami.
Through his efforts in England, several other academic initiatives were established:
- Establishment of the College of Islamic Sciences, London
- Establishment of Oxford Academy in Oxford, England
- Establishment of a Shi'a Studies chair at the University of Cambridge
- Establishment of a Shi'a Studies chair at the University of Bristol
- Establishment of the Office of Islamic Academic Cooperation at SOAS University of London
- Establishment of the Association of Muslim Scholars of Britain (Jama'at Ulama al-Muslimeen fi Britannia)
Cultural Activities
After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he was sent by Imam Khomeini's office to Ahvaz, Khorramshahr and Abadan. In 1979 he established the first seminary in Khorramshahr as well as the al-Taw'iya al-Islamiyya Cultural Center.
During his ten-year mission in England he carried out many activities, including:
- Islamic Centre of England in London
- Sakina Trust Islamic Centre in East London
- London Crawley Islamic Mosque
- Manchester Islamic Centre
- Birmingham Islamic Centre
- Newcastle Islamic Centre
- Cardiff Islamic Centre
- Ahl al-Bayt Islamic Centre in Glasgow
- Iranian Educational and Cultural Complex in London
- Bahar Institute for new Muslims
- Fajr Youth Foundation
At the international level, he organized and supported international academic and religious congresses in England, including:
- Congress on the Dialogue of Civilizations (Islamic Centre of England)
- Congress on the Analysis and Study of Terrorism (Islamic Centre of England)
- Congress on Iranian Islamic Culture and Civilization (Islamic Centre of England)
- Congress on Innovations in the Thought of Imam Khomeini (University of London)
- Congress on the Universal Reformer in the Heavenly Religions (Islamic Centre of England)
- Congress on the Thought of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi (Islamic Centre of England)
He also supported the publication of several magazines and periodicals in English, Persian, Arabic and Urdu associated with the Islamic Centre of England.
Social and Political Activities
Before the Revolution, he was connected with Imam Khomeini's household and worked in Iraq to distribute the Imam's statements and writings, including Islamic Government. He also actively attended the lessons of Martyr Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr. Because of his educational work with Iraqi university students on systems of domination and awareness concerning the establishment of Islamic government based on the revolutionary thought of Imam Khomeini and Martyr Sadr, he was pursued by the Ba'ath regime's security apparatus and lived in hiding for about a year. After moving to Qom in 1975, he was summoned and interrogated by the security service several times. As the Revolution intensified in 1978, he expanded his political activities against the Shah's regime, led the 1978 Ashura demonstrations in Arak and delivered revolutionary speeches.
His post-Revolution responsibilities included:
- Shari'a judge of Abadan and Khorramshahr
- President of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts of Khuzestan Province
- Chief Justice of Khuzestan Province
- Representative of Imam Khomeini in Dezful and Friday Prayer Leader of the city
- Member of the Assembly of Experts for three terms
After returning from his assignment as the Velayat-e Faqih's representative abroad and resuming his activities in Iran, by order of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution he became a member of the Supreme Council of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought and was later appointed its Secretary-General. He was also appointed to the Supreme Council of the Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly, serving in roles including vice president, secretary and acting head. Other responsibilities included membership in the Board of Trustees of Al-Mustafa International University.
Previous and Current Responsibilities
With the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the responsibilities of the clergy became more demanding. He therefore made himself ready to accept any duty entrusted to him.
- President of the Abadan and Khorramshahr Islamic Revolutionary Courts, by order of Martyr Ayatollah Qoddusi, in 1980
- President of the Islamic Revolutionary Courts of Khuzestan in 1981 and, while retaining that post, Chief Justice of Khuzestan in 1982
- Returned to the seminary in 1983 to continue his studies after the crisis conditions of the early war had eased and resigned from the above responsibilities
- Established the military wing of Iraq's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in 1983, later known as the Ninth Badr Corps, and served as representative of the Velayat-e Faqih among Badr forces from 1987 to 1996
- Appointed Friday Prayer Leader of Dezful and Imam Khomeini's representative there in 1986 at the request of the people of Dezful, remaining there continuously until the end of the war
- Served as Shari'a judge of the Khuzestan land-allocation committees (1983–1994) and representative of the Velayat-e Faqih at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz (1990–1995)
- During the war, especially while leading Friday prayers in Dezful, he remained present at the fronts and encouraged the fighters
- Elected by the people of Khuzestan to the Assembly of Experts for Leadership in 1990
- Sent to England in 1994 as the Leader's representative in Europe
- Returned to the Qom seminary in June 2004 after nearly ten years of scholarly, cultural and social activity in Europe
- After returning from England, in addition to teaching advanced jurisprudence and legal theory and writing books and articles, he established the Comprehensive Center for Islamic Sciences and the Amir al-Mu'minin Higher School for international seminary students, and served in strategic studies, the board of trustees of Usul al-Din College, the board of trustees of Al-Mustafa International University and the academic staff of the Leader's Hajj and Pilgrimage Mission
- In June/July 2012 (Tir 1391), by order of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, he became Secretary-General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought
Official Appointments and Documents
- Decree appointing him Secretary-General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought
- Appointment as the Leader's representative in England
- Appointment as Friday Prayer Leader of Dezful
- Appointment as Friday Prayer Leader of the Islamic Centre of London
- Membership of the Board of Trustees of Usul al-Din College
- Certificate of credentials for the Assembly of Experts for Leadership
- Appointment as Chief Justice of Ahvaz
- Appointment as the Velayat-e Faqih's representative at Shahid Chamran University
- Appointment as Shari'a judge of Abadan during the war
- Judicial authority in Khuzestan's wartime courts
- Appointment as Shari'a judge in the land-allocation committees