Editing Muhammad Hussain Naini

{{Short description|Iranian Islamic scholar (1860–1936)}}
[[Marja'|Grand Ayatollah]] [[Sheikh]] '''Mohammad-Hossein Naini Gharavi''' ({{lang-fa|{{nq|محمد حسین نائینی غروی}}}}; May 25, 1860 – August 14, 1936) was [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] [[Shia]] [[marja']]. {{Infobox religious biography
| religion           = [[Islam]]
| honorific_prefix   = [[Grand Ayatollah]] [[Sheikh]]
| name               = Mohammad-Hossein Naini
| image              = File:Ayatollah Mirza Hussain Naini.jpg
| caption            = 
| title              = 
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1860|5|25}}
| birth_place        = [[Nain, Iran|Nain]], [[Sublime State of Persia]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1936|8|14|1860|5|25|}}
| death_place        = [[Najaf]], Iraq
| resting_place      = [[Imam Ali Shrine]]
| other_names        = 
| nationality        = Iranian
| region             = [[Najaf]], [[Kingdom of Iraq]]
| occupation         = 
| denomination       = 
| jurisprudence      = 
| creed              = 
| main_interests     = [[Islamic philosophy]], [[Usul al-fiqh]]
| notable_ideas      = 
| notable_works      = Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih al-Milla <br /> Vassilat'un Nijat <br /> Ressalat la Zarar
| influenced         = 
| website            = 
| signature          = 
| period             = 1911–1936
| successor          = [[Abu l-Hasan al-Isfahani]]
| predecessor        = [[Akhund Khorasani]]
| location           = [[Najaf]], [[Iraq]]
| Madh'hab           = [[Twelver]] [[Shia Islam]]
| background         = #ABE9CC
| native_name        = {{lang|fa|شيخ محمد حسين نائينى غروي}}
}}

His father Mirza Abdol Rahim and grandfather Haji Mirza Saeed, both one were Sheikhs of Nain and Mohammad Hussein proved himself the most competent student of [[Mohammad-Kazem Khorasani|Ayatollah Kazem Khorasani]]. Ayatollah Naini is considered to be the most famous theoretician of Iran's Constitutional Revolution. He died in 1936 and was buried next to [[shrine]] of [[Imam Ali]] in Iraq. Among his works, notable references are his Dubios Habit, Vassilat'un Nijat, and Ressalat la Zarar. 50th death anniversary of Ayatollah Mirza Mohammed Hussein Naini was memorialized by issue of Stamps Tickets, in Iran, in 1987.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/463006-Mirza_Mohammed_Hossein_Naini_1860-1936-50th_death_of_Ayatollah_Mirza_Mohammed_Hossein_Naini-Iran |title=Stamp: Mirza Mohammed Hossein Naini (1860-1936) (Iran(50th death of Ayatollah Mirza Mohammed Hossein Naini) Mi:IR 2200,Sn:IR 2258,Yt:IR 2004,Sg:IR 2374,Far:IR 2217 |website=colnect.com |access-date=2014-10-07}}</ref>

== Biography == 
Mirza Muhammad Hossein Naini was born to a respected and religious family of Nain on 25 May 1860 <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geni.com/people/Mirza-Mohammad-Hosein-Naini-Gharawi/6000000013028128763 |title=Mirza Mohammad Hosein Naini- Gharawi |website=www.geni.com |access-date=2014-10-08}}</ref> ( 15 [[Dhu al-Qadah|Dzulqadah]] 1276 Lunar Hijrah <ref>{{cite web|url= http://indonesian.irib.ir/islam/sajarah-islam/item/85032-kelahiran-ayatullah-mirza-hossein-naini |title= Birth of Ayatollah Mirza Hossein Naini |date= 2014-09-11|access-date= 2014-10-06}}</ref>). His father Mirza Abdol Rahim and grandfather Haji Mirza Saeed, both one after another were Sheikhs of Nain. Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Naini, who is better known as Mirza Naini, did his primary studies in Nain and then in 1877 when he was 17 years old, moved to [[Isfahan]]. Here he lived with [https://en.wikishia.net/view/Muhammad_Baqir_Aqa_Najafi_Isfahani Haji Shaikh Muhammad Baqir Isfahani] for seven years. The latter belonged to a distinguished clerical family of Isfahan and was himself the most powerful [[Mujtahid]] of that city.<ref>Shi’ism  and Constitutionalism in Iran ( A study of the Role played by the Persian Residents of Iraq in Iranian Politics) By Abdul Hadi Hairi - by E.J. Brill Leiden, Netherlands – 1977, Printed in Belgium {{ISBN|90 04 04900 2}}</ref> After completing basic education he moved to [[Najaf]], [[Iraq]], to achieve the degree of [[Ijtihad]]. He proved himself the most competent student of [[Mohammad-Kazem Khorasani|Ayatollah Kazem Khorasani]]<ref>Comparative Study Thesis Umma Lalan and Tanbih Al Umma Mirza Naini, by Amir Pourzaman - Rahim Vakilzadeh, Journal of Political & Social Sciences. Vol., 1 (1), 1-5, 2014 (ISSN 2148-5127©2014) Available online at http://www.jpssjournal.com</ref> Ayatollah Naini is considered to be the most famous theoretician of [[Persian Constitutional Revolution|Iran's Constitutional Revolution]].
[[File:Ayatollah Mirza Hussain Naini 2.jpg|thumb|200px|Mirza Naini in [[Najaf]]]]

== Teaching and politics ==
=== Defending democracy ===
One major concern of [[Muhammad Kazim Khurasani|Akhund Khurasani]] and other [[Mirza Husayn Tehrani|Marja's]] was to familiarize the public with the ideas of a democratic nation-state and modern constitution. Akhund Khurasani asked Iranian scholars to deliver sermons on the subject to clarify doubts seeded by [[Fazlullah Nouri|Nuri]] and his comrades.{{sfn|Farzaneh|2015|pp=156, 164-166}} His close associate and student, who later rose to the rank of Marja, Muhammad Hussain Naini, wrote a book, “''Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih al-Milla<!--Q5956451-->”''({{Lang-fa|{{nq|تنبیه‌ الامه و تنزیه‌ المله}}}}), to counter the propaganda of Nuri group.{{sfn|Nouraie|1975}} {{sfn|Hermann|2013|pp=434}} {{sfn|Mangol|1991|p=256}} He devoted many pages to distinguish between tyrannical and democratic regimes. In democracies, power is distributed and limited through constitution.{{sfn|Hermann|2013|pp=434}} He maintained that in the absence of Imam Mahdi, all governments are doomed to be imperfect and unjust, and therefore people had to prefer the bad over the worse. Hence, the constitutional democracy was the best option to help improve the condition of the society as compared to absolutism, and run the worldly affairs with consultation and better planning. he saw the elected members of the parliament as representatives of the people, not deputies of the Imam, hence they didn't need a religious justification for their authority. He said that both the “tyrannical Ulema” and the radical societies who promoted majoritarianism were a threat to both Islam and democracy. The people should avoid the destructive, corrupt and divisive forces and maintain national unity.{{sfn|Nouraie|1975}}{{sfn|Mangol|1991|p=257}} He devoted large section of his book to definition and condemnation of religious tyranny. He then went on to defend people's freedom of opinion and expression, equality of all citizens in eyes of the nation-state regardless of their religion, separation of the legislative, executive and judicial powers, accountability of the King, people's right to share power.{{sfn|Nouraie|1975}} {{sfn|Mangol|1991|p=258}}

=== Pupils ===
[[File:Ayatollah Mirza Hussain Naini 5.jpg|thumb|right|Mirza Naini (in mid) with some other scholars and students]]
Names of the some students benefited from the teaching of Mirza Naini, includes the following [[scholars]] and [[clerics]] of their time:
:*1.	Sheikh Mohammad Ali Kazemi Khorassani
:*2.	[[Muhsin al-Hakim|Seyyed Mohsen Tabatabai Hakim]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.islamicinsights.com/religion/history/ayatollah-mohsin-al-hakim.html|title=Imam Abul Qasim al-Khoei |work= Arsalan Rizvi |date= 2008-08-24 |access-date= 2014-10-07}}</ref>
:*3.	[[Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei|Grand Ayotollah Khoei]].<ref>{{cite web|url=  http://www.islamicinsights.com/religion/history/imam-abul-qasim-al-khoei.html |title=Imam Abul Qasim al-Khoei |work= By: Arsalan Rizvi |date= 2008-11-16 |access-date= 2014-10-07}}</ref>
:*4.	[[Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei|Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabai]]
:*5.	[[Mohammad Taqi Bahjat|Grand Ayatollah Taqi Bahjat]]
:*6.  [[Mohammad Hadi al-Milani|Sayyed Hadi Milani]]
:*7.  Sayyed Jamal Al din Golpayegani
:*8.  Sheikh Muhammad Ali Kazemini
:*9.  Sheikh Mousa Khansari<ref>Interview with Hajj Mehdi Qaravi, Hawzeh Magazine, num:76-77, p.407. 1375 solar</ref>
:*10. [[Ali Naqi Naqvi|Syed Ali Naqi Naqvi]]

=== Rationality claims merit not the relation ===
Among the modern Usuliyan Shia scholars Mirza Naini is regarded as one of the founders of modern principles of jurisprudence. Intellectual development in term of social progress of science can be observed between Mirza Naini and his reverenced Master [[Mohammad-Kazem Khorasani|Ayatollah Kazem Khorasani]], which establishes the fact that difference of opinion is not the cause of hostilities the very basis of battle is ignorance. His master represents Sadrian Islamic thought. Defending principles of "Sadrian philosophy", with his full support to Sadrian view in the interpretation of causality and its relation to freedom. On the other side, his intelligent pupil (Mirza Naini) was one of the strong critics of Sadrian view. In a new way and method, he criticized the Sadrian philosophical thought and presented a new viewpoint on the relation between causality and human freedom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/vol17-no2-spring-2003/causality-and-freedom-ayatullah-mohsen-araki/abstract |title=Abstract |website=www.al-islam.org |date= 2 March 2013|access-date=2014-10-08}}</ref>

=== Naini as a politician ===
Ayatollah Naini was active both in the [[Persian Constitutional Revolution]] and in [[Iraq]]i [[politics]]. As a politician his principal view with regard to form of government is very clear.
He suggested the form of government by an infallible ruler fully responsible to the will of God, which might be able to safeguard the interests of people. Such type of ruling is not possible in the era of major occultation of [[Imam Mahdi]]. Therefore, efforts should be made to arrange the ruling of just and honest men with duty to control the government, directly responsible to the will of God through Imam Mahdi. He further argued that in such a situation it is the known fact that access to leaders with such respected characteristics’ becomes unquestionable and people usually have no say over such matters, it is thus obligatory to observe the following two principles:
:1. To implement law
:2. To appoint wise men as "supervisors"
Obviously these were the possible steps for removal of huge gap between the existing situation and the desired goals of forming progressive government for the betterment of people.<ref>Book: Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih al-Millah by Mirza Muhammad Husayn Naini</ref><ref>Extracted from:  {{cite web |url= http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=4578 |title= A Review of Imam Khumayni's Political Thought |work= By: Kazim Qadizadeh and Mahdi Chamanzar |date=  |access-date= 2014-10-07 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141013030545/http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=4578 |archive-date= 2014-10-13 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

== Works ==
Mirza Naini being an expert on Usul al Fiqh was the first human being in the history of Iran to construe the idea of religious dictatorship. Naini stressed the concept of Aql (dialectic reasoning) and believed that [[Islam]] was compatible with progress. He also argued that the most intolerable form of [[autocracy]] is the tyranny imposed by a religious state. He had written a book Tanbih al-Ummah wa Tanzih Al-Milla (the awakening of the community and refinement of the nations) which was translated into [[Arabic]] by Salih Kashi al Gheta and published in 1909 by the Institute of Strategic Studies in [[Baghdad]]. His book mainly relates to theory of constitutional revolution with his deliberations on the major topics of “Ignorance and Despotism”. In his book, he discussed interalia, the view that freedom of the pen and speech both are God given freedom necessary for liberation from [[despotism]] (taghut). Elaborating his view and in replying to opponents of [[Constitutionalism]] he pointed out that [[Islamic Law]] has two distinct categories: the primary laws are based on the [[Quran]] and other known Islamic principles, were unchangeable. The secondary laws, in contrast, were subject to change, depending on temporal and spatial circumstances, making them the proper sphere for legislation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aawsat.net/2009/07/article55254184 |title= Wilayat al Faqih & Despotism |work=Ataollah Mohajerani |date= 2009-07-22|access-date= 2014-10-06}}</ref><ref>p.70-71 God and Juggernaut by Farzin Vahdat, Syracuse University Press New York, 2002</ref>

== Exile ==
At <ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.iichs.org/index_en.asp?id=984&doc_cat=16 |title= Mohammad Hussein Naini|work= Tahereh Shokuhi |date= |access-date= 2014-10-06}}</ref> the beginning of [[World War I|World War-I]], the Shiite Scholars and clerics of Iraq were not the supporter of allied powers, however, they entered the scene and declared holy war against the [[Central Powers|Central power]]. Consequently, Mirza Naini was exiled with [[Abu al-Hasan Isfahani|Abul Hassan Isfahani]] to Iran. They were welcome and received by [[Abdul-Karim Ha'eri Yazdi]], the then head of Feizieh religious school. However, after a short stay Naini was allowed for his return to Iraq with advice not to be involved in politics.

==Death==
Ayatollah Mirza Hussain Naini died in 1936 at the age of 76. He is buried in [[Najaf]].
[[File:Ayatollah Mirza Hussain Naini 4.jpg|thumb|200px|Naini in his old age]]

== See also ==
*[[Iranian Constitutional Revolution]] 
*[[Intellectual movements in Iran]]
*[[Mohammad-Kazem Khorasani]]

== Bibliography ==
*{{Cite journal|last=Nouraie|first=Fereshte M.|date=1975|title=The Constitutional Ideas of a Shi'ite Mujtahid: Muhammad Husayn Na'ini|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4310208|jstor=4310208 |journal=Iranian Studies|volume=8|issue=4|pages=234–247|doi=10.1080/00210867508701501 |issn=0021-0862}}
*{{cite book |last1=Mangol |first1=Bayat |title=Iran's First Revolution: Shi'ism and the Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1909 |date=1991 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford, New York |isbn=978-0-19-506822-1 |url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/irans-first-revolution-9780195068221?cc=us&lang=en&}}
*{{cite book |last1=Farzaneh |first1=Mateo Mohammad |title=Iranian Constitutional Revolution and the Clerical Leadership of Khurasani |date=March 2015 |publisher=[[Syracuse University Press]] |location=Syracuse, NY |isbn=9780815633884 |oclc=931494838 |url=https://press.syr.edu/supressbooks/467}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Hermann|first=Denis|date=1 May 2013|title=Akhund Khurasani and the Iranian Constitutional Movement|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00263206.2013.783828 |jstor=23471080 |journal=Middle Eastern Studies|volume=49|issue=3|pages=430–453|doi=10.1080/00263206.2013.783828|s2cid=143672216 |issn=0026-3206}}
*{{cite book |last1=Sayej |first1=Caroleen Marji |title=Patriotic Ayatollahs: Nationalism in Post-Saddam Iraq |date=2018 |publisher=[[Cornell University Press]] |page=67|location=Ithaca, NY |isbn=9781501714856 |doi=10.7591/cornell/9781501715211.001.0001 |url=https://cornell.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.7591/cornell/9781501715211.001.0001/upso-9781501715211}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Muhammad Hossein Naini}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mirza Naini}}
[[Category:1860 births]]
[[Category:1936 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Iranian politicians]]
[[Category:Iranian Shia clerics]]
[[Category:People of the Persian Constitutional Revolution]]
[[Category:Burials at Imam Ali Mosque]]
[[Category:Pupils of Muhammad Kadhim Khorasani]]
[[Category:20th-century Iranian politicians]]