Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah
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| Religion | Twelver Shi`a Islam |
| Other Names: | Arabic: السيد محمد حسين فضل الله |
| Senior posting | |
|---|---|
| Based in |  - Beirut, Lebanon |
| Title | Grand Ayatollah |
| Period in office | 1989 - Present |
| Religious career | |
| Post | Grand Ayatollah |
| Website | bayynat.org.lb (Arabic, French, English) bayynat.ir (Farsi, Urdu) |
| Personal | |
| Date of birth | November 16, 1935 |
| Place of birth |  - Najaf, Iraq |
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadl-Allāh (Arabic: محمد حسين فضل الله ) (also Muhammad Husayn Fadl-Allāh or Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadl-Allāh) (born 16 November 1935) is a prominent Lebanese Twelver Shi'a Muslim cleric associated with the Shia Islamist group Hezbollah. According to Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT), many regard him as Hezbollah’s spiritual leader[1], although the group reserves this title for Ayatollah Khomeini and Fadlallah denies any official involvement with Hezbollah. [2]
From a Lebanese family, but born in Najaf, Iraq, Fadlallah studied Islamic sciences in Najaf before moving to Lebanon in 1952. In the following decades, he gave many lectures, engaged in intense scholarship, wrote dozens of books, founded several Islamic religious schools, and established the Mabarrat Association. Through that association he established a public library, a women's cultural center, and a medical clinic.
He supported the ideals of Iran's Islamic Revolution and advocated the corresponding Islamic movement in Lebanon. In his sermons, he called for armed resistance to the Israeli occupations of Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, along with opposition to the existence of Israel. He holds relatively liberal views on the status of women.
He was the target of several assassination attempts, including the March 8, 1985 Beirut car bombing that killed 80 people.[3][4] The bombing was organized by the Central Intelligence Agency, and funded by Saudi Arabia.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Fadl-Allāh was born in the Iraqi Shi'i shrine city of Najaf on November 16, 1935. His father, Abdulraouf Fadlullah, had migrated there from the village of 'Aynata in South Lebanon in 1928 to learn theology. By the time of his birth, his father was already a Muslim scholar. Najaf sits astride the Euphrates river, on a plain 150 kilometers south of Baghdad. [5]
[edit] Education
Fadl-Allāh went first to a traditional school (Kuttāb) to learn the Quran and the basic skills of reading and writing. These schools were run by traditional sheiks and probably left a bad impression on him so Fadl-Allāh soon left and went to a modern school that was established by the publisher Jamiat Muntada Al-Nasher where he remained for two years and studied in the third and fourth elementary classes.
Thus he began studying the religious sciences at a very young age. He started to read the Ajroumiah when he was nine years old, and then he read Qatr al-Nada wa Bal Al-Sada (Ibn Hisham).
He completed Sutouh in which the student reads the book and listens to his teacher’s explanation. He also studied the Arabic language, logic and Jurisprudence, and did not need another teacher until he studied the second part of the course known as Kifayat at Usul which he studied with an Iranian teacher named Sheikh mujtaba Al-Linkarani. He attended the so-called Bahth Al-Kharij in which the teacher does not restrict himself to a certain book but gives more or less free lectures. Fadl-Allāh published a minor periodical before going to Lebanon.
[edit] Return to Lebanon
After 21 years of studying under the prominent teachers of the Najaf religious university he concluded his studies in 1966 and returned to Lebanon. He had already visited Lebanon in 1952 where he recited a poem mourning the death of Muhsin Al-Amin.
In 1966 Fadl-Allāh received an invitation from a group who had established a society called ”Usrat Ataakhi” (The family of Fraternity) to come and live with them in the area of Nabba’a in Eastern Beirut. He agreed, especially as the conditions at Najaf impelled him to leave.
In Naba’a Fadl-Allāh began his work, by organizing cultural seminars and delivering religious speeches that discussed social issues as well.
Nevertheless, Fadl-Allāh’s main concern was to continue to develop his academic work. Thus he founded a religious school called The Islamic Sharia Institute in which several students enrolled who later became prominent religious scholars including Martyr Sheikh Ragib Harb. He also established a public library, a women’s cultural center and a medical clinic.
When the Lebanese civil war forced him to leave the area, he moved to the Southern Suburbs where he started to give priority to teaching and educating the people. He used the mosque as his center for holding daily prayers giving lessons in Qur’anic interpretation, as well as religious and moral speeches, especially on religious occasions such as Ashura. He soon resumed his academic work and began to give daily lessons in Islamic principles, jurisprudence and morals. His students who used to meet him at his house very early in the morning were astonished at his enthusiasm and perseverance.
[edit] Assassination attempt
On 8 March 1985, a car bomb equivalent to 440 lb (200 kg) of dynamite exploded 9-45 metres[6][7] from his house in Beirut, Lebanon. The blast destroyed a 7 story apartment building, a cinema and killed 80 people[8] but Fadl-Allāh escaped injury. One of his bodyguards at the time was Imad Mughniyeh, who was later assassinated in a car-bombing in February 2008.[9]
The assassination attempt was believed to have been the work of Israel, or of the CIA, as a response to the Hezbollah bombings of the American embassy and of American and French peacekeeping headquarters in Beirut in October, 1983. [10] The operation was funded by the Saudis who, like the Israelis and the Americans, saw Fadlallah as a threat to their interests in Lebanon.[9]
[edit] Beliefs
[edit] US Foreign Policy
Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah opposes US foreign policy: "I say that America, in its policy that aspires to impose hegemony on the world is an evil with no good in it." and "After the tragic slaughter in Karbala and Qadhimiyya [suicide bombings], I said that the CIA, which was in Iraq even during the time of the previous regime, as was Israeli intelligence, the Mossad" [11] In the past he has issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims from helping the USA in its occupation of any Muslim country.[citation needed] Also, he has asked for a boycott of American products.
All American and Israeli goods and products should be boycotted in a way that undermines American and Israeli interests so as to act as deterrence to their war against Muslims and Islam that is being waged under the pretense of fighting terrorism.
This boycott should become an overwhelming trend that makes these two states feel that their economies are in a real and actual danger.[12]
In November of 2007 Fadlallah accused the United States of trying to sabotage the elections going on in Lebanon. He stated "The insanity of the US president and its administration is reflected in Lebanon by their ambassador pressuring the Lebanese people and preventing them from reaching an agreement over the presidential election."[13]
[edit] Velayat-e faqih
Despite his ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, Fadlallah has been said to have distanced himself from Khomeini legacy of Veleyat-e Faqih as theocratic rule by Islamic clerics and now is said to argue that "no Shia religious leader, not even Khomeini ... has a monopoly on the truth."[14] He also first endorsed Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani rather than Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the marja for Shia in matters of religion, before claiming the role for himself.[15]
[edit] Women
Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah views women as equals to men. He believes that women have just as much of a responsibility towards society as men do. He believes that women should be role models for both men and women.
Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah also believes that women have the same exact ability as men to fight their inner weaknesses.[16][17] He sees Hijab as something that makes a man see a woman not as a sex object, but instead as a human being. He believes that women should cover their entire body except for their face and hands, and that they should avoid wearing make-up when they go out in public.[18]
Fadlallah has also issued a fatwa on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women that supports the right of a woman to defend herself against any act of violence whether social or physical. The fatwa reaffirms the rights of women, both at their workplace and at home, and states that Islam forbids men from exercising any form of violence against women and forbids men from depriving women of their legal rights. In his words "physical violence in which women are beaten, proves that these men are weak, for only the weak are in need of unjust violence".[19]
[edit] Jesus
Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, like all Muslims also, believes Jesus alongside Al Mahdi to be the Messiah. He believes Jesus was born a virgin birth, and his mother was Mary. Though he believes Jesus to be the messiah, and born of a virgin, he does not hold to the belief that Jesus is God like most Christians do.[20]
These views, of Jesus being born of a virgin, being the messiah, and Jesus not being the son of God are Islamic beliefs[21]
[edit] Social work
In addition to the academic work that Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah has done, he has also opened up schools, Islamic centers, and Orphanages.
[edit] Schools
1. The Imam Al Khouie Orphanage, Beirut (Dawha)
2. Imam Al-Baqir Secondary school, Beka`a (Hirmil)
3. Imam Al-Jawed Secondary school, Beka`a (Ali Nahri)
4. Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib school, South Lebanon (Ma`roub)
5. Imam Hassan Secondary school, Beirut (Ruwais)
6. Al-Mujtaba Secondary School, Beirut (Hay Al-Salum)
7. Imam Ja`afar As-Sadiq school, South Lebanon (Jwaya)
8. Al-Kauther Secondary school, Beirut (Bir Hassan)
9. Imam Hussein School, Beka`a (Suh`mour) under construction
10. Ali Al-Akbar Vocational Institute Beirut (Doha)
[edit] Islamic Centers
1. The large Islamic Center, Beirut (Haret Hreik: Consists of the Al-Imamain Hassnian Mosque, the Zah`ra Hall and the Islamic Cultural Center.
2. Imam Hasan Askari Center Beka`a’(Sira’in)
3. Imam Hussein Center-Beka`a(Jlala)
4. Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib center South Lebanon.(AL-Hawzah-Sour)
5. Ahl Al-Beit Mosque Beka`a’ (Rayak)
6. Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq Mosque Beka`a (Hirmil)
7. Ahl Al-Beit Center, North Lebanon (Tripoli)
8. Sayyida Zaynab Mosque, Beka`a (Baalbeck)
[edit] Orphanages
1. Imam Al-Khouie Orphanage (Beirut-Doha)
2. Imam Zein Al-Abidine (A.S.) Orphanage Biqaa(Hirmil).
3. Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib (A.S.) Orphanage, South Lebanon. (The Ma`roub-Sour road)
4. Virgin Mary Orphanage (A.S.) South Lebanon(Jiwaya).
5. Al- Sayyida Khadijah Al-Kubraa (A.S.) Orphanage, Beirut (Bir-Hassan).
6. The Zaynab (A.S.) Orphanage West Biqaa (Suh`mour) Under construction.[22]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.heritage.org/Research/MiddleEast/wm1815.cfm
- ^ Key leader profile. Fadlallah, Sheikh Muhammed Hussein
- ^ BBC ON THIS DAY | 8 | 1985: Beirut car bomb kills dozens
- ^ 60 killed by Beirut car bomb | From the Guardian | The Guardian
- ^ Biographie
- ^ 60 killed by Beirut car bomb | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited. March 9 1985
- ^ Asia Times Online :: Asian News, A HISTORY OF THE CAR BOMB (Part 2). Apr 18, 2006
- ^ frontline: target America: terrorist attacks on Americans, 1979-1988 ... Bombing of U.S. Embassy annex northeast of Beirut
- ^ a b The Assassination of Mughniyeh: A Death in Damascus (February 25, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
- ^ frontline: target America: terrorist attacks on Americans, 1979-1988 ... Bombing of U.S. Embassy annex northeast of Beirut
- ^ Clip Transcript, Lebanese Shiite Leader, Sheikh Fadhlallah: The CIA is Behind Terror Attacks in Iraq
- ^ Bayynat. Fatwa to Boycott Israeli and American Good and products
- ^ The Daily Star - Politics - Fadlallah slams US for 'insane' attempt to thwart consensus on presidency
- ^ Nasr, Vali, The Shia Revival, Norton, (2006), p.181
- ^ Wilfried Buchta, "Die Islamische Repuglik Iran und die religios-politische Kontroverse um die marja'iyat", Orient 36, 3 (1995): 459-60
- ^ The Woman's Personality and Role in Life
- ^ The role of a woman I
- ^ The Moral Role of Hijab (part I)
- ^ La femme peut répondre à la violence de l’homme par la violence. L'Orient-Le Jour. Retrieved on 2007-11-28.
- ^ The prophet Isa (Jesus), son of Mary
- ^ Jesus Through a Muslim Lens
- ^ Biographie
[edit] External links
