Ali Naqi Naqvi

Grand Ayatollah Syed Ali Naqi Naqvi (December 26, 1905 – May 18, 1988) (26 Rajab 1323 AH – 1 Shawal 1408 AH), also known as Naqqan Sahib, was a Twelver Shia Marja, poet, writer, jurist and Quranic interpreter. His writings in Urdu include Shaheed-e-Insaniyat and Tareekh-e-Islam. He also wrote Tarjuma wa Tafseer of Quran, majeed and dozens of books in Arabic.

A scholar of Shia Islam, he wrote more than 100 books and 1000 short works.

Early life and education
Naqvi was born in 1905 in Lucknow, British India. Between the ages of 3 and 4 in 1327 Hijri, his father Syed Abul Hasan Naqvi (Mumtaz al-ulama) took him and his family to Iraq. His 'Bismillah' at the age of seven in Rauza-e-Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq. In Iraq at the age of 7, Ali Naqvi's formal education began with Arabic and Persian grammar and basic learning of the Qur’an.

In 1914, the family returned to India and he continued his religious education under the supervision of his father and later at the Sultan al-Madaris seminary. He also studied Arabic literature with Mufti Muhammad ‘Ali.

In 1923 he passed the exam for certification of religious scholar (alim) from Allahabad University and soon also gained certification from Nazamiyyah College and Sultan al-Madaris.

In 1925 he was awarded a degree in literature (Fazil-e adab).

In 1927, Ali Naqvi departed for the seminaries of Iraq. During his stay there, he studied Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic theology (Kalam). While studying in Iraq Ali Naqvi also wrote a few works in Arabic. He had already written and published four books before his journey to Iraq


 * 1) Rooh Aladab Sharah Alamiyatal Arab
 * 2) Albait Al Mamoor Fi Emaratal Qubur
 * 3) Faryaad e Musalmanane Aalam
 * 4) Altawae Haj Per Sharaee Nuqtae Nazar Se Bahas

His first book published in Arabic was in Najaf during his days as a student and was the first ever book to be written against Wahabis, it is called "Kashf annaqab ann aqaaed Abdul Wahab Najdi". His second book in Arabic was in defence of the act of "Matam, by the name of "Aqalatalaashir fi eqamatalshaaer".

He studied Islamic jurisprudence with Ayatullah Na’ini, Ayatollah Abu Hasan Isfahani and Ayatullah Sayyid Diya’ Iraqi, Hadith with Shakyh ‘Abbas Qummi and Sayyid Husayn Sadr and Islamic theology (Kalam) with Sayyid Sharf al-Din, Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Kashif al-Ghita’, Shaykh Jawad Balaghi, Sayyid Muhsin Amin Amli. After completing his seminary education and receiving certification (ijaza’) for ijtihad. He became a mujtahid at the age of 27. He was given ijazah by Ayatollah Naaini.

Career
In 1932 Naqvi returned to India and in 1933 he was appointed a professor in the Oriental College Department of Lucknow University, where he taught Arabic and Persian for over two decades.

In 1959, Aligarh Muslim University invited him to take up the position of Reader in the theology (diniyat) department—which as yet did not have teaching faculty. The department also created two parallel streams of Sunni and Shi’i theology and Ali Naqvi began to oversee the affairs of the Shi’i branch.

From 1967 to 1969 Naqvi was the dean of Shi’i theology. He retired from the university in 1972.

From 1972 to 1975 Naqvi was given a research professorship through the University Grants Commission (UGC) and he stayed permanently in Aligarh.

Death
He died of a stroke at the age of 83 in Lucknow on Eid-ul-Fitr.

Publications
Naqvi's many works include:


 * 1) Alami Mushkilat ka hal	in Shu‘a-i ‘Amal (Jul 2009): 30–39
 * 2) Ashk-i matam 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1957.
 * 3) Asiri-yi ahl-i haram 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1940.
 * 4) Aurat awr Islam	in Shu‘a‘-i ‘Amal (May 2009): 6–13
 * 5) Aza-yi Husayn ki ahamiyat 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press,1959.
 * 6) Aza-yi Husayn par tarikhi tabsarah. 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, np.
 * 7) Bani umayyah ki adavat-i-Islam ki mukhtasir tarikh 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1994.
 * 8) Hamaray rusum va quyud 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1939. 313
 * 9) Hayat-i qaumi 	Lucknow: Imamia Mission, 1941
 * 10) Hazrat ‘Ali ki shakhsiyat: ‘Ilm aur a‘taqad ki manzil par 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1969.
 * 11) Husayn aur Islam 	Lucknow: Manshurah Imamiyah Mission, 1931. 	(Pdf Hindi)
 * 12) Husayn Husayn aik tarruf 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1964.
 * 13) Husayn ka atam balaydan 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1936.
 * 14) Husayn ka paygham ‘alam-i insaniyat kay nam 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1959 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 15) Husayn ki yad ka azad Hindustan say mutalbah 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1950
 * 16) Husayni iqdam ka pahla qadam 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1953.
 * 17) Ibadat aur tariqi ibadat, 2nd ed. 	Lucknow: Nizami Press, np.
 * 18) Iqalat al-athir fiiqamat al-sha'a'ir al-Husayniyah 	Najaf: Matba‘ah Haydariyyah, 1929.
 * 19) Isbat-i pardah 	Lahore: Imamia Mission, 1961.
 * 20) Islam ka paygham pas-uftadah aqwam kay nam 	Lucknow: Imamiah Mission, 1936.
 * 21) Islam ki hakimanah zindagi 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1935.
 * 22) Islami culture kia hay? 	Lahore: Imamiyah Mission, 1960.
 * 23) Jadid tuhfatul avam 	Lahore: Iftikhar Book Depot, np.
 * 24) Karbala ka tarikhi vaqi‘ah mukhtasar hay ya tulani? 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1960.
 * 25) Karbala ki yadgar payas	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1959.
 * 26) Khilafat-i Yazid kay muta‘alliq azad ara’in 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1953. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 27) Khuda ki ma‘rafat   	Lucknow:  Imamiyah Mission, 1938.
 * 28) Khutbaat-e-Karbala   		(Pdf Hindi   /   Pdf Urdu
 * 29) Khutbat-i Sayyidul ‘ulama’ muta‘lliq karnama-yi Husayn 	Lucknow: Idarah-yi Payam-i Islam, np.
 * 30) La tufsidu fi alard. 3rd ed. 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1998.
 * 31) Ma‘rakah-yi Karbala 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1935.
 * 32) Majmu‘ah-yi taqarir. 5 vols. 	Lahore: Imamiyah Kutubkhana, np.
 * 33) Maqalat-i Sayyidul ‘ulama’ 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1996.
 * 34) Maqsad-i Husayn 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1956.
 * 35) Mas’alah-yi hayat an-nabi aur vaqi‘ah-yi vafat-i rusul 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1973.
 * 36) Masa’il va dala’il 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1944.
 * 37) Mawlud-e-Ka‘bah 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, np. 	(Pdf Hindi)
 * 38) Mazhab aur ‘aql 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1941. 314
 * 39) Mazhab shi‘ah aik nazar main 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1970. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 40) Mazlum-i Karbala 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission 1941.
 * 41) Mi‘raj-i insaniyat: sirat-i rasul aur al-i rasul ki roshni main 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1969
 * 42) Mujahidah-yi Karbala 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1933.
 * 43) Muqaddamah-yi tafsir-i Qur’an 	Lucknow: Idarah ‘Ilmiyah and Nizami Press, 1940.
 * 44) Muqaddema Nahjul-balagha
 * 45) Muslim personal law – Na qabil-i tabdil 	Lucknow: Imamia Mission, 1996.
 * 46) Mut‘ah aur Islam 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1933.
 * 47) Nigarshat-e-Sayyidul ‘ulama’. 	Lahore: Imamiah Mission, 1997.
 * 48) Nizam-i zindagi, 4 vols. 	Lucknow: Al-Va‘iz Safdar Press, 1940. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 49) Qatil al-‘abrah 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1960.
 * 50) Qatilan-e-Husayn ka madhhab 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1932.
 * 51) Qur’an aur nizam-i hukumat 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1972.
 * 52) Qur’an kay bayan al-aqvami irshadat	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1976. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 53) Qur’an-i majid kay andaz-i guftagu main ma‘yar-i tahzib va ravadari 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1976. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 54) Radd-i Wahhabiyya 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, np.	(Pdf English / Pdf Hindi / Pdf Urdu)
 * 55) Rahbar-i kamil: Savanih-i ‘Ali 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961.
 * 56) Rahnumayan-i Islam 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1962. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 57) Rusul-i Khuda 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961.
 * 58) Safar namah-yi Hajj	Lucknow: Nizami Press, 1977. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 59) Sahifah al-‘amal	Lucknow: np., 1939.
 * 60) Shahid-i insaniyat	Lahore: Imamiyah Mission Pakistan Trust, 2006.
 * 61) Shuja‘at kay misali karnamay	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1954.
 * 62) Ta‘ziahdari ki mukhalfat ka asal raz	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1963.
 * 63) Tadhkirah-i huffaz-i shi‘a 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1935.
 * 64) Tafsir fasl al-khatab. 8 vols 	Lahore: Misbah al-Qur'an Trust, 1986.
 * 65) Tahrif-i Qur’an ki haqiqat 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1932.
 * 66) Taqiyah 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1952. 	(Pdf Hindi)
 * 67) Tarikh-i Islam 4 vols. 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961. 315
 * 68) The compilation of Nahjul-balagha    		(Pdf Urdu  /  English
 * 69) Tijarat aur Islam 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1933. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 70) Usul aur arkan-i din 	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1973 	(Pdf Hindi)
 * 71) Usul-i din aur Qur’an 	Lahore: Imamiyah Mission, 1964.
 * 72) Usvah-yi Husayni	Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1986.
 * 73) Va‘dah-yi jannat 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1979.
 * 74) Vujud-i hujjat 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1932. 	(Pdf Urdu)
 * 75) Yad aur yadigar 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1968.
 * 76) Yazid aur jang-i Qustantaniyah 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1965.
 * 77) Zikr-i Husayn 	Lucknow: Imamia Mission, np.
 * 78) Zindah savalat 	Aligarh University Press, 1971.
 * 79) Zindah-i javid ka matam 	Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1935.

Controversy
He was opposed by some members of the Shia community for sections in the book Shaheed-e-insaniyat which mentioned the presence of water in the tents of Husayn ibn Ali during the Battle of Karbala and also threw doubt the martyrdom of Ali Asghar by the arrow of Hurmula.

Shaheed-e-insaniyat was internally published by Idaar-e-Yaadgar-e-Husaini which had 300 members. Their purpose was to review, compile, edit and finally present a book on Karbala which could be acceptable to an international inter-sect readers group. The book was written in 1942 (1361 AH) by a team formed by all the Ulemas of all religion. Contributions from many of these men were then compiled in a book form by Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Naqi Naqvi.

Initially 500 copies were printed for review by the members of the mentioned organization, who were asked to review and comment on the text. This draft version was released to the public, leading to the controversy. Naqvi was blamed, as the public thought he was the sole author of the draft.

Family
He brought up his four brothers after the death of his father at a very early age. All of them were scholars of Shia Islam.


 * Maulana Syed Murtaza Naqvi(1930-1994), Lucknow, India
 * Maulana Syed Kazim Naqvi (1934-2018), chairman, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
 * Maulana Syed Baqir Naqvi(1938–Present), Dubai, UAE
 * Maulana Syed Abdul Hasan Naqvi(1940-2001), Lucknow, India

His son, Professor Syed Ali Mohammad Naqavi was the Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Aligarh Muslim University, a position previously held by his uncle. Naqavi currently heads the Dara Shikoh Interfaith Center of Aligarh Muslim University. He has published at least 34 books on various topics.