Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah
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Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah (born November 16, 1935) is a leading Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim scholar.
He was born in the town of An-Najaf al-Ashraf, Iraq, and studied first in a traditional school, and then in a modern school established by the journalist Jamiat Muntada Al-Nasher. Fadlallah published a minor periodical, and went to Lebanon in 1952.
In the following decades, he gave many lectures and engaged in intense scholarship. He wrote dozens of books, founded several religious schools, and established the Mabarrat Association. Through that association he established a public library, a women's cultural center, and a medical clinic.
During the Lebanese civil war, he was kidnapped by Lebanese Christian militias and forced to leave Nab'aa (a suburb to the east of Beirut). He relocated to Haret Hreik and Beir Al'Abed (southern Beirut). He condemned what he saw as Zionist imperialism against Lebanon. 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 1985 Beirut car bombing that killed 80 people. The attack was allegedly organized by the CIA, funded by the Saudis at the cost of $3 million and executed by an ex-SAS contact.
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[edit] Early Life & Childhood
Sayyed Fadlallah was born in the Iraqi Shi'ite shrine city of Najaf on November 16, 1935. His father, Sayyid Abdulraouf Fadlullah, had migrated there from the village of 'Aynata in South Lebanon in 1928 to pursue religious learning. Najaf sits astride the sluggish Euphrates, on a baked plain 150 kilometers south of Baghdad. At the heart of this city of domes is the revered tomb of the Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. In 1953, at the age of sixteen, Fadlallah visited Lebanon to attend a commemorative ceremony for a leading Shia cleric. The teenager appeared on the occasion wearing the turban of a learned man, and recited a poem "which astonished people at the time." As a result, the young prodigy from Najaf stirred some comment in the Lebanese press. In later life he continued to write poetry, in his spare time and on plane flights, and published several books of collected verse, almost all on Islamic themes.
[edit] Education
The Sayyid went first to a traditional school (Kutaab) to learn the Quran and the basic skills of reading and writing. These schools were run by old traditional sheiks and they probably left a bad impression on the young scholars mind so the Sayyid soon left and went to a modern school that was established by the publisher Jamiat Muntada Al-Nasher where he stayed there 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).
From this very early stage the Sayyid knew that he was not going to be a traditional scholar as he used to take great interest in the whole cultural and literary scene, which he followed by reading numerous Lebanese, Egyptian and Iraqi magazines and newspapers.
He read for example Al-Musawir (an Egyptian magazine), the Zayan Magazine (published by Hassan Al-Zayan) and Al Katib Magazine that was published by Taha Hussein. He began writing poetry when he was ten years old under the guidance of his first teacher he father his Sayyid Abdulraouf Fadlullah.
He completed with him the course called 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.
[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 Sayyid Muhsin Al-Amin. But, although his elegy was in a way a traditional one it touched on all the political and social issues of that time including French colonialism, Islamic unity, unemployment, etc.
In 1966 the Sayyid received an invitation from a group of believers 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. The Sayyid agreed, especially as the conditions at Najaf impelled him to leave.
In Naba’a the Sayyid began his work, by organizing cultural seminars and delivering religious speeches that discussed social issues as well.
Nevertheless, the Sayyid’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 the Sayyid’s enthusiasm and perseverance. For the Sayyid did not like to stop working on the occasions which religious schools usually observe as a holiday. He wanted to make the most of every moment.
[edit] Present
Today, Sayyid Fadlallah supports an armed Hezbollah, but condemns terrorist attacks against civilians such as those of September 11 and the beheading of Nick Berg. In 1998, he spoke at a conference on Women's rights at the American University of Beirut. He has issued a fatwa forbidding any Muslim from aiding the United States in its occupation of any Muslim country. He resides in Beirut and continues to be an outspoken leader for the Shia community in Lebanon.
[edit] Social Work
In addition to academic and religious activities, the Sayyid concentrates on helping the less fortunate and downtrodden in Lebanon by founding several orphanages, schools, and Islamic centers.
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)
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)
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.
