HOLY CITY OF NAJAF, Iraq: A grand ceremony to commemorate late Grand Marjay (top religious authority) of Shiia World Grand Ayatullah Sayyed Mohsen At-Tabatabai Al-Hakim was witnessed in the holy city of Najaf.

Besides figures from Al-Hawzah Al-Ilmiyah An-Najaf Al-Ashraf, a number of religious, political and social personalities including Al-Allamah Sayyed Muhammad Bahr-ol Uloom, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein As-Sagir and Holy Najaf Governor As’ad Sultan Abu-Kalal attended the ceremony that held on 6 May, Friday, 27 Rabi`ol Awwal.

Addressing the spiritual gathering that marked the death anniversary of Grand Ayatullah Al-Hakim, speakers paid rich tributes to the Grand Marjay who died in 1972, Rabi`ol Awwal 27, 1390 AH in the holy city of Najaf and was laid to rest in the great and modern library he had established.

They praised his unique role in protecting Muslim unity, his firm stand against despot government and his sacrifices in the path of upholding truth to safeguard religious and Islamic identity for people of all schools of thought.

Grand Marjay’s eminent work in fiqh (jurisprudence) is 'MUSTAMSAK' which is acknowledged as the most exhaustive and enlightening commentary on the first part of Al-Orwa`tul Wosqa. The style and skill of his reasoning established him among the Fuqaha (jurists) of the first rank.

He is also well known for his clear fatwa, or edict, against Communism, declaring it an ideology of atheism.

Al-Hawzah Al-Ilmiyah in Holy Najaf grew immensely under his Marja`iyyah. He also instituted several changes in the curriculum of the Hawzas that have had far reaching effects.