Mohammad Jawad al-Balaghi

Ayatollah Sheikh Muhammad-Jawad al-Balaghi al-Najafi (Arabic: محمد جواد البلاغي النجفي; 1865 – December 10, 1933) was an Iraqi Shia religious authority, author, poet, and polemicist.^[1][2][3]

It is reported that besides his native Arabic language, al-Balaghi was also well-versed in English, Hebrew and Persian.^[4]

He was a prominent student of Mirza Muhammad-Taqi al-Shirazi, supporting him throughout the Iraqi revolt of 1920; and Muhammad-Kadhim al-Khurasani.

al-Balaghi was from the prominent religious al-Balaghi family. Their origins go back to the Rubeya clan of the tribal Arab Adnanite confederation. al-Balaghi's great ancestor, Sheikh Muhammad al-Balaghi immigrated to Karbala in 1457 to seek a religious education. The patriarch of the intellectual family was Sheikh Muhammad-Ali al-Balaghi who died in Karbala in 1592, who was a grand religious authority, and one of the disseminators of Usul al-Kafi. Later, Sheikh Muhammad-Ali's grandson, Sheikh Hassan al-Balaghi travelled to Najaf, and settled in 1693. al-Balaghi's lineage is as follows:^[5][6][7][8]

Muḥammad-Jawād bin Ḥassan bin Ṭalib bin ʿAbbās bin Ibrahīm bin Ḥusayn bin ʿAbbās II bin Ḥassan bin ʿAbbās I bin Muḥammad-ʿAli bin Ḥassan bin Muḥammad bin Balāgh bin Walī-Allāh bin Darwīsh [leading to] Asad bin Rabīʿa bin Nizar bin Maʿad bin ʿAdnan.

al-Balaghi was born to Sheikh Hassan al-Balaghi (d. 1882) in November 1865. He grew up in Najaf, and moved to Kadhimiya in 1888 to pursue a religious education.^[4]

Upon completing his muqadamat (introductory studies), he returned to Najaf in 1894. Whilst in Najaf he studied under scholars like Sheikh Muhammad-Kadhim al-Khurasani, Sheikh Muhammad-Taha Najaf, Sayyid Muhammad al-Hindi, and Muhammad-Hassan al-Mamaqani. He then travelled to Samarra in 1908, to study under Mirza Muhammad-Taqi al-Shirazi. He remained in Samarra for ten years studying in its seminary.^[3]

During the siege of Kut, Mirza Taqi travelled to Kadhimiya, who feared that Samarra could end up like Kut, and that way many from the religious sphere would die. al-Balaghi followed Mirza Taqi, and remained in Kadhimiya for two years. He then returned to Najaf in 1920 after his mentor was poisoned.^[2]

Some of al-Balaghi's most notable students included:

• Sayyid Muhammad-Hadi al-Milani
• Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei
• Sheikh Muhammad-Amin Zayn al-Din
• Sheikh Muhammad-Ridha Tabsi

al-Balaghi enjoyed a library of publications, and wrote about many things include jurisprudence, principles of jurisprudence, Quranic exegesis, inter-faith matters. Some of his books included:^[3][7]

• al-Huda Ala Din al-Mustafa (Guidance on the religion of al-Mustafa). 2 volumes. A response to the Christian Ethiopian hermit Abd al-Thaluth al-Habashi.
• al-Rihla al-Madrasiyah (The School Journey). 3 volumes. A critique of other faiths.
• Anwar al-Huda (The Light of Guidance). A deconstruction of atheism.
• Nasa'ih al-Huda (Advice of Guidance). A deconstruction of Bábism.
• Risalat al-Tawhid wal-Tathleeth (Letter of Oneness and Threeness)
• A'jeeb al-Akatheeb (Wonders of Lies)
• Ajiwabat al-Masa'il al-Baghdadiya (Answers to Baghdadi Questions). A book of principles of jurisprudence.
• al-Balagh al-Mubeen (The True Eloquence). A book of mysticism.
• Alaa' al Rahman Fi Tafsir al-Quran (The Mercifuls Wonders in the Exegesis of the Quran). A book of Quranic exegesis.

al-Balaghi married the daughter of Sayyid Musa al-Jazayeri al-Kadhimi in 1889, whilst he was in Kadhimiya. He only had daughters, and no sons.^[9]

He died in the early hours of Friday December 3, 1933. He is buried in the third southern room of the west wing of the courtyard of the Imam Ali Shrine.^[2]

• Mirza Jawad Maleki Tabrizi
• Hibatuddin Shahrestani
• Mohammad Hossein Esheni Qudejani
• Noureddin Qudejani Esheni

• BALĀḠĪ, MOḤAMMAD-JAWĀD by Encyclopædia Iranica.

• al-Balaghi's Library by al-Feker E-book Network