# Ali Naqi Naqvi

Grand Ayatollah Syed Ali Naqi Naqvi Nasirabadi (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 Urdu works include Shaheed-e-Insaniyat and Tareekh-e-Islam. He also wrote a translation and commentary of the Quran, in addition to dozens of books in Arabic.
As a scholar of Shia Islam, he authored more than 100 books and 1000 short works.

## Early life and education

Naqvi was born in 1905 in Lucknow, British India. When he was around 3 or 4, in 1327 Hijri, his father Syed Abul Hasan Naqvi (Mumtaz al-ulama) took him and their family to Iraq. His 'Bismillah' at the age of seven occurred in Rauza-e-Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq. In Iraq, at 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. Later, he attended the Sultan al-Madaris seminary. He also studied Arabic literature with Mufti Muhammad 'Ali. He passed the exam for certification as a religious scholar (alim) from Allahabad University in 1923 and soon he gained certifications from Nazamiyyah College and Sultan al-Madaris. Furthermore, he was awarded a degree in literature (Fazil-e adab) in 1925.
In 1927, Ali Naqvi departed for the seminaries of Iraq. During his stay there, he studied Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic theology (Kalam). Before his journey to Iraq, he had already written and published four books. While studying in Iraq Ali Naqvi, he wrote a few works in Arabic. Those books were Rooh Aladab Sharah Alamiyatal Arab, Albait Al Mamoor Fi Emaratal Qubur, Faryaad e Musalmanane Aalam, and 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 Wahhabis, called "Kashf annaqab ann aqaaed Abdul Wahab Najdi". His second book in Arabic was in defense 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 a 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 in 1988 of a stroke at the age of 83 in Lucknow on Eid-ul-Fitr.

## Publications

Naqvi's many works include:
* Alami Mushkilat ka hal in Shu'a-i 'Amal (Jul 2009): 30–39
* Ashk-i matam Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1957.
* Asiri-yi ahl-i haram Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1940.
* Aurat awr Islam in Shu'a'-i 'Amal (May 2009): 6–13
* Aza-yi Husayn ki ahamiyat Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press,1959.
* Aza-yi Husayn par tarikhi tabsarah. Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, np.
* Bani umayyah ki adavat-i-Islam ki mukhtasir tarikh Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1994.
* Hamaray rusum va quyud Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1939. 313
* Hayat-i qaumi Lucknow: Imamia Mission, 1941
* Hazrat 'Ali ki shakhsiyat: 'Ilm aur a'taqad ki manzil par Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1969.
* Husayn aur Islam Lucknow: Manshurah Imamiyah Mission, 1931. (Pdf Hindi)
* Husayn Husayn aik tarruf Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quaumi Press, 1964.
* Husayn ka atam balaydan Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1936.
* Husayn ka paygham 'alam-i insaniyat kay nam Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1959 (Pdf Urdu)
* Husayn ki yad ka azad Hindustan say mutalbah Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1950
* Husayni iqdam ka pahla qadam Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1953.
* Ibadat aur tariqi ibadat, 2nd ed. Lucknow: Nizami Press, np.
* Iqalat al-athir fiiqamat al-sha'a'ir al-Husayniyah Najaf: Matba'ah Haydariyyah, 1929.
* Isbat-i pardah Lahore: Imamia Mission, 1961.
* Islam ka paygham pas-uftadah aqwam kay nam Lucknow: Imamiah Mission, 1936.
* Islam ki hakimanah zindagi Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1935.
* Islami culture kia hay? Lahore: Imamiyah Mission, 1960.
* Jadid tuhfatul avam Lahore: Iftikhar Book Depot, np.
* Karbala ka tarikhi vaqi'ah mukhtasar hay ya tulani? Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1960.
* Karbala ki yadgar payas Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1959.
* Khilafat-i Yazid kay muta'alliq azad ara'in Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1953. (Pdf Urdu)
* Khuda ki ma'rafat Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1938.
* Khutbaat-e-Karbala (Pdf Hindi / Pdf Urdu
* Khutbat-i Sayyidul 'ulama' muta'lliq karnama-yi Husayn Lucknow: Idarah-yi Payam-i Islam, np.
* La tufsidu fi alard. 3rd ed. Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1998.
* Ma'rakah-yi Karbala Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1935.
* Majmu'ah-yi taqarir. 5 vols. Lahore: Imamiyah Kutubkhana, np.
* Maqalat-i Sayyidul 'ulama’ Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1996.
* Maqsad-i Husayn Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1956.
* Mas'alah-yi hayat an-nabi aur vaqi'ah-yi vafat-i rusul Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1973.
* Masa'il va dala'il Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, 1944.
* Mawlud-e-Ka'bah Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qaumi Press, np. (Pdf Hindi)
* Mazhab aur 'aql Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1941. 314
* Mazhab shi'ah aik nazar main Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1970. (Pdf Urdu)
* Mazlum-i Karbala Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission 1941.
* Mi‘raj-i insaniyat: sirat-i rasul aur al-i rasul ki roshni main Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1969
* Mujahidah-yi Karbala Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1933.
* Muqaddamah-yi tafsir-i Qur'an Lucknow: Idarah 'Ilmiyah and Nizami Press, 1940.
* Muqaddema Nahjul-balagha
* Muslim personal law – Na qabil-i tabdil Lucknow: Imamia Mission, 1996.
* Mut'ah aur Islam Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1933.
* Nigarshat-e-Sayyidul 'ulama’. Lahore: Imamiah Mission, 1997.
* Nizam-i zindagi, 4 vols. Lucknow: Al-Va'iz Safdar Press, 1940. (Pdf Urdu)
* Qatil al-'abrah Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1960.
* Qatilan-e-Husayn ka madhhab Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1932.
* Qur'an aur nizam-i hukumat Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1972.
* Qur'an kay bayan al-aqvami irshadat Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1976. (Pdf Urdu)
* Qur'an-i majid kay andaz-i guftagu main ma'yar-i tahzib va ravadari Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1976. (Pdf Urdu)
* Radd-i Wahhabiyya Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, np. (Pdf English / Pdf Hindi / Pdf Urdu)
* Rahbar-i kamil: Savanih-i 'Ali Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961.
* Rahnumayan-i Islam Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1962. (Pdf Urdu)
* Rusul-i Khuda Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961.
* Safar namah-yi Hajj Lucknow: Nizami Press, 1977. (Pdf Urdu)
* Sahifah al-'amal Lucknow: np., 1939.
* Shahid-i insaniyat Lahore: Imamiyah Mission Pakistan Trust, 2006.
* Shuja'at kay misali karnamay Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1954.
* Ta'ziahdari ki mukhalfat ka asal raz Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1963.
* Tadhkirah-i huffaz-i shi'a Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1935.
* Tafsir fasl al-khatab. 8 vols Lahore: Misbah al-Qur'an Trust, 1986.
* Tahrif-i Qur'an ki haqiqat Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1932.
* Taqiyah Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1952. (Pdf Hindi)
* Tarikh-i Islam 4 vols. Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1961. 315
* The compilation of Nahjul-balagha (Pdf Urdu / English Archived 3 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine
* Tijarat aur Islam Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1933. (Pdf Urdu)
* Usul aur arkan-i din Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1973 (Pdf Hindi)
* Usul-i din aur Qur'an Lahore: Imamiyah Mission, 1964.
* Usvah-yi Husayni Lucknow: Imamiyah Mission, 1986.
* Va'dah-yi jannat Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1979.
* Vujud-i hujjat Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1932. (Pdf Urdu)
* Yad aur yadigar Lucknow: Sarfaraz Qawmi Press, 1968.
* Yazid aur jang-i Qustantaniyah Lucknow: Sarfaraz Quqmi Press, 1965.
* Zikr-i Husayn Lucknow: Imamia Mission, np.
* Zindah savalat Aligarh University Press, 1971.
* 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 Abdul Hasan Naqvi (1940-2001), Lucknow, India
* Maulana Syed Murtaza Naqvi (1927-1994), 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
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.