AhlulBayt News Agency: The world of Shia Islamic scholarship has been plunged into mourning with the passing of Grand Ayatollah Sheikh Ishaq al-Fayyaz, one of the most revered sources of emulation based in the holy city of Najaf.
In a heartfelt message of condolence, Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi has paid tribute to the late scholar, declaring that the manifold blessings of his life and work "will never be forgotten" and that his righteous legacy shall endure for generations to come.
The senior Iranian cleric's statement, issued from the holy city of Qom, reflects the profound loss felt across the transnational Shia community, particularly within the ancient scholastic bastion of Najaf Ashraf, where Ayatollah Fayyaz stood as a towering pillar of jurisprudence, piety, and intellectual rigor for decades.
In his message, released on Saturday and carried by the Hawzah News Agency, Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi wrote:
"In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. The news of the passing of the Divine scholar and exalted source of emulation, Grand Ayatollah Hajj Sheikh Ishaq Fayyaz (may his soul rest in peace), has caused immense sorrow and grief, casting the holy seminary of Najaf Ashraf into mourning."
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, himself a leading global Marja', painted a vivid picture of a lifetime dedicated to God and the propagation of knowledge. He emphasized that Ayatollah Fayyaz's decades-long presence in Najaf—the historic seat of Shia learning adjacent to the shrine of Imam Ali (Peace Be Upon Him)—represented a continuous fountain of blessings. His tireless endeavors in training countless students, authoring voluminous and authoritative jurisprudential works, masterfully guiding the academic trajectory of the seminary, and providing spiritual counsel and leadership to legions of believers and followers around the globe, were cited as merely "a portion" of an immeasurable contribution.
"These blessings will never be forgotten, and his righteous works shall remain, God willing," the statement affirmed, underscoring the enduring nature of scholarly legacy in Shia Islam, where the ink of the scholar is held to be more sacred than the blood of the martyr.
The ripple effects of this loss are felt acutely in Afghanistan and Iraq, the native lands of many of Ayatollah Fayyaz's devoted followers, whom Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi specifically addressed in his condolence message. He extended his sympathies to the Najaf seminary, the faithful nations of Afghanistan and Iraq, the bereaved followers and admirers worldwide, and especially the esteemed family of the departed Marja'.
The grand ayatollah concluded his message by praying for the deceased to be granted the highest stations in paradise and to be resurrected in the company of the divine saints, while asking for patience and immense reward for those left behind.
Ayatollah Fayyaz, an ethnic Hazara who rose to become one of the four most senior grand ayatollahs in Najaf, was renowned not only for his deep knowledge but also for his staunch and uncompromising positions on social justice, the defense of the oppressed, and the independence of the seminary from political interference. His demise marks the closing of a luminous chapter in the history of the Najaf seminary, and his absence will leave a void in the global Muslim world that will be profoundly felt. As tributes continue to pour in from senior clerics, academic institutions, and believers across continents, the unified voice from Qom and Najaf today speaks to the unshakeable bonds of scholarship and faith that transcend borders.
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