AhlulBayt News Agency: The holy shrine of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf, Iraq, hosted the opening of programs marking the millennium of the Najaf Islamic Seminary.
According to the website of the holy shrine’s Astan (custodianship), the programs commenced with the support of the Astan. The opening ceremony was attended by prominent scholars, professors, and seminary students from within and outside Iraq, as well as custodians and representatives of holy shrines and sacred sites, alongside academics, guests, and officials from the Najaf province.
It began with a recitation of verses from the Holy Quran. Subsequently, Sayid Isa al-Kharsan, the custodian of the Alawi shrine, delivered a speech discussing the legacy of the Najaf Seminary, its scholarly continuity, and the contributions of its eminent scholars—ranging from Sheikh Tusi to Sayid Kazim Yazdi, Sheikh Naeini, Sayid Muhsin Hakim, and Grand Ayatollah Khoei, up to the Shia religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Sistani.
Ayatollah Sayid Riad Hakim, a professor at the Najaf Seminary, also spoke at the ceremony, stating that reviving the memory of the Najaf Seminary’s founding a thousand years ago holds a story and a lesson in itself; for it emerged from the heart of suffering and tribulation—specifically the tribulation faced by Sheikh Tusi—which he transformed into an opportunity, laying the foundation for a scholarly institution that continues to bear fruit to this day.
He said the stances of the seminary have consistently aligned with the interests of the Ummah and its sanctities.
“These positions are grounded in wisdom and Sharia principles—rather than emotion or impulse—thereby defining the authentic identity of this ancient institution and preserving its path, ultimately allowing it to evolve into the profound and authentic School of the Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) that exists today.
In his concluding remarks, al-Hakim commended the efforts of the holy shrines to commemorate the millennium of the Najaf Seminary.
He hailed this as a blessed initiative and expressed hope for the coordination of programs and the synergy of efforts aimed at showcasing the seminary.
Ja'far al-Badiri, deputy head of the Media Department at the Alawi holy shrine, also said that the momentous and exceptional event is being held with the support of the Alawi holy shrine and the participation of the Astans of the holy shrines Imam Hussein (AS) and Hazrat Abbas (AS), and those in Kadhimiya and Samarra.
Furthermore, Sheikh Karrar al-Khafaji, head of the religious affairs department at the Alawi shrine, said in a speech that a thousand years have passed since the founding of this steadfast school—an institution established through the arrival of Sheikh Tusi in the holy city of Najaf. “He came to the city to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive and methodical center of learning.”
Al-Khafaji added that throughout the years and across eras—despite various temporal and intellectual shifts—this school has endured, and Najaf has remained a dynamic and productive center of scholarship.
He explained that today, “we honor that era rich in knowledge and scholarly generosity, as well as the holy city of Najaf itself—celebrating the intellectual, scholarly, jihad-oriented, and literary heritage and achievements that have flourished within its corners and alleyways across diverse fields of knowledge and culture.”
The event featured several other segments, including the recitation of a poem about the history of Najaf and its seminary by Sheikh Abdul-Majid Faraj-Allah.
The ceremony concluded with the screening of a video clip on the life of Sheikh Tusi and the unveiling of a book about endowed manuscript Qurans in the Alawi shrine treasury), authored by Sheikh Hussein al-Wathiqi.
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