16th Jumada al-Thani: Anniversary of Martyrdom of Ayatollah Sayyid Hasan Shirazi
16th Jumada al-Thani: Anniversary of Martyrdom of Ayatollah Sayyid Hasan Shirazi
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The 16th of Jumada al-Thani marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Ayatollah Sayyid Hasan Husayni Shirazi, a prominent religious and scholarly figure of the 20th century. He dedicated his life to defending the rights of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and opposing oppression by contemporary regimes.
Born in 1935 in a scholarly family in Najaf, Iraq, Ayatollah Shirazi was the son of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Mahdi Husayni Shirazi and brother to Grand Ayatollahs Muhammad Husayni Shirazi and Sayyid Sadiq Husayni Shirazi. He pursued religious studies in Karbala and Najaf before moving to Syria and Lebanon to engage in political and social activism.
During his lifetime, he worked to establish religious seminaries, promote Islamic scholarship, and author works on various subjects, including Islamic economics. One of his most significant efforts was advocating for the reconstruction and preservation of the sacred graves of the Imams in Al-Baqi Cemetery, Medina. In the early 1970s, he engaged in diplomatic and political efforts with Saudi authorities to restore these sites.
On May 2, 1980 (16th Jumada al-Thani 1400 AH), while attending a commemorative ceremony for Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr in Lebanon, he was assassinated by two gunmen on motorcycles. Historical accounts, including statements from Saddam Hussein’s secretary Khalid Abdul-Ghaffar, indicate that the Iraqi regime ordered the killing.
Ayatollah Sayyid Hasan Shirazi’s martyrdom was a major loss for the Islamic scholarly and religious community. His lifelong dedication exemplified the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and the defense of Muslim rights.
