Shiites Worldwide Commemorate Demise Anniversary of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hasan Shirazi
Shiites Worldwide Commemorate Demise Anniversary of Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hasan Shirazi
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Shiite Muslims around the world commemorated on the 24th of Sha‘ban the anniversary of the passing of the eminent religious authority Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Hasan al-Shirazi (may God sanctify his soul), widely regarded as one of the leading figures of the Shiite seminary in his era and the founder of the Islamic seminary in the holy city of Samarra.
Known as al-Mujaddid al-Shirazi al-Awwal (the First Shirazi Reformer), he led the historic Tobacco Protest in Iran after issuing a decisive fatwa (religious edict) that challenged the ruling system and forced the Qajar monarch to revoke the tobacco monopoly agreement imposed by British colonial interests. The move is remembered as a major victory against foreign domination and a landmark moment in modern Islamic resistance.
Grand Ayatollah Shirazi also played a central role in consolidating the Shiite scholarly presence in Samarra, where he established a major seminary that later became an influential center of religious learning and intellectual activity.
Born in Shiraz in 1230 AH, he pursued his studies in Isfahan before moving to Najaf in 1259 AH, where he studied under leading scholars, most notably Shaykh Murtada al-Ansari. Following his teacher’s passing, he assumed leadership of the Shiite seminary and later relocated to Samarra in 1291 AH.
Accounts from his prominent students state that mourning gatherings for his passing continued for an entire year, reflecting the profound sense of loss felt across the Shiite world. His scholarly and reformist legacy continues through the Shirazi school, culminating today in the leadership of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq Hosseini Shirazi, who is widely seen as continuing this path of defending the causes of the Ummah and promoting the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).
