The Qazwinis are one of the renowned and established families of Karbala and their link with this holy city goes back to the 10th century (A.H.). Their lineage traces back to the seventh holy Imam, Musa al-Kazim (‘a). Many great scholars, litterateurs, jurists, and writers were members of this esteemed family, and a lot can be said about their contribution to the cause of the school of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a).

Al-Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Ibn al-Sayyid Ibrahim Ibn al-Sayyid Hashim al-Musawi al-Qazwini al-Ha’iri was born in the holy city of Karbala on 12th Shawwal 1348 A.H./13th March 1930. He lost both his parents at a young age and grew up an orphan. His cousin al-Sayyid Sadiq al-Qazwini took up the responsibility of raising him and cared for him until he came of age.

His early life was fraught with hardship and penury, So, much So, that on some days his only food was dry bread mixed with water. At one time, he never had a proper meal for a week and as a result, his body started trembling. Some of his classmates thought he was ill and suggested he visit a physician, but he still did not tell anyone the real reason behind his physical state. Such hardships gave Sayyid Muhammad Kazim a deeper sense of compassion for students of the seminary who were going through hard times. One seminary student recount how, when he was suffering from intense hunger such that the colour of his skin had changed, the Sayyid passed next to him and placed an envelope full of money in his pocket in such a manner that he never realized it was there until much later. These charitable activities continued a personal and institutional level in the life of Sayyid Muhammad Kazim until the end of his life.

From a young age, he began attending classes in the religious seminary in Karbala, and spent most of his life learning and studying, until he became one of the most revered and respected teachers in the seminary. He was a student of some of the great luminaries, such as:

• Al-Shaykh Jafar al-Rashti

• Al-Sayyid Muhammad Hadi al-Milani

• Al-Sayyid Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi

• Al-Shaykh Yusuf al-Khurasani

• Al-Shaykh Muhammad al-Khatib

Each of these great scholars expressed his regard for Sayyid Muhammad Kazim and attested to his acumen and intellectual prowess.

His Efforts To Propagate Islam

The author was also an accomplished orator and would regularly ascend the pulpit during the month of mourning and at other times during the year. He even trained a number of individuals who then went on to become respected speakers in their own right. It is said that he had an amazing ability to effect change in the lives of his audience. He had memorized many of the sermons of Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) which he would recite in different gatherings and speeches. His lectures were mostly on the subject of social ethics and spiritual development. Someone once said to him, “I have not attended any of your lectures but that I gained some knowledge from it.”

Sayyid Muhammad Kazim was well travelled and most of his travels were for the purpose of propagating the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt. He visited Pakistan, India, Morocco, Australia, Egypt, Thailand, Tunisia, Algeria, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia among other places. He engaged in polemic discussions and debates with various scholars in the places he visited and would continue communicating with them via correspondence even when he returned home. He spared no effort in conveying the teachings of Islam and guiding the people.

One of his close aides narrates: “One night, in the month of Ramadhan, he had a very high fever and I noticed that as he spoke from the pulpit sweat was trickling down his brow. Yet when he finished his lecture, he proceeded to the next engagement where he was to deliver another talk. I asked him, ‘Why do you put yourself through So, much hardship? Why don’t you rest a little?’ He replied, ‘Let me tell you about something that happened just two days ago... A member of the congregation came to me and complained about a neighbour who had usurped part of his property. He requested that I speak about the importance of respecting the rights of others and the punishment for usurping property.

That night, I spoke about this subject from the pulpit. The very next day, the same man came to thank me and said that his neighbour had returned his parcel of land.’ Then he said, ‘Now you tell me, if I can effect such change in people, how can I neglect this responsibility? I must continue to exert myself as long as I can.’”

This was just one anecdote out of the many that his sons and close aides narrate about his tireless efforts to spread the teachings of Islam. It is also interesting to note that most of his listeners were young people. This shows that his approach was appealing to young minds and the youth could relate to his examples and anecdotes. Many students from the University of Baghdad would come all the way to Karbala to listen to his talks.

In 1960/1380 A.H. he established an institute called Rabitah al-Nashr al-Islami (lit. Islamic Publishing Association). The thing that drove him to start this institute was the news that reached him from Morocco that some Muslims were actually celebrating the day of ‘Ashura’ as a day of Eid and were congratulating one another as they would on other Eid days! They had no knowledge of the great tragedy that befell the household of the Prophet (S) on this day. They were ignorant of the fact that this was the day when the beloved grandson of the Messenger of Allah (S), Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (‘a) was martyred. For this reason, Sayyid al-Qazwini formed this institute with the aim of publishing magazines and distributing them in the Arab countries, especially Morocco. He even placed an announcement informing the people that his institute would be willing to send free books to those who were interested.

After this, he received many letters from different places, from people requesting books. At times, he would receive five hundred letters in a single day! It seemed there was a great thirst for knowledge, and he personally read each letter and replied those that needed answering. He would send numerous books that he had selected himself, by post, all around the world. It is not an exaggeration to say that in a relatively short span of time, the late Sayyid sent over a hundred thousand books, on various subjects, to different countries. He specially made an effort to send books about the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and their teachings. The numerous letters of appreciation he got are testament to the success of his endeavour. Many people wrote back expressing their amazement at how little they knew about the family of the Prophet of Allah (S) before reading the books he sent. Many more converted to the school of the Ahl al-Bayt after studying the material. With time, the activities of his institute expanded, and he began sending books to far off places – as far as Brazil and Argentina.

One of the esteemed scholars of Qum narrates: “I was once seated in the Grand Masjid in Damascus when a group of Sunnis gathered around me and began asking questions about the Shi’ah, Imamah etc. Before I could answer, a man suddenly came forward and answered all their questions in a manner that convinced them, and they went away satisfied. I was a little surprised and asked that man where he was from and where he had studied. He replied that he was from Halab (a city in Syria) and that he used to be a Sunni, but after reading the books that Sayyid Muhammad Kazim al-Qazwini had sent him, he became a Shi’ah and convinced his entire family to convert as well. It was with this information that he was able to answer all the questions that they had posed.”

His Travels

Aside from correspondence and sending books, Sayyid al-Qazwini also travelled to different places to preach and propagate the message of Islam. He spent three months in Morocco, where he visited different cities and met with important religious figures whom he introduced to the Jafari school of thought. His discussions with various scholars, judges and teachers bore fruit and many were convinced by his arguments. He established five libraries in Morocco and sent books to other libraries there as well. The people were So, impressed with him that when the time for his departure came, they did not want him to leave.

Sayyid Muhammad Kazim would often relate to his friends and companions some of his experiences in Morocco. At one time, he narrated: “I had taken with me the audio cassette of the Maqtal of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) recited by Shaykh Abd al-Zahra Ka’bi, one of the well-respected reciters of Karbala. I thus told my host, ‘If you wish to hear about what happened on the day of ‘Ashura’ listen to this cassette.’ So, they brought a tape recorder and began playing the cassette. All those who were present listened attentively with their heads lowered. After some time, I noticed many of them had tears in their eyes. When the first side of the cassette ended, I turned it, and we began listening to the second side. Here, Shaykh Ka’bi recited the sermon of Imam Zayn al-’Abidin in the Masjid of Sham. Upon hearing this, the head of the family cried and said: ‘My wife is pregnant and if Allah blesses me with a son, I will name him Zayn al-’Abidin!’”

Another place that Sayyid al-Qazwini visited was Australia. He had received letters from Sydney expressing the poor state of the Shi’ah there. The letters painted a grim picture and noted that the Shi’ah did not even have their own masjid or centre. Sayyid Muhammad Kazim decided to visit Australia to see what he could do to help. It was the first time that a scholar of his stature had visited the country for such a purpose.

When he arrived there, he found that indeed, the situation of the Shi’ah was very dire. They had to bury their dead in a Christian cemetery and if the deceased did not have the money required for burial, they were forced to cremate the body. He decided to arrange to build a masjid and buy a parcel of land, which would be used as a cemetery. The name he chose for the mosque was Masjid Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a). As the project commenced, Sayyid Muhammad Kazim sought to raise the required funds. Many people contributed, some even selling their jewellery to raise funds. The embassy of one of the Arab countries learnt about this project and called, offering to fund the entire project on the condition that the name of the masjid be changed. When Sayyid al-Qazwini was informed about this, he rejected the offer saying that the name would remain as it is, and they would get funding from other sources with the help of the Almighty. A short while later, all the needed funds had been acquired and the masjid was built.

Sayyid al-Qazwini went to Australia four times and the Shi’ah there felt greatly indebted to him for his guidance and contribution. A few days before his demise, one of the youths from Australia contacted him and said that he would be dedicating his PhD thesis to the Sayyid because he felt that he owed him his life. He had been guided aright by the Sayyid’s efforts and through his lectures and talks. Indeed, before his visit, there were many who never prayed and most of the women never wore the hijab. After his preaching, many people turned a new leaf and came closer to Islam.

One of his travels was to the Land of the Nile, where he paid a visit to the holy sites such as the shrine of al-Sayyida Zaynab Bint Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a). While there, he met with many scholars from al-Azhar University and had lengthy discussions with them. He took every opportunity to spread the message of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and many people appreciated his discourses.

Standing Against Oppression

As a young scholar, he took a strong stance against the oppressive regime in Iraq, and this led to his imprisonment and torture. Sayyid al-Qazwini described what he underwent, saying: “They took us to Baghdad, to an underground dungeon. In our group, there were scholars, doctors, and traders. We were placed in cells that were So, small, we could not even stand up straight. They would torture us and beat us with sticks until our entire bodies became numb. Blood oozed from all the wounds they inflicted upon us. These people never respected Islam, the scholars or any of the things that were sacred. They would even make fun of prayers.”

After three and a half months, he was released. Despite facing such adversity, he never stopped speaking out against oppression. When the government decided to arrest him a second time, and this time they wanted to execute him once and for all, the Sayyid went into hiding. For over one year, he lived in hiding and these were some of the most trying days of his life. Eventually, he managed to escape to Kuwait. However, the government confiscated all his belongings in Iraq. Sayyid al-Qazwini would always express his remorse at the loss of his books, because he had some old manuscripts that were unique and priceless.

He migrated to Kuwait in 1974/1394 A.H. and took up the role of Imam in Masjid Imam al-Husayn (‘a) where he led prayers and gave lectures. Many people would attend his talks and one of the scholars’ comments that the attendance of young people was more in his lectures than in anyone else’s. He played a pivotal role in training and guiding the youth. In 1980/1400 A.H., he migrated once more. He left Kuwait and moved to Iran, to the city of Qum. Many scholars came to welcome him, and people used to come from all over Iran to listen to his speeches.

His Literary Contributions

Aside from being an eloquent orator, Sayyid Muhammad Kazim al-Qazwini was an excellent writer. He wrote many books, mostly about the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). Aside from numerous articles that he wrote for various journals and magazines, he wrote some important monographs that are considered to be well researched and commonly used as sources of reference. His works include:

1. Ali (‘a) from the Cradle to the Grave: This book comprises of a series of lectures he delivered in the month of Ramadhan in Masjid al-Safi, close to the shrine of Sayyid al-Shuhada (‘a) in Karbala. The reception this work got was astounding and in no time at all, it was out of print. Due to the high demand for this work, it was printed more than ten times and read by people from all over the world. This book has also been translated into Urdu and Farsi.

2. The Biography of the Great Prophet (S): This was an introduction to two other works that he wanted to write, namely:

3. The Great Prophet, from the Cradle to Messengership

4. The Great Prophet, from Messengership to the Grave

5. The True Islam as Manifested in the School of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a)

6. The Calamity of Taff or Maqtal al-Husayn (‘a)

7. Al-Imam al-Husayn (‘a) from the Cradle to the Grave

8. Al-Fiqh al-Wadhih: A commentary on the book Sharayi al-Islam.

9. Islam and Education: This work has also been translated into Farsi.

10. A Commentary of the Nahj al-Balaghah: Three volumes out of ten have So, far been published.

11. Zaynab al-Kubra (‘a) from the Cradle to the Grave

12. Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a) from the Cradle to the Grave: When the Ba’athist government of Iraq decided to execute him, Sayyid al-Qazwini vowed to write a book about al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a) if he managed to escape execution and his life was saved. This work has been reprinted numerous times and has many editions. It has been translated into Farsi and now, also into English. Before he died, Sayyid Muhammad Kazim had instructed that this book be buried with him So, that he could use it as evidence of his love for the family of the Prophet (S).

13. Al-Imam al-Mahdi (‘a) from the Cradle to Reappearance

14. Al-Imam al-Jawad (‘a) from the Cradle to the Grave

15. Al-Imam al-Hadi (‘a) from the Cradle to the Grave

16. Al-Imam al-’Askari (‘a) from the Cradle to the Grave

17. Mawsu’ah al-Imam al-Sadiq (‘a): After writing the biographies of the other Imams, Sayyid al-Qazwini started work on a comprehensive encyclopaedia about Imam al-Sadiq (‘a), his life and his teachings. In order to complete the momentous task of compiling all the narrations and teachings of the sixth Imam (‘a), he had to take the assistance of other scholars and researchers and hence, he set up another institute called The Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) Institute. Though the work was not completed in his lifetime, it continued after he passed away.

His Demise

In 1992/1413 A.H., Sayyid Muhammad Kazim became terminally ill and in a short while, he lost the ability to speak. Soon after, he could no longer swallow food and had to take food intravenously. Physicians, both locally and outside the country, had lost all hope of his recovery. In the last six months of his life, his situation had worsened to such a degree that he could hardly move. Despite all this, he was very patient and remained grateful to the Almighty, praising and glorifying Him up to the last moment. He passed away on 17th November 1994/13th Jumada al-Thaniyah 1415 A.H., in the early afternoon.

The news of his demise spread quickly, and a large group of mourners gathered at the graveyard where they participated in the funeral rites along with his sons and close family members. After the ritual washing and shrouding, his body was taken to his home for one last time. The women of the household gathered to pay their last respects and once this had been done, his body was taken to Masjid Imam al-Hasan (‘a) where people gathered to pay respects and recite verses of the Qur’an for the departed soul.

On Friday, 18th November/14th of Jumada al-Thaniyah, in the afternoon, the funeral procession took place. So, many people participated that some of the roads had to be temporarily blocked. As per his last wishes, his elder son Sayyid Muhammad Ibrahim conducted the funeral prayers after which he was buried in the Karbalai Husayniyyah, next to the pulpit upon which he would sit to recite the merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). His burial was truly a sad sight and many people wept as they bade farewell to this great scholar.

The Miracle Of His Incorrupt Body

Sayyid Muhammad Kazim al-Qazwini had always wanted to be buried in Karbala, close to the shrine of the Master of Martyrs, Aba Abdillah al-Husayn (‘a). He had expressed this wish many times in his life, but due to the circumstances that prevailed when he passed away, it was not possible to take his body to Iraq. Hence, he had to be buried in Qum and his gravesite was located in a place not too far from the shrine of al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Ma’sumah (‘a).

In 2011/1432 A.H., exactly seventeen years after his death, his family received a message from government officials in Qum. They told his family that due to the ongoing expansion of the Haram of al-Sayyida Ma’sumah, they would have to exhume his body and relocate it to another graveyard. A date and time were set, and his sons and some close relatives were present as the officials began disentombing his body. His son, Sayyid Muhammad Ali, describes how they had taken with them some bags to carry what they thought would be his bones, since nobody expected what was to come next.

When the grave was dug up, all those who were present were shocked to see the body of Sayyid Muhammad Kazim, as fresh as it was the day, they buried him seventeen years earlier. Many of those who were present were overwhelmed at the sight. The Haram officials told his son that they would be willing to bury the Sayyid inside the Haram of al-Sayyida Ma’sumah - an honour reserved for only the greatest scholars. However, his sons remembered how their father had always wished to be buried in Karbala, So, they decided to make the necessary arrangements to take his body to Iraq.

They brought his body home and it remained there for six days while they made all the required preparations. Firsthand witness accounts confirm that the Sayyid’s body had not decomposed in the least. His body was placed in one of the rooms of his old house and many relatives and close friends came to visit the family and see this miracle for themselves. The family members were warned to be cautious, as they knew if the news became public knowledge, they might not be allowed to take his body out of Qum. For this reason, they allowed only a limited number of visitors.

Finally, on 12th May/8th of Jumada al-Thaniyah, they took his body to Iraq and after a six-hour wait at the border, they were finally allowed through. They first went to Najaf and then to Karbala, where the Sayyid was buried close to the shrine of his beloved master, Imam al-Husayn (‘a). He was buried with the same book that he had been buried with the first time, the book: Fatimah al-Zahra from Cradle to Grave.