Ayatollah al-Uzma Mousavi Ardabili One of the Leading Lecturers of Islamic Jurisprudence and its Principles in the Islamic Seminary of Qom, and the former Chief of Justice of  the I.R. Iran aalulbayt@aalulbayt.org

Biography

He was born in 13/07/1344 A.H. (1925 A.D.) in Ardebil in a family known for its religious background and piety. His parents were, the late Sayyid Abdul Rahim, who was also a religious scholar too, and Sayyidah Khadijah, his mother.

Ayatollah al-Uzma Ardebili began school when he was only six; he entered Maktab School where he studied the Holy Qur’an, the Tawdhih ul-Masa'il (practical book of laws), and Gulistan (a collection of poems by Sa`di, an Iranian poet). In Maktab School he also studied books such as Tanbihul Ghafilin, Nisabus Sibyan, Gulzar-e Bahar, Abwabul Jinan, Majalisul Muttaqin, Tarikh-e Mu`jam-e Durrah-e Nadiri, Tarikh al-Wassaf, and others. In 1939, Ardebili began learning Arabic grammar and literature, after entering the Mulla Ibrahim Islamic School in Ardebil. And in 1940, to continue his religious course he studied books like Jami`ul Muqaddimaat, Suyouti, Jami, Mutawwal, Mulla Abdullah’s Hashiyah, Shamsiyyah, Al-Ma`alim, and Al-Sharaayi`. In 1943, he went to Qom for higher studies and took up residence the Madrasah Faydiyyah. There he attended the lectures of great scholars such as Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Rida Gulpaygaani, Ayatollah Sayyid Ahmad Khaansaari, Hajj Shaykh Murtadha al-Haa’iri, Ayatollah Sultaani, Ayatollah Maazandaraani and Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Taba’taba’i. Hajj Sayyid Abdul Karim Mousawi Ardebili migrated to Iraq in 1945, and joined the Sayyid Islamic School in Najaf. In Najaf he attended the lectures of eminent scholars such as Ayatollah Sayyid Abulqasim al-Khu’i, Ayatollah al-Hakim, Ayatollah Mirza Abdul Haadi Shirazi, Ayatollah Milaani, Ayatollah Shaykh Muhammad Kazim Shirazi and Ayatollah Shaykh Muhammad Kazim Aal Yasin. He also learned Philosophy under the late Sadra. In 1948 he returned to Qom, to Madrasah Faydhiyyah, where he was fortunate enough to attend the lectures of Ayatollah al-Boroujerdi, Ayatollah al-Damaad, and the late `Allamah Taba'taba’i. He also participated in classes on ethics by Imam Khomayni, and classes on Fiqh by such scholars as Ayatollah Gulpaaygaani, Ayatollah al-Ha’iri, and the late Ayatollah Khaansaari.

After the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, it took him eleven years to compile the civil and penal laws in conformity with the Islamic Shari`ah (law). He also started a lecture at the Kharij level on Judicial matters for judges after Imam Khomayni’s demise in June 1989. He opened a new chapter in the history of the Islamic Seminary through his teaching, researches and his establishing and renewing the "Darul `Ilm al-Mufid".

Books, treatises, articles, and other works of the above scholar are written in Arabic and/or Persian. For further and detailed information, refer to the Arabic or Persian section of this site.