Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad-Saeed al-Tabataba'i al-Hakim (February 1, 1936 – September 3, 2021) was an Iraqi senior Shi'a marja, and one of the most senior Shia clerics in Iraq. He was considered a strong nominee for the grand religious authority in Najaf, after Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Biography

Al-Hakim was born in the holy city of Najaf on 1 February 1936 to Sayyid Muhammad-Ali al-Hakeem. His mother was the daughter of grand Ayatollah, Muhsin al-Hakim. His father was a nephew of the grand Ayatollah.

Education

As someone who hailed from a clerical family, al-Hakim began his religious education at the tender age of 5. Under his father, he studied in the introductory subjects that include Arabic language, and grammar; logic; eloquence; jurisprudence and its fundamentals, until concluding his intermediate studies. He studied under his maternal grandfather, the grand Ayatollah, the advanced studies, where he attended a great deal of his Jurisprudence teachings. Among his other teachers were Shaykh Hussein Al-Hilli and Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei were also among his teachers.

Ba'thist imprisonment

In 1983, the Ba'thist regime imprisoned a large number of members of the Hakim family, including al-Hakim, and they remained there for 8 years.

Assassination attempt

In 2003, he was targeted in an attempted assassination, when his house in Najaf was bombed. Three people were killed but al-Hakim suffered only minor injuries. He had previously been threatened that he would be killed if he didn't leave Najaf. Originally the Sunni fundamentalist Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (who later became al-Qaeda in Iraq) was blamed. However, the bombing has also been attributed to followers of rival Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Religious tenure

Notable students

After reaching the advanced levels of religious studies, al-Hakim began teaching in Najaf's seminaries, and was considered an exceptional teacher. He taught many members of his family including his maternal uncles, Muhammad-Baqir and Muhammad-Husayn al-Hakim, his brothers, Abd al-Razzaq, Hasan, and Muhammad-Saleh, his sons, Riyadh, Muhammad-Husayn, Ala al-Din, and Izz al-Din, and others. As for some of his notable students, they include: Shaykh Hadi al-Radhi, Shaykh Baqir al-Irawani, Sayyid Muhammad-Ridha Bahr al-Uloom, Sayyid Amin Khalkhali.

Works

He wrote many books, some of which have been translated into Persian, Urdu, and English.

Amman Message

Al-Hakim was one of the ulama signatories of the Amman Message, which gives a broad foundation for defining Muslim orthodoxy.

Personal life

Al-Hakim was married, and had 5 sons, and daughters. His sons all pursued clerical careers. His eldest son, Riyadh is a notable teacher at the religious seminary of Qom. His second cousin, is Iraqi politician Ammar al-Hakim.

Death

Al-Hakim died on 3 September 2021 aged 85 from a heart attack. His brother, Muhammad-Taqi led the funeral prayers in the Imam Ali shrine.