Muhammad Kazim Khurasani

Mohammad Kazem Khorasani (1839–1911) was a Twelver Shi'a Marja , Persian (Iranian) politician, philosopher, reformer, born in Tous in northwestern Iran. He is known for using his position as a marja for political use in the Persian Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911). Khorasani started his education in Mashhad and Sabzevar where he got familiar with philosophy and continued his education in Tehran where he learnt Logic and Hekmat. In 1861 he moved to (what is now) Iraq and in Najaf worked on complementary studies under Grand Ayatollah Mirza Hassan Shirazi who he succeeded as marja following Shirazi's death. He was a lecturer at Najaf seminary for years. His most famous work is The Sufficiency which ranks "only after Morteza Ansari 's treatice on commercial law" among the legal works written by mullahs in the last two centuries. In The Sufficiency , Khorasani gathered the jurispurdential ideas such as `continuity` and "presented them in a yet more rigorous fashion as a unified theory of jurisprudence." Shirazi was not a sayyed but "owed his position almost purely to his intellectual accomplishments." Mohammad Kazem Khorasani was one of the main clerical supporters of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution . When Sheikh Fazlollah Noori declared journalists non-Muslims for their support of the new Constitutional Assembly, Khorasani retaliated by announcing that Sheikh Fazlollah was himself no longer a Muslim, leading to Fazlollah's execution. The reaction to Noori's execution in Najaf harmed Khorasani and other constitution supporters and led to a rivalry with Mohammed Kazem Yazdi . Khorasani had a significant role in popularizing the modern concepts introduced by non religious intellectuals of his time. He emphasised "natural rights" of people and pushed the Iranian government and Shah to defend "natural rights". His most notable student was Mirza Hossein Na'ini whose ideas are still very much influential among contemporary Iranian religious intellectual circles. He is buried in Najaf . The Turban for the Crown .

He is known for using his position as a marja for political use in the Persian Constitutional Revolution (1905-1911).

Iranian Shi'a jurist and political activist (1839–1911) Ayatullah Sheikh Muhammad Kazim Khurasani ( ; 1839 – 12 December 1911), commonly known as Akhund Khurasani ( ) was a Shia jurist and political activist. He is known for using his position as a Marja as legitimizing force behind the first democratic revolution of Asia that happened in Iran (1905–1911), where he was the main clerical supporter of the revolution. He believed that the democratic form of government would be the best possible choice in the absence of Imam and regarded the democratic constitutional revolution a Jihad (holy war) in which all Muslims had to participate. Along with Mirza Husayn Tehrani and Shaikh Abdallah Mazandarani , he led people against what they called a "state tyranny", issued fatwas, and "sent telegrams to tribal chiefs, prominent national and political leaders, and heads of state in England, France, Germany, and Turkey". When Mohammad Ali Shah became king of Iran, Mohammad Kazim Khorasani sent him a 'ten-point' instruction including points on protecting Islam, promoting domestic industries and modern science, stopping colonial intervention in Iran 'while retaining diplomatic relations', and establishing 'justice and equality'. He is regarded as one of the most important Shia Mujtahids of all times, and the title Akhund (the scholar) is almost exclusively used for him. He started to deliver his lectures at Najaf seminary in 1874 CE, when his mentor Syed Mirza Muhammad Hasan Shirazi left for Samarra and appointed him as his successor. He became a source of emulation in 1895 and he taught for years in Najaf until his death in 1911 CE and trained a significant number of students from different regions of the Shi'ite world. All major Shia jurists in the twentieth century were in some way related to his circle. He was known for his credibility, independent thinking and intellectual rigor. His most famous work Kifayat al-Usul ( Sufficiency of Principles ( )), published in 1903 established him as the supreme authority on Shia theology, where he presented the Shi'ite jurisprudential principles in a more rigorous fashion as a unified theory of jurisprudence. It was recently published for 453rd time. This book is considered the pinnacle of advanced theology and foundation of Usul al-Fiqh in Shia seminaries of Najaf and Qom. All major Shia jurists following Akhund Khurasani have written commentaries on it, the best known is written by Ayatullah al-Khoei .

Iranian Shi'a jurist and political activist (1839–1911) Ayatullah Sheikh Muhammad Kazim Khurasani ( Persian : محمدکاظم خراسانی ; 1839 – 12 December 1911), commonly known as Akhund Khurasani ( Persian : آخوند خراسانی ) was a Shia jurist and political activist. He is known for using his position as a Marja as legitimizing force behind the first democratic revolution of Asia that happened in Iran (1905–1911), where he was the main clerical supporter of the revolution. He believed that the democratic form of government would be the best possible choice in the absence of Imam and regarded the democratic constitutional revolution a Jihad (holy war) in which all Muslims had to participate. Along with Mirza Husayn Tehrani and Shaikh Abdallah Mazandarani , he led people against what they called a "state tyranny", issued fatwas, and "sent telegrams to tribal chiefs, prominent national and political leaders, and heads of state in England, France, Germany, and Turkey". When Mohammad Ali Shah became king of Iran, Mohammad Kazim Khorasani sent him a 'ten-point' instruction including points on protecting Islam, promoting domestic industries and modern science, stopping colonial intervention in Iran 'while retaining diplomatic relations', and establishing 'justice and equality'. He is regarded as one of the most important Shia Mujtahids of all times, and the title Akhund (the scholar) is almost exclusively used for him. He started to deliver his lectures at Najaf seminary in 1874 CE, when his mentor Syed Mirza Muhammad Hasan Shirazi left for Samarra and appointed him as his successor. He became a source of emulation in 1895 and he taught for years in Najaf until his death in 1911 CE and trained a significant number of students from different regions of the Shi'ite world. All major Shia jurists in the twentieth century were in some way related to his circle. He was known for his credibility, independent thinking and intellectual rigor. His most famous work Kifayat al-Usul ( Sufficiency of Principles ( Arabic : کفایة الاصول )), published in 1903 established him as the supreme authority on Shia theology, where he presented the Shi'ite jurisprudential principles in a more rigorous fashion as a unified theory of jurisprudence. It was recently published for 453rd time. This book is considered the pinnacle of advanced theology and foundation of Usul al-Fiqh in Shia seminaries of Najaf and Qom. All major Shia jurists following Akhund Khurasani have written commentaries on it, the best known is written by Ayatullah al-Khoei .