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Biography of Ayatollah Haj Sayed Ezz al-Din Husseini Zanjani (R.A.)

SHAFAQNA-

Birthday
Ayatollah Haj Sayed Ezz al-Din Husseini Zanjani (R.A.) was born in 1300 H.Sh. in Zanjan city, in a family of knowledge and religious jurisprudence, in the house of Zanjan Friday prayer leader.
The great grandfather of his Excellency is Sayed Muhammad Mujtahed Sardani (R.A.), the respected Faqih in Zanjan in the Qajar period who had an effective role in elimination of Babiyat sect from Zanjan.
His respected father was the late Hazrat Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayed Mahmud Husseini Zanjani (R.A.), known as Zanjan Friday prayer leader who was a pious and respected scholar. Over years he was studying in the presence of great scholars of Islamic seminary including Ayatollah al-Uzma Naeini, Aqa Ziya’ Iraqi, Sheikh al-Shari’eh Isfahani, Sayed Muhammad Kazem Yazdi (writer of Urvah) and particularly Ayatollah al-Uzma Haj Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Gharavi Isfahani (Kompany); he was a close friend of Ayatollah al-Uzma Haj Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Gharavi Isfahani and they communicated with letters on the ground of demeanor and conduct (Seir-o-Suluk).
Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayed Mahmud Husseini Zanjani (R.A.) held classes in Zanjan, Tehran, and Qum and a number of scholars including his respected son, Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayed Ezz al-Din Husseini Zanjani (R.A.), the late Ayatollah Sayed Mahmud Taleqani, the late Ustad Reza Ruzbeh Zanjani, and Ayatollah Sayed Hujjat Hashemi Khurasani (R.A.) have attended his classes.
Education and political activities
He completed the preliminary, Sath, and a part of Kharij studies in Zanjan with such teachers as his respected father and the late Ayatollah Sheikh Hussein Din Muhammadi (R.A.), a pupil of Akhund Khurasani (R.A.). Later he traveled to Qum to attend the fiqh and Usul classes of Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayed Muhammad Hujjat Kuhkamari (for 14 years), Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayed Hussein Tabatabaei (for 10 years), Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayed Ahmad Khansari, and Ayatollah al-Uzma Mirza Razi Zenuzi Tabrizi.
He also studied the complete course of the higher wisdom and Asfar lessons in the presence of Ayatollah al-Uzma Imam Khomeini (R.A.), Allameh Sayed Muhammad Hussein Tabatabaei Tabrizi, and Ayatollah Sheikh Mahdi Mazandarani. The Asfar sessions of the late Allameh Tabatabaei in Qum were held at request of his Excellency with presence of a number of his colleagues and the late Allameh inscribed his first margins on Asfar in the stone printed Asfar belonging to his Excellency; this manuscript is preserved in the manuscripts treasury of his respected household. Also the series of discussion sessions with his presence that later led to sessions of principles of philosophy and realism approach were established at his request nightly in his own house in Qum.
He studied for a short time in Najaf Islamic seminary to make use of the lessons of Ayatollah Sayed Abd al-Hadi Shirazi, Ayatollah Sayed Aba al-Qasem Khuei, and Ayatollah Sayed Muhsen Hakim.
Ayatollah al-Uzma Husseini Zanjani was affected most by Ayatollah al-Uzma Hujjat Kuhkamari and just like his teacher he is versed in conjunction of contradictory traditions.
He settled in Zanjan since 1334 at his father’s request and helped his father in managing the seminary and considering into the religious and social affairs of people. In 1342 he followed the movement of Imam Khomeini (R.A.) and uttering his name frankly, he helped propagating the religious authority of Imam Khomeini (R.A.); he gave harsh speeches against the ruling system and its regulations until he was arrested and imprisoned in Tehran along with some other clergymen including Shahid Mutahhari, the late Nuhammad Taqi Falsafi, the late Sheikh Hussein Lankarani, Shahid Hasheminejad, and some other great scholars).
Due to his persisting speeches and activities against the regime he was enforced by SAVAK to live in Mashhad since 1351. He continued his scientific and political activities in Mashhad releasing declarations on different occasions and moving ahead in demonstrations of people and scholars of Mashhad.
After the victory of Islamic revolution he came back to Zanjan at request of Imam Khomeini (R.A.) to serve as the leader of Zanjan people in the Islamic revolution and as the Friday prayer leader of Zanjan. He played effective role for two years in Zanjan and then he returned to Mashhad to continue his scientific activities in the vicinity of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.).
Teaching
He has taught higher levels of Islamic seminary in Qum, Zanjan, and Mashhad seminaries. He was engaged in teaching Kharij Fiqh and Usul, commentary, Kalam, Aqayed, and philosophy in Mashhad seminary for more than 30 years. Many leading scholars of seminary and university have been pupils of his Excellency and a number of them have attained the stage of Ijtihad from his presence.
One of his distinguished pupils is his respected son, Hazrat Ayatollah Sayed Muhammad Husseini Zanjani, teacher of Kharij Fiqh and Usul of Zanjan Islamic seminary and the director of Istefta’at (seeking religious advice) department of his Excellency.
Marjaeiat (religious authority)
He issued his practical treatise titled ‘Risalah Jame’ al-Ahkam’ in Mashhad in 1354 on the recommendation of a number of pious scholars of seminary and a group of faithful people followed him as a religious authority (Taqlid). After departure of Ayatollah Araki (R.A.) his current treatise was published in 1373 under the title of ‘Resaleh Touzih al-Masael’ and again a number of faithful people followed him. Currently, offices of his Excellency are active in Mashhad, Zanjan, and Tabriz and during Hajj days, his office for answering to religious questions of the followers is based in Medina and Mecca.
His works
1. Resaleh Jame’ al-Ahkam (first edition, Mashhad, 1354)
2. Resaleh Touzih al-Masael
3. Selected Resaleh Touzih al-Masael [with revision and additions, annexed by selected Istefta’at] (first edition, Zanjan, 1391)
4. The rites of Hajj pilgrimage and Umreh Mufradeh
5. Explanation on sermon of Hazrat Zahra (A.S.)
6. Fatemi wisdom, a compendium of ‘Explanation on sermon of Hazrat Zahra (A.S.)’
7. Commentary on surah Hamd
8. Way of salvation, a research on Islam and faith
9. Mutarehat Houl-i-Me’yar-i-Sherk fi al-Qur’an
10. Criteria of polytheism in Qur’an
11. Explanation on Ashura prayer
12. 110 Questions and answers [a part of his Istefta’at]
Some of his works on Fiqh and Usul including assertions on Usul and Fiqh lessons of Ayatollah Hujjat and Ayatollah Berujerdi and explanation on ‘Vasilat al-Najat’ of Ayatollah Sayed Aba al-Hassan Isfahani have not been yet published.

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