After his release Sayyid Hasan fled to Lebanon (where a...

After his release Sayyid Hasan fled to Lebanon (where a decade later he was assassinated by the Iraqi regime) and Sayyid Muhammad, forced into exile, left Karbala’ along with his family for Kuwait. In 1979 he moved to Qum in Iran. Shirazi has written more than 1000 works. These deal with every branch of Islamic studies. His greatest scholarly contribution is perhaps in the field of fiqh (jurisprudence).

Up to his time the most popular work on fiqh in the hawzat was Najafi’s Jawahir al-Kalam in 44 volumes which dates from the early 19th century. Shirazi’s monumental encyclopaedic work on fiqh, which he commenced when only 25, amounts to 150 volumes, all of which have been published. For the first time subjects like the environment, economics, politics, freedom, the system of government in Islam have been studied using strictly the criteria of jurisprudence.

Shirazi believed in the concept of an Islamic State governed by a consultative system of leadership (shura). Since he also encouraged freedom of expression and favoured political pluralism he was against a one-party state. He eschewed violence and coercion calling vehemently for a policy of non-violence to be exercised in every aspect of life: private and public.

Shirazi maintained that Islam was essentially a message of peace and tolerance to all mankind, stressing that it was better to forgive one's enemy rather than vilify him or seek revenge. Shirazi promoted the institution of marriage and traditional family values; was concerned for human rights and the dignity of the individual, whether Muslim or non-Muslim; emphasized the concept of justice, which is a fundamental one in Islam, and the need to have special care for the environment.

His house in Qum became in effect a Hawza where ‘ulama’ and students alike would come to attend his lectures in Bahth al-Kharij. Shirazi had followers throughout the world, especially in Kuwait, the Gulf States, the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Europe, the UK and North America. Ayatollah Shirazi was buried in the mausoleum of Fatima Ma‘suma (a sister of the eighth Imam, ‘Ali Rida) in Qum. He is survived by his wife who bore him 6 sons and 6 daughters.

Shirazi had always encouraged outstanding mujtahids to publish their own risala ‘amaliyya. Among these mujtahids figured his own brother, Sayyid Sadiq.