It was much more exalted and greater than that.

It was much more exalted and greater than that. It was for the sake of preserving the Islamic religion and its great benefits for saving humanity from persecution and slavery. The Author The author, Hujjat al-Islam Shaykh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, is one of the scholars and illustrious personalities of the Ithna ‘Ashari’Shi’ites.

He is from a family whose roots in learning are deep, going back to al-Shahid al-Awwal, Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Makki al-‘Amili (d.786 A.H.) This family has been well-known in Mount ‘Amil in the Lebanon since the rise of scholarship in that region. The author was educated at the Religious College in Najaf where he studied the Arabic language, rhetoric, logic, jurisprudence, the principles of jurisprudence and Tradition under the great figures and teachers of that college.

At the same time he acquired great knowledge of literature, history and other aspects of human learning.

However, he did not consolidate his great ability as a scholar and extend the area of his horizons until, after he had passed the first stage of the studies required for students of religious education, he moved on to the stage of being lectured directly by the mujtahids and marji’s (the most important Shi’ite scholars who lead the Shi’ite community in all aspects of faith while the twelfth Imam is in occultation).

Then he studied under such great authorities in the sciences of jurisprudence and the principles of jurisprudence as the late Ayatullah Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim and Ayatullah Sayyid Abu’l Qasim al-Khu’i. He participated in the foundation of some of the cultural organizations in Najaf and the College of Law, where he gave lessons in Islamic history and jurisprudence.

He represented the late Ayatullah Sayyid al-Hakim, for a number of years, in the province of Diwaniyya, which is one of the important tribal provinces in Iraq. He also took part in many of the religious and cultural celebrations in Iraq. After that he moved to Beirut in the Lebanon. There he worked with great effort to initiate cultural and religious schemes, especially in matters concerned with raising the standards in the south of the country.

He was given the office of Vice-President of the Supreme Shi’ite Islamic Council. He has had to work there in a presidential capacity since the disappearance of Musa al-Sadr.