Mahdi al-Modarresi

Sayed
Mohammad Mahdi Al-Husseini Al-Modarressi
Native name محمد المهدي الحسيني آل المدرسي
Born 1977
Kuwait
Residence Karbala, Iraq
Religion Islam (Twelver Shia)
Parent(s)
  • Hadi Almodarresi (father)
Website Official website

Sayed Mohammad Mahdi Al-Modarressi comes from a family of scholars which includes supreme religious jurists, or Grand Ayatollahs, such as Grand Ayatollah S. Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi, one of Iraq’s leading faith leaders of its majority Shi'a population.

Under his father’s supervision, Sayed Al-Modarressi followed a solid traditional curriculum in the Hawza, studying classical works on various disciplines of Islamic jurisprudence as well as the instrumental faculties commonly taught at religious learning institutions. A graduate of the acclaimed al Qa’em Theological Research Institute near the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in Damascus, Sayed Modarressi reached the level of Sotouh al Ulya (Upper Foundations). His classical curriculum embodied a methodology which crystallizes the middle way of Islam; respect for the differences between jurists, and a spiritual education drawn from the Qur'an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad and his Household; the Ahlulbayt.

Books

Modarressi has written three books in Arabic (published in Beirut) and two titles in English (being prepared for publication), in addition to numerous papers on Islamic sciences as well as contemporary issues including social and theological Islamic thought. His last Arabic book is an in-depth analytical study of the prophetic narration known as Hadeeth Al Thaqalayn (Hadith of the two weighty things) which looks into the practical implications of this controversial narration and provides a thorough insight of the Shia/Sunni deliberations on this text.

Since 2007 Sayed Modarressi shifted his attention to writing and speaking for an English-speaking audience. His (yet to be published) English works include 'Say; He is God – Allah the God of Islam' and 'Why Muslims Are Weird - And Some Downright Crazy!'.[1] The former is a wide-ranging study of the Islamic view of God, focusing on the principle theological arguments for the existence of the supernatural Creator using Islamic scriptural references. The latter work is an introduction to the religion of Islam to non-Muslims with a radically new, unorthodox approach to this over-saturated yet intricately complex subject. The book tackles subjects as complicated as Jihad & Hijab, as well as why Muslims have special dietary needs and fashion codes.

Another work is a collection of essays about contemporary challenges facing Muslim youths with special emphasis on problems which are more relevant in Western nations where they are a growing minority. Such 'taboo' subjects as pornography, alcohol, sex, drugs, and religious extremism are discussed.

Lectures

Sayed Modarressi lectures worldwide on traditional as well as contemporary Islamic issues and has lectured in countless mosques, churches, universities, and seminaries. He has been interviewed by numerous publications and has appeared on TV and radio programs such as the BBC. An ardent advocate of interfaith dialogue,[2] Modarressi engages in such events on a regular basis and has consistently spoken out against acts of terror.[3]

References

  1. According to previous versions of this wiki, the book's title was originally "Why We Are Different; Bridging the Divide Between Islam and the West" but was changed later, as per the online bio
  2. Interfaith Dialogue at St. Andrew's
  3. BBC's Reporting Religion Interviews Sayed Mehdi al-Modarressi
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