Message on the Passing of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abolqasem Khoei

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Indeed, we belong to God, and to Him do we indeed return.

With great sorrow and regret, we have learned that the esteemed scholar and eminent jurist, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Abolqasem Khoei, the revered Marja, departed this transient world yesterday and ascended to the proximity of divine mercy. This event is a great calamity for the Islamic world, especially for the seminaries. This great scholar was a remnant of the righteous predecessors and one of the flag bearers of Islamic sciences and one of the great Marjas of the contemporary era. He was considered an unparalleled and authoritative teacher in many of the Islamic sciences prevalent in the seminaries. He was a great jurist, a profound scholar of principles, an innovative exegete, a master of hadith, and a skilled theologian. The valuable scientific works of this great man are not limited to dozens of volumes in jurisprudence, principles, exegesis, and hadith. Thousands of students trained in his rich and abundant courses are now spread across all Islamic lands.

He was one of the first individuals who, after the start of the Islamic movement led by Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), drew the attention of the Najaf seminary to the importance of the events in Iran and made commendable efforts to accompany the great movement of the clergy and people in Iran. During the bloody uprising of the Iraqi people in Ramadan 1411 AH, he was the main axis of the movement and the center of issuing the decree for the Islamic uprising. For this reason, after the suppression of this movement by the bloodthirsty Ba'athist regime, this venerable scholar was subjected to torture, insult, and serious danger by the heartless Ba'athist agents; and after being saved from danger by divine grace, he remained under the harsh conditions and surveillance of the Ba'athist agents for a long time.

The long and blessed life of this great man, which extended nearly a century, was full of divine trials and demonstrated the effort and endeavor of a faithful and pious person.

I extend my condolences on the passing of this revered Marja to His Holiness Baqiyatullah al-Azam (may our souls be sacrificed for him) and the Shia world, especially to the seminaries, scholars, and great jurists, as well as to his honorable family, children, and all his admirers and followers, and I pray for divine mercy, grace, and forgiveness for him.

Seyyed Ali Khamenei

Sunday, 9th of Safar 1413 AH

18/05/1371