Hujjat al-Islam Seyyed Habibullah Mousavi, Executive Director of Secretariat for the Centenary of Qom Seminary, in an interview with Hawzah News correspondent, paid tribute to the memory of the reviver of the seminary, and explained the various aspects of this important institution.
Qom; The Origin of Shiism and the Cradle of Science and Jurisprudence Throughout History
At the beginning of his speech, Seyyed Habibullah Mousavi referred to the antiquity and eminent position of Qom in the history of Shiism, saying,” The seminary in Qom is more than 1,200 years old. From the time of the presence of the Ash’arites in Qom and the Qom School of Hadith, which was a base for Shiism along with Kufa and Baghdad.”
Sheikh Abdul Karim Haeri; Reviver of the Seminary during the Reza Khani Era
The Executive Director of the Secretariat for the 100th Anniversary of the Reestablishment of the Qom Seminary, emphasizing the vital role of Hajj Sheikh Abdul Karim Haeri (RA) in the revival of the seminary, said,” Although the Seljuk era, the Mongol invasion, or the world wars weakened the seminary to some extent, its shining light was always bright, and during the Safavid era, it also had a beautiful glow alongside Isfahan and Qazvin. During the Qajar era, two large schools, Feyziyeh and Dar al-Shifa, were established and became centers of study for students of religious sciences. However, it needed national and global prosperity, which fortunately happened during the time of the late Hajj Sheikh Abdul Karim Haeri, during his journey to Mashhad, and then upon returning to Qom, at the invitation of great scholars such as the Grand Ayatollahs Muhammad Faiz Qomi, Sheikh Abul-Qasim Qomi, Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Bafqi, Mirza Muhammad Arbab, Muhammad Reza Shariat, and Mirza Javad Maleki Tabrizi, he decided to stay in Qom and reestablish the seminary of Qom.
Training of great religious scholars and leaders of the Islamic revolution; the result of Hajj Sheikh’s scientific movement
He considered the training of great religious scholars and leaders of the Islamic revolution to be among the results of this scientific movement and stated,” Among these blessings are great students who were sources of emulation at their time, such as the great ayatollahs Mohammad Ali Araki, Seyyed Mohammad Reza Golpayegani, Mirza Hashem Amoli, Seyyed Shahab al-Din Marashi Najafi and Seyyed Ahmad Khansari, and Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution. Today, the leaders of the Revolution, namely Late the Imam Khomeini and Imam Khamenei, who are the helms of this revolution, are indebted to the efforts and of Hajj Sheikh Abdul Karim Haeri and his son Hajj Sheikh Morteza Haeri.
Qom Seminary; Pioneer in the field of modern sciences and new technologies
The Executive Director of the Secretariat for the 100th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Qom Seminary, emphasizing the seminary’s leadership in the field of modern sciences and new technologies, added, “This includes advances in modern sciences, whether virtual, on television, online, or on the satellite, a clear example of which is Velayat Global TV presenting content in the living languages of the world, and modern sciences, such as stem cells and artificial intelligence, etc., are being researched and developed.”
He considered Velayat Global TV an example of the seminary’s efforts to spread Shiite teachings worldwide.
Mousavi concluded by noting, “The Qom Seminary, thanks to the blessings of Quranic sciences, the hadiths of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) and the holy shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh (PBUH), is not only thinking of virtuous cities, but also thinking of virtuous worlds and preparing the groundwork for the emergence of the savior of the world of humanity, namely the Promised Mahdi (PBUH).”
