Concurrent with the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Unity Week, IQNA takes a look at lives and works of senior figures who have played a key role in proximity of Islamic Madhhabs.

Seyyed Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, the son of Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Muhsin al-Hakim, was born in 1939 in Iraq’s Najaf.

He started going to the seminary school since childhood, striving for learning Islamic jurisprudence. Besides religious activities, he devoted special attention to politics and joined political fighters at an early age like his noble father.

Seyyed Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, late leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), is one of the most famous scholars who had been active in Iraq’s politics in the 20th century.

He was the first Marja’ to issue a jihad decree against occupiers in Palestine and legitimize the struggle of Palestinian fighters to defend their rights.

A pioneer in the fight against Saddam Hussein’s regime, al-Hakim worked hard to overthrow the regime and save the Iraqi nation from Saddam’s tyranny. He used to talk a lot about the suffering of Iraqi people and these activities had a great impact on accelerating the fall of Saddam.

After the Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled by coalition forces, Hakim decided to return to his homeland in May 2003 after some 23 years with the aim of helping the Iraqi people. Addressing Tehran’s Friday prayers on May 9, 2003, he said farewell to Iranian officials, worshippers, and nation, and worshippers for their part expressed their mutual feelings about the grief of Hakim’s absence.

Some three months after arriving in Iraq, he was assassinated on August 29, 2003, after he had led Friday prayers at Imam Ali (AS) Holy Shrine in Najaf. Some 125 other worshippers were also killed in the assassination operation.

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