1000-Year Anniversary of the Najaf Hawza and the Contributions of al-Ṭūsī to Islamic Intellectual History

In a landmark gathering of global academic and seminary researchers of Shīʿism, more than a dozen distinguished scholars received awards for their contributions to Shīʿī intellectual history on Thursday. The ceremony marked the 1,000-year anniversary of the founding of the Shīʿī seminaries (hawza) in Najaf and was sponsored by a coalition of prestigious religious foundations, including:

    • al-ʿAtaba al-ʿAbbāsiyya al-Muqaddasa (The Custodians of the Holy Sanctuary of ʿAbbās b. ʿAlī)
    • al-Hayʾat al-ʿUlyā li-Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth (The Grand Council for the Preservation of Intellectual History in Iraq)
    • Al-Kafeel University
    • Shi’a Research Institute

Scholars from Europe, North America, and the Middle East, celebrated a millennium of rigorous intellectual inquiry in one of the world’s oldest continuous centers of learning during this trip to Najaf, Iraq in February 2026. The recognized scholars were selected for their transformative contributions to the study of philosophy, hadith, jurisprudence, and sacred texts and presented papers on the historic role al-Ṭūsī played in developing these various disciplines in Twelver Shīʿism.

 

The honorees representing various international institutions included:

  • Dr. Bruce Fudge, University of Geneva, Switzerland 
  • Dr. Robert Gleave, Exeter University, United Kingdom
  • Dr. Nebil Husayn, University of Miami, United States
  • Dr. Vinay Khetia, Shi’a Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
  • His Eminence Sayyid Ahmad Kazim al-Madadi, Qom Seminary, Iran
  • Dr. Sayyid Sadiq al-Murawwaj, University of Kufa, Iraq
  • Dr. Muhammad Kazim Rahmati, Encyclopedia of Islam, Tehran, Iran
  • His Eminence Sayyid Sayyid Ghayth Shubbar, Najaf Seminary, Iraq
  • Dr. Matthieu Terrier, Université PSL (Paris Sciences et Lettres), France 
  • His Eminence Sayyid Muhammad Jawad al-Shubairi al-Zanjani, Professor of Advanced Studies at the Qom Seminary, Iran
  • His Eminence Shaykh Habib Zaatar, Qom Seminary, Iran

The event served as a bridge between traditional seminary learning and modern academic research and followed a two-day conference on the contributions of the influential Shīʿī scholar Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī (385-460 AH/995-1067 CE) who is traditionally regarded as the founder of the seminary in Najaf.

SRI is honored to have co-hosted this conference on Shaykh al-Ṭūsī, alongside the aforementioned esteemed organizations.

We are privileged to have arranged a distinguished group of scholars and dialogue partners:

  • Robert Gleave (University of Exeter) – “Legal theory and Legal Rules in the works of al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī”
  • Nebil Husayn (University of Miami) – “Almost a Caliph: Imam Ali’s Debates with the People of the Shura in Sunni and Shi‘i Literature”
  • Mathieu Terrier (University of Paris) – “From Occultation to Occultation: What Changed Between al-Nuʿmānī’s and al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī’s Kitāb al-Ghayba”
  • Bruce Fudge (University of Geneva) – “Al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī and his Quran Commentary in Western Scholarship”
  • Vinay Khetia (Shi’a Research Institute) – “Misbah al-Mutahajjid by Shaykh al-Ṭūsī and His Legacy in Shiʿi Scholarly Tradition”
  • Stephen Hewko (University of Toronto) – Observer / Dialogue Partner

This conference represents a significant milestone in international academic partnership, involving the delivery of groundbreaking papers and deep cross-cultural engagement. We look forward to making the most of this amazing opportunity to build lasting bridges.

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