TEHRAN – The Owj Arts and Media Organization announced in Tehran on Saturday that it has screened a documentary on Ayatollah Seyyed Abolqassem Musavi Khoei (1899-1992), the grand scholar of Shia Muslims, at the Imam Al-Khoei Foundation in the Iraqi city of Najaf.

The documentary named “Ayatollah” by director Seyyed Mostafa Musavi-Tabar, explores different aspects of the character of Ayatollah Khoei from his childhood to adulthood, his relation with Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, his meeting with Iran’s former empress Farah Pahlavi, and his meeting with former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in his palace.

The achievements of the ayatollah, his challenges and the martyrdom of his sons are also included in the documentary.

The director has conducted over 300 hours of interviews with many influential figures such as Sheikh Moslem Vahedi and Ayatollah Mohammad-Mehdi Musavi Khalkhali, to make his film.

A number of scholars from the Najaf Seminary attended the screening of the documentary, to which the Ahd Institute has also made a contribution. 

Grand Ayatollah Khoei was born in Iran and passed away in Iraq.

Educated in the established traditional way of Shia theology by well-known jurists, he joined the world-renown theological institution in the holy city of Najaf in 1912, the year he emigrated from Iran.

He taught in Najaf for over 70 years. For 50 years, he specialized in supervising post-graduate studies.

He is considered as the architect of a distinct school of thought in the principles of jurisprudence and Islamic law.

His interests included astronomy, mathematics and philosophy.

He was a prolific writer in the aforesaid disciplines. He wrote 37 books and treatises, most of which have been published. 

Photo: Scholars watch the documentary “Ayatollah” by director Seyyed Mostafa Musavi-Tabar at the Imam Al-Khoei Foundation in the Iraqi city of Najaf.

RM/MMS/YAW