Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani

Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani (born in 1327 SH / 1948 CE in Najaf) is a Shi'a faqih (Islamic jurist) and theologian based in Qom. One of his areas of scholarly activity is doctrinal discussions concerning the Imamate (the divinely appointed leadership of the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad), as well as addressing questions and objections in this field.

Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani

Personal Information
Notability	Expertise in Imamate studies and responding to doubts about Imamate
Birth	Ramadan 1367 AH / 1948 CE
Notable Relatives	Sayyid Muhammad Hadi Husayni Milani (paternal grandfather)
Academic Information
Teachers	Sayyid Muhammad Hadi Husayni Milani, Sayyid Muhammad Rida Golpaygani
Works	Jawahir al-Kalam fi Ma'rifat al-Imama wa l-Imam, Istikhraj al-Maram min Istiqsa' al-Ifham
Education	Kharij Fiqh and Usul
Religion	Shi'a
cultural information
Field of Activity	Fiqh, Usul, and Kalam
Website	https://al-milani.com/

Ayatollah Milani is regarded as one of the leading instructors in the specialized program in doctrinal studies at the Qom Seminary and has trained dozens of specialists in kalam (Islamic theology) and Imamate studies. In addition to authoring numerous works on the theology of the Imamate, he has established academic, research, and religious outreach centers. These include the Imamate Cultural Foundation, which was founded to train specialists in Imamate studies at Islamic seminaries and to respond to the growing attacks by opponents of Wilayat (divinely ordained authority and spiritual guardianship).

Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani was born into a scholarly and clerical family in Najaf. His paternal grandfather, Sayyid Muhammad Hadi Husayni Milani (d. 1354 SH / 1975 CE), was a Shi'a Marjaʿ al-Taqlid (a senior Shi'a jurist whose legal rulings are followed in matters of religious practice). He studied in Karbala, Najaf, Mashhad, and Qom under scholars such as Sayyid Muhammad Rida Golpaygani and Husayn Wahid Khorasani.

Nafahat al-Azhar fi Khulasat Abaqat al-Anwar, Jawahir al-Kalam fi Ma'rifat al-Imama wa l-Imam and Istikhraj al-Maram min Istiqsa' al-Ifham are among his numerous works on Imamate studies and the defense of Shi'a doctrines.

Position in Imamate Studies and Ghadir Propagation

Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani is a Shi'a faqih and theologian based in Qom. His areas of scholarly activity include doctrinal discussions concerning the Imamate and addressing questions and objections in this field.

Milani is said to have taught courses on Islamic doctrine in addition to the standard advanced seminary curriculum known as dars al-kharij (the highest level of traditional Shi'a seminary education) in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and usul al-fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence). Because of his particular expertise in this field, his classes have consistently attracted large numbers of students. He has also been regarded as one of the leading instructors in the specialized program in doctrinal studies at the Qom Seminary and has trained dozens of specialists in kalam and Imamate studies.

Milani is reported to have devoted particular attention to Ghadir in his studies of the Imamate. For example, he devoted four volumes—volumes 6–9—of his book Nafahat al-Azhar fi Khulasat Abaqat al-Anwar to examining the chains of transmission of the Hadith of Ghadir (the hadith reporting the Prophet Muhammad’s declaration at Ghadir Khumm).

According to some sources, in addition to authoring numerous works on the theology of the Imamate, Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani has established a number of academic, research, and religious outreach institutions and programs. These include:

• the al-Risala Center in Qom, established to educate Iraqi Shi'a Muslims during Baʿthist rule;
• the Center for Doctrinal Research (Markaz al-Abhath al-ʿAqaʾidiyya), established to answer questions and refute objections concerning Islam in Arabic;
• the Imamate Cultural Foundation, established to train specialists in Imamate studies at Islamic seminaries and to respond to the growing attacks by opponents of wilaya; and
• the Educational Affairs Department and the Specialized Center for the Imamate of the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s household), peace be upon them, established to deepen belief in the Imamate within society by elucidating the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, and addressing questions and objections raised in this field.

Early Life and Education

Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani was born in Najaf in Ramadan 1367 AH, corresponding to 1327 SH / 1948 CE. His father, Sayyid Nur al-Din Husayni Milani (d. 1425 AH / 2004 CE), was a scholar in Karbala and the son of Sayyid Muhammad Hadi Husayni Milani (d. 1395 AH / 1354 SH / 1975 CE), a Shi'a Marjaʿ al-Taqlid based in Mashhad.

According to some sources, Milani left Najaf al-Ashraf with his family at the age of ten and moved to Karbala al-Muʿalla, where he began his studies. Most of his teachers in Karbala had studied under his grandfather.

Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani completed his preliminary studies in the Islamic sciences in Karbala before moving to Najaf to continue his education. After his grandfather, Ayatollah Milani, had moved to Iran and settled in Mashhad, Milani himself also moved to Iran around 1350 SH / 1971 CE and continued his studies under his grandfather in Mashhad. Following Ayatollah Milani’s death in 1354 SH / 1975 CE, he moved to Qom to continue his education and attended the classes of leading scholars at the Qom Seminary.

Teachers

According to some sources, Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani studied under scholars specializing in various fields of the Islamic sciences in Karbala, Najaf, Mashhad, and Qom. Among them were: Template:Column

• Sayyid Murtada Tabatabaʾi Haʾiri: literature and logic, Karbala;
• SSayyid Muhammad Tabatabaʾi Haʾiri: literature and logic, Karbala;
• Abd al-Husayn Baydaʾi: Maʿalim and the Arabic rhetorical disciplines of maʿani and bayan, Karbala;
• Muhsin Jalali Kashmiri: introductory fiqh (al-Lumʿa), Karbala;
• Muhammad Sidqi Mazandarani: al-Rasaʾil and al-Makasib, Karbala;
• Mujtaba Lankarani: al-Rasaʾil and al-Makasib, Najaf;
• Muhammad Taqi ʿAndalibi Sabzevari: Kifayat al-Usul, Mashhad;
• Sayyid Muhammad Hadi Husayni Milani: fiqh and usul al-fiqh, Mashhad;
• Sayyid Muhammad Rida Musawi Golpaygani: dars al-kharij in fiqh, Qom;
• Kazim Tabrizi: dars al-kharij in fiqh, Qom;
• Husayn Wahid Khorasani: dars al-kharij in fiqh and usul al-fiqh, Qom;
• Sayyid Muhammad Ruhani: dars al-kharij in usul al-fiqh, Qom; and
• Murtada Haʾiri Yazdi: dars al-kharij in usul al-fiqh, Qom.

Scholarly Activities

The scholarly activities of Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani have been described as encompassing several areas, including teaching, writing, and the establishment of academic and cultural institutions.

Teaching

Ghadir Propagation Engineering Course.

Regarding his teaching activities, Milani is said to have begun teaching each book after completing his own study of it. He has taught fiqh and usul al-fiqh at the Qom Seminary for many years, and sources report that large numbers of students have attended his classes.His teaching method in these fields has been described as follows: he begins by reading the relevant passage from the fiqh or usul al-fiqh text. He then presents the Qur'anic verses and hadiths related to the subject, arranging them according to a particular classification. Finally, he reviews, discusses, and critiques the various scholarly opinions before presenting his conclusion.

At the invitation of the Ghadirestan Institute, he has also taught several specialized courses on the Imamate and Ghadir for religious preachers.

Works

Works of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani.

Another area of Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani’s scholarly activity is the authorship of works on Shi'a theology and Imamate studies. His works include the following:

• Jawahir al-kalam fi ma'rifat al-imama wa l-imam,
• Nafahat al-azhar fi khulasat 'abaqat al-anwar (20 volumes),
• Istikhraj al-maram min istiqsa' al-ifham (3 volumes),
• Tashyid al-muraja'at wa tafnid al-mukabarat,
• Negahi be hadith-i tayr,
• Dastan-i sipah-i yaman,
• Imamat-i bila fasl,
• Hadith-i iqtida be shaykhayn,
• Negahi be ayat-i wilayat,
• Chigunegi-yi namaz-i Abu Bakr be jay-i rasul-i khoda,
• Negahi be hadith-i manzil,
• Negahi be hadith-i wilayat,
• Negahi be hadith-i thaqalayn,
• Imamat-i Amir al-Mu'minin (a) dar sanjish-i khirad,
• Negahi be hadith-i sadd al-abwab,
• Janishin-i payambar kist?,
• Ahadith-i sakhtegi,
• Dastbordi dar hadith-i thaqalayn,
• Khilafat-i Abu Bakr dar tarazu-yi naqd,
• Parchamdar-i piruzmand-i khaybar,
• Negahi be ayat-i tathir,
• Dastan-i sipah-i yaman,
• Haqiqat-i sahaba,
• Ghadir be riwayat-i ahl al-bayt (a),
• Afkar-i Ibn Taymiyya dar bute-yi naqd,
• Negahi be hadith-i ghadir,
• Ayat-i ghadir,
• Ghadir akharin jaygah-i i'lan-i 'umumi,
• 'Ismat.

References

• "Works", on the official website of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani, accessed: May 25, 2025.
• "Biography of the Virtuous Jurist and Learned Researcher, Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani (may his shadow extend)", on the official website of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husayni Milani, accessed: May 24, 2025.
• Shenakht-nama-yi Hazrat-i Ayatollah al-'Uzma Sayyid Muhammad Hadi Milani; Mahdi Mehrizi and Hadi Rabbani, Tehran: Nashr-i Sahl, 2016.