Sabzevari, 'Abd al-A`ala al-Mussawi al-

▪ 1994

      Iranian-born cleric (b. Dec. 21, 1910, Sabzevar, Iran—d. Aug. 16, 1993, an-Najaf, Iraq), was, for the last year of his life, the grand ayatollah in the Islamic holy city of an-Najaf and, thus, spiritual leader of more than 11 million Shi'ite Muslims in Iraq. After finishing his basic education in Iran, Sabzevari moved to an-Najaf to pursue advanced studies in philosophy and religious law. A pious, scholarly man, he wrote extensively, including 11 volumes of commentary on the Qur`an and more than 30 works on Islamic jurisprudence. Until 1991 Sabzevari lived quietly, teaching, writing, and directing charitable works. He was reportedly involved in the unsuccessful Shi'ite uprising in March 1991, and when Grand Ayatollah Abolqassem al-Khoei died in August 1992, Baghdad tried to prevent Sabzevari from being recognized as his successor. Iraqi Shi'ites, however, refused to accept the government's own candidate as their spiritual leader. On Dec. 9, 1993, another grand ayatollah, Muhammad Reza Golpayegani, died in Tehran. The 94-year-old Golpayegani was a distinguished teacher and educational administrator and was a senior spiritual leader in the holy city of Qom, Iran. His death, so soon after Sabzevari's, left only three living grand ayatollahs at the head of the world's 162 million Shi'ites.

* * *