Shaykh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din
Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din | |
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| Born | 1936 Najaf |
| Died | 2001 Beirut |
Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din (1936-2001) was an Islamic political thinker.
Biography
Shaykh Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din was a religious scholar who was born in Najaf in 1936 to a family of scholars of Lebanon tracing their lineage to “Shaheed Awwal." Like his father Abd al-Karim, who both studied and taught in Najaf, , Shaykh Shams al-Din also studied in the city and stayed there for 33 years. Upon returning to Lebanon, Shaykh Shams al-Din became a public figure and supported Muslim-Christian harmony in Lebanon.
Being politically active, Shaykh Shams al-Din partook in establishing Hizb al-Da’wa in Iraq and was deeply devoted to the Amal Movement in Lebanon. In Beirut, the Imam al-Sadiq Mosque was established by him, where he was buried after his death in 2001 at the age of 67.
Career
- Director, Supreme Islamic Shia Council, Lebanon, 1993
- Chairman, Supreme Islamic Shia Council, Lebanon, 1978 - 1993
- Deputy Chairman, Supreme Islamic Shia Council, Lebanon 1975 – 1978
- Director, Cultural Charity Society, Lebanon, 1969 - 1975
Academic Activities
- Established the al-Adwa magazine alongside Muhammad Rida Muzaffar and al-Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
- Took part in the establishment of the Islamic University of Lebanon
Books
- The rising of al-Ḥusayn: Its impact on the consciousness of Muslim society, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985
- The Revolution of al-Husayn, The Mainstray Foundation, 2014