Hawza
Encyclopedia
Hawza or ḥawza ʻilmiyya (Arabic
/Persian
: حوزة علمیة) is a seminary
of traditional Islam
ic school of higher learning. It is a term used mostly by the Shi'a Muslim
s communities to refer to a traditional Shi'a centre where clerics are trained. Here
students are trained through a study of classic texts in their original languages.
Several senior Grand Ayatollahs constitute the hawza. The institutions in Najaf
, Iraq
and Qom
, Iran
, are the preeminent seminary centers for the training of Shi'a clergymen. However, several smaller hawzas exist in other cities around the world, such as at Karbala
in Iraq
, Isfahan and Mashhad
in Iran
, India
, Africa
, Europe and North America.
The Hawza Ilmiyya is the Shi'a equivalent of the Darul Uloom
system and the core areas of study in the two systems are generally the same. Hawza is not an organized theocracy with clear hierarchies and chains of authority, rather, it is bound by fervor, consensus and the utter devotion of its leaders and followers.
, Iraq was in 430 AH (the 11th century AD) by Shaykh al-Tusi (385 AH/995 CE – 460 AH/1067 CE), the Hawza 'Ilmiyya Najaf remained the main centre of learning for the Shi'ahs for over 1000 years until its decline in the 20th century starting with the establishment of modern Iraq in 1921. The revival of the Najaf Hawza in Iraq since the fall of the Saddam regime has indeed begun but still Iraq’s seminaries today have only a few thousand clerics. At present Ayatollah Sistani heads Hawza 'Ilmiyya Najaf, which includes three other Ayatollahs - Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad
, Mohammad Saeed Al-Hakim and Bashir al-Najafi.
dating back as early as 10th century CE, the hawza of the city became prominent at the time of the Safavids when Shi'a Islam
became the official religion of Iran. The famous teachers of that era included Mulla Sadra
and Shaykh Bahai
. The modern Qom hawza
was revitalized by Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi and Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi and is barely a century old. There are nearly three hundred thousand clerics in Iran’s seminaries. At present Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi heads Hawza 'Ilmiyya Qom.
Those who seek to become a mubaligh (fem. mubaligha) [missionaries or Islamic 'propagators'] would typically study for 5–7 years at a Hawza. In the past, it is said, that it took 20–40 years for one to become a mujtahid (fem. mujtahida) (an Islamic jurist able to derive laws from Islamic sources on his/her own), depending on one's intellectual abilities, how hard one strove in their studies. With the use of modern means today (such as computers) as well as more systemized and structured study systems, this could take a lot less.
Some students study as a registered student at a school, others are independent students who pick their own tutors and study at their own pace. Furthermore, a lot of students will engage in other Islamic activities during their studies, such as writing, translating, preaching, teaching others, etc. all of which could lengthen the duration of one's study. Most Hawza students consider themselves students for life.
In a hawza, one goes through the stages of muqadamat (introductory studies), sutooh (intermediary-advanced studies), dars kharij (advanced-Independent studies), and finallay ijtihad (deducing laws independently i.e. where one becomes a mujtahid(a)), without any formal titles. This final stage would be equivalent to a Ph.D at a university, though many would argue it is far more rigorous than the university’s Ph.D process. The titles for Hawza graduates will vary from a talaba (student) to Shaykh, Ustad, Hujjatul Islam, Allama and Ayatullah. These are just the more common titles and they are not bestowed by the Hawza. Rather, the culture and community that the scholar serves will end up bestowing it.
, kalam
, hadith
, tafsir
, philosophy
, natural and abstract sciences as well as Arabic
and Arabic literature
. Once these studies have been completed, they may begin preparation to become a mujtahid by studying advanced ancient textbooks known as sat'h, and research courses known as kharij.
Hawza Studies is dedicated to the more traditional subjects only, especially since they are not readily available elsewhere. The traditional subjects taught at a Hawza may be divided into the following:
This subject is as important as jurisprudence for the hawza student. It is also a crucial subject for one who is interested in comparative religious studies for it goes beyond discussing the five principles in themselves and discusses issues related to them. For example: anthropomorphism (as related to Tawhid), Predestination and Freewill (as related to Adalah), Infallibility (as related to Nubuwwah and Imamah), and Intercession (as related to Qiyamah). Aqaid also discusses religion in general and topics such as the Need for Religion, Pluralism, etc.
To be a mujtahid one has to excel in the advanced levels of the Hawza including Muqad'dim'maat, Sotooh, Sotooh 'Ulya, 'Uloom ukhra and Bahath Kharij.
Bahath e Kharij is the last level of hawzah and this level leads to Marji'iya, to become a ma'raja one has to teach dars e khaarij for considerable amount of time, publish collection of juridical edicts (risala ‘amaliyya) and recognised as one (by established Maraji).
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
/Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: حوزة علمیة) is a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of traditional Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic school of higher learning. It is a term used mostly by the Shi'a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s communities to refer to a traditional Shi'a centre where clerics are trained. Here
students are trained through a study of classic texts in their original languages.
Several senior Grand Ayatollahs constitute the hawza. The institutions in Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, are the preeminent seminary centers for the training of Shi'a clergymen. However, several smaller hawzas exist in other cities around the world, such as at Karbala
Karbala
Karbala is a city in Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people ....
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Isfahan and Mashhad
Mashhad
Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...
in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Europe and North America.
The Hawza Ilmiyya is the Shi'a equivalent of the Darul Uloom
Darul uloom
Darul uloom , also spelled darul ulum etc., is an Arabic term which literally means "house of knowledge". The term generally means an Islamic seminary or educational institution—similar to or often the same as a madrassa or Islamic school—although a Darul Uloom often indicates a more advanced level...
system and the core areas of study in the two systems are generally the same. Hawza is not an organized theocracy with clear hierarchies and chains of authority, rather, it is bound by fervor, consensus and the utter devotion of its leaders and followers.
Hawza 'Ilmiyya Najaf
Hawza 'Ilmiyya in NajafNajaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
, Iraq was in 430 AH (the 11th century AD) by Shaykh al-Tusi (385 AH/995 CE – 460 AH/1067 CE), the Hawza 'Ilmiyya Najaf remained the main centre of learning for the Shi'ahs for over 1000 years until its decline in the 20th century starting with the establishment of modern Iraq in 1921. The revival of the Najaf Hawza in Iraq since the fall of the Saddam regime has indeed begun but still Iraq’s seminaries today have only a few thousand clerics. At present Ayatollah Sistani heads Hawza 'Ilmiyya Najaf, which includes three other Ayatollahs - Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad
Mohammad Ishaq Al-Fayyad
Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Ishaq al-Fayyad is currently the second most senior Shi'a marja living in Iraq after Ali al-Sistani....
, Mohammad Saeed Al-Hakim and Bashir al-Najafi.
Hawza 'Ilmiyya Qom
Although small Shi'a academies existed in QomQom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
dating back as early as 10th century CE, the hawza of the city became prominent at the time of the Safavids when Shi'a Islam
Shi'a Islam
Shia Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shīʻatu ʻAlī , meaning "followers of Ali", "faction of Ali", or "party of Ali".Like other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is...
became the official religion of Iran. The famous teachers of that era included Mulla Sadra
Mulla Sadra
Ṣadr ad-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī also called Mulla Sadrā was a Persian Shia Islamic philosopher, theologian and ‘Ālim who led the Iranian cultural renaissance in the 17th century...
and Shaykh Bahai
Shaykh Bahai
Muhammad ibn Thalib ibn Abd Allah ibn Ni`mat Allah ibn Sadr ad-Din ibn Shaykh Baha' ad-Din ash-Shirazi was a 15th century Persian physician from Shiraz, Iran....
. The modern Qom hawza
Qom hawza
Qom Hawza is largest Hawza established in 1922 by Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Karim Ha'eri Yazdi in Qom....
was revitalized by Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi and Grand Ayatollah Borujerdi and is barely a century old. There are nearly three hundred thousand clerics in Iran’s seminaries. At present Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi heads Hawza 'Ilmiyya Qom.
Course and levels
There is no standard syllabus as such. Each Hawza tends to create its own. There are however some standard texts in each subject area that are considered "classics" and that all Hawza students are expected to study.Those who seek to become a mubaligh (fem. mubaligha) [missionaries or Islamic 'propagators'] would typically study for 5–7 years at a Hawza. In the past, it is said, that it took 20–40 years for one to become a mujtahid (fem. mujtahida) (an Islamic jurist able to derive laws from Islamic sources on his/her own), depending on one's intellectual abilities, how hard one strove in their studies. With the use of modern means today (such as computers) as well as more systemized and structured study systems, this could take a lot less.
Some students study as a registered student at a school, others are independent students who pick their own tutors and study at their own pace. Furthermore, a lot of students will engage in other Islamic activities during their studies, such as writing, translating, preaching, teaching others, etc. all of which could lengthen the duration of one's study. Most Hawza students consider themselves students for life.
In a hawza, one goes through the stages of muqadamat (introductory studies), sutooh (intermediary-advanced studies), dars kharij (advanced-Independent studies), and finallay ijtihad (deducing laws independently i.e. where one becomes a mujtahid(a)), without any formal titles. This final stage would be equivalent to a Ph.D at a university, though many would argue it is far more rigorous than the university’s Ph.D process. The titles for Hawza graduates will vary from a talaba (student) to Shaykh, Ustad, Hujjatul Islam, Allama and Ayatullah. These are just the more common titles and they are not bestowed by the Hawza. Rather, the culture and community that the scholar serves will end up bestowing it.
Hawza subjects
Most of the traditional subjects taught at a Hawza are interconnected and they supplement each other. Hawza students begin their studies by learning fiqhFiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, kalam
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
, hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
, tafsir
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, natural and abstract sciences as well as Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and Arabic literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. Once these studies have been completed, they may begin preparation to become a mujtahid by studying advanced ancient textbooks known as sat'h, and research courses known as kharij.
Hawza Studies is dedicated to the more traditional subjects only, especially since they are not readily available elsewhere. The traditional subjects taught at a Hawza may be divided into the following:
- Mantiq (Logic)
- Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
- Fiqh (Jurisprudence)
- Tafsir al-Qur'an (Qur'an Exegesis)
- 'Ulum al-Qur'an (Qur'an Sciences)
- 'Ilm al-Hadith (The Study of Traditions)
- 'Ilm ar-Rijal (Science of Narrators)
- Tarikh (History) -
- Aqaid / Kalam (Theology)
- Lugha (Language Studies)
- Falsafa (Islamic Philosophy)
- 'Irfan (Islamic Mysticism)
Mantiq (Logic)
Mantiq or Islamic Logic is a similar science to what is called Traditional Logic at Western universities (as opposed to Modern Logic that is taught as a field of Mathematics).Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
Science of the 'ilm usul al-fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence) discusses not only the jurisprudence content of a Qur'an verse or hadith but also the general principle(s) behind it that jurists could adhere to when deriving other laws on other issues. Usually referred to as 'ilm al-usul (the Science of Principles) or usul al-fiqh (the Principles of Jurisprudence).Fiqh (Jurisprudence)
Fiqh (Jurisprudence) is a major (if not 'the major') science around which most of the other subjects revolve. The study of the practical laws of Islam and how to derive them is divided by areas of jurisprudence such as purification, prayers, fasting, hajj, marriage, trade, etc. A branch of fiqh that was once never recognized as a subject on its own is Al-Qawaid al-Fiqhiyya (The Laws or Principles of Jurisprudence). This is distinct from but often confused with Usul al-Fiqh.Tafsir al-Qur'an (Qur'an Exegesis)
'Ilm al-Tafsir, or "the science of Qur'an exegesis" is usually a systematic (either sequential or thematic) exegetical study of the Qur'an's verses. This subject is widely studied by all Hawza students and one who chooses to specialize in this field becomes a mufassir or commentator of the Qur'an.'Ulum al-Qur'an (Qur'an Sciences)
Unlike Tafsir al-Qur'an which explains and discusses the 6000+ verses of the Qur'an themselves, 'Ulum al-Qur'an studies the Qur'an holistically. For example, the Qur'an's history, how it was revealed, the reasons that prompted revelations, how it was compiled, by whom and when, its preservation through the ages, the variations in its readings, the classification of verses into various categories such as abrogating (nasikh) verses vs. abrogated (mansukh) verses, and so forth.'Ilm al-Hadith (The Study of Traditions)
'Ilm al-Hadith (or the Science of Hadith) is not about the narrations or traditions themselves; rather it discusses the history of traditions, their compilation and classification, their collection and preservation, and so forth.'Ilm ar-Rijal (Science of Narrators)
'Ilm ar-Rijal is, literally, "The Science of People". Any tradition (hadith) is usually made up of two parts: a header (called isnad or sanad) and the main text or narration itself (called matn). The header lists the chain of narrators, which is crucial in identifying the original source of a hadith and verifying its authenticity. 'Ilm ar-Rijal, as an off-shoot of 'Ilm al-Hadith, studies the individual lives of narrators to check their trustworthiness. This in turn is used as one factor (amongst others) in concluding the authenticity of narrations. Sometimes a narrator may be unknown and his history may simply be lost in time.Tarikh (History)
Tarikh is study pre-Islamic and post-Islamic history mainly in context of events related to Islam.Aqaid / Kalam (Theology)
Aqaid (theology) is also called 'Ilm al-Kalam or Usul al-Din. The latter title is rarely used in Hawzas, perhaps to avoid confusing it with Usul al-Fiqh (which is at times called 'Ilm al-Usul). Shi'ah theology usually discusses issues around five principles:- Tawhid (Divine Unity),
- Adalah (Divine Justice),
- Nubuwwah (Prophethood),
- Imamah (Imamate) and
- Ma'ad (Day of Judgement, also called al-Qiyamah or the Resurrection).
This subject is as important as jurisprudence for the hawza student. It is also a crucial subject for one who is interested in comparative religious studies for it goes beyond discussing the five principles in themselves and discusses issues related to them. For example: anthropomorphism (as related to Tawhid), Predestination and Freewill (as related to Adalah), Infallibility (as related to Nubuwwah and Imamah), and Intercession (as related to Qiyamah). Aqaid also discusses religion in general and topics such as the Need for Religion, Pluralism, etc.
Lugha (Language Studies)
Arabic is the language of the Qur'an and hadith (especially classic Arabic grammar and vocabulary). Studying the Arabic language at Hawza usually consist of:- Grammar (Nahw)
- Syntax/Morphology (Sarf)
- Rhetoric (Balagha)
- Vocabulary Building
Falsafa (Islamic Philosophy)
Having studied Mantiq, those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the philosophy of Islam will study Falsafa. At the hawzas, a large part of Islamic philosophy deals with theoretical metaphysics and mysticism, the practical aspects of which are covered in 'Irfan.'Irfan (Islamic Mysticism)
'Irfan is generally divided into theoretical (nadhari) 'irfan and practical ( 'amali ) 'irfan. Theoretical 'Irfan is the study of Islamic metaphysics and 'Transcendent Philosophy'. The latter is usually a discussion around the teachings of philosopher-mystics like Ibn Sina, Suhrawardi, Ibn 'Arabi and Mulla Sadra. 'Irfan however distinguishes its goal from that of religious philosophy by being more theosophical. In other words, whereas falsafa seeks to know God with the mind and through rationalization, 'irfan seeks to know God through direct, personal experience. Practical 'Irfan is sometimes called sayr wa suluk (Spiritual wayfaring) and is in many ways synonymous to Sufism.Advanced subjects
Once the basic studies have been completed, students may begin preparation to become a mujtahid by studying advanced ancient textbooks known as sat'h, and research courses known as kharij.To be a mujtahid one has to excel in the advanced levels of the Hawza including Muqad'dim'maat, Sotooh, Sotooh 'Ulya, 'Uloom ukhra and Bahath Kharij.
Bahath e Kharij is the last level of hawzah and this level leads to Marji'iya, to become a ma'raja one has to teach dars e khaarij for considerable amount of time, publish collection of juridical edicts (risala ‘amaliyya) and recognised as one (by established Maraji).
External links
- Towards an Understanding of the Shiite Authoritative Sources
- Hawza Ilmiyya, Qom, Iran
- Research centre of Hawza Ilmiyya, Qom, Iran
- About the Hawza Ilmiyya of Qom, Iran
- Hawza Ilmiyya OF London
- Imam Hossain University (Howza)
- Alqaem Institute
- Hawza - Advanced Islamic Studies
- FORCES OF CIVIL SOCIETY, [casi] News, 20-27/8/03 (3)