Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr
Encyclopedia
Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr (March 23, 1943 – February 19, 1999), often referred to as Muhammad Sadiq as-Sadr which is his father's name, was a prominent Iraq
i Twelver Shi'a cleric of the rank of Grand Ayatollah. He called for government reform and the release of detained Shi'a leaders. The growth of his popularity, often referred to as the followers of the Vocal Hawza
, also put him in competition with other Shi'a leaders, including Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim who was exiled in Iran.
in the Kingdom of Iraq
. His father, Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr (1906–1986), was the grandson of Ismail as-Sadr
, the patriarch of the Iraqi Sadr
family and a first cousin of Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
and Bint al-Huda.
Following the Gulf War, Shi'ites in Southern Iraq went into open rebellion. A number of provinces overthrew the Baathist entities and rebelled against Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party. The leadership of the Shi'ite rebellion as well as the Shi'ite doctrine in Iraq was split between Ayatollah Ali Sistani and Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr. Sadr, based in Baghdad, appealed to the younger, more radical Shi'ites from the more impoverished areas of Southern Iraq. The Shi'ites traveled to Baghdad from these poor areas to join Sadr and his Shi'ite leadership. The area which Sadr preached in and these poor Shi'ites occupied became known as "Revolution Township". In this ghetto, Sadr established a secret network of devoted followers and he became an increasingly prominent figure in the Iraqi political scene.
As a result of the disenfranchisement and repression of the Shi'ites in Iraq and the loyalty of the local populations, Saddam Hussein
and his Baathist government could not control the Revolution Township on a neighborhood level. Their lack of control limited their ability to effect al-Sadr's power base and the devotion of his followers. Revolution Township was ironically renamed Saddam City, an acute definition of the poverty and oppression Saddam brought to the Shi'ites in the span of his reign over Iraq.
As his power grew, al-Sadr became more and more involved in politics following the Gulf War and throughout the 1990s he openly defied Saddam. He organized the poor Shi'ites of Sadr City
, yet another nickname for the impoverished Shi'ite ghetto in Baghdad, against Saddam and the Baath Party. Sadr gained the support of the Shi'ites by reaching out to tribal villages and offering services to them that they would otherwise not have been afforded by Hussein's regime. Saddam began to crack down on the Shi'ite leaders in the late 1990s in an attempt to regain control of Iraq.
Sometime before his death, al-Sadr was informed of Saddam's limited patience with him. In defiance, al-Sadr wore his death shroud to his final Friday sermon to show that the Shi'ites would not be intimidated by Saddam's oppression and that Sadr would preach the truth even if it meant his own death. He was later killed leaving the mosque in the Iraqi city of Najaf
along with two of his sons as they drove through the town. Their car was ambushed by men, and both his sons were killed by gunfire while he was severely injured. He died an hour later in the hospital. Shi'as in Iraq, as well as most international observers, suspect the Iraqi Baathist government of being involved in, if not directly responsible, for their murders.
Following the fall of Baghdad
, the majority-Shi'a suburb of Saddam City was unofficially but popularly renamed to Sadr City
in his honor. Sadr City was the first part of Baghdad to overthrow the Baath Party in 2003. Mohammad al-Sadr's son, Muqtada al-Sadr
, is currently the leader of the Sadr-ist movement and bases his legitimacy upon his relationship to his father. Muqtada al-Sadr led a guerilla uprising against U.S. Troops in the Iraq War from 2003 to 2006.
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....
i Twelver Shi'a cleric of the rank of Grand Ayatollah. He called for government reform and the release of detained Shi'a leaders. The growth of his popularity, often referred to as the followers of the Vocal Hawza
Hawza
Hawza or ḥawza ʻilmiyya is a seminary of traditional Islamic school of higher learning. It is a term used mostly by the Shi'a Muslims communities to refer to a traditional Shi'a centre where clerics are trained...
, also put him in competition with other Shi'a leaders, including Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim who was exiled in Iran.
Biography
Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr was born in al-KazimiyaKazimain
al-Kāżimiyyah , is a town located in what is now a northern neighbourhood of Baghdad, Iraq about five kilometres from the city center. Al-Kāżimiyyah is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad....
in the Kingdom of Iraq
Kingdom of Iraq
The Kingdom of Iraq was the sovereign state of Iraq during and after the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. The League of Nations mandate started in 1920. The kingdom began in August 1921 with the coronation of Faisal bin al-Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi as King Faisal I...
. His father, Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr (1906–1986), was the grandson of Ismail as-Sadr
Ismail as-Sadr
Ismail as-Sadr was a Lebanese Grand Ayatollah , a title which is used in Iran and Iraq referring to a Twelver Shi'a scholar who is a fully qualified mujtahid who asserts authority over peers and followers by virtue of sufficient study and achievement of the level of necessary competencey needed...
, the patriarch of the Iraqi Sadr
Sadr
Sadr may refer to:*Gamma Cygni, a star.*Sadr City, a neighbourhood in northeastern Baghdad.*Sadr, a family name originating in Lebanon.*Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic , the government-in-exile of the Polisario Front....
family and a first cousin of Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
Shahid-e-Khamis Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr was an Iraqi Shi'a cleric, a philosopher, and ideological founder of Islamic Dawa Party born in al-Kazimiya, Iraq. He is the father-in-law of Muqtada al-Sadr and cousin of both Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr and Imam Musa as-Sadr...
and Bint al-Huda.
Following the Gulf War, Shi'ites in Southern Iraq went into open rebellion. A number of provinces overthrew the Baathist entities and rebelled against Saddam Hussein and the Baath Party. The leadership of the Shi'ite rebellion as well as the Shi'ite doctrine in Iraq was split between Ayatollah Ali Sistani and Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr. Sadr, based in Baghdad, appealed to the younger, more radical Shi'ites from the more impoverished areas of Southern Iraq. The Shi'ites traveled to Baghdad from these poor areas to join Sadr and his Shi'ite leadership. The area which Sadr preached in and these poor Shi'ites occupied became known as "Revolution Township". In this ghetto, Sadr established a secret network of devoted followers and he became an increasingly prominent figure in the Iraqi political scene.
As a result of the disenfranchisement and repression of the Shi'ites in Iraq and the loyalty of the local populations, Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
and his Baathist government could not control the Revolution Township on a neighborhood level. Their lack of control limited their ability to effect al-Sadr's power base and the devotion of his followers. Revolution Township was ironically renamed Saddam City, an acute definition of the poverty and oppression Saddam brought to the Shi'ites in the span of his reign over Iraq.
As his power grew, al-Sadr became more and more involved in politics following the Gulf War and throughout the 1990s he openly defied Saddam. He organized the poor Shi'ites of Sadr City
Sadr City
Sadr City is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. It was built in 1959 by Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim and later unofficially renamed Sadr City after deceased Shia leader Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr....
, yet another nickname for the impoverished Shi'ite ghetto in Baghdad, against Saddam and the Baath Party. Sadr gained the support of the Shi'ites by reaching out to tribal villages and offering services to them that they would otherwise not have been afforded by Hussein's regime. Saddam began to crack down on the Shi'ite leaders in the late 1990s in an attempt to regain control of Iraq.
Sometime before his death, al-Sadr was informed of Saddam's limited patience with him. In defiance, al-Sadr wore his death shroud to his final Friday sermon to show that the Shi'ites would not be intimidated by Saddam's oppression and that Sadr would preach the truth even if it meant his own death. He was later killed leaving the mosque in the Iraqi city of 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...
along with two of his sons as they drove through the town. Their car was ambushed by men, and both his sons were killed by gunfire while he was severely injured. He died an hour later in the hospital. Shi'as in Iraq, as well as most international observers, suspect the Iraqi Baathist government of being involved in, if not directly responsible, for their murders.
Following the fall of Baghdad
2003 invasion of Baghdad
The Battle of Baghdad also known as the Fall of Baghdad was a military invasion of Baghdad that took place in early April 2003, as part of the invasion of Iraq....
, the majority-Shi'a suburb of Saddam City was unofficially but popularly renamed to Sadr City
Sadr City
Sadr City is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. It was built in 1959 by Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim and later unofficially renamed Sadr City after deceased Shia leader Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr....
in his honor. Sadr City was the first part of Baghdad to overthrow the Baath Party in 2003. Mohammad al-Sadr's son, Muqtada al-Sadr
Muqtada al-Sadr
Sayyid Muqtadā al-Ṣadr is an Iraqi Islamic political leader.Along with Ali al-Sistani and Ammar al-Hakim of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Sadr is one of the most influential religious and political figures in the country not holding any official title in the Iraqi government.-Titles:He is...
, is currently the leader of the Sadr-ist movement and bases his legitimacy upon his relationship to his father. Muqtada al-Sadr led a guerilla uprising against U.S. Troops in the Iraq War from 2003 to 2006.
Works
- Al-Islam wal-Mithaq al-Alimiyah lil-Huquq al-Insan (Islam and the International Covenant on Human Rights)
- Ma Wara al-Fiqh (What is behind Jurisprudence)
- Fiqh al-Asha'ir (Tribal Jurisprudence)
See also
- Ismail al-SadrIsmail as-SadrIsmail as-Sadr was a Lebanese Grand Ayatollah , a title which is used in Iran and Iraq referring to a Twelver Shi'a scholar who is a fully qualified mujtahid who asserts authority over peers and followers by virtue of sufficient study and achievement of the level of necessary competencey needed...
- Haydar al-SadrHaydar al-SadrAyatollah Haydar al-Sadr was born in Samarra, Iraq. His father, Ismail as-Sadr was a Grand Ayatollah and the first to be use the as-Sadr surname, which came to be associated with a long line of religious scholarship within Shia Islam...
- Sadr al-Din al-Sadr
- Musa al-SadrMusa al-SadrFor the Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, see Mūsá al-KāżimMūsá aṣ-Ṣadr , also Musā-ye Sader and Moussa Sadr), was an Iranian-Lebanese philosopher and Shī‘ah religious leader who disappeared in August 1978...
- Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
- Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr
- Muhammad Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr
- List of Shi'a Muslim scholars of Islam
Sources
- "The Sadrist Movement", with additional insight on Muqtada al-Sadr's family background, including his father's books, at the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin
- Professor Juan Cole, University of Michigan, History 241: American Wars in the Middle East. Lecture: The Shi'ite Sadr Movement in American Iraq, November 18, 2008.