Hawzah News Agency- Speaking at the International Congress honoring the late scholar in the holy city of Najaf, Ayatollah Khabbaz delivered an extensive lecture outlining the defining features of Mirza Naini’s jurisprudential legacy.
A systematic engineer of Islamic Jurisprudence
At the outset of his address, Ayatollah Khabbaz referred to Mirza Naini as “the engineer of the science of principles”, asserting that no figure has more accurately embodied that title. He said Grand Ayatollah Naini distinguished himself through “geometrical brilliance”—the ability to structure theoretical debates on firm premises and move coherently from introduction to conclusion.
He cited Mirza Naini’s analysis of indemnity and istishab in Al-Lubbās al-Mashkūq as a prime example, noting that the scholar transformed ambiguous debates into precise criteria later echoed—though sometimes differently interpreted—by Martyr Sadr and other leading jurists.
A founder of theories, not merely a critic
Ayatollah Khabbaz emphasized that Mirza Naini’s work is marked by a spirit of construction rather than destruction. While some of his contemporaries focused on critique, Ayatollah Naini repeatedly introduced new frameworks and theoretical foundations.
Among his innovations, Ayatollah Khabbaz highlighted the theory of complementary speech, new classifications of rights and conditions, a fresh analysis of epistemic authority, and the distinction between real and apparent governance. Through reviewing three of Grand Ayatollah Naini’s major works, he identified at least 28 original theories.
Analytical rationality and conceptual depth
The Najaf professor described Mirza Naini’s third major characteristic as his exceptional analytical depth. Mirza Naini often sought the underlying essence of concepts such as will, ownership, and rights, and offered clear distinctions between conflict and interference in jurisprudential rulings. Such precision, Ayatollah Khabbaz said, demonstrates Naini’s ability to define the exact scope and effect of legal judgments.
Relying on rational custom, not philosophy
Ayatollah Khabbaz noted that Mirza Naini departed from earlier Usuli scholars by grounding many of his arguments in rational custom (‘urf) rather than philosophical premises. This approach shaped his views on legislative address, the actuality of conditions, and issues of liability—such as the theory of successive hands in guaranteeing property.
Mastery of linguistic nuance
According to Ayatollah Khabbaz, Mirza Naini’s “sound customary taste” played a central role in his interpretive method. His analyses of cause and wisdom (‘illa vs hikma), contextual indicators, and the nature of general expressions have had lasting influence. Through examining rulings tied to existential conditions, Mirza Naini derived practical principles such as the presumption of non-liability and the sacredness of blood, property, and honor.
From theory to application
Ayatollah Khabbaz also highlighted Mirza Naini’s commitment to connecting fundamental theory to practical jurisprudence. After establishing principles, he frequently traced their consequences into real legal scenarios.
Examples include:
- distinguishing between rational and religious authority in matters of obligation and conflict,
- analyzing ablution when time is short or life-saving duties intervene,
- clarifying categories of obligation in transactional law,
- and re-interpreting the principle “the hand guarantees what it takes” and its legal effects.
Unfinished discussions
Toward the end of his lecture, Ayatollah Khabbaz pointed to two topics requiring further scholarly study:
the differences between the transmitted notes of Ayatollah Khoei and Sheikh Hussein Hilli on Mirza Naini’s teachings, and the contrast between students’ accounts and Naini’s own writing in Al-Lubbās al-Mashkūq.
The congress concluded by reaffirming Grand Ayatollah Naini’s enduring influence on contemporary Shia jurisprudence and his status as one of its foremost methodological innovators.
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