Muhammad Hossein Naini

Colonialists of last two centuries invented the theory of separation of politics from religion and rivalry between the old and the new sciences in order to create a gulf between these two systems. They not only divided the language of religion from language of modern science, culture and philosophy, but also developed a big difference between the two with the result that conciliation between these two languages becomes difficult. That is why whenever an anyone of those religious minded people who had been to Europe and were conversant with modern civilization and culture, tried to defend and transmit whatever of religion was left to him, he in most cases presented religion in an ambiguous form which materialized to be incompatible with modern civilization and modern sciences. Realizing the situation, many of scholars, especially during the last 100 years have tried to bridge this gulf and to introduce modern science and civilization in a perspective compatible with the broad and progressive outlook of Islam and free from all misconception and misrepresentation. Mirza Naini is considered to be the most influential authority by introducing his revolutionary approaches to combat the gap between religion and modernity. The integrity of his students in the religious and modern world is the criteria for constructive critic and appreciation.[6][7]

Mirza Naini (in mid) with some other scholars and students

Names of the some students benefited from the teaching of Mirza Naini, includes the following scholars and clerics of their time:

• 1. Sheikh Mohammad Ali Kazemi Khorassani
• 2. Seyyed Mohsen Tabatabai Hakim.[8]
• 3. Grand Ayotollah Khoei.[9]
• 4. Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabai
• 5. Grand Ayatollah Taqi Bahjat
• 6. Sayyed Hadi Milani
• 7. Sayyed Jamal Al din Golpayegani
• 8. Sheikh Muhammad Ali Kazemini
• 9. Sheikh Mousa Khansari[10]
• 10. Syed Ali Naqi Naqvi

Among the modern Usuliyan Shia scholars Mirza Naini is regarded as one of the founders of modern principles of jurisprudence. Intellectual development in term of social progress of science can be observed between Mirza Naini and his reverenced Master Ayatollah Kazem Khorasani, which establishes the fact that difference of opinion is not the cause of hostilities the very basis of battle is ignorance. His master represents Sadrian Islamic thought. Defending principles of "Sadrian philosophy", with his full support to Sadrian view in the interpretation of causality and its relation to freedom. On the other side, his intelligent pupil (Mirza Naini) was one of the strong critics of Sadrian view. In a new way and method, he criticized the Sadrian philosophical thought and presented a new viewpoint on the relation between causality and human freedom.[11]

Ayatollah Naini was active both in Iran's Constitutional Revolution and in Iraqi Politics. As a politician his principal view with regard to form of government is very clear. He suggested the form of government by an infallible ruler fully responsible to the will of God, which might be able to safeguard the interests of people. Such type of ruling is not possible in the era of major occultation of Imam Mahdi. Therefore, efforts should be made to arrange the ruling of just and honest men with duty to control the government, directly responsible to the will of God through Imam Mahdi. He further argued that in such a situation it is the known fact that access to leaders with such respected characteristics’ becomes unquestionable and people usually have no say over such matters, it is thus obligatory to observe the following two principles:

1. To implement law

2. To appoint wise men as "supervisors"

Obviously these were the possible steps for removal of huge gap between the existing situation and the desired goals of forming progressive government for the betterment of people.[12][13]