Syed Ali Nasir Saeed
Abaqati popularly known as Agha Roohi is a Shia scholar from Lucknow, India and comes from the family of
Syed Mir Hamid Hussain Musavi whose book `Abaqat al'anwar fi imamat al 'A'immat al'athar is popular among Twelver Shi'a scholars worldwide, and quoted even today.[1]
He belongs to the lineage of
Syed Mohammad Quli Khan.[2][3][4] His family is renowned and respected in
Lucknow, where his father Saeed-ul-Millat Syed Mohammad Saeed and grandfather Syed Nasir-ul-Millat enjoyed much respect in their lifetimes. His ancestral town is
Kintoor,
Barabanki,
Uttar Pradesh and he traces his lineage to Muhammad via Imam
Musa al-Kazim, hence the name "Musavi".[5]
His majalis (religious lectures)
He is an exponent of
Tabarra, openly curse the enemies of Hussainiyat, the killers of Imam Hussain.
Agha Roohi recites the ashra-e-majalis (religious lecture to commemorate the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain, spanning ten days) at
Shia PG College (at Victoria Street in Nakhas) in morning and at
Afzal Mahal in evening.[6] He also addresses a majlis at
Karbala Talkatora, where procession of
taboot, to signify the mortal remains of
Maula Ali culminates on
21 of the month of Ramadan every year since the earlier
ban order was
revoked in 1999.[7] Apart from majalis in Lucknow he often was invited in other cities too, e.g.,
Allahabad.[8]
Involvement in community matters, demonstrations and rallies
He has been involved in political activism related to affairs of Shia community for long. In 1969, he alongside Moulana Dr.
Kalbe Sadiq addressed a press conference alongside
Jana Sangh's leader
Nanaji Deshmukh, when they were ′invited to tell the world the sufferings their sect had undergone′.[10] In 1993 when he was President of the
All India Shia Husaini Council he joined political party
BJP.[11]
In 2009, the Law Commission's report on bigamy resulted in opposition from
All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Agha Roohi suggested Law Commission to talk to clerics over this issue.[16]
On 14 November 2010, he and fellow cleric
Kalbe Jawad tried to stop the annual meeting of the board of trustees at Shia Post Graduate Degree College because it was being held on a Sunday. The men were taken into preventive custody but were released when violent protests broke out.[17][18]
"ISIS is a great threat not only to Islam but the entire humanity and what must be understood by Muslims across the globe is that these brutal attacks on Holy Shrines clearly smells of conspiracy which must be countered by remaining united."
In April 2017, he issued a statement vowing to end cow slaughter.[21]
Renowned Scholar Expresses Concern Over Current State of Affairs
He has made it clear that if the authorities and national and religious leaders had made thoughtful decisions, the country’s situation would be quite different today. Maulana Agha Roohi acknowledges that while this may not be the opportune time to criticize political leaders and officials, turning a blind eye and remaining silent about realities seems to be equivalent to neglecting the rights of troubled people. The plight faced by millions of workers, the needy, and the unemployed in our society has revealed the stark contradiction between the words and actions of our leaders. While these helpless workers wait helplessly at bus stops, whether they reach their homes safely or not, this blood-soaked caravan is leading the country towards an uncertain destination. [24]
Family
His elder son Maulana Syed Abbas Nasir Saeed Abaqati (b. 1986), a PhD student in Shia theology, fought against the
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS, or IS) while he was studying at Najaf University (Al-Hawza al-'Ilmiyya fi al-Najaf al-Ashraf Islamic seminary) in July 2014 when clashes with the ISIS broke out in Iraq.[25][26] Apart from other majalis he now addresses majlis at Shia College during first 10 days of Muharram.[27] He is president of Anjuman Moinuzzaireen which manages
Mazaar-e-Shaheed-e-Saalis while his younger brother Syed Murtaza Nasir Saeed is secretary and his uncles (half-brothers of Agha Roohi) Maulana Syed Sajjad Nasir Saeed Abaqati and Syed Husain Nasir Saeed are patron and Mutawalli' respectively.[28][29]