VOL News Desk: Renowned jurist Ayatollah Sheikh Hasnain Shabani Al-Najfi from Kargil passed away today in the holy city of Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran, reuniting with his Creator.

He hailed from the village of Brolmo in the Kharmang district, located at the confluence of Kargil and Baltistan. His father, Sheikh Ali Brolmo, was a distinguished religious scholar of his time, widely recognized for his religious services. His shrine, located near the Kargil border, is a popular pilgrimage site, offering a clear view of the border area and military movements between Pakistan and India.

The late Ayatollah Hasnain Najfi held Indian citizenship after the 1971 war, during which he had moved to a nearby village that was suddenly taken over from Pakistani occupation by Indian Army overnight. As a result, the residents of that village, including him, become Indian citizens. From there, he traveled to Najaf Ashraf in Iraq, where he attained scholarly prominence and never returned to his homeland. During the final years of Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq, he was forced to leave Najaf and settled in Qom, Iran.

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He was a mujtahid (authority in Islamic jurisprudence) and authored several religious works. Although he was not widely known in Iran and Iraq, where people often follow regional religious authorities, he distinguished himself through piety, humility, and a simple lifestyle. In jurisprudence, he followed a Quranic methodology and held unique positions on certain issues, such as his belief that Friday prayers (Jumu’ah) are obligatory even during the occultation of the Imam.

May Allah Almighty grant him forgiveness, bless him with His mercy, and unite him with Muhammad and his progeny (peace be upon them).