Aga Syed Mustafa Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi

Early Life

Born on 2 February 1918 in Budgam, Kashmir, into the Aga Syed Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi family of Kashmiri Shia clerics. He was the son of Ayatullah Aga Syed Ahmad and a descendant of Mir Shams-ud-din Muhammad Iraqi, who came to Kashmir in the 15th century. He pursued higher religious studies at the Hawza 'Ilmiyya in Najaf, Iraq, and on returning to Kashmir served as a deputy and assistant to his uncle in religious affairs.

Aga Syed Mustafa Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi (2 February 1918 – 21 August 2002) was a Kashmiri Shia Muslim cleric, Islamic jurist, scholar and philanthropist from Budgam, Kashmir. Widely known as Aga Sahab, he belonged to the Aga Syed Al-Moosavi Al-Safavi family, a prominent line of Kashmiri Shia religious leaders descended from Mir Shams-ud-din Muhammad Iraqi. He was the son of Ayatullah Aga Syed Ahmad. After completing higher religious studies at the Hawza 'Ilmiyya in Najaf, Iraq, he returned to Kashmir and became a leading figure in the community's religious life. He served as President and patron of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shiyan Jammu & Kashmir, chairman of Madrasa Babul Ilm, and headed the Sharia Court in Kashmir that had been founded generations earlier by Aga Syed Mehdi. He succeeded Aga Syed Yousuf Al-Moosavi as the community's foremost leader from 1982 until his death. A protagonist of Wilayat al-Faqih, he served as a representative of Imam Khomeini and later Imam Khamenei for Kashmir and facilitated Ayatollah Khamenei's 1980 visit to the region. He is remembered for efforts to end sectarian divisions among Kashmiri Shias and to promote unity across Muslim and non-Muslim communities. He was known as Abu Shaheedain, the 'Father of Martyrs', after two of his sons were assassinated during the Kashmir conflict. He died on 21 August 2002 at the age of 84 after a prolonged illness, and is buried at the family shrine in Budgam; his funeral was attended by very large crowds.

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