| Background: |
|
| Ali al-Hakim | |
| Religion: | Shia Islam |
| Location: | Najaf, Iraq |
| Ayatollah | |
| Birth Date: | 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Najaf, Iraq |
Sayyid Ali al-Hakim (born 1964) is an Iraqi high-ranking Shiite Ayatollah based in Najaf, Iraq.
Al-Hakim is a member of the Hakim family of Shiite scholars.
Al-Hakim was born in Najaf, the son of Ayatollah Sayyid Abdul al-Sahib, and the grandson of the Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim; the latter is considered one of the greatest Shiite scholars of the 20th century.[1] In addition to his studies in secular schools, he joined the Islamic seminary at an early age in 1976.
Al-Hakim is the brother of Sayyid Jafar al-Hakim, who has visited the United States and delivered lectures on a variety of topics.[2]
He is also a nephew of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Saeed Al-Hakim, one of the four main Grand Ayatollahs of Iraq.
He has visited the Hakim Foundation in the United States, which is run by family member Ammar Al-Hakim.[3]
During his early studies in the Islamic seminary, Al-Hakim faced harassment and intimidation from Ba'ath party police and security forces. In particular, Al-Hakim was scrutinized for his seminars and participation in intellectual forums.
In 1980, Al-Hakim fled Iraq to Kuwait, and later Iran, to continue his seminary studies without facing repression by Saddam Hussein's government.
In 1994, Al-Hakim completed the highest level of study in the seminary, Bath al-Kharij, or "Advanced Studies". He then migrated to Lebanon, where he found employment as a professor, researcher, and writer.
Currently, he serves as the General Secretary of the Imam al-Hakim foundation, which he established in 2008.