Muhammad Rizvi
Canadian Islamic scholar (born 1957) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi (Urdu: سید محمد رضوی; born 1957) is an Indian-Canadian Islamic scholar, author, and religious leader. He serves as the Chief Imam of the Jaffari Community Centre in Toronto, where he oversees its religious and educational activities.[1][2][3]
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Muhammad Rizvi | |
|---|---|
سید محمد رضوی | |
Rizvi in 2012. | |
| Title | Hujjat al-Islam |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 1957 (age 68 years) Saran, India |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Parent | Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi (father) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Institute | Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Toronto (ISIJ) ('Ālim) |
| School | Ja'fari |
| Jurisprudence | Twelver Shia |
Early life
Rizvi was born in 1957 in the Saran district of Bihar, India, to Sayyid Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi, a Twelver Shi'a scholar who promoted Islam in East Africa.[4][5]
At the age of fifteen, he moved to Qom, Iran, to pursue advanced Islamic studies at the Hawza-e 'Ilmiyya,[6][7] one of the leading seminaries in the Shia Muslim tradition.[8]
Career
Summarize
Perspective
Since 1996, Rizvi has served as the Resident 'Alim and Chief Imam of the Jaffari Community Centre in Toronto, where he provides religious guidance, delivers weekly sermons, and oversees communal educational initiatives.[9] He is currently the representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to Canada,[10] and the Secretary-General of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America.[11]
Rizvi has facilitated cooperation among different faith communities in the Toronto area, advocating for religious understanding, participating in interfaith dialogue, and calling for Muslim unity.[12][13][14] In 1999, he participated in a multifaith initiative alongside Rabbi Michael Stroh and Zoroastrian Mobad Nozer Kotwal to support Toronto’s Out of the Cold program.[15][16]
Rizvi has denounced sectarian violence in the Muslim world.[10][17] In August 2013, he joined Sunni and Shi’a scholars at the ISNA Convention in Washington, D.C., to endorse the Washington Declaration, a document which affirms the sanctity of life, condemns sectarianism, and calls on scholars to promote peace, coexistence, and human rights.[18][19][20]
Rizvi addressed moon landing denialism in a 2019 sermon, arguing that rejecting the space travel of Apollo 11 stems from the same mindset as denying the physical premise of Muhammad’s night journey (Mi'raj).[21]
Rizvi has authored works covering various aspects of Islamic theology, jurisprudence, ethics, and history.[22][23]
Controversy
In 2012, Rizvi and the JCC were investigated by the York Regional Police for books published by Iranian foundations that “disparaged Jews and encouraged boys to keep fit for jihad.” However, no charges were filed against them, as the police concluded that these writings did not constitute hate speech under Canadian law.[24]
Literary works
- Rizvi, Muhammad (1984). An Explanatory Translation of the Qurʼ̄an. S.M. Rizvi. ISBN 978-0-920675-02-1.
- Rizvi, Muhammad (1999). Shí'ism: Imāmate & Wilāyat. Al-Ma‘ãrif Publications. ISBN 0920675115.
- Rizvi, Muhammad (2007). Business Ethics in Islam. Al-Ma‘ãrif Publications.
- Rizvi, Muhammad (2004). "Islam: Faith, Practice & History".
References
External links
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