A Brief Biography: Ayatollah Dr Sayyid Fadhel Hosseini Al-Milani
Ayatollah Fadhel Al-Milani was born in Holy City of Karbala in 1944. His paternal grandfather was the late Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhamad Hadi Al-Milani and his maternal grandfather the late Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Sadiq Qazwini.
Ayatollah Fadhel Al-Milani read Religious Studies at the Hawza of the Holy City of Najaf – from 1962 to 1970 under late Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Abul Qasim Al-Khoei and from 1968 to 1970, under the late Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Mohsin Al-Hakim.
For two years of his time in Najaf Ayatollah Fadhel Al-Milani taught Jurisprudence, Principles of Jurisprudence and Theology at the College of Fiqh and for eight years, at the Hawza of Najaf. In 1971 he migrated to Mashhad where he attended the advanced fatwa assemblies and completed his studies under the guidance of the late Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Hadi Al-Milani. In 1974 he became acknowledged as a Mujtahid in the Holy City of Mashhad. His work on Ijtihad, Lectures on Imamiyah Jurisprudence, published in six volumes, is still currently used in the Hawzas of Mashhad and Qum.
Ayatollah Sayyid Fadhel Al-Milani has been awarded the following academic qualifications:
B. A. in Islamic studies from the College of Fiqh, Najaf in 1966
B. A. in Law from the School of Law, Beirut, Lebanon in 1967
M. A. in Arabic Literature from the University of Baghdad, Iraq in 1970
PhD in Islamic Philosophy from Oxford University in 1994
Professorial ranking, University of Amman, Jordon.
Ayatollah Sayyid Fadhel Al-Milani has over 50 years experience teaching Islamic studies, especially Fiqh, Usul and Theology:
From 1965 - 1970 at The Holy City of Najaf
From 1971 - 1982 at The Hawza of Mashhad
From 1983 - 1986 at the Hawza of Sayidah Zainab (AS)
From 1987 until the present, at various centres in London namely, International Colleges for Islamic Studies; Islamic College for Advance Studies; The Muslim College and the Students of the Hawza.
Ayatollah Sayyid Fadhel Al-Milani has authored seven books in Arabic, seven in English, and one in Persian.
He was appointed UK representative of the late Ayatollah Sayyid Abul Qasim Al-Khoei and is accredited on behalf of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Sistani.
The long experience of Ayatollah Sayyid Fadhel Al-Milani in the field of Islamic law, the number of students who he has trained, the books he has authored on Islamic Jurisprudence, speak up for his authority as a Faqih and a Mujtahid.
In addition to his lectures in Colleges and Hawza, Ayatollah Sayyid Fadhel Al-Milani has presented papers at the following international seminars:
• Assembly of the World's Religions - held in the USA - 1984
(Due to visa delays his contribution was sent to the conference)
• Conference of the Rights in Islam held in Amman, Jordon - 1992
• Conference of Social Welfare in Islam held in Amman, Jordon - 1994
• The Alawi Conference held in Istanbul, Turkey - 1998
• Conference for Ijtihad in Islam held in Muscat, Oman – 1999
• Islam and Diversity – Islam in 21st Century Britain Conference, Cardiff – 2002
• Ethics of Warfare – Theology Seminar at Maimonides Foundation London, 2002
• Is Islam a threat to the West? – Chatham House London – 2005
• World Conference on Religion for Peace, London – 2006
• Muslim/Jewish Dialogue, London – 2006
• Conception of Peace and War in the Abrahamic Religions, Organised by: The Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America, and International Peace Research Institute Oslo. – Rome – 2006
• Living Together in a Multicultural and Multi-Religions Society – Debate S. F. Milani and Reverend Julian Gutteridge, Hull – 2014
• Between Reason and Faith – The Social Doctrine of the Church and its Ecumenical Value, University of Cattolica, Milan – 2014
• Symposium on Philosophy, Jurisprudence and Society – Shi’ite Iraqi and Swedish Perspectives, Stockholm – 2015
• ‘Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence’ Al-Khoei Foundation, London – 2015
In addition to being Imam at Imam Khoei Islamic Centre, Ayatollah Al-Milani is Dean of International Colleges for Islamic Studies, London and Islamic studies Ph.D. candidate supervisor.