Allamah Shaikh Murtadha Ansari

He was a descendent of the Prophet's noble companion, Jabir b. Abdullah Ansari. He was born on 18th Dhul Hajj (the day of IddeGhadeer) 1214 AH. in Dezful. For 20 years, he studied in Iran before leaving for Iraq. After a brief stay there, he decided to return to Iran. When he met Mulla Ahmed Nuraqi, the author of 'Miraj al-Sa'adah' and 'Mustanad al-Shia', in Kashan, Shaikh decided to remain there under his tutelage. In 1252 AH., he decided to visit the holy shrines of Iraq, but this sojourn was destined to be final, for here he started his own classes which made him world famous. He became an indisputable Marja after the death of Sahib-e- Jawahir.
Shaikh was a genius of extra ordinary caliber. In Usul and Fiqh, his originality and analytic mind enabled him to blaze a new path, a path which has been adopted and followed by all the subsequent Fuqaha. His two great works, 'Rasail' and 'Makasib' are an inalienable part of the curriculum in modern Hawzas. We can say that after Muhaqqiq Hilli, Allama Hilli and Shaheede Awwal, the figure of Shaikh Murtadha Ansari towers highest among the Shia Fuqaha. He is rightly known as ' Khatim al-Fuqaha wal Mujtahedin'.
He died in Najaf in 1281 AH.