Shia Leaderships & Hawza Ilmiyya Hawza literally means Seminary of traditional Shia Islamic studies and Ilmiyya means an academy for studying Islamic sciences. Several senior Grand Ayatollahs constitute the Hawza. The institutions in Najaf, Iraq and Qom, Iran, are the preeminent Hawza centers for training Shia clergymen. The Shia Mujtahids directly and indirectly rule Shia communities around the world. These Shia leaders receive their educations from the Hawza Ilmiyya of either Najaf or Qom. The first Hawza was established in Najaf in the 11th century AD. Shaykh al-Tusi established this Hawza Ilmiyya, which remained the main Shia learning center for approximately a millennium, until its decline over the past century. Respectively, …show more content…
For example, one who attempts to specialize in Jurisprudence (Fiqh) should also study other subjects in depth such as the principles of jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh), Arabic language and grammar, the “Sciences” of the Quran (Ulum al-Quran), Hadith, Islamic History (Tarikh), Theology (Aqied), Quran Exegesis (Tafsir), Logic (Mantiq), and so on. While some people may study at a Hawza for many years and dedicate their entire lives to the study and teaching of traditional Islamic subjects, others study for as little as three to five years at a Hawza and then return to their hometowns (sometimes as a full-time Islamic missionary [muballigh]) while continuing to study on their …show more content…
In recent years, Hawzas’ leaders realized that people who are studding at the Hawza need to be well-rounded in all subjects. Therefore, Hawza’s nowadays are also introducing secular subjects into their curriculum such as human psychology, sociology, current affairs, political science, English language studies, geography, comparative religions/world religions, Western philosophy, and so forth. However, the Hawza’s studies are mostly dedicated to traditional subjects, since they are not taught in any other modern institutions. The traditional subjects taught at a Hawza are divided into the