Tragic loss for Shi’i seminaries around the world. Ayatollah Sayed Ali Ridha Ha’eri passed away this morning in Qom. Originally from Karbala, he was a student of Sayed Khu’i and Sayed M Baqir Al Sadr. He was also a close friend of the late Ayatollah Hashimi Shahroudi.
Ayatollah Ha’eri played a major role in the founding of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). He was vice president while Ayatollah Hashimi Shahroudi was president and Ayatollah Baqir Al Hakim was the official spokesman.
In January, Ayatollah Khamenai appointed him as the director for the Da’erat Al Ma’aref fil Fiqh Al Islami, an academic institution that produces an encyclopedia of fiqhi concepts. This position was held by Ayatollah Hashimi Shahroudi; Ha’eri succeeded him in this position.
It’s also worth noting that Sayed Ali Ridha Ha’eri was the son-in-law of the influential head of the Assembly of Experts in Iran and the Friday prayer leader of Qom, Ayatollah Ali Meshkini.