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Muhammad Rizvi

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Sayyid
Muhammad Rizvi
سید محمد رضوی
Rizvi in 2012.
TitleHujjat al-Islam
Personal life
Born1957 (age 68 years)
Saran, India
NationalityCanadian
ParentSa'id Akhtar Rizvi (father)
Religious life
ReligionIslam
InstituteIslamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Toronto (ISIJ) ('Ālim)
SchoolJa'fari
JurisprudenceTwelver Shia

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]

Early life

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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.[3][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

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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 currently serves as the Secretary-General of the Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America.[10]

Rizvi has advocated for religious understanding, partaken in interfaith dialogue, and called for Muslim unity.[11][12][13] 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.[14][15]

In August 2013, Rizvi in a sermon denounced sectarian violence in the Muslim world.[16] Later that month, he joined Sunni and Shi’a scholars at the ISNA Convention in Washington, D.C., to endorse the Washington Declaration, a document which affirmed the sanctity of life, condemned sectarianism, and called on scholars to promote peace, coexistence, and human rights.[17][18][19]

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).[20]

Rizvi has authored works covering various aspects of Islamic theology, jurisprudence, ethics, and history.[21][22]

Controversy

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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.[23]

Literary works

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  • 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

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  1. ^ "Is there a grand ayatollah in North York?". The Globe and Mail. 2010-04-09. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  2. ^ Cordileone, Elvira (12 Dec 1998). "Marriage rituals change with times for Muslims, Jews". The Toronto Star. ProQuest 1348239089.
  3. ^ Teitel, Jay (1 Dec 2001). "Two faiths, shared parking: Since Sept. 11 a new level of tolerance has evolved between a Toronto mosque and its neighbouring synagogue: [National Edition]". National Post. pp. A23. ProQuest 329971852.
  4. ^ Admin (2023-10-22). "Marhum Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi - The Community on Friday". Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  5. ^ "Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi". al-islam.org. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
  6. ^ Bell, Stewart (19 September 2012). "72% of Canadians support suspension of diplomatic relations with Iran".
  7. ^ Juma, Shahid (17 May 2023). "Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi". Hawza Online.
  8. ^ Walbridge, Linda S. The most learned of the Shiʻa: the institution of the Marjaʻ taqlid. Oxford University Press. p. 217.
  9. ^ Page D3. (1992, Jul 10). Toronto Star (1971-2009) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/page-d3/docview/1355527191/se-2
  10. ^ "The Representative of the Religious Authority Meets Clergy and Preachers of Toronto, Canada". 4 March 2024.
  11. ^ Brown, Louise (16 Oct 2001). "A field trip through a cultural mosaic - York region principals learn about their students' diverse faiths". pp. B2. ProQuest 1327686102.
  12. ^ Scrivener, Leslie (23 Feb 2002). "Muslim celebrations recall an act of faith". Toronto Star. pp. A6. ProQuest 362337997.
  13. ^ Simone, Joseph (19 Sep 2006). "Police learn tolerance through tour; Muslims, Jews, Buddhists among groups to shed light on religions". Markham Economist & Sun. p. 1. ProQuest 362337997.
  14. ^ Csillag, Ron (30 Jan 1999). "Warmth for the homeless - Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians and Buddhists join forces to feed and shelter the needy this winter". pp. L14. ProQuest 1347284623.
  15. ^ Bull, Ron. "Multifaith effort: From left, Rabbi Michael Stroh, imam Sayed Muhammad Rizvi and Zoroastrian priest Nozer Kotwal discuss project". digitalarchiveontario.ca. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  16. ^ "FATAH: Kabul 2020 is a reminder of Karbala 680CE". torontosun. Archived from the original on 2024-11-11. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  17. ^ Affairs, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World. "Declaration Proliferation: The International Politics of Religious Tolerance". berkleycenter.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "North American Sunni and Shi'a Muslims sign declaration". Iqra.ca. 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  19. ^ "Sunni and Shi'a Muslims Coming Together – Islamic Society of North America". Islamic Society of North America. 2021-04-11. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  20. ^ "Toronto Imam Muhammad Rizvi: Moon Landing Proves the Feasibility of Prophet Muhammad's Ascension to the Heavens". MEMRI. Jul 20, 2019.
  21. ^ Lizzio, Celene Ayat. “Gendering Ritual: A Muslima’s Reading of the Laws of Purity and Ritual Preclusion.” Muslima Theology: The Voices of Muslim Women Theologians, edited by Ednan Aslan et al., Peter Lang AG, 2013, pp. 167-180. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2t4f10.13. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
  22. ^ "Author - Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi". al-islam.org. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  23. ^ Turgeon, Carolyn (2014-02-05). "Cleric behind mosque's proposed condo project probed for hate crimes in 2012". National Post.
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