Early Life and Education
Ayatollah Dr. Abdulmajid Hakim-Elahi was born in 1963 in Isfahan, Iran. He began his religious studies at a young age, attending the Islamic seminaries of Isfahan, Mashhad, and Qom. In the seminaries, he completed advanced studies (Dars-e Kharij) in Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) and principles of jurisprudence (Usul), eventually attaining the rank of Ijtihad. His primary seminary instructors included Grand Ayatollahs Hossein Vahid Khorasani, Mirza Javad Tabrizi, Naser Makarem Shirazi, and Abdullah Javadi Amoli.
Concurrently with his seminary education, Hakim-Elahi pursued formal academic studies. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Islamic Studies. He later completed his Ph.D. in Islamic Theology, with a specialization in Shia Theology, undertaking a portion of his research at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom.
Academic career
Ayatollah Dr. Hakim Elahi has taught advanced courses in demonstrative jurisprudence, Islamic philosophy (including Transcendent Theosophy), logic, and comparative theology. He is multilingual and has delivered academic lectures and courses in Persian, Arabic, English, French, and Indonesian.
His teaching career spans several international institutions, including the seminaries of Qom, Mashhad, and Isfahan in Iran, the Islamic Seminary of London, and the Islamic College of London in the UK. He has also taught at the Islamic University of Ghana and various universities in Indonesia, including Alauddin, Hasanuddin, Paramadina, and Syarif Hidayatullah Universities. He serves as a faculty member at Al-Mustafa International University, where he has held positions such as the Head of the Academic Departments of Virtual Islamic Studies, Regional Studies, and African and Arab Studies.
Institutional leadership and management
Ayatollah Dr. Hakim Elahi has played a significant role in establishing and directing Islamic higher education institutions globally. In West Africa, he was the founder and first President of the Islamic University of Ghana, and he established the Ahl al-Bayt Seminaries in both Mali and Ghana.
In Europe, he served as the Director of the Islamic Seminary of London and the Deputy Head of the Islamic College of London. In Southeast Asia, he directed the Jakarta Islamic Cultural Center. Within the central administration of Al-Mustafa International University in Iran, he has served as the Deputy for Communications and International Affairs and as a senior member of its Education, Research, and International Councils.
Diplomatic and religious representation
Due to his academic background and linguistic capabilities, Ayatollah Dr. Hakim Elahi has been appointed to several high-level diplomatic and religious advisory roles by the Islamic Republic of Iran. He previously served as the Representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in Indonesia, where he focused on interfaith dialogue, cultural exchange, and the proximity of Islamic schools of thought.
Currently, he serves as the Representative of the Supreme Leader in India. In this capacity, he manages the religious and cultural affairs of the Shia community in the subcontinent and engages with academic and religious leaders. He has also served as the Secretary of the Academic Board for the Hajj Mission and played advisory roles in the Supreme Council for International Policy-making of Islamic Seminaries.
Selected works
Ayatollah Dr. Haki Hakim Elahi has authored over 20 books and more than 110 peer-reviewed articles focusing on theology, jurisprudence, philosophy, and comparative mysticism. Notable works include:
Theology and Beliefs:
- A True Understanding of Islam
- Fourteen Lessons in Monotheism
- Qur’anic Proofs for the Existence of God (English)
- Faith and Rationality (English)
Jurisprudence and History:
- The Third Testimony: From Heresy to Obligation
- History of Shiism in Egypt
- History of Shiism in Indonesia
- Al-Wilayah in Adhan
Comparative Studies and Translations:
- Al-Irfan al-Islami (Islamic Mysticism)
- Common Grounds of Islamic and Indian Mysticism
- History and Philosophy of Interdisciplinary Science (English)
- Indonesian translation of the Holy Quran