Aga Syed Mustafa Moosavi
Aga Syed Mustafa Al-Moosavi Al-Safvi, popularly known as Aga Sahab, was a Kashmiri Shia cleric, jurist, scholar, philanthropist, and a key Islamic leader in Jammu and Kashmir. He served as president of Anjuman-e-Sharie Shiyaan Jammu and Kashmir and played a major role as a representative of both Imam Khomeini and Imam Khamenei for Kashmir. He also chaired Madras E Baab-Ul-Ilm and promoted the idea of Wilayat-e-Faqih (guardianship of the Islamic jurist) in Kashmir.
Born on 2 February 1918 in Budgam, Aga Sahab came from a respected religious family and was descended from Mir Shams-ud-din Muhammad Iraqi, who came to Kashmir in the 15th century. He began studying the Quran and theology early, guided by his grandfather, father, uncle, and other relatives. When he was 22, his father passed away, and although people urged him to become his father’s successor, Mustafa initially refused, choosing to let his uncle Aga Syed Yousuf lead the family’s religious duties. He later went to the Hawza Ilmiyya in Najaf, Iraq, for higher studies, where he learned from many prominent scholars and formed close ties with key religious leaders, including Ayatollah Khomeini.
After returning to Kashmir, Mustafa worked as the deputy to his uncle and helped manage religious affairs. He headed the Sharia Court that had been founded in Budgam more than a century earlier and played a major role in promoting Wilayat al-Faqih in the region. In 1980, Ayatollah Khamenei visited Kashmir, addressing the people with Mustafa’s help.
Following the death of Aga Syed Yousuf in 1982, there was a dispute over succession. Prominent leaders, including Ayatollah Khomeini and Nasir Makarem Sherazi, recognized Aga Syed Mustafa as the rightful successor. Mustafa also worked to reduce sectarian tensions, launching efforts against old and new sectarian divides with support from Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Shaheed Aga Syed Muhammad Hussain.
Tragedy struck in 1984 when Mustafa’s eldest son, Aga Syed Muhammad Hussain, was poisoned. Despite the danger, Muhammad Hussain had promoted unity among Muslims and also included non-Muslims in his outreach. After Imam Khomeini’s death in 1989, Mustafa introduced Ayatullah Ali Khamenei to Kashmir as the successor and spoke of recognizing both Khomeini and Khamenei as one leadership. He even gave Khamenei the title Rahbar-e-Kabeer Saani (great leader in the second generation).
In November 2000, Mustafa’s another son, Aga Syed Mehdi, was killed by an explosion while en route to a Hussaini gathering. In response, Khamenei invited Aga Sahab to Iran to offer condolences. Because of the martyrdom of his sons, he was popularly known as Abu Shaheedain (Father of Martyrs). He often urged Muslims to unite, famously saying, “Oh Muslims! Unity Unity.”
Aga Syed Mustafa Moosavi Al-Safvi died on 21 August 2002 after a long illness. His funeral in Budgam drew hundreds of thousands of mourners, and he is buried at his ancestral shrine in Budgam, Kashmir.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:51 (CET).