Our Resident Alim
Shaykh Mahdi Rastani
Shaykh Mahdi Rastani was born and raised in the US. After finishing high school, he joined the Islamic Seminary of Qum and completed six years of introductory and intermediate studies at Shahidain Islamic Seminary. These six years were devoted to building an understanding of different Islamic sciences, namely Arabic syntax and grammar (sarf and nahw), logic (mantiq), Islamic theology (kalaam), Islamic rulings and law (ahkaam), Islamic history, jurisprudence (fiqh), principles of jurisprudence (usul al- fiqh).
Afterwards, he continued his studies for another three years under the supervision of many scholars including Ayatullah Sayyid Hashemi Shahroudi.
During these years, his studies were focused on grasping the works of the late Shaykh Murtadha al-Ansari, namely ‘Makasib’ and ‘Rasa’il’ as well as delving deeper into Islamic philosophy by studying the well-known works of the great Allamah Tabatabei, ‘Bidayat al-Hikmah’ and ‘Nihayat al-Hikmah’.
He then attended advanced classes on jurisprudence (bahth al-kharij) taught by his eminence, Ayatullah Hashemi Shahroudi. Shaykh Mahdi has made many trips throughout the United States and Europe lecturing on and teaching Islamic teachings based on the Shi’a school of thought in English, Farsi and Arabic.