Muqtada al-Sadr Mourns Death of Najaf Scholar al-Fayyad

NAJAF, Iraq — Najaf, Iraq — Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist movement he founded, announced Thursday the death of religious scholar Sheikh Muhammad Ishaq al-Fayyad. Al-Sadr said he received the news with deep sorrow and called the loss significant for the religious community in Najaf, describing al-Fayyad as one of the most prominent figures at the city's Islamic seminary. In his statement, al-Sadr described the light of Islam as having been dimmed with al-Fayyad's passing. He expressed hope that scholars would continue to illuminate knowledge and righteous deeds, drawing on the legacy of those who wrote and spoke despite conflict. Al-Sadr offered patience and consolation to Shia communities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and prayed for God's mercy for the deceased scholar.