Dr. Mohammad Fazeli Saqqez, Prominent Iranian Sunni Scholar, Passes Away

Dr. Mohammad Fazeli Saqqez, a prominent Sunni author and thinker, and faculty member at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, passed away on the evening of Sunday (November 16, 2025). He was 87.

Dr. Fazeli was born in 1938 in a religious and Kurdish-speaking family in the village of Darreh-ye Soleyman, a suburb of Saqqez County in Kurdistan Province. He received his primary education from his father, Mullah Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), who was a mystic, ascetic, and one of the prominent instructors in the religious seminaries of Kurdistan.
After completing his seminary education, Dr. Fazeli (may Allah have mercy on him) taught for a while in the educational department of Saqqez, and in 1961, he got admission in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Tehran, while also passing the teacher training exam. He obtained his master’s and PhD degrees in Arabic language and literature in 1972.
He began teaching various courses in Arabic and Persian language and literature at the bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD levels in the Faculty of Literature at Mashhad. Simultaneously, from 1993, he collaborated as a visiting professor in the PhD and master’s programs in Arabic and Persian language and literature at Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran, as well as with the Arabic departments at Allameh Tabatabai University and Alzahra University. The late Dr. Mohammad Fazeli retired with professorial rank in 2003.
Dr. Fazeli was among the distinguished scholars, a PhD graduate in Arabic language and literature from the University of Tehran, and a full professor and faculty member in this department at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, with dozens of authored and translated books and scientific articles in this field.
According to a SunniOnline report, Dr. Fazeli (may Allah have mercy on him) played a significant role in expanding education and research in the field of Arabic language and literature over decades of scientific activity, and generations of students at various universities benefited from his teachings. He authored reference books and foundational articles in his field of expertise, which serve as course materials in many universities.