One of the virtues of Al-Adnani the preacher, Sayed Mohammad Saleh Al-Mousawi (1917 – 2007), is his interest in sciences, and his dedication to learning and writing, to the extent of addiction and expansiveness. This passion for knowledge opened Al-Adnani’s mind and soul to life, in what it constitutes of knowledge, sciences, experiences, and choices. There weren’t any artificial limits or borders, and this may be the beginning which made him this well-established exceptional preacher, in addition to his attainment of many “first” positions in a variety of choices and professions, and his distinction in the rhetoric of preaching and the rhythms of [ritual] mourning recitations, which made him the one of most prominent preachers, in Bahraini Ma’tams [(Shiite places of worship)] and elsewhere.

He was the first clergyman to issue a driving license, and prior to that, he was the first preacher to ride a motorcycle to go to Ma’tams and step towards preaching platforms. He is the modern unique preacher who added to the books of poetry, books of theology, history, and social and family matters, in huge numbers, that led many to believe that those written probably exceeded those that had been published, and in subject areas that many, clergymen and others, feel awkward and hesitant in tackling or researching.

In the record of the “first” positions harvested by him as well, the late Al-Adnani was the first preacher to recite a Husseini mourning in the assembly of one of the members of the Al-Khalifa family. He was the first preacher to have a broad and “active” base of young men and women (family members), who excelled at all sciences, fields of knowledge, and skills, and who had different interests, paths, and lifestyles. For this profound reason, he was the exceptional preacher who practiced dialogue and tolerance with his sons and daughters, within his own house primarily, and with his extended family in the community which presented a model in diversity, plurality, and tolerance. From this family everyone went into different fields: some called for peace through art, others practiced freedom through writing and journalism, some were skillful in spreading harmony and bonding through public relations, others were involved in activities on equality and citizenship, and some chose the academic path to pursue their role in higher education and academia.

Two elements played a certain role in shaping Al-Adnani the preacher: extensive knowledge, and openness to experiences and arts. This prepared the author of “The Weddings of Heaven” to be open-minded, indifferent to appearances and formalities, and to be occupied with freedom of opinion and expression, of his own as of others’. His accumulated harvests, from India to Bahrain, allowed him to maneuver around inherited restrictions, and to produce a unique [pattern of] thought and behavior that exceed the boundaries of popular sanctities. He disregarded strict stereotypes, and predominant views, and found himself open to people of all categories, ethnicities, and cultures. He benefitted from neighboring real life without relying on it. As for his deep behavior, he sought everything that could provide him with knowledge, wisdom, lessons, or melodies and joy and open hearts.

He is the orphan that was taken by neighborhood ladies who sought the blessings of breastfeeding “the son of God’s Messenger”…he is the one dispatched to study jurisprudence and Sharia in India, not in Najaf nor in Qum…and the one who returned from there with the talent of photography, and the competence of harmonizing and creating rapport with different characters and races. He is the enthusiastic young man who returned to his country and abstained from assuming the position of the Supreme Judge, choosing instead to pursue [his mission as a] Husseini preacher, albeit, in accordance with his own style in addressing sensitive emotions. He is the person passionate about life, wives, and children, the exceptional turbaned man who refrains from politics but not from empathizing with people’s rights. He is the preacher who sits on his platform, flies through the wind on his perceptual motor bike, and takes from every “time and place” what delights and soothes the soul, then returns to the community present in front of him, and to the gatherings awaiting him in the future, to rest in their hearts without borders, and in their minds without barriers.