Abul-Qassem Ali, son of Muhammad son of Ali Khazzaz Qommi Rāzi was a prominent Shiite Jurisprudent and narrator of Hadiths, who belonged to the second half of the fourth century Hegira.
He was born in a religious family headed by a Muhammad, who gave his son the name of "Ali" as a mark of the family's respect for Imam Ali (A.S.). The family belonged to Qom, the historical city known for its traditional Islamic educational and literary activities. Its inhabitants were (and are) predominantly Shiite adherents of the Household of the Holy Prophet (S.A.) popularly known as the Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.).
The holy city of Qom, where the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Ma'sumah (s.a.) is located, has produced many an Islamic scholar for the Islamic world and the humanity as a whole. The Holy Shrine of a descendant of that family, Hazrat Ma'sumah (s.a.), the pious sister of Imam Reza (A.S.), is located in the holy city of Qom.
Ali acquired his basic education in Qom. Then he shifted to Shahr Rey, another historical and religious town near Tehran, where a highly respected Shiite Jurisprudent and narrator of traditions, namely Sheikh Sadooq, accepted 'Ali' as his student. Ali took much advantage of the classes of that great Islamic scholar, and soon turned out to be an accomplished Narrator and an expert on authentic Shiite Traditions (Hadiths).
Ali ibne Muhammad Khazzaz was also a contemporary of another great Shiite scholar, Sheikh Mofeed.
One of the great Shiite Ulema, Sheikh Najashi says about Ali: "Ali ibn Muhammad ibne Ali Khazzaz was a trustworthy person and an accomplished Shiite Jurisprudent. He is the writer of a book entitled 'Al-Eizāh', which introduces the fundamentals of Islam according to the Ahl-ul-Bayt's school of thought".
Allameh Hilli, too, has testified to Ali's eminent and reliable status as a Shiite Jurisprudent/Narrator in his book "Al-Khulāsah".
The great narrator, Mohaddis Kabir Mirza Abdullah ibn Isa Affandi, author of the valuable book "Riyadhul-Ulema" says about Ali: "The venerable Sheikh Abul-Qassem Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Khazzaz Rāzi Qommi - may his grave be sanctified - was one of the ancient Shiite Ulema, a renowned /reliable Islamic Jurisprudent and narrator, as well as a Mutakallim (Theologian). He was a student of Sheikh Sadooq and other senior Shiite Ulema of his time".
His teachers from among Shiite Ulema include
Sheikh Sadooq
Abul Mofazzal Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Mutallib Sheybani
Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Isma'il Soleimani
Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja'far Hamadani
Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Soleiman
Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Is'haq Qazi
Ahmed ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Hassan Ayyashi
Abu Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Hassan ibn Abbas Jowhari
Hussein ibn Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad Tamimi ibn Najjār Kufi
Hussein ibn Ali ibn Hassan Rāzi.
His famous students include
Abul-Barakāt Ali ibn Hassan Husseini Jowri
Muhammad ibn Abul Hassan ibn Abdul-Samad Qommi
Muhammad ibn Hussein ibn Sa'eed Qommi
Ali ibn Muhammad Khazzaz authored many books on the sciences of Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), Kalām (Theology) and Hadith(Narrations and Sayings of Infallible Imams). These include
1-"Kifayatul-Athar fil-Nass alal-A'immah al-Ithnay Ashar" (A Book on the Rightfulness of the Twelve Imams of Shiites"
2-"Al-Ahkam al-Shar'iyyah alā Maz'hab al-Imamiyyah" (Islamic Decrees & Injunctions Based on the Shiite School of Thought)
3-"Al-Eizāh fi Osooleddin alā Maz'habe Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.)" (An Elaboration of the Fundamentals of Islam According to the Ahl-ul-Bayt (a.s.) School of Thought)