Syed Muhammad Naqavi is a historian of early Islam, numismatist, manuscript researcher and bibliographer. His research focuses on early Islamic political and religious history, the history of Shiʿism, Arabic historiography and historical traditions, Islamic intellectual history and philosophy, and the study of textual, numismatic, manuscript and epigraphic evidence.

He is a PhD candidate in the History of Shiʿi Islam at the University of Religions and Denominations, Qom. His doctoral research examines the history of Twelver Shiʿism during the first four centuries AH through numismatic evidence.

Alongside his university training, he has pursued advanced studies in the Qom Islamic Seminary, including study at the level of Dars al-Kharij, with advanced work in fiqh, usul al-fiqh, kalam, tafsir and Islamic philosophy. This combination of historical, religious and philological training informs his work with Arabic historical and religious sources.

He is currently Director, Murtazavi Library and Research Center, Karachi. A substantial part of his work on early Qurʾanic manuscripts and historical collections has developed through the Murtazavi Library and has involved collections in Iran, Iraq and Pakistan.

He works in Urdu, Persian, English and Arabic and writes for both specialist academic and wider audiences. Alongside research and library work, he has also been involved in teaching, scholarly mentoring and academic outreach.