Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi
Encyclopedia
Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi was a Shi'a twelver Islamic scholar.
he left Lebanon
and went back to Iraq at age 17 in order to study, were he stayed for fifteen years (1322 AH) until he became a mujtahid (independent reasoning in legal issues) at the age of 32.
He then returned to his home in Jabal 'Amil
and based himself in the city of Sur were he became known locally known in short time. Later, the highest ranking religious authority in Lebanon, Sayyid 'Ali al-Amin, authorized him to issue fatawa (juridical rulings).
In addition to his engagement in social work in Sur and Jabal 'Amil, Sayyid Sharaf al-Din continued his efforts writing and publishing. In the year 1327 AH, he published Issues important for uniting the Ummah (al-Fusul al-Muhimah fi Ta'lif al-Ummah).
In 1331 AH, he had the opportunity to implement his views on Muslim Unity
. He visited Egypt
and met Shaykh Salim al-Bishri, the head of al-Azhar Mosque
. The outcome of their discussions and long correspondence was the book al-Muraja'at.
One of the steps he took to unite the Muslim ummah
was choosing the 12th of Rabi' al-Awal to celebrate the birthday of Muhammad
rather than 17th of Rabi' al-Awal.
He deliberately chose this date because it was the one recognized by the Sunni Muslims, and he wished to bring all the Muslims, Shi'is and Sunnis, closer to each other. After observing this event in his mosque, Sayyid Sharaf al-Din would go the Sunnis to celebrate the occasion with them.
Sharaf al-Din died in the year 1377 AH or 1957 CE.
Biography
Born 1872 CE in Kadhimiya in IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
he left Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and went back to Iraq at age 17 in order to study, were he stayed for fifteen years (1322 AH) until he became a mujtahid (independent reasoning in legal issues) at the age of 32.
He then returned to his home in Jabal 'Amil
Jabal Amel
Jabal Amel or Amil is a mountainous region of Southern Lebanon.The region is named after the Banu 'Amilah, a Yemenite tribe who, along with the kindred tribes of Hamadan, Lakhm, and Judham, settled in Syria, Palestine, parts of Jordan, and Lebanon. The area was known in ancient times as Jabal...
and based himself in the city of Sur were he became known locally known in short time. Later, the highest ranking religious authority in Lebanon, Sayyid 'Ali al-Amin, authorized him to issue fatawa (juridical rulings).
In addition to his engagement in social work in Sur and Jabal 'Amil, Sayyid Sharaf al-Din continued his efforts writing and publishing. In the year 1327 AH, he published Issues important for uniting the Ummah (al-Fusul al-Muhimah fi Ta'lif al-Ummah).
In 1331 AH, he had the opportunity to implement his views on Muslim Unity
Muslim Unity
Muslim Unity is a term that refers to establishing a good and peaceful relations among the various Islamic denominations, and usually refers to political unity in the form of a Caliphate some sort of federalism between Muslim nations....
. He visited Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and met Shaykh Salim al-Bishri, the head of al-Azhar Mosque
Al-Azhar Mosque
Al-Azhar Mosque is a mosque in Islamic Cairo in Egypt. Al-Mu‘izz li-Dīn Allāh of the Fatimid Caliphate commissioned its construction for the newly established capital city in 970. Its name is usually thought to allude to the Islamic prophet Muhammad's daughter Fatimah, a revered figure in Islam...
. The outcome of their discussions and long correspondence was the book al-Muraja'at.
One of the steps he took to unite the Muslim ummah
Ummah
Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or the whole Arab world...
was choosing the 12th of Rabi' al-Awal to celebrate the birthday of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
rather than 17th of Rabi' al-Awal.
He deliberately chose this date because it was the one recognized by the Sunni Muslims, and he wished to bring all the Muslims, Shi'is and Sunnis, closer to each other. After observing this event in his mosque, Sayyid Sharaf al-Din would go the Sunnis to celebrate the occasion with them.
Sharaf al-Din died in the year 1377 AH or 1957 CE.
Works
- Issues important for uniting the Ummah (al-Fusul al-Muhimah fi Ta'lif al-Ummah), a book which emphasized the necessity to unite the Muslims. In this text, he addressed the disputes and differences between the Shi'is and the Sunnis.
- A Shi'i-Sunni dialogueA Shi'i-Sunni dialogueA Shi'i-Sunni dialogue , also translated as The Right Path is a book about Islam written by Sayyid Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi....
(al-Muraja'at) - Questions on Jurisprudence (Masa'il Fiqhiyya)