Qazi Nurullah Shustari - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Qazi Nurullah Shustari also known as Shaheed-e-Salis (third martyr) was an eminent jurist (faqih

Faqih

A Faqīh is an expert in fiqh, or, Islamic jurisprudence.A faqih is an expert in Islamic Law, and, as such, the word Faqih can literally be generally translated as Jurist.- The definition of Fiqh and its relation to the Faqih:...

) and scholar (alim

Ulama

-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...

) of his time, 1542 A.D.-1610/11. (

Life

Qazi Zia-ud-Din Nurullah Shustari known as Amir Sayyid and Shaheed-i-Thalis was born in 956 AH/ at Shushtar, one of the cities of the present Khuzestan province in South of Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

. He was sayyid

Sayyid

Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...

by lineage and belonged to the Mar'ashi family.
Qazi Nurullah Shustari was the most important Shi'a scholar of the Mughal

Mughal era

The Mughal era is a historic period of the Mughal Empire in South Asia . It ran from the early 15th century to a point in the early 18th century when the Mughal Emperors' power had dwindled...

period in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

His father was Sayyid Muhammad Sharif-ud-din and grandfather Sayyid Zia-ud-Din Nurullah.

Education

He received his early education at home under the tutlage of his grandfather Sayyid Zia-ud-Din Nurullah and his father Sayyid Muhammad Sharif-ud-din and other local tutors. In the year 979 AH

Hijri year

The Hijri year is year numbering system used in the Islamic calendar. It commemorates the Hijra , or emigration of Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 622 CE. In Arabic, AH is symbolized by the letter هـ...

he went to Mashhad

Mashhad

Mashhad , is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia Muslim world. It is also the only major Iranian city with an Arabic name. It is located east of Tehran, at the center of the Razavi Khorasan Province close to the borders of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Its...

, the holy city in the Khurasan

Greater Khorasan

Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...

province.

Akbar's period

On 1 Shawwal

Shawwal

Shawwāl is the tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Shawwāl means to ‘lift or carry’; so named because she-camels normally would be carrying a fetus at this time of year.-Fasting during Shawwāl:...

992/6 October 1584, Nuru'llah Shustari moved from Mashhad

Mashhad

to India

India

, and by another account in 1587. He held the post of Chief Qazi under Akbar.

Role in Mughal court

He was an emissary of Akbar in Kashmir

Kashmir

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...

and was instrumental in pacifying a revolt which was in offing and he obtained the first census of the areas of Mughal Empire

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...

during Akbar's reign. This earned him great respect and trust of the Mughal emperor.
On his return he was appointed as Chief Qazi (Qazi Quzaz), position equivalent of Chief Justice, of the Mughal empire.

Jehangir's period and charges leading to his execution

Under Jehangir's reign he continued to hold the same high position as in Akbar's time. But his position was now threatened because of Jehangir's more orthodox nature. Other groups which had tried to malign his position during Akbar's reign had once again become powerful and influential. More over he had made enemies from his involvement in settling of disputes in Kashmir and Agra

Agra

Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...

. His book Ahqaq-ul-Haq (Justification of the Truth) was brought as an evidence against him. A fatwa was passed declaring him a heretic. Thus Jehangir was made to issue death orders for the Qazi. 'The Empire of the Great Mughals' mentions this incidence, "However, he had both the Sikh guru Arjan and the Shi'i Qadi Nurullah Shushtari executed, which demonstrates how different he was from Akbar. ..."

Qazi Nurullah Shustari was executed for his Shi'ism by Jahangir

Jahangir

Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...

. He was flogged to death because of his writings, he was seventy years old at the time of his execution. Qazi Nurullah Shustari was executed in Jumada II 1019/September 1610.

Qazi Nurullah is known since that time as Shaheed-e-Salis (also Shahid al-Thalis)or the Third Martyr. Muhammad ibn Makki is considered Shaheed-e-Awwal (Shahid al-Awwal) or the First Martyr, and Zayn al-Din al-Juba'i al'Amili is as Shaheed-e-Sani (or Shahid al-Thani)or the Second Martyr.

Shaheed-e-Salis mousoleum

His tomb, which is at Agra

Agra

, has been the centre of pilgrimage since the day of his martyrdom. It is also a venue where every year people gather from all over the Indian sub-continent to commemorate the anniversary of his martyrdom.

Works and contribution

He wrote numerous books, which according to some count up to hundred and a large number of treatises on various subjects . Some of them are:

Ihqaq-ul-Haq (Justification of the Truth ) : In this work he has defended the beliefs of Shi'ite faith and answering Sunni objections about it.
Masa'ib-un-Nawasib (Troubles for the Nasibiites) : Refutation of "Nawaqiz-ul-Rawafiz" by a Sunnite scholar.
Sawarim-ul-Muhriqa (The Pouring Swords) : Refutation of "Sawaiq-ul-Muhriqa" by the Sunnite scholar Ibn Hajar.
Majalis-ul-Mo'mineen ( The Assembly of the faithfuls ) : Gives the description of the religious scholars and the other learned men .
Risala-i-Jalaliyyah: A treatise dedicated to Jalal - ud- Din Akbar , the Mughal emperor of Hindustan . It consists of knowledge .

Marginal notes on several books like Shamsiya written about logic .

Sharh-i-Tajrij is regarding scholastic theology .
Khulasa-tul Aqwal : Deals with the biographies .
Sharh-i-Chaghmini: is a book on astronmy .
Tahrir-i-Uqlidas : meaning-'Writings of Euclid' is a book on geometry .
Sharh-ul-Hidaya : is a book on philosophy.
Sharh-i-Waqaya and Hidaya : both these works are on Hanafi school of jurisprudence .
Sharh-i-Aqa' id-i-Nasafi : is on the theology of the Sunnite Muslims .
Sharh-i-Mukhtasar-i-A'zdi : is a book on the principles of the jurisprudece dealing with Sunnite Muslims .
Do Risala (two treatises) : one of them is a commentary on the verses of the Glorious Quran related to the unity of God (Tawheed). The other is also a commentary dealing with the verses of the Glorious Quran related to sanctification of the Holy Ahlul Bayat
Risala Dar Bab-i-Wujud : a treatise on the existence .
Risala Dar Sharh-i-Rubayi - i Abu Sa'id Abul Khair : a treatise in which one of the quatrains or the Sufi poet Abu Sa'id Abul Khair has been elaborated .

A intricate review on the commentary written by Shaykh Faizi.

Risala Dar Bab-i-Qaza O' Qadar : treatise on free will and determinism.

Commentaries on Tahzib - ul Ahkam : are related to the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad and jurisprudence . These are the detailed explanations of judgements based on the traditions of Muhammad and the Islamic jurisprudence .

Tashrih-ul-Aflak : deals with astronomy .
Muqaddima-i-Masabih : is related to the traditions of Muhammad quoted by the Sunnite Muslims .
Risala Dar Munazira-i-Gul O' Sunbul : a treatise on the dispute between the flower and the hyacinth .
Risala-i-Munsha'at : a treatise on writings and compositions.

Beside the above mentioned books and treatise he has also several other literary works .
Qazi Nurullah had excellent literary expertise and was profound in producing beautiful literary pieces in Arabic and Persian . His compositions in both languages are eloquent and full of fluency . He also composed verses in both the languages which number about three thousand .

Some of them are still preserved in various books and treatises.

Many of his works with the description of his life have been translated into Arabic, Persian and Urdu.

External links

http://books.google.com/books?id=zaoYAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA306&dq=shustari&lr= An Oriental Biographical Dictionary: Founded on material collected by Thomas William Beale New edition revised by Henry George Keene
http://books.google.com/books?id=VVUOAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA116&dq=nurullah+shustari Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal
http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=7054 Biography: Shaheed-e-Thalith Qazi Nurullah Shustari
http://www.jafariyanews.com/articles/2k3/22aug_shustari.htm Biography:Qazi Nurullah Shustari -Jafariyanews

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.