Sharif al-Murtaza
Encyclopedia
Abu al-Qāsim ‘Alī ibn Husayn al-Sharīf al-Murtadhā (Arabic: أبو القاسم علي بن الحسين الشريف المرتضى ) (commonly known as: Sharīf Murtadhā, Sayyid Murtadhā, (Murtazā instead of Murtadhā in non-Arab languages)) (965 - 1044 AD ; 355 - 436 AH
) was one of the greatest scholars of his time and was one of the students of Shaykh al-Mufīd . He was the elder brother of Al-Sharif al-Radi (Seyyed Razi
), the compiler of Nahjul Balagha. He was four years older than his brother. He lived during the era of Buyid Dynasty. It was the golden age of Arabic literature
, and great poets like Al-Mutanabbi and Al-Ma`arri were among his contemporaries.
, as is clear from the epithets of 'Sayyid
' and 'Sharif' by which he was referred. His paternal lineage is directly traced to the seventh Twelver Imām, Mūsā al-Kādhim
, while his maternal lineage is traced back to the fourth Twelver Imām, ‘Alī Zaynul ‘Ābidīn.
: Abū Ahmad), was fifth in line of descent from the seventh Twelver Imām, Mūsā al-Kādhim
. He held the prestigious position of the "Naqib al-Nuqabā'" of Iraq, which meant that he had the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Sādāt (descendants of Muhammad
- plural of Sayyid). Over the course of his work he was given the title of "Tāhir al-Awhad Dhu al-Manāqib". Abū Ahmad finally died in 1005 (396 AH) and was buried in the shrine of Husayn
, in Karbala, Iraq. At his death, Sayyid Radhī, who had been acting as his father's deputy since 991 (381 AH), officially became the "Naqib al-Nuqabā'". He held the position till his own death in 1015 (406 AH).
The genealogy of Abū Ahmad reads: Husayn son of Musa, son of Muhammad, son of Musa, son of Ibrahim Mujab, son of Mūsā al-Kādhim
.
i rules for women. Her family had carved out an independent principality in Tabaristan, on the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea
. She died in Baghdad, in the year 995, (385 AH).
Her genealogy reads: Fātimah daughter of Husayn, son of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Utrush, son of Ali, son of Hasan, son of Umar al-Ashraf, son of ‘Alī Zaynul ‘Ābidīn.
(scholars), including the famous Shaykh al-Tūsī, the founder of the celebrated theological Center of Najaf
. He served as "Naqib al-Nuqabā'" after the death of his brother.
Sayyid Murtadhā was deeply interested in fiqh
, unlike Sayyid Radhī, who was more inclined towards politics and literature,. He was considered a master of kalam
, fiqh
, usul al-fiqh
, literature, grammar, poetry and other fields of knowledge. His divan or poetry collection has more than 20,000 verses.
Books authored by Sayyid Murtadhā include:
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...
) was one of the greatest scholars of his time and was one of the students of Shaykh al-Mufīd . He was the elder brother of Al-Sharif al-Radi (Seyyed Razi
Seyyed Razi
Al-Sharif al-Radi, known in Persian as Seyyed Razi, the son of Abu Ahmad al-Naqib, a descendent of the Prophet Muhammad was born in 970 AD in Baghdad. He was a Muslim scholar who compiled Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib's sayings, the Nahj al-Balaghah, which is considered one of the most famous classical...
), the compiler of Nahjul Balagha. He was four years older than his brother. He lived during the era of Buyid Dynasty. It was the golden age of Arabic literature
Arabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
, and great poets like Al-Mutanabbi and Al-Ma`arri were among his contemporaries.
Lineage
He was born in a prominent household, directly descended from MuhammadMuhammad
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...
, as is clear from the epithets of '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,...
' and 'Sharif' by which he was referred. His paternal lineage is directly traced to the seventh Twelver Imām, Mūsā al-Kādhim
Musa al-Kadhim
' was the seventh of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'a Islam. He was the son of Imam and his mother was Hamidah Khātūn, a student and former Zanjiyyah slave...
, while his maternal lineage is traced back to the fourth Twelver Imām, ‘Alī Zaynul ‘Ābidīn.
Paternal Ancestry
His father, Husayn ibn Mūsā (KunyaKunya (Arabic)
A kunya is a teknonym, the name of an adult derived from their child, especially their eldest son, in Arabic names.A kunya is expressed by the use of abū or umm in a genitive construction, i.e "father of" or "mother of" as a honorific in place of or alongside given names in the Arab world and the...
: Abū Ahmad), was fifth in line of descent from the seventh Twelver Imām, Mūsā al-Kādhim
Musa al-Kadhim
' was the seventh of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'a Islam. He was the son of Imam and his mother was Hamidah Khātūn, a student and former Zanjiyyah slave...
. He held the prestigious position of the "Naqib al-Nuqabā'" of Iraq, which meant that he had the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Sādāt (descendants 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...
- plural of Sayyid). Over the course of his work he was given the title of "Tāhir al-Awhad Dhu al-Manāqib". Abū Ahmad finally died in 1005 (396 AH) and was buried in the shrine of Husayn
Imam Husayn Shrine
The Shrine of Husayn ibn ‘Alī is one of the oldest mosques on Earth and a holy site of Shīah Islām in the city of Karbalā, Iraq. It stands on the site of the grave of Husayn ibn ‘Alī, the second grandson of Muhammad, near the place where he was killed during the Battle of Karbalā in 680 C.E....
, in Karbala, Iraq. At his death, Sayyid Radhī, who had been acting as his father's deputy since 991 (381 AH), officially became the "Naqib al-Nuqabā'". He held the position till his own death in 1015 (406 AH).
The genealogy of Abū Ahmad reads: Husayn son of Musa, son of Muhammad, son of Musa, son of Ibrahim Mujab, son of Mūsā al-Kādhim
Musa al-Kadhim
' was the seventh of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'a Islam. He was the son of Imam and his mother was Hamidah Khātūn, a student and former Zanjiyyah slave...
.
Maternal Ancestry
The name of Sharif al-Murtadhā's mother was Fātimah. She was a pious and noble lady, who was held in high esteem by scholars and other notables. At her request, the great scholar Shaykh al-Mufīd compiled the book "Ahkām al-Nisā'", which contains the fiqhFiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
i rules for women. Her family had carved out an independent principality in Tabaristan, on the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. She died in Baghdad, in the year 995, (385 AH).
Her genealogy reads: Fātimah daughter of Husayn, son of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Utrush, son of Ali, son of Hasan, son of Umar al-Ashraf, son of ‘Alī Zaynul ‘Ābidīn.
Death
Sayyid Murtadhā acquired the epithet of: "‘Alam al-Hudā" ("The banner of guidance"), and died at the age of 81 years in 1044 (436 AH).Work and Contribution
He was a multi-dimensional personality. All Shi'ite scholars acknowledge that Sayyid Murtadhā was the greatest scholar of his era, and groomed many outstanding ulamaUlama
-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:...
(scholars), including the famous Shaykh al-Tūsī, the founder of the celebrated theological Center of Najaf
Najaf
Najaf is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2008 is 560,000 people. It is the capital of Najaf Governorate...
. He served as "Naqib al-Nuqabā'" after the death of his brother.
Sayyid Murtadhā was deeply interested in fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, unlike Sayyid Radhī, who was more inclined towards politics and literature,. He was considered a master of kalam
Kalam
ʿIlm al-Kalām is the Islamic philosophical discipline of seeking theological principles through dialectic. Kalām in Islamic practice relates to the discipline of seeking theological knowledge through debate and argument. A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim...
, fiqh
Fiqh
Fiqh is Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the code of conduct expounded in the Quran, often supplemented by tradition and implemented by the rulings and interpretations of Islamic jurists....
, usul al-fiqh
Usul al-fiqh
Uṣūl al-fiqh is the study of the origins, sources, and principles upon which Islamic jurisprudence is based. In the narrow sense, it simply refers to the question of what are the sources of Islamic law...
, literature, grammar, poetry and other fields of knowledge. His divan or poetry collection has more than 20,000 verses.
Books authored by Sayyid Murtadhā include:
- al-Dhakhīrah fī Usūl al-Fiqh ( الذخيرة )
- al-Ghurar wa al-Durar ( الغرر والدرر )
- al-Intisār ( الانتصار )
- al-Shāfī ( الشافي )
- al-Tanzīh al-Anbiyā ( تنزيه الأنبياء )
- Jamal-al Ilmi Wal Amal.
See also
- Sayyid Murtadhā
- Sayyid Radhī
- Shaykh al-Mufīd
- Shaykh al-TūsīShaykh TusiShaykh Tusi , full name: Abu Jafar Muhammad Ibn Hassan Tusi , known as Shaykh al-Taʾifah was a prominent Persian scholar of the Shi'a Twelver Islamic belief.-Birth:...
- Shaykh al-SadūqAl-Shaykh al-SaduqAl-Shaykh al-Saduq is the title given to Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Babawaih al-Qummi. He was the leading traditionist of his time and one of the most outstanding traditionists of Shi'ite Islam. He earned the title of al-Shaykh al-Saduq on account of his great learning and his reputation for...
- Muhammad al-Kulaynī
- Allāmah Majlisī
- Shaykh al-Hur al-ĀmilīShaikh al-Hur al-AamiliMuhammad bin al-Ḥassan b. Ali b. al-Ḥusayn al-ʿĀmili al-Mashghari , commonly known as Al-Ḥurr Al-ʿĀmili , was a muhaddith and a prominent Twelver Shi’a scholar of the Akhbari school of thought...