Al-Sharif al-Radi: Difference between revisions

Abul-Hasan Muhammad ibn Al-Husayn Al-Musawi known in Arabic as al-Sharif al-Radi (Template:Lang-ar) and in Persian Sharif Razi (Template:Lang-ar) or Seyyed Razi (Template:Lang-ar) (c. 970 – 1015 CE) was a Shi'ite Muslim scholar and poet who was born in Baghdad. Razi was his nickname (Laqub), therefore he is popularly known with his nick name He wrote several books on Islamic issues and interpretation of the Koran. His most famous book is Nahj al-Balaghah which is a collection of Imam Ali's sayings and speeches. He also founded a school named Dar ul-'Ilm (Template:Lang-ar, literally "House of knowledge") in which he trained many students some of whom became themselves later professors. His grave is located in Kazmain, Iraq.

Father of Sayyid Razi: His father Abu Ahmed Husayn bin Musa was fifth in line of descendent from the 7th Imam, Musa al-Kazim and held the prestigious position of the "Naqib al-Nuqaba" of Iraq, a responsibility which required the managing of affairs of the Sadat's (Prophet's descendants) . He was given the title of "Tahir Awhad Dhu al-Manaqib" and died in 396 AH and was buried in the shrine of Imam Husayn in Karbala. At his death, Sayyid Razi, who had been acting as his father's deputy since 381 AH, officially became the Naqib al-Nuqaba" and held the position till his own death. His father's genealogy reads: Husayn bin Musa bin Muhammad bin Musa bin Ibrahim Mujab bin Imam Musa al-Kazim.^[1] Al-Thalibi (d.429), in Yatimat al-dahr, a bibliography of poets and writers of Arabic, writes about the father of al-Razi: His forefathers were held in high respect by the people of Iraq. His father, Abu Ahmad for a long time occupied the post of Naqib of the Talibiyyin, a position that empowered him to look after the Sayyid of Abu Talib's lineage. At the same time he held the office of the Nazarat Diwan al-mazalim (headship of the highest court of appeal) as well as the office of the chief of hajjaj (pilgrims to the Holy Kabah). In the year 380/990 he relinquished these posts in favour of his son al-Syed al-Razi. Ibn Abi al-Hadid(d. 655 or 656/1257 or 1258), in his preface to the Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, confirms this statement saying: His father al-Naqib Abu Ahmad was held in high regard at the courts of Banu Abbas and the rulers of Al Dayalimah and was entitled as al-Tahir Dhu al-Manaqib.^[2]

Sayyid Razi's Mother: His mother Fatimah also traced her lineage to the Prophet and was the daughter of Husayn bin Abu Muhammad al-Hasan al-Utrush bin Ali bin Hasan bin Umar al-Ashraf the son of the 4th Infallible Imam, Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin. She was a pious and noble lady, and was held in high esteem by scholars and other notables. At her request, the great scholar Shaykh Mufid compiled the book Ahkam al-Nisa which contains the fiqhi (religious ethics) 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 385 AH.^[1]

His elder brother Sayyid Murtadha was great theologian and poet. Sayyid Murtadha's work (poems) are still being published in Cairo and Beirut and form part of the course of Arabic literature in the universities of those two cities. Sayyid Murtadha has a great place among the Shia Theologians with a nick-name Alum-ul-Hudda (standard or way mark of the true path of religion).^[3]

Al-Razi genius came to the notice of his family and teachers at a very young age. He started composing poetry at the age of nine. His wit and alertness of mind surprised all. He went to different teachers to study various branches of Islamic sciences, Arabic language and literature. He studied Sharh al-'Usul al-khamsah and Kitab al-'umdah under al-Qadi 'Abd al Jabbar al-Mutazili (b. circa. 325/936, d.415/lO25), and studied Arabic language and grammar under Abu Sa'id al-Hasan ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Marzban al-Sirafi (284-368/897-979), an expert of Arabic language and literature. He also went to study the language and literary sciences to Abu Muhammad al-'Asadi al-'Akfani, Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn 'isa al-Rummani (296-384/908-94), Abu al-Fath 'Uthman ibn Jinn; (330-392/942-1002) and Ibn Nubatah (335-94/946- 1004). He studied hadith under Muhammad ibn 'Imran al-Marzabani (d. 378/988) and Abu Masa Harun ibn Musa al-Tal'akbari (d. 385/995). His teacher in fiqh, besides al-Mufid, was Muhammad ibn al-Abbas al-Khwarizmi (d. 383/993). Abu Hafs 'Umar ibn Ibrahim al-Kinani was his teacher in qira'ah and the Quran. Most of his teachers were eminent scholars and writers of Arabic. He had started teaching at the young age of seventeen when he was himself studying. He completed his education at the age of twenty. Very soon he acquired fame as a scholar, commentator of the Quran, thinker and poet. His fame as a poet overshadowed his excellence in all other fields. Among his teachers a few other names may be mentioned: Abu 'Ali al-Hasan ibn Ahmad al-Farsi (307-77/919-87), a Mutazili; Abu al-Hasan al-Karkhi; 'Ali ibn 'Isa ibn Salih al-Rub'i (328-420/939-40-1029); and Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Ahmad al-Tabari (d. 393/1002-3), a faqih (scholar) of the Maliki school. In those days due to a climate of tolerance at least among scholars and students, the Shia and Sunni students used to attend classes of teachers belonging to different sects. A number of al-Radi's teachers were Sunni and Mutazili.^[2]

Al-Sharif al-Razi had intimate friendly relations of mutual respect and love with eminent contemporary scholars, poets and writers professing different faiths, which was an indication of his broad humanism and tolerance. Sahib ibn 'Abbad (326-85/938-95), one of the most influential of Muslim prime ministers and a great scholar of his age, was a patron of scholars and poets.^[2]

Sayyid Razi was an outstanding Arabic poet and a literary genius,besides Peak of Eloquence and his poetry, he has left about 40 books as his memorial which consist of commentaries of Holy Quran, religion thoughts, philosophy and Arabic literature, few names from his books are as follows:

• Talkhis al-Bayan an Majazat al-Quran
• Haqa'iq al-Ta'wil fi Mutashabih al-Tanzil
• Ma'ani al-Quran
• Khasais of Al Aemmah

The Nahj al-Balagha (Peak of Eloquence) is considered a masterpiece of literature in Shia Islam It was collected by Sharif Razi in the tenth century from the sermons, letters, interpretation and narrations attributed to Imam Ali. The Nahj al-Balagh literary means peak or way of eloquence, it comprises wide variety of topics ranging from the creation of the world, the creation of first man and end of universe. This compilation placed the Sharif Razi amongst the most prominent Shia scholars ^{[4] [5]}. Syed Razi's own style of writing or power of expression has nothing to do with his compilation work, rather he confined himself to collecting Amirul Momineen Ali Ibn Abi Talib’s speeches from various places and putting them together by searching the jewels which were scattered all over the Islamic literature. He only did classification of collected materials into sermons, letters and sayings of Imam Ali. As the reference material came to his attention at different times, the extracted materials had no chronological sequence according to content or topic. He died five years after the completion of his compiled book Nahjul Balagha ^[6]. Nahjul Balagha became a renowned book even in the life time of Sayyid Sharif Razi and Scholars began to write commentaries on the Nahjul Balagha which continues till today. A renowned Lebanese Christian scholar George Jordac has mentioned that he has reread the Nahjul Balagha up to 200 times ^[7].

The sermons of Imam Ali were compiled, read and taught long before Sayyid Razi was born. The compilation of Nahj al-Balagha was a sacred duty for Sharif Razi and he accomplished the job with devotion and diligence. During his collection he was so careful not to add and not to subtract a word from the texts which he found. If he found a sermon divided into many parts he did not join these pieces into a continuous whole but let them remain as two or three or four disjointed parts. The sincere services of Sharif Razi are now regarded as last word on the philosophy of monotheism. Above 30 writers with name of their books/compilations are generally discussed while compilation work of Nahj al-Balagha is scrutinized ^[8] e.g.

(i) Ibn Nadeem and his book Kitabul Jumal

(ii) Ibn Qutayba Daynawari and his book Uyunul Akhbbar

(iii) Imam Hakim and his book al-Mustadarak

(iv) Shaikh Mufid and his book al-Irshad; etc

Collected sermons^[9] in the Nahj al-balagha mainly reflects the coverage of topics (i) Islam and the Quran (ii) Human and humanity (iii) Theology and metaphysics (iv) Path and worship, including prayers (v) Social justice and administration (vi) Wisdom and admonition (vii) Prophecies (viii) Philosophy and critique over contemporary society (ix) Ahl-ul-Bait (x) piety and afterworld.

However, critics of Nahj al-Balagha generally raise two objections over compilation of Sharif Razi^[10]

• Firstly they claim that Sayyid Murtaza (the elder brother of Sharif Razi) is its author; and
• secondly they allege that most of the contents of this unique book are forged and falsely attributed to Imam Ali

Ibn Khallikan seems to have been the first to raise doubts on its authenticity. The majority of later writers, beginning with Dhahabi in Mizan al-Itidal,Ibn Hajar in Lisan al-Mizan, Haji Khalifa in Kashf al-Zunun, etc. have in their turn revived these suspicions

Various commentators and researchers have examined the authenticity of objections and concluded that had al-Sharif al-Radi not collected that which he selected from among the sermons and words of the Imam Ali in Nahj al-Balaghah, we would have been definitely deprived thereof as well ^[11] . The Urdu translator of Nahjul Balagha Syed Zeeshan Haider Jawadi has compiled a list of 61 books and name of their writers from 204 to 488 AH, in negation of above mentioned two objections and pointed the sources in which compilation work of Sharif Razi can be traced out.

Sayyid Razi's only son Abu Ahmad Adnan was also a prominent scholar of his time and after the death of his uncle Sayyid Murtadhā he was entrusted with the post of Naqib al- Nuqaba. He was given the title of his grandfather "Taher Dhu al-Manaqeb" by the Buhid ruler and was highly respected for his knowledge and nobility of character.^[12]

Syed Razi died in the month of Mohurram 404 A.H. at the age of 45 years. Some biographists are of the opinion that the year of his death was 406 A.H. at the age of 47. His elder brother Sayyid Murtadhā and his Shaykh al-Mufīd were so grievously stricken that they could not lead the funeral service of that great man and the service was led by the Prime Minister Abu Ghalib Fukhrul Mulk.^[3]

• Sayyid Murtadhā
• Shaykh al-Mufīd
• Shaykh al-Tūsī
• Shaykh al-Sadūq
• Muhammad al-Kulaynī
• Allāmah Majlisī
• Shaykh al-Hur al-Āmilī
• Islamic scholars
• List of deceased Maraji
• Nahj al-Balagha

• www.al-islam.org Nahj al-Balagha link

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