Ḥabīb ibn Aws al-Tā’ī (188-231 AH), better known by his nickname Abū Tammām, is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated and highly esteemed Arab poets of the Abbasid era. His status in Arabic literature is such that he is easily regarded one of the most prolific Arab poets of all-time, ranking up with … Read more

Below we have translated a beautiful qaṣīdah by the poet—Ibrāhīm ibn Yaḥyā al-‘Āmilī (1154-1214 AH)—in honor of Lady Zaynab.[1] The poet was one of the students of the famous Shī’ah scholars Shaykh Mahdī Baḥr al-‘Ulūm and Shaykh Ja’far Kāshif al-Ghiṭā’. As usual, we have appended some footnotes on deeper points of Arabic linguistics/eloquence where appropriate … Read more

On the commemoration of the demise of our Holy Prophet Muḥammad (saw), we present this humble translation of a famous qaṣīdah written in honor of our Holy Prophet by the Ṣūfī poet Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muḥammad bin Sa’īd al-Būṣīrī (1212-1294 CE). Al-Buṣīrī is known as the author of the famous Qaṣīdah al-Burdah, one of the … Read more

There has unfortunately been a dearth of literature regarding the intellectual contributions of Shī’ah scholars of the Indian subcontinent. Although still extant, many of these works still exist in manuscript form in the libraries of India and Pakistan and are unknown to the public. It is particularly interesting to observe that the work of subcontinent … Read more

One of the most illustrious of Shī’ah poets, orators, and scholars of the past century was the Iraqi Shaykh Aḥmad al-Wā’ilī (1928-2003). Widely regarded as the “pillar of the Ḥusaynī pulpit,” he delivered highly appraised lectures for over sixty years in the Arabic language, many of which are still widely available online. In addition to … Read more

One of the most well-grounded traditions of the Shī’ah is the composition of poetry for the Ahl al-Bayt. This practice was generally sanctioned by our Imāms who urged their Shī’ah to compose and memorize poems extolling their virtues and mourning their tragedies.[1] Nonetheless, there are only a handful of poems well-documented to have been recited … Read more

It is said that one of the famous Sunni poets and literarians of Syria, Muhammad Majdhoob (d 1999 CE), visited al-Najaf al-Ashraf out of curiosity to pay respect to Imam ‘Ali (as) and see how the Shi’a pay their respects to him. When he returned to Syria, he asked those in Damascus to guide him … Read more

Before you lies our humble endeavor to translate the legendary panegyric by al-Sayyid al-Ḥimyarī (may God have mercy on his soul; 105-173 AH): his famous al-Qaṣīdah al-‘Ayniyyah regarding the Pond of Kawthar and the Wilāyah of Imam ‘Alī (as). We have also addended copious commentary derived from the great scholar al-‘Allāmah al-Fāḍil al-Hindī’s “The Effulgent … Read more

By Rasul Jafarian Without overexaggerating – something which is very common amongst our people – we can say Abū Rayḥān Bīrūnī (d. 440 AH) was the greatest scientist of the Islamic world. This can be seen through the extensive variety of works he has written, in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and on the study of plants, … Read more

Ayatullah Sayyid Kāẓim Ḥā’irī, one of the greatest students of Shahīd Bāqir al-Ṣadr and an esteemed Marja‘ of our time, resigned from the post of Marja‘īyyah on August 29th, 2022 – the 1st of Safar, 1444. This is not a completely unprecedented move by a Marja’. In the past, scholars like Ayatullah Riḍā Hamadānī (d. … Read more

Below we have translated a famous eulogy composed by the Mu’tazilite Shāfi’ī commentator of Nahj al-Balāghah, ‘Abd al-Ḥamīd ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd (d. 586-656 AH), regarding Imām Ḥusayn (as) and the tragedy of Karbalā’.[1] As usual, for the advanced readers we have appended some detailed footnotes regarding points in Arabic eloquence that escape translation.   ولقد … Read more

Below we have translated a famous qaṣīdah attributed to the founder of the Shāfi’ī madhhab—Muḥammad bin Idrīs al-Shāfi’ī (d. 204 AH)—in mourning the tragedy of Imām Ḥusayn (as).[1] Al-Shāfi’ī was accused by several of his contemporaries for being a Shī’ite because of his deep love and attachment to the Ahl al-Bayt.[2] He was not only … Read more

Below we have translated two famous qaṣīdahs regarding Imām al-Ḥusayn (as) composed by the famous poet and jurist, al-Marḥūm al-Sayyid Riḍā’ ibn Muḥammad al-Hindī al-Naqawī (d. 1362 AH, may Allah have mercy upon his soul). In the first qaṣīdah, the Sayyid mourns the state of the womenfolk of Ḥusayn (as), and particularly the tragedy of … Read more

The below poem is composed by the illustrious Iraqi poet al-Marḥūm al-Shaykh Ṣāliḥ ibn Mahdī al-Kawwāz al-Ḥillī (d. 1290 AH). Although al-Kawwāz only sold clay pottery by trade, his poetic talent was so profound and powerful that he rose to fame through it. Nonetheless, he was extremely sincere in his work: he refused to derive … Read more

Below we have translated into rhymed English verse the famous al-Qaṣīdah al-Nūniyyah of the illustrious Iraqi scholar and poet Shaykh Aḥmad al-Wā’ilī (d. 2003, may Allah have mercy on him) extolling the pristine faḍā’il of Imām ‘Alī (as). In congruence with his elegant and clear style, al-Wā’ilī simply entitled his composition “Ilā Abī Turāb” (To … Read more

Below we have translated the legendary Qaṣīdah al-Mīmīyyah of the Arabian poet-knight al-Amīr Abū Firās al-Ḥamadānī (may God have mercy on him); this poem is also famously known also as al-Shāfiyah (the Gratifier), as it quenched the anger of the Shī’ah against the ‘Abbāsid regime. It was composed in defense of the Ahlulbayt and as … Read more

The following is a translation of al-Qaṣīdah al-‘Ayniyyah of ‘Abd al-Ḥamīd ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd al-Mu’tazilī  (586-656 A.H.). Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd is widely regarded as the famous commentator of Nahj al-Balāghah. While he was actually a Sunnī Mu’tazilite who followed the Shāfi’ite school of Sunni jurisprudence, he nonetheless believed in the superiority of Imām ‘Alī (as) … Read more

Below is a famous Arabic poem in eulogy of our dearest al-Imām al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī (may peace be upon him) composed by the honorable scholar and cornerstone of the Ḥusaynī pulpit, the late Shaykh Aḥmad al-Wā’ili (may God have mercy on his soul). We humbly dedicate this as a small gift to our second Imām … Read more

Below is an Arabic poem by the Sunni Shāfi’ī modern-day scholar and poet ‘Abdul-Qādir Jilānī bin Sālim bin ‘Alawī Khirad regarding Sayyidah Khadījah, which we have translated into rhymed English verse on the rhyme scheme ababcc in the form of six sestains. I dedicate this as a gift to our beloved mother Khadījah bint Khuwaylid—wife … Read more

Below, we have translated the famous Arabic qaṣīdah for the Twelfth Imām al-Mahdī (may Allah hasten his reappearance) composed by the Safavid scholar Bahā’ al-Dīn al-‘Āmilī (1547-1621 AD; may God have mercy upon him) also known as Shaykh al-Bahā’ī. Al-Bahā’ī was one of the most illustrious Shī’ah polymath ever known; in addition to being the … Read more

Below is a translation of the famous al-Qaṣīdah al-Rā’iyyah by the illustrious Imāmī Shī’a scholar, jurist, and poet, Sāliḥ ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhāb ibn al-‘Arandas al-Ḥillī (d. 840 AH). This famous poem is narrated by ‘Allāmah al-Amīnī in his poetic encyclopedia al-Ghadīr. Before narrating the poem, ‘Allāmah al-Amīnī states: “This poem has earned repute among our … Read more

It is narrated in Ibn Khallikān’s Wafayāt al-A’yān that one day, the Umayyad Caliph Hishām ibn ‘Abd al-Malik was at Ḥajj performing his pilgrimage. The crowd was suffocating and no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to approach the Black Stone to pay his respects. Out of frustration, he erected himself a throne … Read more

Below is a translation of the legendary al-Qaṣīdah al-‘Aynīyyah of the Iraqi poet Muḥammad Mahdī al-Jawāhirī (1899-1997)—may God have mercy on him. Al-Jawāhirī is celebrated as the best Arab poet of the 20th century par excellence. His great grandfather—Muḥammad Ḥasan al-Najafī, wrote the Shī’ah fiqhī masterpiece “Jawāhir al-Kalām” (The Jewels of Discourse), which is still … Read more

The following panegyric for Imām ‘Alī (as) is written by a famous 19th century Arab poet and the Sunnī Ḥanafī governor of Mosul for the Ottoman Empire, ‘Abdul Bāqī al-‘Umarī (1790-1862), who traces his lineage back to ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb. It is widely regarded as one of the most astonishing and eloquent tributes to Imām … Read more

It is narrated by Al-Mas’ūdī in Murūj al-Dhahab that al-Imām ‘Alī ibn Muḥammad al-Hādī (as) was called into the court of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil while the latter was indulging in alcohol and merrymaking. Al-Mutawakkil called him to partake of it, but the Imām abstained stating “My flesh and blood can never mingle with alcohol.” … Read more

Translated by Br. Muhammed Jaffer. Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi (may God be pleased with him) was among the staunchest in his love for the Ahlulbayt and wrote an entire diwaan, the Hashimiyyaat, in praise for them. He was also a hafidh of the Qur’an, a faqih, a philanthropist, and an archer. He was martyred by … Read more

Translated by Br. Muhammed Jaffer. خليليَّ ما أُذْني لأوَّلِ عاذلِ بِصَغْواءَ في حقٍّ ولا عندَ باطل خليليَّ إنَّ الرأيَ ليسَ بِشِركة ٍ ولا نَهْنَهٍ عندَ الأمورِ البَلابلِ ولمّا رأيتُ القومَ لا وُدَّ عندَهُمْ وقد قَطَعوا كلَّ العُرى والوَسائلِ وقد صارحونا بالعداوة ِ والأذى وقد طاوَعوا أمرَ العدوِّ المُزايلِ وقد حالَفُوا قوما علينا أظِنَّة ً يعضُّون … Read more

Originally posted on Thaqalay.blog | This is a translation of a Q&A posed to Shaykh Hobbollah, original Arabic here.  Question: I kindly request you, our esteemed Sheikh, to enumerate evidence from the Qurʾān or ḥadīths from the infallibles, peace be upon them, that ‘ilm al-rijāl in its present state is the criterion for the authenticity of ḥadīths. … Read more

كان أبو الخطاب أحمق فكنت أحدثه فكان لا يحفظ، و كان يزيد من عنده Abu al-Khattab was a fool – I would narrate to him so he would not preserve it, and he would add from himself. Imam al-Sadiq Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction The first installment of a promised multi-part ‘response’ to my … Read more

Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Read Part I here. Cursed or Not? The most important report concerning Mufaḍḍal b. ʿUmar is the one in which two men come and present his belief to the Imam. One of these men is Ḥujr b. Zāʾida. The Imam’s reaction is not pretty if you are a Mufaḍḍal supporter. … Read more

Source: Memoirs of Ayatullah Montazeri, vol. 1, pg. 155. Ayatullah Montazeri (d. 2009) writes: ‘I remember when Ayatullah Amini (d. 1970) – author of al-Ghadir – visited Isfahan, we also went to greet him as he was speaking in the Seyed Mosque of Isfahan. During his lecture series, he spoke on the issue of the … Read more

فلما انصرفت إلى الكوفة أقبلت علي الشيعة فمزقوني كل ممزق، يأكلون لحمي ويشتمون عرضي، حتى أن بعضهم استقبلني فوثب في وجهي، وبعضهم قعد لي في سكك الكوفة يريد ضربي، ورموني بكل بهتان So when I reached Kufa, the Shīʿa turned towards me, and began tearing me to shreds, eating my flesh and disparaging my honour, such … Read more

By Dr. Hassan Ansari | Originally published on his Telegram channel Unlike what is commonly assumed, Shī‘ī scholars did not pay as much attention to Nahj al-Balāgha in the past as one would hope. The earliest commentaries on it were written by the Mu‘tazalis and other scholars of the Ahl al-Sunnah. One finds them, particularly … Read more

“He had a great status with Abi al-Hasan Musa b. Ja’far, peace be upon them. A great standing in the Ta’ifa (sect as a whole)” Tusi’s summation of Ali b. Yaqtin[1] Introduction Sometimes, and through a curious mix of dedication and fortune, tangible evidence is found to make what we read in our old and … Read more

Dalāʾil al-Imāma: A Fabricated Shīʿī Text Attributed to Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī By Hassan Ansari Translator’s note: This article consists of two posts published on Hassan Ansari’s academic blog, the first of which outlines a summary of his research on the book Dalā’il al-Imāma while the second discusses the topic in greater detail. They will … Read more

Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction Whether a man called Abdallah b. Saba existed historically or not has become a fraught question in light of the latter’s relevance in polemics against the Shia. After all, it is this supposed former Jew from Yemen who stands accused of single handedly causing an irreparable schism among early … Read more

Question: How do we explain and understand the contradiction and different opinions our scholars have over the school (madhab) of Ibn ‘Arabi? Some scholars, such as Imām Khomeinī, Allāmah Tabatabai’ī and Syed Kamāl al-Hyderī, praise ibn ‘Arabi and consider him to have a great status. Others, such as Syed Ja’far Murtadha and Syed Murtadha Shirāzī … Read more

Āyatullah Sayyid Shubayrī Zanjānī (Jura’ay-ī az Daryā, vol. 3, pg. 442-444): There was a very famous Iraqi preacher known for his excellence, extra-ordinary qualities and propagation, such that if the Arabs would generally give their speakers 1 Toman, they would give this speaker 100 Tomans. He was a contemporary of Sayyid Abu al-Ḥasan Isfahānī (d. … Read more

I recently came across a book in Urdu called ‘Islāmi Dāstānein’ which is a translation of the Farsi original written by Ali Redha Murtadhawi Karuni and translated by the late Muhammad Fadhl Haq. The book attempts to gather all the different moral anecdotes and stories that have been mentioned by the late Ayatullah Shaheed Mutahhari … Read more

What follows is a translation of some of the conclusions reached by Sheikh Haider Hobbollah in his Rijāli discussions whereby he discusses the obstacles in reaching intellectually sounds conclusions in this field and thus proposes a paradigm shift in how we look at the claims of early Rijāli scholars. Our Opinion: From Taqleedi ‘Ilm al-Rijāl … Read more

Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction It is not hard to account for the presence of Ghulati reports in the Imami corpus in light of the socio-historic contexts of those times. The rapid expansion of the Islamic empire meant that early Muslims came into contact with proponents of other religions. The absorption of non-Arab Mawali … Read more

Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction Occasionally, historical figures transcend the limited planes of their earthly life to become symbols around whom communities polarize and legends grow. One such figure from early Islam is Salman the Persian. Those with an esoteric persuasion (deemed Ghulat or ‘extremists’ by their opponents) were prone to exaggerate his status, … Read more

The pictures displayed in this post show how a few admirers of Shahīd Sayyid Muahammad Baqir al-Sadr, during the reign of Saddam Hussain, moved his body from Wādī al-Salām in Najaf from a grave that was nearly ruined, to another location. They buried him under a pseudonym. These pictures were released after the fall of … Read more

By Ammaar Muslim – Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. أدرك سلمان العلم الاول والعلم الاخر، وهو بحر لا ينزح، وهو منّا أهل البيت Salman attained the knowledge of the First and the Last, and he is a sea which does not drain, and he is from us the People of the House – Attributed to Imam al-Sadiq عليه … Read more

  This manuscript was shared by Ahmad Ali al-Hilli al-Najafi and is available at the Al-Hakeem Library. It is a will written by Shaykh Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī (d. 1693) the author of Wasā’il al-Shīʿa. —— In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful And from Him we seek assistance Praise be to Allah … Read more

The following speech was given by Syed Khamenā’ī in a commemoration for the great Shi’ī and Akhbāri scholar Syed Ni’matullāh Jazā’irī (d. 1701). The original speech can be found here. Syed Jazā’irī was one of the most celebrated students of Allamah Majlisī II (d. 1699) and played a significant and influential role in propagating Shi’ism … Read more

By Sayyid Muhammad Mehdi Rafipour Translated by Hadi Rizvi Among the contemporary jurists, there are cases where jurists who were fathers, attested to the Ijtihād of their children, and have confirmed their juristic abilities. Some cases that immediately come to mind are: 1. The ijāza of ijtihād given by the late Allamah Mulla Mahdi Naraqi … Read more

This is a translation of an article written by Hasan Ansari – originally published here: چرا فرق الشيعه از نوبختي نيست . The book Firaq al-Shī’a has been translated by Abbas Kazim and published by The Islamic College. It can be purchased here. Based on the discrepancies seen in what is transmitted from Firaq al-Shī’a of al-Nawbakhtī in al-Fuṣūl … Read more

This discussion is taken from 2 of 166 lessons given by Shaykh Suwaydan. The audios for the lessons were transcribed and translated by Br. Ammaar —————- There existed and still exists great debate amongst our scholars (both the Qudama and the Muta’akhkhirin) over the degree of need for ‘Ilm ar-Rijal. That is, while others swear by … Read more

On the topic concerning the binding force of the apparent meaning[1] of the Qurān (Ḥujjiyyah Ẓawāhir al-Qurān), Imām Khomeinī (1902 – 1989) in his Anwār al-Hidāyah[2] brings up the subject of corruption (taḥrīf) of the Qurān. In this section, he launches a ruthless and fearless attack on Muḥaddith Nūri[3] (1838 – 1902) especially given he had … Read more

Āyatullah Sayyid Muḥammad Mujāhid (1180 – 1242 AH / 1801-1863 CE) – one of the greatest scholars during the time of Fatḥ-‘Alī Shāh (1772 – 1834 CE) – describes a dream [1] fabricated by the Akhbārīs against the Uṣūlīs as follows: They say that a person saw ‘Allāmah Ḥillī (r) in his dream and asked … Read more

Translated by Ali Jabbar Click for original post by Dhiya Farajallah My personal testimony regarding the killing of al-Imam al-Shaheed al-Sadr I spent my time during the last few months of al-Sadr’s detainment alongside my uncle the martyr al-Shaykh al-Shaheed Abd al-Raheem Farajullah (one of al-Sadr’s closest friends and students). I spent this period at … Read more

Source: Shaykh Bahā’ī barāyeh zamān mā by Rasῡl Ja’fariyān in Majmῡ’ eh maqālāt tārīkh islām va īrān, p. 1002 to 1004 400 years have elapsed since Shaykh Bahā’ī passed away yet unfortunately to date no serious research has taken place on him. Shāh Abbās had a special affinity for Shaykh Bahā’ī and held him in … Read more

Jahāngīr Qashqā’ī was a 19th century Shī’ī philosopher, jurist and mystic. He was born in 1243 in the village of Dehāqān, Isfahān. His father Mohammad Khān Qashqā’ī was a scholar and a man of perfection from the Dar Shῡrī clan of the Qashqā’ī tribe. He initially started studying at his birthplace and his intense passion … Read more

In the book Safīna al-Bihār the story of Fuḍayl ibn ‘Iyāḍ is mentioned which shows how one verse of the Qur’ān completely changed his entire life. This verse permeated through to the depths of his existence and uprooted the effects of years of robbery and pillaging, making him repent and causing him to become a … Read more

Muḥaddith Urmawī (d. 1979) in his introduction to al-Fayḍ Kashānī’s al-‘Irfān wa al-Sulūk ‘ind Ahl al-Bayt (a) writes: There is a strong emphasis placed on maintaining the rights of the brothers and fulfilling their needs, and in fact, it has priority over many of the other obligations. Whoever requires further information with regards to the strong emphasis that … Read more

It was Sunday afternoon, one day before I was meant to return back to Iran and Shahīd Muṭahharī had stayed over with me. We left our hotel to go outside for a walk but without realising we had left our key inside the room. At that time the hotel didn’t have a spare key, so … Read more

Below is a translation of an article written by Professor Hassan Ansari (Source: http://ansari.kateban.com/post/1877 ) regarding al-Mīrzā Muḥammad b. ‘Abd a-Nabī b. ‘Abd al-Ṣāni’ al-Akhbārī (1178 – 1233 AH / 1765 – 1818 CE) who was born in the city of Akbarabad in India (today Agra). He moved to Iraq in 1198 / 1784 on his return … Read more

Below is a translation of Rasul Ja’fariyan’s book review on the life and views of Ayatollah Durche’i, the teacher of many well known 20th century scholars. Source: Syed Mohammad Bāqir Durche’ī marja’ mu’tadil dar urseh andīsheh hā yeh shi’ī by Rasῡl Ja’fariyān in Majmῡ’ eh maqālāt tārīkh islām va īrān, p. 293 to 298 Syed … Read more

Muhaqqiq Karakī travelled to Iran twice. One time during the time of Shāh Ismā’īl and the other during the time of Shāh Tahmasp, and during these visits he stayed for some time. I think during that time he also visited Herāt (in Afghanistan). An incident happened that caused Karakī to scold and disassociate from Shāh … Read more

It is reported from Shaykh Bahā’ī: I was blessed with the opportunity to visit the city of Najaf and I had hoped to see the great scholar (Ardabīlī) before he would come to see me. I entered his residence and came to a room which just had a simple mat for a carpet and a … Read more

There is a remarkable story narrated in regards to Mulla Mahdi Narāqi, the author of Jāmi’ al-Sa’ādāt. It is narrated that after he finished his precious and valuable book on ethics a copy reached the hands of Syed Bahr ul Ulῡm, the marja’ and great scholar of Najaf. Syed was amazed by the contents of … Read more

Translated by Sadiq Meghjee It is narrated[1] that when Khorasāni declared supporting the Consitutional Revolution a religious obligation one of his best students left him and joined the [opposing] camp of Syed Mohammad Kādhim Yazdī. If this wasn’t bad enough, he had also started cursing and insulting Khorasāni. One day a number of people from … Read more

Click for Part 2 We previously mentioned that al-Ghaybah of Nu’mani was written before the month of Dhi al-Hijjah 342 Hijri, which was the date Nu’mani dictated the book to his student. Furthermore, taking into consideration that he deemed the age of the Imam (s) at the time to be around eighty-years while writing the book, … Read more

Click for Part 3 Teachers of Nu’mani Before we begin our discussion[1], it is important to mention that what we mean by the term teachers or Mashaykh in this discussion (or other discussions that pertain to Hadith and Rijal), is really extant. Essentially anyone who Nu’mani took ahadith from, albeit one hadith, is considered a teacher. … Read more

Click for Part 2 The Ghaybah (Occultation) of the 12th Imam is one of the most fundamental theological beliefs of the Twelver Imami Shi’as.  Three primary books of traditions dedicated to this topic, which have come down to us today, are in chronological order: Kitab al-Ghaybah of Nu’mani (d. 360), Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah of Shaykh Saduq … Read more

This post is a paraphrased (incomplete) translation, with my personal comments and notes, of the chapter pertaining to the rules of weakening or strengthening a narrator. This is from the book Buhuth fi ilm al-Rijal of Ayatullah Asif Muhsini. The Arabic for this can be found on page 18 of his book – he discusses … Read more

This post is a paraphrased (incomplete) translation, with my personal comments and notes, of the chapter regarding the Types of Hadith [page 47] from section one of Muhammad Baqir Irwani’s book Durus Tamhidiyah fi al-Qawaid al-Rijaliyah. The section on al-khabar al-dha’eef, al-khabar al-mudhmar, and al-khabar al-mursal have not been added to this post. For an actual translation-in-progress … Read more

This post is a paraphrased translation (not an actual and complete translation) mixed with my own supplementary notes, of Chapter 1 of the book Fawaid al-Rijaliyah by Syed Ali al-Hussaini al-Sadr. The author in this book discusses various benefits of Ilm al-Rijal and its importance, and brings 40 benefits all together Those not familiar with certain Arabic ahadith terminology will not be able … Read more