An Unknown Page from the Rational Culture of Shi’ism in the Fourth Islamic Century
By Rasul Jafariyan | Translated by Sayyid Ali Imran Al-Burhan fi Wujuh al-Bayan, written by Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Sulayman ibn Wahb…
Tarājim & Rijāl
The Death of Paper Books?
Iranian Book News Agency (IBNA) – Culture and Publishing Desk The question of why science has been historically “closed off” in Iran…
Launch of the Book “Year Thirty” by Shaykh Rasul Jafariyan
30th Anniversary of the Specialized Library of the History of Islam and Iran and the Launch of the Book Year Thirty The…
A Century of Knowledge and Purity – A Century of Refinement and Detachment
By Sayyid Zia Murtadhavi | Translated by Sayyid Ali Imran [Source] On the 8th of the blessed month of Ramadan 1446 AH,…
A Different Imam Among the Imams – Passing of Karim Aga Khan
By Mohsen Hesam Mazaheri Shah Karim al-Husseini (1936–2025), popularly known as Karim Aga Khan or Aga Khan IV, the 49th Imam of…
The Hadith and Intellectual Traditions of the Nusayris: From Al-Khasibi to Al-Tabarani
This is the text of a lecture delivered by Dr. Hassan Ansari, which will eventually be published in a more complete and…
Reclaiming an Imamite Poet: Abu Tammam and His Ode for Imam Ali (as)
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…
Discovery of a New Book by Sheikh Bahai
By Ahmed al-Hilli al-Najafi Sheikh Bahāʾī (r) has a commentary on al-Ṣaḥīfah al-Sajjādiyyah, titled Ḥadāʾiq al-Ṣāliḥīn. In this work, he gave each…
A Beautiful Ode for Lady Zaynab (as)
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…
The Qasidah Muhammadiyyah of Imam al-Busiri
On the commemoration of the demise of our Holy Prophet Muḥammad (saw), we present this humble translation of a famous qaṣīdah written…
A Brief Overview of Faqir Dehlavi’s Treatise “Rajm al-Shayatin”
There has unfortunately been a dearth of literature regarding the intellectual contributions of Shī’ah scholars of the Indian subcontinent. Although still extant,…
The Poem of Shaykh Ahmad al-Wa’ili for Imam al-Jawad
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).…
The Poem for Imam Husayn (a) that Made Imam al-Sadiq (a) Cry
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…
An Ode Comparing the Shrines of Imam Ali and Muawiyah
It is said that one of the famous Sunni poets and literarians of Syria, Muhammad Majdhoob (d 1999 CE), visited al-Najaf al-Ashraf…
Financial Struggles and Splitting Book Costs
By end of 2013, I had already visited and sat in the open gatherings of Ayatullah Sayyid Shubayri Zanjani, which would take…
Appreciating a Scholar – a Century Later
One of the scholars of the 19th century that I came across during my readings in 2014 and have always been fascinated…
An Unanswered Curiosity Regarding Shaykh Tusi
Was recently reading something related to Shaykh Tusi (d. 460/1067), and it reminded me of a point about his biography that I…
A Translation and Commentary on the Epic Ode of Sayyid al-Himyari for Imam Ali (as)
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…
New Book Launch: A Memorandum on Intersectarian Harmony in Islam
Purchase Here We are happy to announce the release of the translation of Shaykh Haider’s book Risalah Salam Madhhabi – A Memorandum on…
Abu Rayhan Biruni – The Greatest Scientist of the Islamic World
By Rasul Jafarian Without overexaggerating – something which is very common amongst our people – we can say Abū Rayḥān Bīrūnī (d.…
Ayatullah Sayyid Kazim Hairi’s Resignation from Marja‘iyyah
Ayatullah Sayyid Kāẓim Ḥā’irī, one of the greatest students of Shahīd Bāqir al-Ṣadr and an esteemed Marja‘ of our time, resigned from…
Ibn Abi al-Hadid’s Ode for Imam Husayn (as)
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.…
The Poem of Imam al-Shafi’i for Imam Husayn (as)
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…
Sayyid Rida al-Hindi’s Tragic Poetry Regarding Karbala
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…
The Qur’anic Poem of Shaykh Salih al-Kawwaz for Imam Husayn (as)
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…
Shaykh Ahmad al-Wa’ili’s Famous Qasidah for Imam ‘Ali (as)
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…
The Poet-Knight Abu Firas al-Hamadani and his Famous Poem Lampooning the Abbasids
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);…
The Legendary Ode Inscribed into the Golden Cage of Imam Ali (as)
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…
The Famous Poem of Ahmad al-Wa’ili for Imam Hasan (as)
Below is a famous Arabic poem in eulogy of our dearest al-Imām al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī (may peace be upon him) composed by…
Abdul-Qadir Jilani bin Salim’s Ode in Praise of Sayyidah Khadija
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…
Shaykh al-Islam al-Baha’i’s Ode in Praise of the Twelfth Imam (as)
Below, we have translated the famous Arabic qaṣīdah for the Twelfth Imām al-Mahdī (may Allah hasten his reappearance) composed by the Safavid…
The Famous Ode of Ibn ‘Arandas Reputed to Summon the Twelfth Imam (as)
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…
Farazdaq’s Legendary Panegyric for Imam Zayn al-Abidin (as)
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…
The Eulogy Immortalized in Golden Ink at the Gate of Imam Husayn (as)
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.…
The Legendary Poem Inscribed into the Golden Dome of Imam ‘Ali’s Shrine
The following panegyric for Imām ‘Alī (as) is written by a famous 19th century Arab poet and the Sunnī Ḥanafī governor of…
Imam al-Hadi’s Poem in the Court of Mutawakkil
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…
Kumayt’s Panegyric
Translated by Br. Muhammed Jaffer. Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd al-Asadi (may God be pleased with him) was among the staunchest in his love…
Abu Talib’s Panegyric
Translated by Br. Muhammed Jaffer. خليليَّ ما أُذْني لأوَّلِ عاذلِ بِصَغْواءَ في حقٍّ ولا عندَ باطل خليليَّ إنَّ الرأيَ ليسَ بِشِركة ٍ…
What is the Islamic Proof for Ilm al-Rijal as the Criterion for the Authenticity of Hadith?
Originally posted on Thaqalay.blog | This is a translation of a Q&A posed to Shaykh Hobbollah, original Arabic here. Question: I kindly…
Revisiting Abu al-Khattab and the Khattabiyya (A Response)
كان أبو الخطاب أحمق فكنت أحدثه فكان لا يحفظ، و كان يزيد من عنده Abu al-Khattab was a fool – I would…
Reports and Counter-reports: The Case of Mufaddal b. Umar (Pt. II)
Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Read Part I here. Cursed or Not? The most important report concerning Mufaḍḍal b. ʿUmar is the…
Ayatullah Borujerdi & 9th of Rabi’ al-Awwal
Source: Memoirs of Ayatullah Montazeri, vol. 1, pg. 155. Ayatullah Montazeri (d. 2009) writes: ‘I remember when Ayatullah Amini (d. 1970) –…
Rivalry between Companions: The Case of Mufaddal b. Umar (Pt. I)
فلما انصرفت إلى الكوفة أقبلت علي الشيعة فمزقوني كل ممزق، يأكلون لحمي ويشتمون عرضي، حتى أن بعضهم استقبلني فوثب في وجهي، وبعضهم…
Nahj al-Balagha – From Tashayyu‘ to Tasannun
By Dr. Hassan Ansari | Originally published on his Telegram channel Unlike what is commonly assumed, Shī‘ī scholars did not pay as…
Ali b. Yaqtin: The Imam’s Secret Agent
“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…
Dala’il al-Imama: A Fabricated Shi’i Text Attributed to Muhammad b. Jarar al-Tabari
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…
Abdallah b. Saba – Man or Myth?
Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction Whether a man called Abdallah b. Saba existed historically or not has become a fraught question…
Reasons for the Different Opinions on Ibn ‘Arabi
Question: How do we explain and understand the contradiction and different opinions our scholars have over the school (madhab) of Ibn ‘Arabi?…
Sayyid Abu al-Hasan Isfahani and Banning a Racist Preacher
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,…
The German Orientalist & the Prophetic Hadith
I recently came across a book in Urdu called ‘Islāmi Dāstānein’ which is a translation of the Farsi original written by Ali…
From Taqleedi Ilm al-Rijal to Ijtihadi Ilm al-Rijal
What follows is a translation of some of the conclusions reached by Sheikh Haider Hobbollah in his Rijāli discussions whereby he discusses…
Who was the Greatest Companion of them All?
Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction Who was the greatest companion of the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt? Different answers can be given…
Salman and the Mileu of Ghulu
Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction It is not hard to account for the presence of Ghulati reports in the Imami corpus…
Some Notes on the Status of Salman in Early Shi’ism (Pt. 2)
Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction Occasionally, historical figures transcend the limited planes of their earthly life to become symbols around whom…
Reburial of Shahid Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr
The pictures displayed in this post show how a few admirers of Shahīd Sayyid Muahammad Baqir al-Sadr, during the reign of Saddam…
Some Notes on the Status of Salman in Early Shi’ism (Pt. 1)
By Ammaar Muslim – Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. أدرك سلمان العلم الاول والعلم الاخر، وهو بحر لا ينزح، وهو منّا أهل…
Muhammad b. Abi Umayr: The Trial of Faith
By Ammaar Muslim – Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. كان واحد أهل زمانه في الأشياء كلّها He (Ibn Abi Umayr) was the Unique…
Shaykh Hurr al-‘Amili’s Will to His Son
This manuscript was shared by Ahmad Ali al-Hilli al-Najafi and is available at the Al-Hakeem Library. It is a will written…
Muhammad b. Sinan: A Controversial Narrator (II)
By Ammaar Muslim – Originally posted on Shiitic Studies Was he Praised by the Imam? There exist narrations in which Muhammad b.…
Muhammad b. Sinan: A Controversial Narrator (I)
By Ammaar Muslim – Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction Abu Ja’far Muhammad b. Sinan (d. 220) was a descendant of Zahir the Mawla (client)…
Yunus b. Abd al-Rahman: The Salman al-Farsi of his Times (I)
By Ammaar Muslim – Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. سمعت الرضا عليه السلام يقول: يونس بن عبد الرحمن في زمانه كسلمان الفارسي في…
Syed Khamena’i on Syed Ni’matullah Jaza’iri and a Scholar’s Need for Humour
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.…
Shaykh Kulayni, Shaykh Saduq’s & Shaykh Tusi’s Paths to Zurarah b. A’yun & Hisham b. Hakam – Part 2
The Path of Kulaynī to Zurārah From the reliable Uṣūl works is the book of Zurārah[1]. He himself is very trustworthy[2] and…
Authentication of the Four Canonical Books
By Syedwajee Ul Hasan Shah, student at Imam Mahdi Hawzah of Birmingham This essay will attempt to tackle the question of the authentication…
The Ijazat of Fathers to Their Sons
By Sayyid Muhammad Mehdi Rafipour Translated by Hadi Rizvi Among the contemporary jurists, there are cases where jurists who were fathers, attested…
Why Al-Nawbakhti is Not the Author of Firaq al-Shi’a
This is a translation of an article written by Hasan Ansari – originally published here: چرا فرق الشيعه از نوبختي نيست . The book Firaq…
The Need for ‘Ilm al-Rijal – Shaykh al-Suwaydan
This discussion is taken from 2 of 166 lessons given by Shaykh Suwaydan. The audios for the lessons were transcribed and translated by…
Imam Khomeini’s Fearless Attack on Muhaddith Nuri’s Scholarship
On the topic concerning the binding force of the apparent meaning[1] of the Qurān (Ḥujjiyyah Ẓawāhir al-Qurān), Imām Khomeinī (1902 – 1989) in…
A Dream Fabricated by the Akhbaris against the Usulis
Āyatullah Sayyid Muḥammad Mujāhid (1180 – 1242 AH / 1801-1863 CE) – one of the greatest scholars during the time of Fatḥ-‘Alī…
Repeated Chains of Narrations in al-Kafi
By Mohsin Jaffery The original research was conducted by Muhammad Qurbani and published in a 24-page paper titled Asnād Pur-Tikrār Nishānī az Manābi’…
Personal Testimony of Dhiya Farajallah Regarding the Killing of al-Shaheed al-Sadr
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…
The Need for a Contemporary Shaykh Baha’i
Source: Shaykh Bahā’ī barāyeh zamān mā by Rasῡl Ja’fariyān in Majmῡ’ eh maqālāt tārīkh islām va īrān, p. 1002 to 1004 400…
Solemn Intention to Insult Philosophy
Āyatullah Mīrzā Mahdī Iṣfahāni (d. 1945) is considered to be the founder of Maktab-e Tafkīk (although the term for the movement was…
Ayatollah Jahangir Qashqa’i – From Musician to Philosopher
Jahāngīr Qashqā’ī was a 19th century Shī’ī philosopher, jurist and mystic. He was born in 1243 in the village of Dehāqān, Isfahān.…
Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad – The Reformed Ascetic
In the book Safīna al-Bihār the story of Fuḍayl ibn ‘Iyāḍ is mentioned which shows how one verse of the Qur’ān completely…
Maintaining the Rights of the Believers
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…
Allamah Ṭabataba’i and the Policemen – A memory from Aḥmad Ahmadi
It was Sunday afternoon, one day before I was meant to return back to Iran and Shahīd Muṭahharī had stayed over with…
The Fate of Mirza Muhammad Akhbari
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’…
Ayatollah Durche’i – the Marj’a of Moderation
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…
Muhaqqiq Karaki and Shah Isma’il
Muhaqqiq Karakī travelled to Iran twice. One time during the time of Shāh Ismā’īl and the other during the time of Shāh…
Muqaddas Ardabīlī and Shaykh Baha’i
It is reported from Shaykh Bahā’ī: I was blessed with the opportunity to visit the city of Najaf and I had hoped…
Mulla Mahdi Naraqi and Bahr ul-Ulum
There is a remarkable story narrated in regards to Mulla Mahdi Narāqi, the author of Jāmi’ al-Sa’ādāt. It is narrated that after…
Akhund Khorasāni and His Former Student
Translated by Sadiq Meghjee It is narrated[1] that when Khorasāni declared supporting the Consitutional Revolution a religious obligation one of his best…
Sources of Nu’mani’s al-Ghaybah – Part 3
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…
Sources of Nu’mani’s al-Ghaybah – Part 2
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…
Sources of Nu’mani’s al-Ghaybah – Part 1
Click for Part 2 The Ghaybah (Occultation) of the 12th Imam is one of the most fundamental theological beliefs of the Twelver…
Sulaym bin Qays: The Thin Line Between a Fictitious Name & a Loyal Companion
Sulaym bin Qays al-Hilali or Abu Sadiq Sulaym bin Qays al-Amiri al-Hilali al-Kufi (allegedly born 2 years before Hijri – died in…
Ithbat al-Raj’a of Fadhl bin Shadhan
This is a translated summary of an article written by Hasan Ansari, called Huviyyat-e Waqa’iee-ye Kitab-e Ithbat al-Raj’a Mansub beh Fadhl bin…
Relationship Between Imam Khomeini and Ayatullah Khoei
This is a translation from the third volume of the book titled Jurayee az Darya [A Drop from the Sea], page 672-673…
Regarding the Rules for Affirming or Weakening Someone [From Buhuth fi Ilm al-Rijal by Muhammad Asif Muhsini]
This post is a paraphrased (incomplete) translation, with my personal comments and notes, of the chapter pertaining to the rules of weakening…
Types of Hadith – [From Durus Tamhidiyah fi al-Qawaid al-Rijaliyah of Baqir Irwani]
This post is a paraphrased (incomplete) translation, with my personal comments and notes, of the chapter regarding the Types of Hadith [page…
Introduction to Ilm ul-Rijal – [Chapter 1 from Fawaid al-Rijaliyah of Syed Ali al-Hussaini al-Sadr]
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…
Ayatullah Fazel Sharbiaani & Muhammad Hassan Mamqani
The next set of stories are quoted by Ayatullah Shubeyri Zanjani in his book a Drop From The Sea regarding two scholars.…
Everything Has Accountability
Another story quoted by Ayatullah Shubeyri Zanjani in his book A Drop From The Sea – Volume 2 [page 675]. The previous…
Fearlessness of Ayatullah Khomeini
Translated from the book A Drop from the Sea, Volume 2 – Page 675-676, by Ayatullah Shubeyri Zanjani. — Ayatullah Sheikh Muhammad…
Kiss The Hands of Sheikh Hadi Tehrani
Sheikh Hadi Tehrani was born on 20th of the month of Ramadhan, 1253 Hijri (December 18th, 1837), in Tehran. His father’s name…
The Announcement of Mullah Ali Qaarpuz Abadi’s Death
Mullah Ali Qazwini Qaarpuz Abadi Zanjani (ملاعلی قزوینی قارپوز آبادی زنجانی) was born in Qazwin in the year 1209 Hijri (around 1794) and…
Syed Ali Tabatabaee and the Attack of Wahhabis on Karbala
Another translation from the book A Drop From the Sea – A collection of Papers and Discourses on Shiite Personalities and their…
Titles of Allamah Baqir Majlisi
This has been translated from Volume 2 of the book A Drop From the Sea – A collection of Papers and Discourses…
Praise of Ali ibn Babawayh by Imam al-Askari (a)
Translation of an article, composed off of a talk Ayatullah Shubeyri Zanjani gave. The letter that is being referred to in the…
Palace of Akhund Lutfallah Mazandarani in Paradise
This passage has been translated from the book A Drop from the Sea and are the words of Ayatullah Shobeyri Zanjani. This passage is…
Supererogatory Acts Performed by Ayatullah Zanjani
This post has been translated from a book titled: A Drop[1] from the Sea which is a collection of papers and discourses…
