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 on Shiite Personalities and their Bibliographies by Ayatullah Sayyid Musa Shobeyri Zanjani (page 317 and 322).

The Origin of  the title “Majlisi” for Allamah Baqir Majlisi

People narrate various different and incorrect reasons for why and how the Majliseen family received the title of Al-Majlisi. “Majlisi” was in fact the title of Maqsood Ali, the grandfather of Allamah Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (author of Bihar al-Anwar). Maqsood Ali was a poet and Majlisi was his pseudonym. When his son used to sign, he would write: “Muhammad Taqi bin Majlisi”. Then this title simply got transferred to his son and his descendants. This case is similar to that of the title “Kashif al-Ghita” which got transferred from Sheikh Ja’far to his descendants, such as to Sheikh Muhammad Hussain Kashif al-Ghita and Sheikh Ahmad Kashif al-Ghita.

(Night of 28 Dhu al-Hijjah, 1431 Hijri/Sunday December 5th, 2010)

Baab ul-Aa’immah

It has been recorded by Sheikh Abbas Qummi that Allamah Majlisi was seen in a dream with a lofty and exceptional position. Allamah Majlisi is also known as “Baab ul-Aa’immah” and the reason for this title was that he has made himself the scapegoat against those who do not have the audacity to be bold in front of the Imams (as), so therefore they make Allamah Majlisi their target. Thus he has essentially turned himself into a shield so that the Imams (as) remain protected.

(Night of 28 Dhu al-Hijjah, 1431 Hijri/Sunday December 5th, 2010)

Because Ayatullah Shobeyri quoted this story in a very broad sense, he referred to the book of Sheikh Abbas Qummi titled al-Fawaid al-Ridhwiyah. He said that since my quotation of the story was based on hearsay and the source of it is not very clear, there is a high probability that the real story is the one that has been quoted in al-Fawaaid al-Ridhwiyah [الفوائد الرضوية] as follow:

One day, the author of Jawahir al-Kalam narrated in class: I saw a dream last night that I was entering a large gathering in which there were a lot of scholars sitting and there was a doorkeeper at the door. I asked him permission to let me enter. When I entered, I saw that all the scholars of the past and recent times were present and at the top of the gathering was Allamah Majlisi sitting. I was very surprised and asked the doorkeeper: What is the reason that Allamah Majlisi is the one sitting at the top of the gathering? The doorkeeper replied: He is famous by the title Baab ul-Aa’immah amongst the Imams (as) and he is referred to with this title because he continued the tradition of heralding for the visitors (zawwaar). Perhaps what was implied by heralding were his publications and books, and by visitors it meant anyone who wishes to achieve anything from the infallible Imams (as) and from being in their noble presence.

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