Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi: Difference between revisions

Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi or Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1254 - 1314 A.H.) was a supporter of proximity of schools of thoughts who made huge efforts for unity of Muslims. He travelled to different Islamic countries. There are countless disagreements on homeland, life and attitudes of Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi. [[Mirza Rida al-Kirmani]] who murdered Nasir al-Din Shah was a student of Al-Asad Abadi.

Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi was born in Asad Abad in 1254 A.H. His father, Sayyid Safdar, and his mother, Sukayna Beygum, were descendants of [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]]. Some believed he was Afghan and some believed he was Iranian. It is claimed that Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din himself stated that he was an Afghan.

Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi started learning [[Quran]] from his parents when he was six years old. He also learnt basic Arabic language in his early years. Then along with his father, Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din migrated to Qazvin in 1264 A.H when they lived for four years. When he was in [[Najaf]], he learnt Arabic Literature, Logics, [[Fiqh]] and [[Usul]]. In 1266 A.H he migrated to Tehran, where he studies under [[Al-Sayyid Muhammad Sadiq al-Tabataba'i al-Hamadani]], who was the [[Mujtahid]] of the time.

Before Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi return to [[Najaf]] in 1266 A.H. he stayed in Brujerd for a while in order to have scientific discussions with scholars of the city. He studied under [[Al-Shaykh al-Ansari]] for four years in Najaf. Later he planned to travel to Bombay in India in 1270 A.H. Some historians stated that Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi travel to India in 1282 A.H. in order to build relationships between Islamic governments and nations; this plan was led by the Ottoman Sultan. First he talked with Madhat Pasha and asked him to send letters to India, Baluchistan and Afghanistan.

Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi became hugely influential among young Egyptians around 1871 – 1873. He continued his cultural and media-related activities and engaged in Freemasonry system in Egypt in order to develop his political theories and plans. In 1875 he requested to join the Freemasonry in [[Cairo]]. According to a letter from a member of the Eastern Lodge, he was recommended to be the head of the Lodge. As it is said Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi was immediately accepted as a member. When Edward VII, the King of England, joined Freemasonry and the Italian Lodge welcomed him warmly, Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din decided to leave them to show his discontent.

Shafiq: When Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi traveled to Hyderabad, the center of all exiled Indians, in 1296 A.H. He started publishing a journal called Mu'alim Shafiq in Persian and Urdu.

Urwata al-Wuthqa: Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi travelled to Paris in 1301 A.H. and he published Urwata al-Wuthqa Journal there.

Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din stayed in Egypt for eight years from 1288 – 1296 A.H. and he engaged in political and scientific activities:

Foundation Al-Watani party was one of the significant actions taken by Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din in Egypt. It became successful by means of huge efforts made by Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din and his students. According to Lord Cromer, an English counselor in Egypt, due to activities of Al-Watani Party the influence of England was reduced by 45% in Egypt and business trades between the two countries was also reduced by 35%. In addition, Du'at Nisara center stated that after 35 years of promoting Christianity all over [[Africa]], comparing to Al-Watani's activities, their supporters are one to sixteen in comparison. One of the [[Nazarene]] preachers in Cairo was surprised to see expansion and influence of Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din's thoughts in Al-Watani Party.

In 1296 A.H. Towfiq Pasha ordered to arrest Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din and sent him back to Iran. Beforehand they kept Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din in Suez Harbor for a while in order to prevent people from joining him to learn religious teachings.

After leaving [[Egypt]], instead of staying in [[Iran]], Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din preferred to travel to [[India]] and stay in [[Hyderabad]], where he continued his activities. He gave speeches to young people, cooperated with media, founded a secret community called [[Al-'Urwa]] and showed his disagreement with Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan.

When Nasir al-Din Shah granted tobacco concession to a British company, Shi'ite religious scholars protested against it. Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din and his student, [[Mirza Rida al-Kirmani]], were fiercely opposing this event. Although Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din was exiled, he made huge efforts to cancel tobacco concession. He sent letters to Mirza al-Kirmani to inform him about Nasir al-Din Shah's misdeeds and encouraged him to oppose tobacco concession. He also sent letters to other religious scholars to use tobacco concession to remove Shah and its regime from office.

In his letter to [[Mirza al-Shirazi]], Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din called Nasir al-Din Shah a weak-willed and evil man who is not able to defend public interests and granted tobacco concession to enemies of people. He also mentioned eight treacheries of Nasir al-Din Shah which damaged financial properties of country and they were granted to foreigners. Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din encouraged Mirza al-Kirmani to break his silence and make a crucial decision to oppose Shah.

Rasail fi al-falsafa wa al-Irfan: This collection includes six Risala on [[Irfan]] (mysticism) and Philosophy which are mainly inscribed by [[Muhammad 'Abdu]]. Mura' al-Arifin, Al-Waridat, Al-Qada'i wa al-Qadr, Al-Falsafa al-tarbiya wa falsafa al-Sana'a, Al-'Ilm wa ta'thira fi al-Irada wa al-Ikhtiyar and Arabic translation of Natscheria.

Political and Historical Letters and Documents: a large number of Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din's letters which were sent to cities like [[Tehran]], Kermanshah, [[Baghdad]], [[Basra]], Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Istanbul, Paris and London are available; their contents are mostly critical and political. This book includes fifty letters and historical documents in Turkish, Persian and Arabic.

Collection of Rasa'il and Articles: It includes more than thirty Risalas and letters which are written by Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din himself and some are stated by him and Muhammad Hasan Aqa Amin al-Darb al-Thani wrote them. It also contains a number of stories told by Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din which are published by Abu al-fadl Qasemi for the first time. Its original and handwritten version is kept in the Library of Parliament of Iran.

Al-Rasail wa al-maqalat: It is a collection of twenty two articles and Risalas in Arabic such as Risala on al-Mahdiya, Al-Sharq wa al-Sharafayn, Al-Rad ala Reynan. A number of them are recently published in Al-Yawm al-Thabi' Journal in Paris and Al-'Alam Journal in London.

History of Iran and History of Afghanistan: It is written by Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi himself.

[[Al-Urwat al-Wuthqa]]: It was a journal published in Paris. Its first volume was published on 13th March 1884 and its 18th and last volume was published in October 1884. Muhammad 'Abdu was the Chief Editor of this Journal. The collection of Al-Urwat al-Wuthqa was published in different countries including Iran, [[Lebanon]], [[Iraq]], [[Egypt]] and Europe, by different publishers.

Diya' al-Khafiqin: Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din wrote a number of articles in this journal. It was published by Kolbeh Shuruq in collaboration with Islamic Research Center. After releasing five volumes it was banned to get published in England.

[[Morteza Motahhari]] in his book, A Brief Analysis on Islamic Movements in Recent Century, mentioned the problems of Islamic societies as: Autocracy of monarchs, ignorance of Muslims and lagging behind modern science and civilization, dispersion of superstitions among Muslims' thoughts and having distance with the original Islamic thoughts, separation among Muslims due to religious and non-religious issues and finally western colonization in Islamic countries.

Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din also proposed solutions for the mentioned issues: Fighting against autocracy through raising awareness among people, regarding political opposition as a religious duty, acquiring modern science and technology, eliminating superstitions and going back to the original Islamic thoughts and beliefs, fighting against cultural, political and economic colonization, unity of Muslims, reviving Jihad and having self-confidence against the west.

Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din al-Asad Abadi passed away at the age of sixty in March 1897 in Istanbul. He was buried in cemetery of grand figures. Later the government of Afghanistan asked Ottomans to send his remains to be buried in Kabul, which was accepted by them. Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din's remains were buried in Kabul University where a huge mausoleum was erected there for him in the time of Muhammad Zahir Shah.

[[Imam al-Khumayni]] regarded Al-Sayyid Jamal al-Din as a decent man who made huge efforts but did not reach the expected result due to lack of influence among people and religious leaders.