Muhammad Amin al-Istarabadi: Difference between revisions

  | Professors = [[Hasan b. Zayn al-Din al-'Amili]] (Sahib al-Ma'alim) • [[Mirza Muhammad al-Astarabadi]]

'''Muḥammad Amīn b. Muḥammad Sharīf''' (Arabic:{{ia|مُحَمَّد اَمین بن مُحَمَّد شَریف}}) (d. [[1036]]/1626-7), known as '''Amin al-Astarabadi''' (Arabic:{{ia|امین استرآبادی}}) (also recorded as al-Istarabadi) is one of the Shi'a scholars and the founder of [[Akhbarism]]. He tried to introduce [[ijtihad]] of usulis as a threat; so that by referring to hadiths, he can revive the tradition of the predecessors. Throughout his book ''[[al-Fawa'id al-madaniyya]]'' his critical attitude towards [[al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki]]'s method of ijtihad and sometimes towards usuli, in general, is evident.

His last teacher in [[Fiqh]], Hadith and [[Rijal]] was [[Mirza Muhammad al-Astarabadi]], who resided Mecca. He studied under Mirza Muhammad al-Astarabadi for about ten years beginning from 1015/1606.

Zayn al-'Abidin b. Nur al-Din Ali Kashani (d. 1040/1631) and Husayn Zuhayri al-'Amili are among his students in Mecca. ''Risalat fi l-su'al 'an ba'd al-masa'il al-mu'dala min al-asliyya wa l-far'iyya'' is the result of Zuhayri'a discussions with his teacher, al-Astarabadi. [[Mulla Muhsin al-Fayd al-Kashani]] was his student in Mecca for a while.  

The movement that al-Astarabadi founded was not unprecedented in Shi'a jurisprudential-theological tradition. He tried to introduce himself as the follower of the method of the early Shi'a [[Muhaddith]]s, such as [[al-Kulayni]] and Saduqayn ([[Ibn Babawayh]] and [[al-Shaykh al-Saduq]]). However, his opponents did not accept this claim. Without a doubt, there was [[Akhbarism]] thought before Amin al-Astarabadi, but his reading and method of Akhbarism was special and different.

The atmosphere of religious thoughts in [[Safavid]] era and role of some scholars such as [[Muhaqqiq al-Karaki]] and their method in Ijtihad were effective in preparation the grounds for emergence of Akhbarism thoughts by Amin al-Astarabadi. However, his critical attitude toward Muhaqqiq al-Karaki's method of Ijtihad and sometimes toward Usulis, in general, is evident throughout his book ''al-Fawa'id al-madaniyya''.

Al-Astarabadi believed that all religious rulings are expressed in the Qur'an and Hadiths. Based on the fact that the Qur'an is the first source of the religion and also on a Hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a), he insisted: “everything that two people have disagreement on, there is for sure a principle in God's book for it, although people's mind cannot reach it.”

In fact, al-Astarabadi founded his theory about the religion ([[Shari'a]]) on two bases: first, the perfection of the religion is in the Qur'an and Prophet's (s) Hadiths. Second, the key for knowing the religion is reference to the knowledge of an infallible Imam, who is the heir of the Prophet (s) in this regard.  

Al-Astarabadi believed that all Hadiths in the Four Books and most Shi'a Hadiths are authentic and correct. He argued that the source of the Four Books is [[Asl]]s that the companions of Ahl al-Bayt (a) had compiled and acted upon.

Al-Astarabadi thought that acquiring religious rulings by reason and intellect is not accepted; because relying on reason leads to Usuli and Fiqhi disputes, and defeats the purpose of sending prophets and descending divine books. Moreover, in his approach to [[Kalam]] (Islamic theology), he said that relying on Kalam which is based on logic and rational reasoning is wrong.

* ''Danishnam-i Shahi'': is a Persian treatise about Kalam and other topics. Al-Astarabadi has authored this book in Mecca and after the first or the second edition of ''al-Fawa'id al-madaniyya''. He dedicated this work to Sultan Muhammad Qutb Shah Dakani; thus Kolberg guessed that he has probably stayed some years in [[India]].  

According to [[Sayyid Ali Khan al-Madani]], al-Astarabadi passed away in 1036/1626 and was buried next to the grave of [['Abd al-Mutallib]] and [[Abu Talib]] in Mecca.