View source for Muntajab al-Din al-Razi

{{Infobox Shia scholar without Socio-political activities
| title    = Muntajab al-Din al-Razi
| image   =
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| caption    =
| Full name   = 'Ali b. 'Ubayd Allah
| Nickname   = al-Shaykh Muntajab al-Din al-Razi
| Lineage   = 
| Well known relatives   = [['Ali b. al-Husayn b. Musa b. Babawayh al-Qummi|'Ali b. Babawayh]] (ancestor)
| Birth = [[504]]/1110-1111
| Place of study =
| Home town =
| Death= After [[585]]/1189-90
| Burial place =
| Professors = [['Ubayd Allah b. Hasan al-Razi]]{{•}}[[Abu l-Futuh al-Razi]]{{•}}[['Abd al-Jalil al-Qazwini al-Razi]]{{•}}[[al-Sayyid Fadl Allah al-Rawandi]]
| Students = [['Abd al-Karim al-Rafi'i al-Qazwini]]
| Permission for hadith transmission from =
| Permission for ijtihad from =
| Permission for hadith transmission to =
| Permission for ijtihad to =
| Works = ''[[al-Fihrist (by Muntajab al-Din al-Razi)|al-Fihrist]]''{{•}}''[[al-Arba'in 'an al-arba'in fi fada'il Amir al-Mu'minin]]''
| Scholarly activities =
}}
'''ʿAlī b. ʿUbayd Allāh''' (Arabic: {{ia|عَلی بن عُبَیدالله}}) known as '''al-Shaykh Muntajab al-Dīn al-Rāzī''' (Arabic:{{ia|الشيخ مُنتَجَب الدین الرازی}}) was a [[hadith]] scholar of 6th/[[12th century]] and a descendant of [['Ali b. Husayn b. Musa b. Babawayh al-Qummi|Ali b. Babawayh al-Qummi]]. He studied under many [[Sunni]] and [[Shi'a]] scholars including [[Abu l-Futuh al-Razi]], [['Abd al-Jalil al-Qazwini al-Razi]], [[al-Sayyid Fadl Allah al-Rawandi]]. [['Abd al-Karim al-Rafi'i al-Qazwini]] was among his distinguished students. One of his most important works is ''[[al-Fihrist (by Muntajab al-Din al-Razi)|al-Fihrist]]'' which has been referred to by both great Islamic schools. It has been disagreed whether he was Shi'a or Sunni, due to his severe [[Taqiyya]] (precautionary dissimulation); while, Shi'a scholars have regarded him definitely Shi'a.

== His Lineage ==
Abu l-Hasan Ali b. 'Ubayd Allah b. Hasan b. Husayn b. Ali b. Husayn b. Babawayh al-Qummi al-Razi was born in a family all of whom were distinguished [[Shi'a]] scholars in [[jurisprudence]]. His father 'Ubayd Allah was a reliable faqih, whose grandfather was Shams al-Islam Hasan known as Hasaka among great scholars in jurisprudence and a student of [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]].

== His Teachers and Students ==
Muntajab al-Din associated with many distinguished [[hadith]] scholars, received permission for narrating hadith from them and many Shia and Sunni scholars were his students. Shaykh Muntajab al-Din had many teachers whom he has listed in his ''al-Fihrist''. Al-Rafi'i has mentioned that he had many permissions for narrating hadith.

Some of his most important teachers are:
{{cb|2}}
* 'Ubayd Allah b. Hasan (his father)
* [[Abu l-Futuh al-Razi]]
* [['Abd al-Jalil al-Qazwini al-Razi]]
* [[Al-Sayyid Fadl Allah al-Rawandi]]
{{end}}

'Abd al-Karim al-Rafi'i al-Shafi'i, the author of ''al-Tadwin fi tarikh Qazwin'' was one of his most famous students.

== His Works ==
Muntajab al-Din spent most of his time to study and benefit from his contemporary teachers and little time to write or teach and thus he has few works.

* '''''Al-Arba'in 'an al-arba'in fi fada'il Amir al-Mu'minin''''' containing 40 [[hadiths]] narrated from 40 teachers from 40 [[companions]] of the [[Prophet (s)]]. [[Sayyid Muhsin Amin]] has mentioned the name of this book as "al-Arba'in 'an al-arba'in min al-arba'in fi fada'il Amir al-Mu'minin, Salawatullah 'alayh". Another book called ''Arba'in hadithan fi fada'il Ali wa arba' 'ashara hikaya fi mu'jzat Ali (a)'' has also been attributed to him.
* '''''Al-Fihrist''''' or '''''al-Fihris''''', one of the most famous books in [[rijal]], known as "Fihrist saghir" which is authentic to both Shia and Sunni scholars. He wrote these two books for 'Izz al-Din Yahya b. Abi al-Fada'il 'Alawi, [[naqib]] in [[Rey]] and [[Qom]]. This book is about biographies of hadith sources contemporary with al-Shaykh al-Tusi and after him up to the time of Muntajab al-Din. In fact, after [[al-Kashshi]], al-Shaykh al-Tusi and [[al-Najashi]], Muntajab al-Din wrote a book about biographies of scholars.
* A treatise on the issue of judgment

== His Religious School ==
Shaykh Muntajab al-Din strictly dissimulated before his teachers and students and hid his works from extremist Sunni people so that his students did not know the religious school he followed until al-Rafi'i wrote, "They attribute Shaykh to Shia because his forefathers and ancestors have been from Qom, but I really doubt that the teacher Shaykh would be Shia. He wrote about virtues of the companions and prioritized Sunni narrators and greatly respected [[Rashidun caliphs]]."

That is while the author of ''[[Rawdat al-jannat]]'' wrote, "His Shiism was brighter than the sun and his works do not leave any doubt in that he was Shia."

== In the Views of Great Scholars ==
* In the preface to ''[[Bihar al-anwar]]'', [[Allama Majlisi]] considers him among famous hadith scholars and quotes from [[al-Shahid al-Thani]] about him that he has been accurate in recording hadiths.
* The author of ''[[Riyad al-'ulama]]'' considers him a good recorder (of hadith) and narrating many hadiths from many sources.
* Al-Rafi'i, among his students, regarded him perfect in listening, recording, keeping and collecting hadith.
* [[Al-Hurr al-'Amili]] mentions him with titles such as "a truthful reliable one", "a keeper hadith scholar" and Allama.
* [[Shaykh Abbas Qummi]] has mentioned him "a reliable Shaykh", "knowledgeable scholar", "truthful hadith scholar", "Shaykh of the companions" and "a pole of hadith scholars".

== His Demise ==
There is a disagreement about the date of his demise. Al-Rafi'i has mentioned it after [[585]]/1189.

==References==
{{references}}
* The material for this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[http://fa.wikishia.net/view/علی_بن_عبیدالله_رازی علی بن عبیدالله رازی]}} in Farsi Wikishia.
{{end}}

{{Hadith Scholars}}
{{Rijal and Biography Scholars}}

[[fa:علی بن عبیدالله رازی]]
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[[Category:Hadith scholars]]
[[Category:Scholars of the 12th century]]
[[Category:Scholars of rijal]]