Damin b. Shadqam

Damin b. Shadqam

Personal Information
Full Name	Sayyid Damin b. Shadqam al-Husayni al-Madani
Lineage	from the progeny of Imam al-Sajjad (a)
Residence	Medina•Karbala•Mashhad•Isfahan
Scholarly Information
Professors	Sayyid Ali b. Muhammad b. Juwaybir al-Husayni•Sayyid Muhsin b. Hasan al-Shadqami
Works	Tuhfat al-azhar wa zulal al-anhar•Lubb al-lubab fi dhikr al-sadat al-anjab•Zuhrat al-anwar fi nasab al-A'immat al-athar•Waq'at al-Jamal

Sayyid Ḍāmin b. Shadqam al-Ḥusaynī al-Madanī (Arabic: سید ضامن بن شَدْقَم الحسيني المَدَني) was a Shiite genealogist, man of literature, and writer in the 11th/17th century. His family traces back to 'Ubayd Allah al-A'raj, the grandson of Imam al-Sajjad (a), and a genealogist and a head of sadat. He traveled to cities in Iraq and Iran, and collected the parentages of Al Abi Talib. He wrote works concerning the genealogy of sadat, the most important of which is Tuhfat al-azhar.

Birth, Lineage, and Death

Damin b. Shadqam was born in Medina, but his year of birth is unknown. There is little information about his father. It seems that he was a scholar too. His lineage goes back to Imam al-Sajjad (a), and his ancestor was Zayn al-Din 'Ali (d. 1033/1623-4). A number of his ancestors were 'Alavid naqibs (registrar) or heads in Medina. He is sometimes attributed to his proximate ancestor and is called Damin b. 'Ali, and is sometimes attributed to his distant ancestor and is called Damin b. Hasan. He wrote two books about genealogy as Zuhar al-maqul and Nukhbat al-zuhra which are cited by Sayyid Damin in his book.

He was alive in 1090/1679-80, but his year of death is unknown.

Travels

Only Damin b. Shadqam's travels have been reported in his biographies. He learned reading from his father. He traveled to cities in Iraq and Iran to continue his education. In 1051/1641-2, he went to Karbala and then to Mashhad in Dhu l-Hijja 1053/February 1644. He then went to Isfahan in 1068/1657-8, and in 1077/1666-7, he went back to his hometown, Medina. In these travels, Damin collected the genealogies of Al Abi Talib.

Sayyid Damin himself reported that he visited the Shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani in Rey three times: first in 1050/1640-1, then in 1053/1643-4, and finally in 1079/1668-9. In the latter visit, his two sons, Muhammad Ibrahim 'Izz al-Din and Qasim Jamal al-Din, accompanied him.

He went to Isfahan once more in 1078/1667-8 and lived there for one year. He then went to Iraq, Karbala, in Rajab 1079/December 1668 to visit al-'Atabat al-'Aliyat. He then went back to Isfahan to continue his educations, and lived there from 1081/1670-1 until 1085/1674-5.

After his stay in Isfahan, he went back to Medina. Then on Muharram 22, 1089/March 16, 1678, he went to Damascus together with his two sons, Nizam al-Din and Jamal al-Din Muhammad, and from there, he went to Iraq. He then went to Mashhad to visit the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a), and on Jumada II 12, 1090/July 21, 1679, he went to Isfahan. There is no information about where he went after that.

Children

Damin b. Shadqam had many children, the best-known of whom was Abu l-Nasr Ibrahim Nizam al-Din who was born on Dhu l-Hijja 18, 1056/January 25, 1647. He was a genealogist and a student of his father. He frequently traveled to cities in Iraq, India and other countries, and collected the parentages of Al Abi Talib. He wrote essays concerning genealogy.

Teachers

Tuhfat al-azhar wa zulal al-anhar

Damin studied fiqh and other Islamic disciplines with Sayyid Ali b. Muhammad b. Juwaybir al-Husayni. He also studied with his uncle, Sayyid Muhsin b. Hasan al-Shadqami, Sayyid 'Abd al-Rida b. Shams al-Din b. 'Ali al-Husayni, and Sayyid Zayn al-'Abidin b. Nur al-Din 'Ali b. Husayn al-Musawi.

Works

• Tuhfat al-azhar wa zulal al-anhar concerning the lineages of sadat.
• Lubb al-lubab fi dhikr al-sadat al-anjab. A manuscript of this book is available in the Library of the Faydiyya School of Qom and the Library of Ayatollah Mar'ashi Najafi.
• Zuhrat al-anwar fi nasab al-A'immat al-athar
• Waq'at al-Jamal.