Yahya b. Bitriq
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Abu l-Husayn Yahya b. Hasan b. Husayn b. Ali b. Muhammad b. Bitriq al-Hilli al-Asadi al-Rib'i |
| Well-Known As | Abu l-Husayn, Abu Zakariyya, Sharaf al-Islam, Sharaf al-Din and Shams al-Din |
| Lineage | Al Bitriq |
| Well-Known Relatives | Yahya b. Hasan b. Bitriq, Abu l-Hasan al-Katib, Muhammad b. Yahya |
| Birth | 523/1128-9 |
| Residence | Baghdad, Wasit, Aleppo |
| Studied in | Hillah |
| Death | 600/1204 |
| Scholarly Information | |
| Professors | Mirza 'abd Allah Afandi Isfahani, Sayyid Muhsin Amin |
| Students | 'Ali b. Yahya b. Hasan b. Bitriq, Abu l-Hasan 'Ali b. Yahya b. Khayyat al-Surawi, ... |
| Works | Al-'Umda, Al-Mustadrak al-mukhtar fi manaqib Wasi al-Mukhtar, ... |
Abū l-Ḥusayn Yaḥyā b. al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī b. Muḥammad b. Biṭrīq al-Ḥillī al-ʾAsadī al-Ribʿī (Arabic: أبوالحُسَین یَحیی بن الحَسَن بن الحُسَین بن عَلي بن مُحَمّد بن بِطریق الحِلّي الأسَدی الرِّبعي) (b. 523/1128-9 - d. 600/1204) famous as Yahya b. Bitriq is one of the Shi'a scholars living in the sixth/twelfth century. He was an Imami jurist, theologian, Muhaddith (a term attached to experts in fields of Narrations) and literary expert. The book al-'Umda is regarded as his most remarkable work to date.
Biography
Ibn Bitriq was born in 523/1128-9 in Hillah. His teknonyms were Abu l-Husayn and Abu Zakariyya and his epithets were Sharaf al-Islam, Sharaf al-Din and Shams al-Din. He passed away in the month of Sha'ban in the year 600/April-May 1204 at the Age of 77 in Hillah.
His lineage goes back to the tribe of Al Bitriq, which is among the well-known tribes of Hillah. Although Ibn Bitriq migrated from Baghdad to Hillah, he is regarded as one of Hillah's elites.
Three great scholars are from this family:
- Yahya b. Hasan b. Bitriq, the author of al-'Umda and other books.
- 'Ali b. Yahya, famous as Abu l-Hasan al-Katib. He is the son of Ibn Bitriq and has permission for hadith transmission from his father. He also gave many permission for hadith transmission to others to narrate his father's books. He was a reputable Faqih (Jurist) Usuli (expert in Usul-principles of Jurisprudence) and expert in Arabic literature; some fine poems composed by him have survived. 'Ali passed away in Baghdad in 642/1244-5, that is, 42 years after the demise of his father.
- Muhammad b. Yahya, the other son of Ibn Bitriq. He was one of Shi'a scholars.
Teachers and Masters
Mirza 'Abd Allah Afandi Isfahani introduces Ibn Bitriq by saying: "al-Imam al-Ajal (the distinguished leader) Shams al-Din (the sun of religion), Jamal al-Islam (the beauty of Islam), al-'alim al-Faqih (the jurist scholar), Najm al-Islam (the star of Islam), Taj al-Anam (the crown of people) and Mufti Al al-Rasul (Mufti according to the teachings of Prophet's progeny)." Sayyid Muhsin Amin also writes: "Yahya b. Bitriq al-Hilli is a scholar, Fadil (well educated) Muhaddith (expert in narrative sciences) Muhaqqiq (researcher) Thiqa (reliable) and Saduq (honest)."
Ibn Bitriq narrates from many Sunni and Shi'a scholars and has documented them with their exact names and details. Some of them are as follows:
- Sadid al-Din Mahmud b. al-Hasan al-Himmasi al-Razi, the author of al-Muntaqidh min al-taqlid
- 'Imad al-Din al-Tabari, the author of Bisharat al-Mustafa and Ma'alim al-'ulama
- Ibn Shahrashub, the author of Manaqib
- Abu Ja'far Iqbal b. Mubarak b. Muhammad al-'Ukburi al-Wasiti
- Mu'ammar b. Muhammad b. Ahmad b. 'Abd Allah al-Husayni
- Abu Bakr 'Abd Allah b. Mansur b. 'Umran al-Baqillani
- Abu l-Hasan Muhammad b. al-Hasan b. 'Ali b. Wazir Abu l-'Ala' al-Wasiti
- Muhammad b. Yahya b. Muhammad b. Abi l-Sitlin al-'Alawi al-Baghdadi
Students
- His son, 'Ali b. Yahya b. al-Hasan b. Bitriq
- Abu l-Hasan 'Ali b. Yahya b. Khayyat al-Surawi
- Muhammad b. Ja'far al-Mashhadi known as Ibn al-Mashhadi; the author of al-Mazar.
- Sayyid Fakhkhar b. Ma'd known as Ibn Ma'd
- Najm al-Din Muhammad b. Abi Hisham al-'Alawi
- Muhammad b. Ma'd b. 'Ali Safi al-Din Abu Ja'far al-Musawi
- Muhammad b. 'Ali b. 'Abd Allah b. Zuhra known as Ibn Zuhra
- Safi al-Din Muhammad b. Sa'd al-Musawi
Works
Ibn Bitriq has authored some books which indicate the accuracy and vastness of his knowledge. Most of his books are about reconciliation between narrations and the opinions of Shi'a and Sunni; some of them are exclusively taken from Sunni sources. Some of his works are as follows:
- 'Umdat 'uyun sihah al-akhbar fi manaqib imam al-abrar; (A major source on reliable reports on the virtues of the leader of righteous people) also known as Kitab al-'umda.
- Al-Mustadrak al-mukhtar fi manaqib wasi al-mukhtar; (the chosen mustadrak on the virtues of the chosen successor)
- Khasa'is al-wahy al-mubin fi manaqib Amir al-Mu'minin (a); specifics of the manifested revelation on the virtues of the Commander of the Faithful.
- Ittifaq sihah al-athar fi imamat al-a'immat al-ithna 'ashar; (the consensus of correct reports on the leadership of the twelve Imams).
- Tasaffuh al-sahihayn fi tahlil al-mut'atayn; (the searching through two sahihs in analyzing the issue of two mut'as).
- Al-Radd 'ala ahl al-nazar fi tasaffuh adillat al-qada wa al-qadar.
- Ibtal shubahat al-mutti'awwilin li-nass wilayat Amir al-Mu'minin; (refuting the misgiving of interpreters of the direct command about the wilaya of the Commander of the Faithful).
- Nahj al-'ulum ila nafy al-ma'dum bi su'al ahl Halab
- 'Uyun al-akhbar
- Rijal al-Shi'a
- Al-Manaqib
References
- The material for this article is mainly taken from یحیی بن بطریق in Farsi Wikishia.