Abu l-Hasan Sha'rani

Abu l-Hasan Sha'rani

Personal Information
Birth	1320/1902-3
Residence	Tehran
Death	Shawwal 7, 1393/November 3, 1973
Burial Place	Rey, inside the holy shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani
Scholarly Information
Professors	Mirza Mahdi Ashtiyani, Mirza Mahmud Qummi, Habib Allah Dhu l-Funun, Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri Yazdi, Shaykh 'Abd al-Nabi Nuri, Sayyid Abu Turab Khwansari
Students	Mirza Hashim Amuli, 'Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli, Hasan Hasanzada Amuli, Muhammad Hasan Ahmad Faqih Yazdi, Ali Akbar Ghaffari, Muhaddith Urmuwi
Works	A commentary on Tajrid al-i'tiqad, Rah-i sa'adat, Annotations on Majma' al-bayan, Falsafi ula

Abū l-Ḥasan Sha'rānī (Persian: ابوالحسن شعرانی) (b. 1320/1902-3 - d. 1393/1973), known as 'Allama Sha'rani, was a Shi'a scholar and philosopher in the 14th/20th century. He knew French and English, and was an expert in Quranic studies, hadith, fiqh, usul al-fiqh, kalam (Islamic theology), Islamic philosophy, geometry, and astronomy. Thus he wrote many works in these areas. His teachers include Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri Yazdi, Mirza Mahdi Ashtiyani and Mirza Mahmud Qummi, and his students include Mirza Hashim Amuli, Hasan Hasanzada Amuli, and 'Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli. In addition to writing books, he wrote commentaries and annotations on important books of the Quranic exegesis, hadith, theology and Islamic philosophy. His books include Falsafi ula, which concerns the views of western philosophers about metaphysics and the immateriality of the soul, and Rah-i sa'adat, which is an argument for prophethood and in particular, the prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad (s).

Education

Mirza Abu l-Hasan Sha'rani was born in 1320/1902-3 in Tehran and his father was a clergy. He learned the Qur'an from his father, Shaykh Muhammad Tihrani, and started his Islamic education in the Marwi Seminary where he studied Arabic literature, Persian literature, logic, fiqh, usul al-fiqh, Islamic philosophy and mathematics. He then went to the Qom Seminary, which had recently been founded, and attended advanced lectures of fiqh and usul al-fiqh in Qom. His father died when Abu l-Hasan was twenty-six. After this, he migrated to Iraq where he studied Shiite as well as Sunni fiqh. When he finished his education and after studying and practice of mysticism, he returned to Tehran in the era of Rida Shah Pahlawi where he started teaching, research, and preaching.

Professors

• Mirza Mahdi Ashtiyani
• Mirza Mahmud Qummi
• Habib Allah Dhu l-Funun
• Shaykh 'Abd al-Karim Ha'iri Yazdi
• Shaykh 'Abd al-Nabi Nuri
• Sayyid Abu Turab Khwansari

Knowledge of other languages

In addition to expertise in different Islamic disciplines, Abu l-Hasan Sha'rani knew some languages, including Persian, Arabic, French, Turkish, English, and Hebrew.

Students

Sha'rani taught many students during his life. Here are some of his prominent students:

• Mirza Hashim Amuli
• 'Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli
• Hasan Hasanzada Amuli
• Muhammad Hasan Ahmad Faqih Yazdi
• Ali Akbar Ghaffari
• Muhaddith Urmuwi
• Sayyid Ahmad Khwansari

Works

Sha'rani wrote many works in different areas of Islamic disciplines and human sciences, from fiqh and usul al-fiqh to Islamic philosophy, kalam, the Qur'an, and hadith. Here is a list of some of his important work.

Quranic exegesis and sciences

• Annotations on Majma' al-bayan (in ten volumes)

• Editing Tafsir al-safi (two volumes)

• Annotations on Tafsir manhaj al-sadiqin (ten volumes)

• An introduction and annotations on Tafsir Abu l-Futuh al-Razi (twelve volumes)

• Nathr tuba, an encyclopedia of Quranic terms (from the letter, "alif" to the letter, "sad")

• Tajwid al-Quran

• Publication of more than 60 copies of the Quran in different sizes

Hadith

• Annotations on al-Wafi (three volumes)

• Annotations on Mulla Salih Mazandarani's commentary on Usul al-kafi (twelve volumes)

• Annotations on Wasa'il al-Shi'a (volumes 16 through 20)

• Annotations on Daylami's Irshad al-qulub

• A translation of, and a commentary on, Supplication of 'Arafa by Imam al-Husayn (a) in Farsi

• A translation of, and a commentary on, al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya in Farsi

• Editing Jami' al-ruwat

• An essay concerning dirayat al-hadith

Fiqh and usul al-fiqh

• Al-Madkhal ila 'adhb al-manhal concerning usul al-fiqh

• A commentary on Kifayat al-usul

• A commentary on 'Allama Hilli's Tabsira

• A commentary on Qawa'id al-usul

• A commentary on al-'Urwat al-wuthqa's discussion of doubts during prayers

• A brief introduction to fiqh in Farsi (as a material to teach in schools)

• Manasik hajj (hajj rituals) with annotations of 9 Shiite authorities (maraji')

Islamic philosophy and theology (kalam)

• A commentary on Tajrid al-i'tiqad

• Annotations on al-Muhaddith al-Nuri's Fasl al-khitab

• Rah-i sa'adat (an argument for prophethood and a reply to objections by Jews and Christians concerning the prophethood of Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah (s)

• A translation of the book, al-Imam 'Ali sawt al-'adala al-insaniyya into Farsi. The book was written by George Jordac. Sha'rani has annotated some of his objections in the translation.

• Annotations on the book, Muhammad: prophet and statesman, by Montgomery Watt

• Philosophical terminologies

• An introduction and annotations on Mulla Hadi Sabziwari's Asrar al-hikam

• Falsafa-yi ula ya ma ba'd al-tabi'a (First philosophy or metaphysics) in Farsi

Astronomy

• An essay on how to work with zij in accordance with new astronomy

• Annotations on Tashrih al-afka in terms of new astronomy

• A translation on Flammarion's book about stronomy from French to Perisan

• Day and night calendars

History

• A translation of Shaykh 'Abbas Qumi's Nafas al-mahmum

• An introduction and an editing of Kashf al-ghumma

• An introduction and an editing of Muntakhab al-tawarikh

• An introduction to Waqa'i' al-sinin by Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Khatun Abadi

• An introduction and editing of, and annotations on, Mulla Husayn Kashifi's book, Rawdat al-shuhada'

Misc.

• An introduction and editing of, and annotations on, volumes 1 and 3 of Nafa'is al-funun fi 'arabis al-'uyun by Shams al-Din Mahmud Amuli.

Death

Late in his life, Sha'rani was taken to Germany in order to be cured, but to no avail; he died on Saturday, Shawwal 7, 1393/November 3, 1973. His corpse was taken back to Iran and was buried in the Holy shrine of 'Abd al-'Azim al-Hasani on Thursday that week.