Muhasabat al-nafs al-lawwama (book)
 | |
| Author | Ibrahim b. Ali al-Kaf'ami |
|---|---|
| Original title | مُحاسِبَةُ النّفس اللوّامَة و تَنْبیهُ الرّوح النوّامَة |
| Language | Arabic |
| Series | 1 vol. |
| Subject | Ethics (self-examination and self-interrogation) |
Muḥāsabat al-nafs al-lawwāma wa tanbīh al-rūḥ al-nawwāma (Arabic: مُحاسِبَةُ النّفس اللوّامَة و تَنْبیهُ الرّوح النوّامَة) is an ethical book in Arabic written by al-Kaf'ami (d. 905/1499-1500). The book concerns self-examination or self-interrogation (muhasabat al-nafs). The author tries to encourage readers to purify their souls by appealing to Qur'anic verses, hadiths, wisdoms, literary pieces, proverbs, and poems.
Author
Ibrahim b. Ali al-Kaf'ami (b. 840/1436-7 - d. 905/1499-1500) was among Shi'a scholars of the 9th/15th century. He lived in Jabal 'Amil, Lebanon and his lineage reached Harith al-Hamdani. Due to his expertise in different sciences of his time, al-Kaf'ami had miscellaneous works, and biographers have spoken highly of him. Al-Misbah and al-Balad al-Amin are among his famous works in ziyara and supplication.
Title of the Book
The author does not mention the title of the book, but he points to it in the introduction of the book as "Muhasabat al-nafs al-lawwama wa tanbih al-ruh al-nawwama"[1].
Content
In this book, al-Kaf'ami does not cite the sources of hadiths, and the editor of the book has not added the sources. Apparently, the author cites the hadiths from texts at his disposal, which are no longer available to us. The author draws upon his literary skills to present an eloquent rhymed prose[citation needed].
In this book, the author points to encouraging and warning Quranic verses, encouraging and warning hadiths from the Prophet (s), commands and prohibitions, sermons, wisdoms, proverbs, fine remarks, literary statements, and poems[2]. In his al-Dhari'a, Aqa Buzurg Tihrani writes that al-Kaf'ami finished writing the book in 895, which includes good sermons and addresses towards the soul with influential words[3].
Manuscripts
The editor of the book cites four manuscripts from the Library of Astan Quds Razavi, based on which he has compared different manuscripts, extracted Quranic verses, explicated abstruse words, and so on[4].
The book has been independently published as edited by Faris al-Hassun by Mu'assisa Qa'im Al Muhammad in Qom and Mu'assisa al-Fikr al-Islami in Beirut.
Notes
References
- Kafʿamī, Ibrāhīm b. ʿAlī al-. Muhāsabat al-nafs. Edited by Faris al-Hassun. Qom: Muʾassisa Qā'im Āl Muḥammad, 1413 AH.
- Āgā Buzurg al-Tihrānī, Muḥammad Muḥsin. Al-Dharīʿa ilā taṣānīf al-shīʿa. Beirut: Dār al-Aḍwāʾ.
- The material for this article is mainly taken from محاسبة النفس اللوامة (کتاب) in Farsi WikiShia.