Muhammad b. Ya'qub al-Kulayni: Difference between revisions

'''Abu Jaʿfar, Muḥammad b. Yaʿqub b. Isḥāq al-Kulayni Al-Rāzī''' (Arabic: {{ia|ابوجعفر، محمّد بن یعقوب بن اسحاق الرازی}}) (c. [[255]]/869 - [[328]]/940) was among the greatest [[Shi'a]] [[hadith]] scholars and the author of ''[[al-Kafi]]'', the most authentic Shi'a [[hadith collection]] and one the [[Four Books]]. He was born after the martyrdom of [[Imam al-'Askari (a)]], at the time of [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)]] and met some hadith transmitters who directly had heard hadiths from Imam al-Hadi (a) and Imam al-'Askari (a). It is said that al-Kulayni was very accurate in transmitting hadiths. [[Ibn Qulawayh]], Muhammad b. Ali Majilawayh al-Qummi, [[Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Zurari]] were among his students.

Despite some ambiguities about exact time and place of the birth of al-Kulayni, many biographers have considered it certain that he was born in [[Kulayn]] village of [[Rey]]. About the time of his birth, some historical evidences show that he was born, before or shortly after the birth of [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)]], around [[255]]/869, and lived in the age of [[Minor Occultation]]. [[Bahr al-'Ulum]] considered it possible that al-Kulayni lived toward the end of the life of [[Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (a)]]. [[Ayatullah]] [[Khoei]] believed that his birth was after the [[martyrdom]] of Imam al-'Askari (a).

* About him, [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] wrote in his book of rijal, "Muhammad b. Ya'qub al-Kulayni with the [[kunya]] of Abu Ja'far al-A'war, was a great scholar especially in [[hadith]]. He has some written works mentioned in ''al-Kafi''."  

Elsewhere, he mentioned al-Kulayni as thiqa (reliable) and knowledgeable in narrations.  

* Other Shia scholars such as [[Ibn Shahr Ashub]], [['Allama al-Hilli]], [[Ibn Dawud al-Hilli]], [[Mustafa b. Husayn al-Tafrishi|al-Tafrishi]], [[Muhammad b. Ali al-Ardabili|al-Ardabili]] and [[Sayyid Abu l-Qasim al-Khoei]] have also approved al-Shaykh al-Tusi and al-Najashi's statements.  

Ibn Athir, the Sunni historian counted al-Kulayni among great [[Twelver Shia]] scholars. Al-Dhahabi mentioned al-Kulayni as a Shia shaykh and Twlever Shia scholar who had several written works. Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani and Ibn Makula say that, "he is among Shia [[faqih]]s and authors." Ibn 'Asakir has described him having great merits in his book.  

Up to 50 sources and teachers of al-Kulayni have been mentioned who educated and taught him as well as narrating [[hadiths]] for him. His most influential teacher was [[Ali b. Ibrahim al-Qummi]], author of ''[[Tafsir Qummi]]'' who has been mentioned in the chain of tramitters of more than 7068 hadiths in ''al-Kafi''. His other famous teachers are:  

Al-Kulayni passed away in [[Baghdad]], at the age of 70 in [[328]]/940 (year of "Tanathur al-Nujum"), the first year of the age of the [[Major Occultation]] of [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)]]. [[Al-Najashi]] and [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] have reported that Muhammad b. Ja'far al-Hasani known as Abu Qirat who was a great scholar performed the prayer upon al-Kulayni's body. His body was buried in Bab Kufa. A person called Ibn 'Abdun has seen al-Kulayni's grave in Ta'i road upon which there have been the name of al-Kulayni and the name of his father. Muhammad Baqir Khwansari wrote that, "what is famous about the grave of al-Kulayni is that it is in the east of Baghdad and tigris river, in the Tikya Mawlawiyya and everyone visits there.

* The material for this article is mainly taken from [http://fa.wikishia.net/view/کلینی کلینی] in Farsi Wikishia.