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

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Many of the members of al-Kulayni family and relatives were among religious scholars. His father Ya'qub b. Ishaq was among the scholars of his time and lived during the age of [[Minor Occultation]]. Abu l-Hasan Ali b. Muhammad known as 'Alan al-Razi was al-Kulayni's uncle and Muhammad b. 'Aqil al-Kulayni, Ahmad b. Muhammad and Muhammad b. Ahmad were all relatives of al-Kulayni and among great Shi'a scholars.  

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).

References of [[rijal]] and biography have mentioned al-Kulayni with titles such as Abu Ja'far, Muhammad b. Ya'qub, Ibn Ishaq, Thiqat al-Islam, al-Razi, Silsili and al-Baghdadi. He was the first Islamic scholar who was called "[[Thiqat al-Islam]]". Due to his God-wariness, knowledge and merits, people referred to him for solving their religious questions and receiving rulings. He was called as Silsili because he lived in Darb al-Silsila at Bab Kufa of [[Baghdad]].  

Beside continuing his education and studies and learning about the thoughts of other religions in [[Rey]], which was the center for the meeting of [[Islam'ili]], [[Hanafi]], [[Shafi'i]] and [[Imami]] ideas and thoughts, al-Kulayni decided to compile [[hadiths]]. He learned hadith studies under Abu l-Hasan Muhamamd b. Asadi al-Kufi who lived in Rey. He then moved to [[Qom]] to perfect his hadith studies. He met hadith scholars who had heard hadiths directly from [[Imam al-Hadi (a)]] and [[Imam al-'Askari (a)]] and benefitted from great teachers.  

According to historical evidences, al-Kulayni went to [[Baghdad]] which was among the great scientific centers after he finished writing ''[[al-Kafi]]'' in 327/939, two years before he passed away. An evidence for the fact that ''al-Kafi'' had finished before he went to Baghdad is that even though he lived at the time of the [[Four Deputies]] of [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)]], he did not narrate any hadith directly from them.  

In the books of biography and history, all his advocates and critics mentioned his merits and glory. With regards to his fame, [[Shi'a]] and [[Sunni]] scholars referred to his rulings in [[fiqh]] and titled him as [[Thiqat al-Islam]].  

* 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.  

* [[Al-Najashi]], the Shi'a scholar in rijal said, "In his time, he [al-Kulayni] was the leader of Shia in Rey and the most reliable among them in hadiths and recording them. He compiled his great book named ''[[al-Kafi]]'' in 20 years."

* 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.  

* ''Fadl al-Qurʾan''.

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.