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

{{Infobox Shia scholar

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'''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.

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]].<ref>Qummī, ''Safīnat al-bīḥār'', vol. 2, p. 495.</ref> 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.<ref>Khwansārī, ''Rawḍāt al-jannāt'', vol. 6, p. 108.</ref>

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)]].<ref>Baḥr al-ʿulūm, ''al-Fawāʾid al-rijālīyya'', vol. 3, p. 336.</ref> [[Ayatullah]] [[Khoei]] believed that his birth was after the [[martyrdom]] of Imam al-'Askari (a).<ref>Khoei, ''Muʿjam rijāl al-ḥadīth'', vol. 19, p. 58.</ref>

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.<ref>Ghaffār, ''al-Kulaynī wa l-Kāfī'', p. 124-125.</ref> He was the first Islamic scholar who was called "[[Thiqat al-Islam]]".<ref>Ghaffār, ''al-Kulaynī wa l-Kāfī'', p. 264-267.</ref> 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]].<ref>Mudarris, ''Rayḥānat al-adab'', vol. 5, p. 79.</ref>

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.<ref>Ghaffār, ''al-Kulaynī wa l-Kāfī'', p. 264-267.</ref>  

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]].<ref>Ghaffār, ''al-Kulaynī wa l-Kāfī'', p. 264-267.</ref>

Ibn Athir, the Sunni historian counted al-Kulayni among great [[Twelver Shia]] scholars.<ref>Ibn Athīr, ''al-Kāmil fī tārīkh'', vol. 8, p. 364.</ref> Al-Dhahabi mentioned al-Kulayni as a Shia shaykh and Twlever Shia scholar who had several written works.<ref>Dhahabī, ''Siyar iʿlām al-nubalāʾ'', vol. 15, p. 280.</ref> Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani and Ibn Makula say that, "he is among Shia [[faqih]]s and authors."<ref>Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, ''Lisān al-mīzān'', vol. 5, p. 433; Ibn Mākula, ''Ikmāl al-kamāl'', vol. 7, p. 186.</ref> Ibn 'Asakir has described him having great merits in his book.<ref>Ibn ʿAsākir, ''Tārīkh Madīna Dimashq'', vol. 56, p. 297.</ref>

[[File:Al-Kafi ; al-Kulayni.jpg|220px|thumbnail|''[[Al-Kafi]]'']]

In addition to ''[[al-Kafi]]'', al-Kulayni had some other works which show his scientific position in fields other than hadiths; such as,  

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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''.<ref>Khoei, ''Muʿjam rijāl al-ḥadīth'', vol. 19, p. 59.</ref> His other famous teachers are:  

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There are some great Shia scholars among his students and those who transmitted hadiths from him.  

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==Demise and Burial Place==

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)]].<ref>Mudarris, ''Rayḥānat al-adab'', vol. 8, p. 80.</ref> [[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.<ref>Najāshī, ''Rijāl al-Najāshī'', p. 378; Ṭūsī, ''al-Fihrit'', p. 210-211.</ref> 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.<ref>Khwansārī, ''Rawḍāt al-jannāt'', vol. 6, p. 108.</ref>

*Ṭūsī, Muḥammadd b. al-Ḥasan al-. ''Al-Fihrist''. Edited by Jawād al-Qayyūmī. [n.p]: Nasht al-Fiqāha, 1417 AH.

*Ṭūsī, Muḥammadd b. al-Ḥasan al-. ''Rijāl''. Edited by Jawād al-Qayyūmī. Qom: Muʾassisat al-Nashr al-Islāmī, 1415 AH.

{{Hadith Scholars}}

[[id:Muhammad bin Ya'qub al-Kulaini]]

[[de:Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Kulainī]]

[[Category:Hadith scholars]]

[[Category:Scholars of 10th century]]

[[Category:Buried in Baghdad]]