Bihar al-anwar (book): Difference between revisions

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| title_orig = {{iarabic|بِحارُالأَنوار الجامِعَةُ لِدُرَرِ أَخبارِ الأَئِمَّةِ الأَطهار}}

'''''Biḥār al-ʾanwār al-jāmiʿat li-durar ʾakhbār al-ʾAʾimmat al-ʾAṫhār''''' (Arabic: {{iarabic|بِحارُالأَنوار الجامِعَةُ لِدُرَرِ أَخبارِ الأَئِمَّةِ الأَطهار}}, literally: Seas of lights: the collection of pearls of the reports of the pure Imams) known as '''''Bihar al-anwar''''', is the most comprehensive Shi'a [[hadith]] collection written under supervision of [[al-'Allama al-Majlisi]]. This book is also commonly called ''al-Bihar'' in brief. Writing of this book which is a collection of Shi'a teachings, lasted more than 30 years and a group of al-'Allama al-Majlisi's students helped him in this task.

Al-Majlisi has tried to cover all common topics and issues in ''Bihar al-anwar''; for example, this collection begins with the book of "al-'Aql wa l-jahl" (wisdom and ignorance) and continues with topics about [[theology]], [[unity of god]], [[divine justice]] and the history of the [[Prophet (s)]]. From volume 15 to volume 53 (of the 110 volume set) is dedicated to the life and merits of the Prophet (s), [[Lady Fatima (s)]], and [[Shi'a Imams (a)]].

Due to its maximum number of hadiths narrated from Shi'a Imams (a), chaptering of topics, explanation of hadiths, various theological, historical, [[jurisprudential]], [[exegetical]], [[ethical]], hadith, and lexical researches, ''Bihar al-anwar'' has a great position among researchers; so that regardless of its many volumes, since its first publication, many manuscript copies of that were written and with later development of printing industry, all or parts of it have been frequently printed.

[[File:Allama Majlisi.jpg|thumbnail|[[Al-'Allama Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi]], the author of ''Bihar al-anwar'']]

Muhammad Baqir b. Muhammad Taqi b. al-Maqsud 'Ali al-Majlisi known as al-'Allama al-Majlisi or the Second al-Majlisi (b. [[1037]]/1627 – d. [[1110]]/1698) and one of the most famous scholars in [[fiqh]] and [[hadith]] in the world of Islam. He was among the nobilities of Shi'a at the time of [[Safavids]]. He was an expert in different Islamic sciences such as [[exegesis]], [[hadith]], [[fiqh]], [[usul]], history, [[rijal]], [[diraya]], [[philosophy]], logic, mathematics, literature, lexicon, geography, medicine, astronomy, and [[occult sciences]].

:"The cause of writing of this book is that I was greedy in learning different types of knowledge and after spending a part of my life on learning different sciences and thinking about the fruits and goals of these sciences I found that knowledge is achieved only through the origin of revelation and the hadiths of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and in the hereafter, only this type of knowledge is helpful. Therefore, I studied the narrations and hadiths of the Infallibles (a)."<ref>Al-Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol. 1, p. 2</ref>

He also tried to collect those references which were about to be lost and thus referred to those books which were abandoned due to excessive attention to [[the Four Books]], the corrupt intentions, lack of attention of the ignorant and the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).<ref>Ibid, vol. 1, pp. 3-4</ref>

He also said that, "No book like this has ever been written and no one has superseded me in this and I hope this book will be the reference of scholars and seekers of knowledge for all those who seek the knowledge of Imams (a) until the rise of [[the Upriser (a)]] of the Ahl al-Bayt (a)."<ref>Ibid, vol. 1, p. 6</ref>

The author decided to write this book after [[1070]]/1660, after he wrote ''Fihris musannafat al-ashab'' and the first date mentioned in ''Bihar al-anwar'' is [[1072]]/1662.<ref>Ibid, vol. 103, p. 255</ref> He finished its draft in 1104/1693 or 1106/1695; however, the clean draft was still being worked on by his students after al-Majlisi passed away.<ref>Al-Amin, ''A'yan al-Shi'a'', vol. 9, p. 183</ref>

To write this book, al-Majlisi sent many of his students to different cities and countries to find available hadith books and manuscripts.<ref>Al-Qumi, ''al-Kuna wa l-alqab'', vol. 3, p. 147</ref> For example, he reported that even to acquire [[Ibn Babawayh]]'s ''[[Madinat al-'ilm]]'' which people thought existed in [[Yemen]], he sent a group with many gifts to the ruler of Yemen to get that book.<ref>Al-Amin, ''A'yan al-Shi'a'', vol. 9, p. 183</ref>

During the writing of ''Bihar al-anwar'', some students of al-Majlisi including Mirza [['Abd Allah Afandi]], [[Mir Muhammad Salih Khatunabadi]], Mulla [['Abd Allah b. Nur al-din al-Bahrayni]], [[al-Sayyid Ni'mat Allah al-Jaza'iri]] and Amina Khatun, sister of al-'Allama al-Majlisi, helped him.<ref>Mahdawi, ''Zindigi Nami-yi 'Allami Majlisi'', vol. 2, p. 226</ref>

Al-Majlisi could well manage all the works needed, so he only sent his students to collect and write [[verses]] of the [[Qur'an]] and hadiths under the titles he organized. The rest of selections from text and writing the final draft was done by he himself.<ref>''Al-Mu'jam al-mufahras'', vol. 1, pp. 7-8</ref> However, finishing the whole book was done after he passed away by his students.<ref>Al-Amin, ''A'yan al-Shi'a'', vol. 9, p. 183; Al-Bahrani, ''Lu'lu'at al-bahrayn'', p. 57</ref>

Al-Majlisi chose titles for the front cover of every book and organized titles in every book. He began every chapter with verses of the glorious Qur'an which were either directly related or through different historical, hadith and interpretational evidences they were related with the title; then he brought quotations from different [[exegetes]] (usually [[Amin al-Islam al-Tabrisi]] and [[Fakhr al-Din al-Razi]]) and then he mentioned hadiths related with any title together with their references. He sometimes narrated a part of a hadith and brought it in full elsewhere more appropriate (he sometimes mentioned where he had brought the hadith in full) and also, if necessary, he explained the meaning of hadiths, his explanations are not found in the volumes copied by his students.

Although al-Majlisi benefited from the helps of some scholars, financial help of [[Safavid]] government, and different privileges and facilities for gathering sources for the process of writing ''Bihar al-anwar'', according to available manuscripts and other evidences, he-after achieving scientific degrees and writing most of his books-did the main job himself.

As an encyclopedia of the legacy of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]], ''Bihar al-anwar'' has always had a great and important position in the scientific tradition of Shi'a.

[[Aqa Buzurg Tihrani]] says, "''Bihar al-anwar'' is a comprehensive book which contains the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (a); accurate researches, better than which cannot be found and it must be said that similar to this book has neither been written in the past, nor would ever be written in the future."<ref>Aqa Buzurg Tihrani, ''Al-Dhari'a'', vol. 3, p. 16</ref>

[[Imam Khomeini]] wrote, "''Bihar al-anwar'' is the work of the great scholar of hadith, Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi which contains nearly 400 books and treatises; ''Bihar al-anwar'' is itself a library and its author wrote it when he saw that many hadiths books are about to be lost and wasted due to their small size and being less accessed."<ref>Khomeini, ''Kashf al-asrar'', p. 319</ref>

The important point about writing of ''Bihar al-anwar'' is that the author's limited usage of [[the Four Books]] made it a less important [[jurisprudential]] reference and even though it has a great coverage of other fields in Shi'a culture, it is not used in jurisprudential discussions as a common reference.

Also, the type of analyses al-'Allama al-Majlisi gives about hadiths have been made in moderate [[Akhbari]] atmosphere and even where he faces rational issues, he criticizes that with a [[theological]] approach based on the apparent meaning, not with a rational and philosophical approach; therefore, some Shi'a scholars believe that al-'Allama al-Majlisi's explanations and comments are not accurate enough.<ref>Sayyid Muhammad Khamene'i, '' 'Allami Tabataba'i wa Majlisi wa hadith-i 'aql wa jahl''</ref> Thus, some commentaries and comments al-Allama al-Majlisi gives under some titles such as [[soul]], [[self]], [[intellect]], etc. have been criticized by scholars; for example, in his gloss about some parts of ''Bihar al-anwar'', [['Allama Tabataba'i]] wrote, "… and the safe approach for someone who is not competent enough in deep rational discussions is that he follows the apparent meaning of the Qur'an and hadiths and leave understanding the truth of them to God and avoids entering deep rational discussions either approving or disapproving anything."<ref>Al-Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol. 1, p. 104, footnote</ref> Also in ''[[A'yan al-Shi'a]]'', [[al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin]] wrote, "Many of the statements, explanations and comments of al-'Allama al-Majlisi for hadiths, etc. have been written at rush and this has led to less beneficial and more erroneous discussions."<ref>Al-Amin, ''A'yan al-Shi'a'', vol. 9, p. 183</ref>

At the beginning of the book, al-'Allama al-Majlisi mentioned 387 Shi'a books written by 25 authors as the sources. He has also benefited from [[Sunni]] sources for proving and approving Shi'a [[hadiths]] the number of which reaches 85. In writing ''Bihar al-anwar'', he has also benefited from lexical sources and commentaries as well. Al-'Allama al-Majlisi also mentions some sources during the writing process of the book.<ref>Al-Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol. 1, pp. 6-26</ref>

== Titles ==

# (Volumes 3 & 4) ''Kitab al-tawhid wa l-sifat wa l-asma' al-husna'', containing the book of [[unity of God]], His [[Divine attributes|attributes]] and good [[Divine Names|names]] of His Holy Essence, ''[[Tawhid al-Mufaddal]]'', and ''Risala Ihlilaja'', containing 31 chapters.

# (volumes 5 to 8) ''Kitab al-'adl wa l-mashiyya wa l-irada wa l-qada' wa l-qadar'', containing the books of [[justice]] of God, [[Divine providence]], ordinance, fore-ordainment, guidance, deviation, trial, nature, covenant, [[repentance]], reasons of rulings, preludes to [[death]] and its endings, in 59 chapters.

# (Volumes 15 to 22) ''Kitab fi ahwal nabiyyina al-akram (a) wa ahwal jumlat min aba'ih'', containing the biography of the noble [[Prophet (s)]] and some of his forefathers, explaining the truth of [[miracle]]s and the miracle of the [[Qur'an]], biographies of [[Abu Dharr]], [[Salman]], [['Ammar]], [[Miqdad]] and some other great [[companion]]s, in 72 chapters.

# (Volumes 28 to 34) ''Kitab fi l-fitan ba'd al-Nabi (s)'', about the mischiefs made after the Prophet (s), conduct of [[caliph]]s and what happened during their rules, [[Battle of Jamal]], [[Battle of Siffin]], [[Battle of Nahrawan]], [[Mu'awiya]]'s plundering around [[Iraq]], biographies of some of [[Imam 'Ali (a)|Imam 'Ali's (a)]] companions, commentary on some of poems attributed to him and the commentary of some of Imam's letters, in 62 chapters.

# (Volumes 35 to 42) ''Kitab fi ahwal Amir al-Mu'minin (a) min wiladatih ila shahdatih'' about the biography of Imam 'Ali (a) from his birthday to his [[martyrdom]], biography of [[Abu Talib]], the father of 'Ali (a), [[Faith of Abu Talib|his faith]], and the faith of some of the companions of Imam 'Ali (a) and [[hadith]]s about [[Imamate]] of Imams (a), in 128 chapters.

# (Volumes 46 to 48) ''Kitab fi ahwal al-a'immat al-arba'a ba'd al-Husayn (a)'' about the biographies of the four Imams (a) after Imam al-Husayn (a) i.e. [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]], [[Imam al-Baqir (a)]], [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]], [[Imam al-Kazim (a)]] and some of their companions and children, in 46 chapters.

# (Volumes 49 & 50) ''Kitab fi ahwal al-a'immat al-arba'a qabl al-Hujja al-Muntazar (aj)'', about the biographies of the four Imams (a) before Imam al-Mahdi (aj) i.e. [[Imam al-Rida (a)]], [[Imam al-Taqi (a)]], [[Imam al-Hadi (a)]] and [[Imam al-'Askari]], and the biographies of some of their companions, in 39 chapters.

# (Volumes 51 to 53) ''Kitab fi ahwal al-Hujjat al-Muntazar (aj)'', about the life of [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)]] in 36 chapters.

# (Volumes 54 to 63) ''Kitab fi l-sama' wa l-'alam'', about the sky, the world and its [[creation]], its elements such as [[heaven]]ly creatures, [[angel]]s, [[jinn]]s, human beings, animals, matter, and prey. The method of killing the animals, edibles and beverages and the whole books of ''[[Tibb al-Nabi (s)]]'' and ''[[Tibb al-Rida (a)]'', in 210 chapters.

# (Volumes 64 to 76) ''Kitab fi l-iman wa l-kufr'', about [[faith]] and [[disbelief]] in three parts, first: faith and its requirement, qualities of believers, their merits, the merit of [[Shi'a]] and their description, second: Good manner, what causes people's survival from the catastrophes of the world, third: disbelief and its branches and vices organized, in 108 chapters.

# (Volume 77) ''Kitab al-ziy wa l-tajammul fi l-adab wa l-sunan'' about manners, traditions, ornaments and decorations, hygiene, using kuhl, perfumes, [[night vigil]], sleeping, traveling, [[prohibition]]s and [[greater sins]], in 131 chapters.

# (Volumes 92 & 93) ''Kitab fi fada'il al-Qur'an wa l-dhikr'' in two parts, merits of the [[Qur'an]], related manners and rewards and its [[miracle]]. Also, the whole of ''[[Tafsir al-Nu'mani]]'', in 130 chapters. Second part: about [[dhikr]] and its types, manners of [[supplication]] and its requirements, [[hirz]], du'as for pains, ''Sahifat Idris'', etc. in 131 chapters.

# (Volumes 97 to 100) ''Kitab fi l-hajj wa l-'umra'', about [[hajj]], [['umra]], [[jihad]], [[enjoining to the good and forbidding the evil]], description and events of [[Medina]], etc. in 84 chapters.

# (Volume 101) ''Kitab fi l-mazar'', about the [[ziyarah]]s narrated from the [[infallible]] Imams (a) in 64 chapters.

# (Volume 104) ''Kitab fi l-ahkam l-shar'iyya'', about religious rulings to the book of [[diyat]] in 48 chapters.

# (Volumes 105 to 110) ''Kitab fi l-ijazat'', about permissions and the list of contents for [[al-Shaykh Muntajab al-Din al-Razi]], a selection of [[al-Sayyid 'Ali Khan al-Madani]]'s ''Salafat al-'asr'', beginning parts of [[al-Sayyid b. Tawus]]'s ''Ijazat'', [[al-'Allama al-Hilli]]'s ''al-Ijaza al-kabira'' for Banu Zuhra and the permissions of [[al-Shahid al-Awwal]] and [[al-Shahid al-Thani]], and others.<ref>Ibid, vol. 102, pp. 37-44</ref>

=== Companions, Dictionaries, and Indices ===

* 'Ali Namazi Shahrudi's ''Mustadrak safinat al-bihar'',

* [[Mirza Husayn Nuri]]'s ''Ma'alim al-'ibbar'', the [[supplement]] to the seventh volume,

* Mirza Husayn Nuri's supplement of the ''mazar'' part,

* ''Riyad al-abrar'', the companion to the ''ijazat'',

* ''Al-Mu'jam al-mufahras li-alfaz ahadith bihar al-anwar''

* Kazim Muradkhani's ''Al-Mu'jam al-mufahras li-alfaz abwab al-bihar''

* 'Ali Rida Barazish's ''Al-Mu'jam al-mufahras li-alfaz ahadith bihar al-anwar''

* Al-Sayyid Muhammad b. Ahmad Husayn al-Lahijani's ''Fihrist ma fi al-bihar''

* Muhammad Rida b. 'Abd al-Muttalib Tabizi's ''Al-Shafi fi l-jam' bayn al-bihar wa l-wafi''

* Sayyid Jawad Mustafavi's ''al-Tatbiq bayn al-safinat wa l-bihar''

* Shaykh Jawad Isfahani's ''Miftah al-abwab li-kitab al-bihar''

* ''Dala'il al-ayat al-mufassara wa asma' al-suwar fi ahadith bihar al-anwar''

* Hasan Safari Nadiri's ''Mu'arrifi wa rawish-i istifada az bihar al-anwar''

* Muhammad b. Muhammad Hadi Na'ini's ''Anwar al-bihar''

* Mirza Muhammad Sadiq Shirazi's ''Talkhis al-bihar''

* Mirza Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Nabi Niyshaburi's ''Hadiqat al-azhar fi talkhis al-bihar''

* Mirza Ibrahim b. Husayn b. Ghaffar Dunbali Khu'i's ''Talkhis al-bihar''

* Mawla Muhammad Taqi b. Muhammad Khu'i's ''Durar al-bihar''

* Fayd al-Islam's ''Banadir al-bihar''

* Muhammad Hadi b. Murtada Kashani's ''Muntakhab bihar al-anwar''

* The material for writing of this article is mainly taken from [http://fa.wikishia.net/%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1_(%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8) بحار الأنوار] in Farsi WikiShia.

* ''Al-Mu'jam al-mufahras li alfaz ahdith bihar al-anwar'', Qom, 1413 AH.

* Amin al-'Amili, al-Sayyid Muhsin al-. ''A'yan al-Shi'a''. Beirut: Dar al-Ta'aruf, 1406 AH.

* Bahrani, Yusuf al-. ''Lu'luat al-bahrayn''. Qom: Mu'assisat Al al-Bayt.

* Khomeini, Ruhollah. ''Kashf al-asrar''. Qom.

* Mahdawi, Muslih al-Din. ''Zindigi nama-yi 'Allami Majlisi''. Tehran, Printing & Publication Organization of Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, 1378 Sh.

* Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir al-. ''Bihar al-anwar''. Beirut, Mu'assist al-Wafa', 1403 AH.

* Qumi, 'Abbas. ''Al-Kuna wa l-alqab''. Tehran, Maktabat al-Sadr, 1359 Sh.

* Tihrani, Aqa Buzurg. ''Al-Dhari'a ila tasanif al-Shi'a''. Beirut: Dar al-adwa', 1389 AH.