Bihar al-anwar (book): Difference between revisions

{{featured article|July 11, 2016}}

He also said that, "No book like this has ever been written and no one has superseded me in this and I hope this book will be the reference of scholars and seekers of knowledge for all those who seek the knowledge of Imams (a) until the rise of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

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>

# (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.

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