Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin: Difference between revisions

'''Sayyid Muhsin b. Sayyid 'Abd al-Karīm 'Amīn al-'Āmilī''' (سید محسن بن سید عبدالکریم امین عامِلی) (b.1284/1867-d.1371/1952) son of [[Abd al-Karim al-Amili]] was born in 1284/1867 to a well-known sadat family ([[the Prophet]]’s (s) descendants) in [[Jabal Amel]], [[Lebanon]]. His lineage goes back to Husayn Dhi al-Dam'ah a son of [[Zayd al-Shahid]]. After elementary education in his hometown, he immigrated to [[Najaf|Najaf al-Ashraf]] and completed [[Sutuh]] and [[Kharij al-fiqh]] and [[Kharij al-usul]] and reached the level of [[Ijtihad]]. There, he taught some students as well. In addition to [[fiqh]] (jurisprudence), he was a good poet, a literary critic and was knowledgeable in Arabic literature as well.

Sayyid Muhsin Amin was a jurist and [[Twelver Shia]] reformist scholar in [[Syria]] and ''[['A'yan al-Shi'a]]'' is his most important work, which is a vast encyclopedia containing biographies of [[Shi'a]] great figures. The book was compiled to show the cultural identity and remind the role of Twelver Shia in the progress of the Islamic civilization. To get access to some sources, he traveled to different lands like: Syria, [[Jordan]], [[Palestine]], [[Egypt]], [[Iraq]] and [[Iran]].

He is son of [['Abd al-Karim al-'Amili]] and he was born in 1284/1867 to a well-known sadat family (the Prophet’s (s) descendants) in Shaqra', a village in [[Jabal 'Amel]], [[Lebanon]]. His Mother was a daughter of Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Falhat al—Maysi, a righteous scholar of his time. His lineage goes back to [[Husayn Dhi al-Dam'ah]] son of [[Zayd al-Shahid]].

After elementary education in his hometown, he learned Logic, Arabic syntax and rhetoric in Baraghith in [[Jabal 'Amil]]. Then, he took part in classes of a teacher from [[Najaf Seminary]], [[Musa Shararah]].

In 1308/1891, he immigrated to [[Najaf]] and stayed there until 1319/1901. He was a student of great Shi'a scholars such as, [[Muhammad Taha Najaf]], [[Aqa Rida Hamadani]], and [[Akhund Khurasani]]. He studied [[Sutuh]] and [[Kharij al-fiqh]] and [[Kharij al-usul]] in the classes of [[Muhammad Baqir Najm Abadi]] and [[Sayyid Ahmad Karbala'i]] and then attained the level of [[Ijtihad]]. In addition to fiqh, he was a good poet, a literary critic and was knowledgeable in Arabic literature as well.

Sayyid Amin became a member of Damascus''s Arabic Scientific Assembly in 1361/1942 and remained an active member until the end of his life. He established several schools to promote cultural educations of Shi'a youth and wrote some textbooks.

[[A'yan al-Shi'a]] is his most important work, which is a comprehensive reference containing biographies of [[Shi'a]] noble figures. A remarkable portion of the book is dedicated to biographies of Shi'a [[Imam]]s; however regarding the expansion of the notion of [[Twelver Shi'a]], the book has included biography and the works of 11733 individuals to present Shi'a cultural identity and show the role of Twelver Shi'as in the progress of Islamic civilization. The book is a great biographical reference of important Shi'a figures, from early years of Islam to scholars contemporary to the compiler, including [[Sahaba]] (companions of the [[Prophet Muhammad]] (s)) [[Tabi'in]] (companions of the companions of the [[Prophet Muhammad]] (s) and experts of different fields including narrators, experts of [[Hadith]], reciters and exegetes of the [[Qur’an]], jurists, Islamic philosophers, theologians, preachers, poets,  experts in Arabic syntax, lexicography, morphology and rhetoric, logicians, mathematicians, astronomers, and even political figures like kings and ministers.

===Other works===

Another work of Sayyid Amin is ''[[Haq al-yaqin fi luzum al-ta’lif bayn al-muslimin]]'' (True certainty in necessity of unity amongst Muslims) in which he emphasizes the necessity of [[unity in Islamic Ummah]].

[[File:Kashf al-irtiyab fi ’itba' Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab.jpg|thumbnail|px250|''[[Kashf al-irtiyab fi ’itba' Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab]]''. one of the important work of Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin]]

His other work is ''[[Kashf al-irtiyab fi ’itba' Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab]]'', in which he refutes the beliefs of [[Wahhabbism]]. The book has been translated to Persian by Ali Akbar Fa’izipur under the title ''Tarikh va Naqd-i Vahhabiyyat''. Also, a synoptic Persian translation of the book has been published with the title ''Farasuy-i Pardiha''.

His other famous work is ''[[Lawa'ij al-'ashjan fi maqtal al-Husayn]]'' (a), in which he discusses the event of [[’Ashura]]. The book has been translated to Persian with two different titles of ''Ashk va matam dar sug-i sibt-i naby-i Khatam'' (s) and ''Imam Husayn (a) va hamasey-e Karbala''.

*''Naqd al-washi’a''

*''Lawa’ij al-ashjan fi Maqtal al-Husayn'' (a)

*''al-Bahr al-zakhkhar fi sharh ahadith a’immat al-athar'' (a)

*''Asas al-shari’a''

He is known as a brave scholar in expressing his ideas, like his correction of the ways of mourning for [[Imam Husayn]] (a) put him in a very difficult fighting situation. He had the two qualities of criticizing some sects and attitudes and endeavoring for building [[Islamic Unity]] together in his scholarly character. Although he refuted beliefs of Wahhabbism in his works ''[[ Kashf al-irtiyab fi ’itba' Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab|Kashf al-irtiyab]] and [[al-'uqud al-durriyyah]]''. He emphasizes the necessity of unity in Islamic Ummah in his work ''[[Haq al-yaqin fi luzum al-ta’lif bayn al-muslimin]]''.

The material for this article is mainly taken from[http://fa.wikishia.net/view/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AF_%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%86 سید محسن امین] in Farsi Wikishia.