Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin: Difference between revisions

After elementary education in his hometown, he immigrated to [[Najaf]] and completed his studies in [[fiqh]] and [[usul al-fiqh]] and reached the level of [[ijtihad]]. There, he taught some students as well. He was also a good poet, a literary critic and knowledgeable in Arabic literature as well.

In [[1308]]/1890-1, he immigrated to [[Najaf]] and stayed there until 1319/1901-2. He was a student of great Shi'a scholars such as, [[Muhammad Taha Najaf]], [[Aqa Rida Hamadani]], and [[Akhund Khurasani]]. He studied [[fiqh]] and [[usul al-fiqh]] in the classes of [[Muhammad Baqir Najmabadi]] and [[Sayyid Ahmad Karbala'i]] and then attained the level of [[ijtihad]].

In addition to fiqh, he also was a good poet, a literary critic, and was knowledgeable in Arabic literature as well.

''A'yan al-Shi'a'' is his most important work, which is a comprehensive reference containing biographies of [[Twelver Shi'a|Shi'a]] noble figures. A remarkable portion of the book is dedicated to biographies of Shi'a [[Imams (a)]]; however regarding the expansion of the notion of Twelver Shi'a, the book has included biography and the works of 11,733 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'un]] 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.

''A'yan al-Shi'a'' consists of ten large volumes, of which the first one and half volumes are the introduction and the biographies of the Prophet (s), Lady [[Fatimah al-Zahra (s)]] and Shi'a Imams (a). The rest are biographies of other Shi'a figures.

Another work of Sayyid Amin is ''[[Haqq 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]].

His other work is ''[[Kashf al-irtiyab fi 'itba' Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab]]'', in which he refutes the beliefs of [[Wahhabbism]].

His other famous work is ''[[Lawa'ij al-'ashjan fi maqtal al-Husayn (a)]]'', in which he discusses the event of [['Ashura]].

Among his noticeable works is ''[[al-Tanzih li-a'mal al-shabih]]'' which has been written in objection to some of common ways of mourning among [[Shi'a]] and considers acts like [[tatbir]] against the Islamic Law.

and more than 70 other titles.

He is known as a brave scholar in expressing his ideas, like his objection to some rituals in the mourning for [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] which 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 [[Wahhabism]] in his works ''Kashf al-irtiyab]] and [[al-'Uqud al-durriyya]]''. He emphasizes the necessity of unity in Islamic Ummah in his work ''[[Haqq al-yaqin fi luzum al-ta'lif bayn al-muslimin]]''.

* The material for this article is mainly taken from [http://fa.wikishia.net/view/سید_محسن_امین سید محسن امین] in Farsi Wikishia.