Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin: Difference between revisions

'''Al-Sayyid Muḥsin b. ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Amīn al-ʿĀmilī''' (Arabic: {{ia|السید محسن بن عبدالکريم الامین العاملي}}) (b. [[1284]]/1867 - d. [[1371]]/1952) the son of [['Abd al-Karim al-'Amili]] was born to a well-known [[sayyid]] family in [[Jabal Amel]], [[Lebanon]]. His lineage goes back to al-Husayn Dhi l-Dam'a a son of [[Zayd al-Shahid]].

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

After elementary education in his hometown, he learned logic, Arabic syntax, and rhetoric in one of the villages of Jabal Amel. Then, he took part in classes of Musa Shararah.

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 [[jurisprudence]] and [[principles of jurisprudence]] in the classes of [[Muhammad Baqir Najmabadi]] and [[Sayyid Ahmad Karbala'i]] and then attained the level of [[ijtihad]].

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

*'Ali Jamal al-Dimashqi

Al-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.

To acquire certain scholarly sources, he traveled to different regions like [[Syria]], [[Jordan]], [[Palestine]], [[Egypt]], [[Iraq]], and [[Iran]].

# ''Al-Durr al-nadid fi marathi al-sibt al-shahid''; contained poems for mourning for Imam al-Husayn (a). Later the three books were published in one volume by al-Irfan publication, about which al-'Irfan magazine mentioned that no Shi'a would be needless of that.

# ''Al-Majalis al-sunniyya fi masa'ib wa manaqib al-'itrat al-Nabawiyya'' in five volumes. In the introduction of the first volume, he mentioned the authenticity and legitimacy of mourning. However, at the same place, in "Muqaddama muhimma", he mentioned [[hadith]]s forged by [[rawda]] reciters and chest-beating and Qameh-zani and considered them against religion and forbidden.

''Al-Majalis al-sunniyya'' was written to be recited in mourning gatherings for Imam al-Husayn (a) instead of wrong and altered Maqtals. Hearing and receiving wrong reports was the motive of the author to write this book. This corrective movement did not stop there and he prohibited [[Ta'ziya]] and [[Shabih-khani]] which he basically was against. He openly considered any action other than the five mentioned actions wrong and prohibited them. Apparently in 1924, a fight took place in a Shabih-khani ceremony and two persons were killed. Al-Amin used this opportunity and prohibited Shabih-khani and other actions such as hitting oneself and also asked governmental officials to stop them.

After his ruling for prohibition of Shabih-khani, it was stopped in [[Damascus]] as long as he was alive. Shortly later, one of the magazines in Beirut gave an analysis of the views of al-Amin and helped their promotion.

At the same time, some articles were published against Qame-zani which were written by Sayyid Mahdi Musawi Qazwini. These articles were received many reactions and raised a great challenge. Some articles were written against Amin and Qazwini. At that time, Amin was in Shaqra', his own village in Lebanon and attacks against him increased especially in Jabal Amil. According to Ja'far al-Khalili, 'Abd al-Husayn Sadiq in Nabatieh and [['Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din]] in Tyre opposed him.

''[[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 [[companions of the Prophet Muhammad (s)]], [[Tabi'un]] and experts of different fields including narrators, experts of [[hadith]], reciters and [[exegete]]s of the [[Qur'an]], [[jurist]]s, Islamic philosophers, [[theology|theologians]], preachers, poets, experts in Arabic syntax, lexicography, morphology and rhetoric, logicians, mathematicians, astronomers, and even political figures like kings and ministers.

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|Haqq al-yaqin]]''.

Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin passed away in the midnight of [[Rajab 24]], [[1371]]/[[April 19]], 1952 in [[Damascus]] and was buried in front of the main entrance of the [[Shrine of Sayyida Zaynab (a)]].

* Zurāqit, ʿAbd al-Majīd. ''Al-Jānib al-iṣlāhī li-l allāma al-Sayyid Muḥsin al-Amīn al-ʿĀmilī''. Al-Muṣlih al-Islāmī al-Sayyid Muḥsin al-Amīn. Damascus: 1412 AH.

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