Al-Sharif al-Murtada: Difference between revisions

| Professors = [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]], [[Abu 'Ubayd Allah al-Marzbani]]

| Students = [[Al-Shaykh al-Tusi]], [[Abu Ya'la al-Ja'fari]], [[Abu l-Salah al-Halabi]], [[Ibn Barraj]], [[Sallar al-Daylami]], ...

''''Alī b. al-Ḥusayn b. Mūsā b. Muḥammad b. Mūsā b. Ibrāhīm b. Imām Mūsā al-Kāẓim (a)''' (Arabic: {{ia|علي بن الحسين بن موسی بن محمد بن موسی بن ابراهيم بن الامام موسی الکاظم ع}} ) (known as '''al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā''', '''al-Sayyid al-Murtaḍā''', and '''ʿAlam al-Hudā''') (b. [[355]]/965 - d. [[436]]/1044) was a [[Twelver Shia]] jurists and theologians. He was the elder brother of [[al-Sayyid al-Radi]], the compiler of ''[[Nahj al-Balagha]]'', supporter of [[Shia]], [[Naqib]] of [[Talibids]] in [[Baghdad]], Amir al-Hajj, and the head of diwan al-mazalim (supreme court) after his brother al-Radi who had these positions after their father.

His father was the scholar, leader, and representative of [[Talibids]]. His mother was daughter of al-Hasan (or al-Husayn) b. Ahmad b. al-Hasan b. Ali b. 'Umar al-Ashraf b. [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]] (d. [[385]]/995-6).<ref>Muḥāmī, ''Tarjumat al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā'', p. 11-12.</ref>

In an essay, "Fi l-'amal ma' al-sultan" (on cooperation with the king), al-Sayyid al-Murtada has replied to a question about cooperation with the government.<ref>Sayyid Murtaḍā, ''Risāla fī al-ʿamal maʿ sulṭān''.</ref> There is no question about the legitimacy of cooperation with a just ruler, that is, the [[Infallible Imam]]. The main question which concerned Shiite [[jurists]], including al-Sayyid al-Murtada, was whether it is legitimate to cooperate with, and undertake positions offered by, an unjust ruler in the period of [[occultation]]. According to al-Sayyid al-Murtada, it is legitimate to cooperate with an unjust ruler if it has rational and legitimate advantages, that is, in case one can establish justice via such a cooperation or execute divine rulings.<ref>ʿAlīkhānī and his group. ''Andīsha sīyāsī mutafakkirān-i musalmān'', vol. 2, p. 154-155, 160-161.</ref>

Al-Sayyid al-Murtada is considered among the greatest scholars of Twelver Shia and from his many works, it can be understood that he was knowledgeable in many disciplines of his time including Islamic [[theology]], [[jurisprudence]], [[principles of jurisprudence]], [[tafsir]], divine philosophy, astronomy, different branches of Arabic literature ranging from lexicon, syntax, semantics, composition, poetry and as such. He focused his attention on jurisprudence, Islamic theology, and Arabic literature and served Twelver Shia and strengthened their principles and secondary issues through them.

Al-Sayyid al-Murtada was a rationalist thinker. For him, it is obligatory to rationally inquire about God and related issues, because God's existence is not a truism, and one cannot appeal to transmitted knowledge (such as [[hadiths]] and religious texts) in order to prove God, since the reliability of such texts comes from belief in God. According to al-Sayyid al-Murtada, it is not acceptable to believe in God only on the basis of following some authorities without having an argument or evidence.<ref>Asʿadī, ʿAlīreza. ''Mutikallimān-i Shīʿa: Sayyid Murtaḍā'', introduction.</ref>

Al-Sayyid al-Murtada's views were, because of his rationalism, close to those of the [[Mu'tazila]]. This is why some [[Sunni]] scholars have considered him as a Mu'tazili thinker. Mu'tazili views were popular in Baghdad where al-Sayyid al-Murtada lived, and so he was influenced by such a context.<ref>Sharīʿatī Nīyāsar, ''ʿAql wa naql dar dīdgāh-i Sayyid Murtaḍā'', p. 75.</ref> However, as a Shiite thinker, he opposed some Mu'tazili principles. In his book, ''al-Shafi'', he criticized the views of the prominent Mu'tazili scholar, [[Qadi 'Abd al-Jabbar]]. With regard to issues such as [[Imamate]], the [[Infallibility]] of the [[prophets]], [[al-Manzila bayn al-Manzilatayn]] (a position between the two positions), and divine will, he rejected Mu'tazili views.<ref>Asʿadī, ''Mutikallimān-i Shīʿa: Sayyid Murtaḍā'', p. 91-94.</ref>

For al-Sayyid al-Murtada, hadiths and religious texts are credible in theological issues. In addition to beliefs which should only be based on reason, there are theological beliefs that can be established both through the transmitted tradition and through the reason, such as imamate. Moreover, there are some theological beliefs that can only be based on the transmitted tradition. For instance, in the view of al-Sayyid al-Murtada the eternity of [[rewards and punishments]] in the [[Afterlife]] cannot be settled by the reason, and so it can only be settled by the transmitted tradition.<ref>Birinjkār, ''ʿAql-garāyi dar madrisa imamīya-yi Baghdād wa muʿtazila'', p. 70-71.</ref>

Al-Sayyid al-Murtada had a rationalistic approach to the jurisprudence as well. He believed in the reliability of the reason in discovering divine rulings in the absence of transmitted evidence. He was also a pioneer in the [[ijtihad]] method in Shiite jurisprudence.<ref>Asʿadī, ''Mutikallimān-i Shīʿa: Sayyid Murtaḍā'', p. 50, 59.</ref> He employed verbal and rational principles in deducing sharia laws. He would not agree with the methods of [[muhaddith]] and later [[Akhbaris]] scholars.<ref>Gurjī, ''Tārīkh-i fiqh wa fuqahā'', p. 148-149.</ref> He did not require appeals to transmitted evidence with regard to some jurisprudential issues which he considered to be discoverable by rational principles. However, he permitted the use of transmitted evidence with respect to the [[furu' al-din|ancillaries of the religion]] and believed that some rulings and even some beliefs can only be proved by transmitted evidence. For instance, he believed that [[enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong]] is obliged by the sharia rather than the reason.<ref>Sharīʿatī Nīyāsar, ''ʿAql wa naql dar dīdgāh-i Sayyid Murtaḍā'', p. 84-87.</ref>

like his teacher [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]], al-Sayyid al-Murtada did not believe in the reliability of [[khabar al-wahid]]. He held that appealing to khabar al-wahid is impermissible not only in the case of beliefs,<ref>Jibraʿilī, ''Sayr taṭawwur-i kalām-i shīʿa'', p. 100.</ref> but also with regard to jurisprudential rulings.<ref>Jaʿfarī, ''Muqāyisa-yi mīyān-i du maktab-i fikrī-yi shīʿa dar Qom wa Baghdād'', p. 22-23.</ref> According to him, in order for khabar al-wahid to be reliable its transmitter needs to be just, and in order for him or her to count as just they need to be [[Twelver Shi'a]], rather than members of deviated Shiite sects. However, there are many cases of khabar al-wahid which are transmitted by such people (such as [[Waqifi]] or [[Ghali]] transmitters). Thus, the condition for the reliability of khabar al-wahid cannot be met.<ref>Ḍamīrī, ''ʿUṣūlīyān-i shīʿa'', p. 152.</ref> Some researchers believe that the denial of the reliability of Khabar al-Wahid led al-Sayyid al-Murtada to excessively rely on [[consensus]] (al-ijma') to deduce jurisprudential rulings.<ref>Ḍamīrī, ''ʿUṣūlīyān-i shīʿa'', p. 152-153.</ref>

Al-Sayyid al-Murtada also wrote some work concerning [[principles of jurisprudence]], the most important of which is ''[[al-Dhari'a ila usul al-shari'a]]''. It is the first comprehensive work by a Shiite scholar concerning principles of jurisprudence.<ref>Ḍamīrī, ''ʿUṣūlīyān-i shīʿa'', p. 120.</ref> In this book, al-Sayyid al-Murtada cited the views of Sunni scholars and then developed his own views. Thus, the Shiite principles of jurisprudence can be said to be formed out of this book. In fact, it was with this book that an independent Shiite principles of jurisprudence began to take shape.<ref>Gurjī, ''Tārīkh-i fiqh wa fuqahā'', p. 173.</ref>

Al-Sayyid al-Murtada was a distinguished, prominent man of literature.<ref>Ibn al-Jawzī, ''al-Muntaẓam fī tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 15, p. 294.</ref> He wrote some literary works, including 6 volumes of his poems. He also wrote a well-known literary work under ''[[al-Durar wa l-ghurar]]'' containing literary, philological, and syntactic issues.<ref>Amīn, ''Aʿyān al-Shīʿa'', vol. 8, p. 213.</ref> Moreover, he also wrote some essays to criticize literary works of his predecessors.<ref>Muḥaddithī, ''Shakhṣīyyat-i adabī Sayyid Murtaḍā'', p. 61-63.</ref>

He had several works in different fields of Islamic studies including jurisprudence, hadith, theology, and etc.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''al-Fihrist'', p. 99; Najāshī, ''Rijāl al-Najāshī'', p. 270.</ref> The most important ones are:

It is a book on [[jurisprudence]], including the rulings definitely or supposedly specific to [[Twelver Shia]]. This book contains 319 jurisprudential issues and is important historically and scientifically, since it is the oldest Shia reference in jurisprudence which includes comparative issues and has mentioned different opinions.

About the demise of al-Sayyid al-Murtada, [[al-Najashi]] said, "al-Sayyid al-Murtada passed away in [[436]]/1044<ref>Najāshī, ''Rijāl al-Najāshī'', p. 271.</ref> and his son prayed upon his body in his house.<ref>Najāshī, ''Rijāl al-Najāshī'', p. 271.</ref> He was buried in his house and I undertook performing his ritual bath and my companions were [[Abu Ya'la al-Ja'fari]] and [[Sallar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz]]."

There are different opinions regarding his burial place; some have said that he was later taken to [[Karbala]] from [[Baghdad]] and was buried near the grave of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]<ref>Qazwīnī, ''Kitāb al-mazār'', p. 253-254.</ref> and his grave is now well-known to people. Also, Ibn Maytham's report supports this idea that the graves of [[al-Sayyid al-Radi]] and al-Sayyid al-Murtada are in Karbala.<ref>Ibn Meytham al-Baḥrānī, ''Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha'', vol. 1, p. 89.</ref> In his commentary on ''[[Nahj al-balagha]]'', he wrote, "al-Sayyid al-Radi and his brother, al-Sayyid al-Murtada were buried near their forefather, Imam al-Husayn (a)."