Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki: Difference between revisions

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| title   = Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki

| image   =

| caption   =

| Full name   = Alī b. Ḥusayn b. 'Abd al-'Alī al-Karkī al-Jabal 'Amilī

| Nickname   = Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki & al-Muhaqqiq al-Thani

| Lineage   =

| Well known relatives   = [[Mir Damad]]

| Birth = [[Jabal 'Amil]], [[Lebanon]] in 865/1461 or 870/1466

| Scholarly activities =

| Socio-political activities= the position of [[Shaykh al-Isalm]] in [[Safavid]] era.

'''ʿAlī b. Ḥusayn b. ʿAbd al-ʿĀlī al-Karakī al-Jabal ʿĀmilī''' (علی بن حسین بن عبدالعالي الکَرَکي العاملي), well known as '''al-Muḥaqqiq al-Thānī''' (المحقّق الثاني) or '''al-Muḥaqqiq al-Karkī''' (المحقّق الکرْکي), (d. 940/1534) was a famous [[Shi'a]] jurist ([[faqih]]) in [[Safavid]] era. He immigrated from his hometown, [[Jabal 'Amil]], to [[Iraq]] and then to [[Iran]] at the invitation of [[Shah Isma'il Safavi]]. He played an important role in propagating and spreading Shi'a beliefs in Iran. He was an expert in [[Demonstrative Jurisprudence]] and his works were very well received by following jurists. His most famous book is ''[[Jami' al-maqasid fi sharh al-qawa'id]]''. He has notable opinions about [[Wilayat al-Faqih]] (guardianship for the jurist).

Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki trained eminent students such as: [[al-Shaykh 'Ali al-Minshar]], [[Husayn b. 'Abd al-Samad al-Harithi]] ([[al-Shaykh al-Baha'i]]'s father) and [[al-Sayyid Ni'mat Allah al-Jaza'iri]]. Most of jurists and scholars of the 9th/14th and 10th/15th centuries were his students.

==Birth and Demise==

Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki was born in Kark Nuh a village in [[Jabal 'Amil]], [[Lebanon]] in 865/1461 or 870/1466. His name was 'Ali and his title was Nur al-Din.

He had two sons and two daughters. His oldest son, al-Shaykh 'Abd al-'Ali, was a great scholar and lived in [[Kashan]], [[Iran]]. His other son was Hasan. One of his daughters got married in Jabal 'Amil and had a son named Mir Sayyid Husayn Husayni, who lived in [[Ardabil]], Iran and taught Islamic subjects and became [[Shaykh al-Islam]] of the city, and people referred to him for their religious issues. His other daughter married Mir Shams al-Din Muhammad Astarabadi in Iran and gave birth to a boy which later was known as [[Mir Damad]] -one of the most important teachers of [[Mulla Sadra]].<ref>Davani, ''Mafakhir al-Islam'', vol.4 p.449-450</ref>

Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki traveled many times and studied under many scholars, such as: [['Ali b. Hilal al-Jaza'iri]], [[Muhammad b. Dawud b. Mu'adhdhin al-Jazini]], [[al-Sayyid Haydar al-'Amili]] and Abi Yahya Zakariyya al-Ansari (a [[Sunni]] scholar).

After primarily education, he entered the Islamic seminary of [[Kark]], where he studied under Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Khatun, Shams al-Din Muhammad al-Jazini, Shams al-Din Muhammad Ahmad al-Sahyuni and 'Ali b. Hilal al-Jaza'iri. After that, he went to [[Miys]] and became a teacher in its Seminary. [[Al-Shahid al-Thani]] was a student in that Seminary and studied ''[[Shara'i' al-Islam]]'' and ''[[Qawa'id al-Ahkam]]'' under al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki.<ref>Shahid al-Thani, ''al-Tanbihat'', p.28</ref>

Al-Muhaqqiq, also, studied for a while in [[Juba']], Lebanon. Afterward, he went to the Seminary in Jabal 'Amil and then to the one of [[Damascus]] and then to [[Bayt al-Maqdis]](Jerusalem). He also studied and did some researches in [[al-Khalil]] (Hebron). Afterward, he went to [[Egypt]], wherein he entered a Sunni Seminary. After 909/1503, he emigrated to [[Iraq]] and in 916/1510 moved to Iran.<ref>Davani, ''Mafakhir al-Islam'', vol.4 p.414</ref>

In one of his writings, al-Shahid al-Thani referred to al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki as "Imam", "Muhaqqiq", "Munaqqih", "the rare person of his time" and "Precious pearl of the time".

Many of his contemporaneous and later scholars such as [[al-Shaykh al-Hurr al-'Amili]], [[al-'Allama al-Majlisi]], [[Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr]], and [[Sayyid Ni'mat Allah al-Jaza'iri]] eulogized his vast knowledge and extreme piety.

===Sunni Teachers===

* [[Sayyid Muhammad b. Abi Talib Astarabadi ]]<ref>Davani, ''Mafakhir al-Islam'', vol.4 p.434</ref>

Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki was among the scholars who travelled to Iran in the second decade of the 10th/15th century and probably at the invitation of [[Shah Isma'il Safavi]].<ref>Ja'fariyan, ''Safawiyyi az zuhur ta zawal'', p.98</ref> After 15 years, he moved to [[Iraq]] because of the [[battle of Chalduran]], and inattention of Shah Isma'il to political and cultural issues and scholars positions.<ref>Puramini, ''Safawiyan namad iqtidar Iran'', p.116</ref>

After Shah Isma'il, al-Muhaqqiq's spiritual and scholarly characteristics caused [[Shah Tahmasb Safavi]] to ask him to return to Iran. It is said that Shah Tahmasb was very fond of his characteristics and his scholarly status<ref>Davani, ''Mafakhir al-Islam'', vol.4 p.422</ref> and after his return to Iran gave him the position of [[Shaykh al-Isalm]], which was the highest religious position in the country at that time. Shah Tahmasb, also, authorized him to interfere in governmental issues. Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki get the most of this special opportunity to deal with some issues in the Shah's court and to spread the teachings of Shi'a school of thought and to consolidate Shi'a principles in the Safavid territory.<ref>Tunikabuni, ''Qisas al-'ulama'', p.347</ref>

Some scholars were appointed as Shaykh al-Islam after al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki, but none of them had his power and influence on the Safavid court. [[Al-Shaykh al-Baha'i]] and [[al-'Allama al-Majlisi]] are two of eminent personalities who became Shaykh al-Islam after him.

==His Religious and Social Activities==

Supported by the Safavid government, al-Muhaqqiq tried a lot for spreading [[Shi'a]] in Iran. His major activities were: propagating and spreading Shi'a and its teachings, consolidation and establishment of religious Shi'a institutes, [[al-Nahy 'an al-Munkar]] (forbidding the wrong), and clearing the Iranian society form anti religion symbols. Probably, it was after his [[fatwa]] that the government closed some centers and institutes involved in anti Islamic action.<ref>Musawi, ''Hakim Istarabadi'', p.11-12</ref> He also tried to change the [[sufism|sufic]] attitude within Safavid Dynasty.<ref>Mutahhari, ''Ashnayi ba 'ulum islami''</ref>

In his time, most people did not know much about Shi'a beliefs and Islamic laws. They did not have access to jurisprudential books except for the 1st volume of ''[[Qawa'id al-Ahkam|al-Qawa'id]]'' -written by [[al-'Allama al-Hilli]]- which was used for studying and teaching Islamic jurisprudence.<ref>Davani, ''Mafakhir al-Islam'', vol.4 p.440</ref>

By authoring books and treatises on ethics, jurisprudence and other Islamic topics, al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki enriched and revived [[Shi'a Seminary|Shi'a seminaries]] and helped spreading the knowledge of [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. He cared a lot about the improvement of seminaries. Annually, he took 70 thousand dinar (gold coin) from Shah Tahmasb and spent it on educating seminary students.<ref>Rumlu, ''Ahsan al-tawarikh'', p.85</ref>

[[Al-Sayyid Ni'mat Allah al-Jaza'iri]] said that he had seen some of his letters and orders to regional governors of the country. According to his report, in these letters Muhaqqiq described the way that government agents should treat people and the rules of taking taxes and the amount of it. He also had added that each city and village should have an Imam for performing [[Congregational Prayer]] (Salat al-Jama'a) and teaching people Islamic laws and rituals. It is said that by his effort "Ashhad ann 'Aliyan Wali Allah" and "Hayy 'ala Khayr al-'Amal" were put back in [[Adhan]] again and were heard from minarets.<ref>Bahrani, ''Lu'lu'at al-bahrayn'', p.151; Khwansari, ''Rawdat al-jannat'', vol.4 p.361</ref>

==His Opinion about Wilayat al-Faqih==

Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karki writes about [[Wilayat al-Faqih]] (guardianship of the jurist):

* Davani, 'Ali. ''Mafakhir al-Islam''. Intisharat Markaz Asnad Inqilab Islami, 1386

* Ja'fariyan, Rasul. ''Din wa siyasat dar duriye safawiyya''. Qom: Intisharat Ansariyan, 1370

* Ja'fariyan, Rasul. ''Safawiyyi az zuhur ta zawal''. Mu'assisa Farhangi Danish wa Andishiyi Mu'asir, 1378

* Musawi, Sayyid 'Ali. ''Hakim Istarabadi''

* Puramini, Muhammad Baqir. ''Safawiyan namad iqtidar Iran''. Intisharat Nur al-Sajjad, 1381