Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki: Difference between revisions

| Full name ='Ali b. al-Husayn b. 'Abd al-'Ali

| Burial place = [[Holy shrine of Imam 'Ali (a)]]

| Professors = [['Ali b. Hilal al-Jaza'iri]], [[Muhammad b. Dawud b. Mu'adhdhin al-Jazini]], ...

| Students = [[Al-Shahid al-Thani]], [[Shaykh 'Ali al-Minshar]], [[Sayyid Ni'mat Allah al-Jaza'iri]], ...

| Works = ''[[Jami' al-maqasid]]'',''[[Manhaj al-sadad]]'',...

Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki trained eminent students such as: [[al-Shaykh 'Ali al-Minshar]], [[al-Husayn b. 'Abd al-Samad al-Harithi]] 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.

After primarily education, he entered the Islamic seminary of Karak, 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 Meiss El Jabal 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-Karaki.<ref>Al-Shahid al-Thani, ''al-Tanbihat'', p.28</ref>

He authored around seventy one books and treatises in which the ''[[Jami' al-maqasid]]'' is the most famous work which is a commentary on the book ''[[Qawa'id al-ahkam]]'' written by [[al-'Allama al-Hilli]]. It is one of the greatest and best jurisprudential scripts in [[Shi'a]]. About this book, [[Sahib Jawahir]] says, "A [[Mujtahid]] who has ''Jami' al-maqasid'', ''[[Wasa'il al-Shi'a]]'' and ''[[Jawahir]]'', does not need any other books for understanding and deducting jurisprudential verdicts."

[[Shi'a]] scholars who lived in Ottoman Empire territory suffered a lot of pressure and restriction imposed by Ottoman government due to the on-going war and conflict between Ottoman empire and [[Safavid Dynasty]]. These restrictions caused many Shi'a scholars to emigrate to [[Iran]].

Al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki 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, ''Safawiyya az zuhur ta zawal'', p.98</ref> After 15 years, he moved to [[Iraq]] because of the [[battle of Chaldiran]], and inattention of Shah Isma'il to political and cultural issues and scholars' positions.<ref>Puramini, ''Safawiyan namad-i iqtidar-i 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>Dawani, ''Mafakhir al-Islam'', vol.4 p.422</ref> and after his return to Iran gave him the position of [[Shaykh al-Islam]], 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-Karaki 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-Karaki, but none of them had his power and influence on the Safavid court. [[Baha' al-Din al-'Amili]] and [[al-'Allama al-Majlisi]] are two of eminent personalities who became Shaykh al-Islam after him.

Supported by the Safavid government, al-Karaki tried a lot to spread [[Shi'a]] in Iran. His major activities were: propagating and spreading Shi'a and its teachings, consolidation and establishment of religious Shi'a institutes, [[forbidding the evil]], 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 Istarabad'', p.11-12</ref> He also tried to change the [[sufism|sufi]] attitude within Safavid Dynasty.<ref>Mutahhari, ''Ashnayi ba 'ulum-i Islami''</ref>

By authoring books and treatises on ethics, jurisprudence, and other Islamic topics, al-Muhaqqiq al-Karaki enriched and revived 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 al-Karaki 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 a leader to perform [[congregational prayer]] and teach people Islamic laws and rituals. It is said that by his effort "Ashhad ann 'Aliyyan Wali Allah" ( I bear witness 'Ali is the wali of Allah) and "Hayy 'ala Khayr al-'Amal" (Hurry toward the best of deeds) were put back in [[Adhan]] again and were heard from minarets.<ref>Al-Bahrani, ''Lu'lu'at al-bahrayn'', p.151; Khwansari, ''Rawdat al-jannat'', vol.4 p.361</ref>

::"… the seed of government of abased people shall be sown in the hearts, and steps shall be taken to fulfil it. We believe that the qualified [[faqih]] must rise and undertake the leadership of the Islamic society authoritatively and firmly. He shall introduce [[Islam]] as an important political and social thought, and as a perfect system to govern the humankind. The [[Infallible Imams (a)]] had the same governmental authority of [[the Prophet (s)]], likewise, a qualified faqih is a representative of Imams and has the governmental authority they had."