Shaykh 'Abbas Qummi

ʿAbbās b. Muḥammad Riḍā al-Qumī (1294-1359 AH/ 1877-1940), known as Shaykh ʿAbbās al-Qumī and al-Muḥaddith al-Qumi, was a prominent Shiite figure in the 14th century AH (20th century) in the fields of hadith, Islamic history, sermons (waʾẓ), and religious orations (khataba). He has authored many books in different domains the best-known of which are Mafatih al-janan, Safina al-bihar, and Muntaha al-amal.

Al-Muhaddith al-Qumi died in 1359 AH (1940) in Najaf, and was buried in Imam ʾAli b. ʾAbi Talib (a)'s holy shrine.

Birth and Parentage

Qumi was born in 1294 AH (1877) in a religious family in Qum. His father, Muhammad Reza al-Qumi, was a religious person whom people consulted in order to know about their religious tasks. Qumi's mother, Banu Zinat, was a poius, religious woman.

Qumi says about his mother: I have everything from my mother, since she always tried to breast-feed me with cleanliness (taharat).

Marriage

Qumi's first marriage took place upon his return from Najaf to Qum—he married the daughter of Sayyid Zakariyya al-Qazvini, one of the scholars in Qum, but after a while they divorce. His second marriage took place when he resided in Mashhad; he married the daughter of Ayatollah Sayyid ʾAhmad al-Tabatabaʾi.

Education

In his teens, Qumi was educated in Qum. Here are some of his teachers in Qum:

1. Ayatollah Mirza Muhammad ʾArbab al-Qumi
2. Ayatollah Shaykh ʾAbu al-Qasim al-Qumi
3. Ayatollah Sayyid ʾAhmad al-Tabatabaʾi al-Qumi, Qumi's father in law
4. Shaykh Muhammad Husayn al-Qumi, his master in calligraphy (nastaʾliq script).

Travels

In order to continue his education in Islamic sciences, Qumi travelled to some Islamic cities.

Travel to Najaf

In 1316 AH (1898) when he was 22 years old, Qumi went to Najaf. In this city, he studied with the following prominent scholars of Shia:

1. Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Kaẓim al-Tabatabaʾi al-Yazdi, the author of Al-ʾurwa al-wuthqa—a major Shiite book in the Islamic jurisprudence
2. Allama Mirza Husayn al-Nuri, known as al-Muhaddith al-Nuri, the author of Al-mustadrak
3. Ayatollah Mirza Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi
4. Ayatollah Sayyid Hassan al-Sadr al-Kaẓimi
5. Ayatollah Sayyid ʾAbu al-Hassan al-Naqawi al-Laknahuʾi

Hajj

During his sojourn in Najad, Qumi went to Hajj pilgrimage in 1318 AH (1900).

Return to Iran

After al-Muhaddith al-Nuri's death, Qumi left Najaf in 1322 AH (1904) and returned to Iran. During his life in Iran, he went to visit Karbala and Najaf and he also went to the Hajj pilgrimage again.

Travel to Mashhad

On Friday, Rabiʾ al-Thani, 1st, 1332 AH (1914), Qumi went to Mashhad intending to stay there. It was at the request of Hajj Aqa Husayn al-Qumi. Qumi stayed there until 1354 AH (1935). In the introduction to his book, al-Fawaʾid al-Raḍawiyya, Qumi writes: because of my sadness and the troubles that I had, it occurred to me to take refuge to the leader of the pious and the refuge of the helpless, Imam ʾAli b. Musa al-Reza (a).

Here are some of Qumi's teachers in Mashhad:

1. Aqa Buzurg al-Hakim al-Shahidi
2. Ayatollah Mirza Muhammad Ayatollah Zada al-Khurasani, Akhund Khurasani's son
3. Shaykh Murtaza al-Ashtiyani
4. Hajj Aqa Husayn al-Qumi
5. Mirza ʾAbd al-Jawad al-Adib al-Nayshaburi

In his 22 years of living in Mashhad, Qumi authored many books and delivered sermons and orations that were very well-known. In his orations he talked against Americans. He was threatened to death by the Punishment Committee of the Democratic Party.

Return to Najaf

After the events in the Gowhar Shad Mosque and the massacre of people and the exile of Hajj Aqa Husayn al-Qumi, Shaykh Abbas al-Qumi returned to Najaf in 1354 AH (1935), and stayed there until his death.

Character Traits

Aqa Buzurg al-Tehrani, one of Qumi's friends, says: he was a perfect and knowledgeable person; he was good-tempered, unselfish, and honest. He avoided fame and had an ascetic life. There are many anecdotes about his character.

Pupils

1. Shaykh Aqa Buzurg al-Tehrani
2. Sayyid Ahmad al-Musawi al-Mustanbit
3. Sayyid Ahmad, known as Sayyid Aqa al-Tustari al-Jazaʾiri
4. Shaykh Husayn al-Muqaddas al-Mashhadi
5. Shaykh Mirza Haydar Quli Khan Sardar al-Kabuli
6. Sayyid Shahab al-Din al-Marʾashi al-Najafi
7. Shaykh ʾAbd al-Husayn al-Rashti
8. Mulla ʾAli al-Waʾiz al-Khiyabani al-Tabrizi
9. Sayyid ʾAli Madad al-Qaʾini al-Khurasani
10. Sayyid ʾAli Naqi Fayḍ al-ʾIslam al-Tehrani
11. Shaykh Muhammad Taqi al-Muqaddas al-Tehrani
12. Shaykh Muhammad Sadiq Sadr al-Shariʾa al-Tunikabuni
13. Shaykh Muhammad ʾAli al-ʾUrdubadi
14. Shaykh Muhammad Mahdi Sharaf al-Din al-Waʾizi al-Tustari]]
15. Sayyid Muhammad Hadi al-Milani
16. Sayyid Mustafa al-Safaʾi al-Khunsari
17. Sayyid Mirza Mahdi al-Shirazi
18. Shaykh Yusuf Biyarjumandi al-Haʾiri
19. Shaykh Yusuf b. ʾAbd ʾAli al-Rajaʾi al-Maghzi

Writings

1. Mafatih al-janan—the best-known work of Shaykh ʾAbbas al-Qumi containing some prayers, pilgrimages, and psalms narrated from the Prophet (s) and Imams (a),
2. Tuhfa al-ʾahbab; a book about the narrators of hadiths,
3. Al-durr al-naẓīm fi lughat al-Qurʾan al-ʾaẓīm (a book about the vocabularies of the Quran),
4. Kahl al-basar fi sira sayyid al-bashar; a book about the life of the Prophet (s),
5. Naqd al-wasaʾil; a critique of Wasaʾil al-shia authored by al-Hurr al-ʾAmili,
6. Taqsim bidaya al-hidaya; a categorization of the book, Bidaya al-hidaya, authored by Hurr al-ʾAmili,
7. Sharh kitab al-wajiza; a commentary on Al-Wajiza authored by Shaykh al-Bahaʾi,
8. Fayḍ al-qadir fi ma yataʾalaq bi hadith al-ghadir; a book about al-Ghadir,
9. ʾIlm al-yaqin, a summary of Haq al-yaqin authored by Allama al-Majlisi,
10. Maqalid al-falah fi ʾamal al-yawm wa al-layla (containing prayers that are recited in days and nights),
11. Miqlad al-najah, a summary of Maqalid al-falah,
12. A summary of the 11th volume of Bihar al-ʾanwar by Allama al-Majlisi,
13. A commentary of Imam ʾAli (a)'s aphorisms in Nahj al-balagha,
14. Hadya al-ʾanam ʾila waqaʾi al-ʾayyam, a summary of Fayḍ al-ʾulum,
15. Fayḍ al-ʾilam fi waqaʾi al-shuhur wa al-ʾayyam, a book about the events occurred in the Islamic history on a monthly and daily basis,
16. Safina al-bihar wa madina al-hikam wa al-athar; a thematic summary of Biar al-ʾanwar by Allama al-Majlisi,
17. Tuhfa al-ʾahbab fi tarajim al-ʾas'hab; a book about the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and Imams (a) in Farsi,
18. Al-Fawaʾid al-rajabiyya fi ma yataʾlaq bi al-shuhur al-ʾarabiyya
19. Al-durra al-yatima fi tatimmat al-durra al-thamina (a Farsi commentary of Nisab al-sibyan, and a supplement of Fazil al-Yazdi's Commentary of Nisab,
20. Hadya al-zaʾirin wa bahja al-nasirin; about the pilgrimage of Imams (a) and the graves of Shiite scholars who are buried near the holy shrines of Imams (a),
21. Al-liʾali al-manthura fi al-ʾahraz wa al-adhkar al-madhkura (about prayers),
22. Al-fusul al-ʾaliyya fi al-manaqib al-murtaḍawiyya (about the character and life of Imam ʾAli b. ʾAbi Talilb (a)),
23. Sabil al-rashad,
24. Hikma baligha wa miʾa kalima jamiʾa (Imam ʾAli (a)'s words about beliefs and the principles of the religion),
25. Dhakhira al-ʾabrar fi muntakhab ʾanis al-tujjar (a summary of Mulla ʾAhmad al-Naraqi's ʾAnis al-tujjar about the jurisprudential laws of businesses and transactions),
26. Ghaya al-ghuswa fi tarjima al-ʾurwa al-wuthqa; a Farsi translation of Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Kazim al-Yazdi's Al-ʾurwa al-wuthqa in Islamic jusrisprudence,
27. Al-tuhfa al-tusiyya wa al-nafha al-qudsiyya; about the pilgrimage of Imam Riḍa (a),
28. Nafas al-mahmum (about the assault of Imam Husayn (a)),
29. Naftha al-masdur (a supplement of Nafas al-mahmum),
30. Al-ʾanwar al-bahiyya fi tarikh al-hujaj al-ʾilahiyya (the life of Imams (a)),
31. An essay about minor and major sins in Islam,
32. Mazil al-akhira (about the afterlife on the basis of hadiths),
33. A Farsi translation of Misbah al-mutahajjid authored by Shaykh Tusi,
34. Nuz'ha al-nawaẓir,
35. Al-maqamat al-ʾaliyya; a summary of Mulla ʾAhmad al-Naraqi's Miʾraj al-saʾada,
36. A Farsi translation of Jamal al-ʾusbuʾ authored by Sayyid b. Tawus,
37. Al-baqiyyat al-salihat (published in the margins of Mafatih al-janan),
38. Muntaha al-amal fi tawarikh al-nabi wa al-āl (concerning the history of the Prophet (s) and Shiite Imams (a)),
39. Tatimma al-muntaha fi waqaʾi ʾayyam al-khulafa,
40. A Farsi translation of Luhuf by Sayyid b. Tawus,
41. A supplement of Tahiyya al-zaʾir authored by al-Muhaddith al-Nuri,
42. Al-kuna wa al-ʾalqab; a biography of scholars and pets,
43. Hadya al-ʾahbab fi al-maʾrufin bi al-kuna wa al-ʾalqab—a summary of Al-kuna wa al-ʾalqab,
44. Al-fawaʾid al-raḍawiyya fi ʾahwal ʾulamaʾ al-madh'hab al-jaʾfari—a biography of Shiite scholars,
45. Bayt al-ʾahzan fi masaʾib sayyida al-niswan.

Death and Burial

Qumi died on Tuesday night, 22nd of Dhi al-Hajja, 1359 AH (1940) in Najaf when he was 65 years old. Sayyid ʾAbu al-Hassan al-Isfahani prayed on his corpse in the holy shrine of Imam ʾAli (a), and he was buried near his master, al-Muhaddith al-Nuri, in the shrine. Sayyid Muhsin al-ʾAmin writes: three mourning ceremonies were held for Qumi in Najaf, Karbala, and Kazimayn.