Jamal al-Din Khwansari: Difference between revisions

Aqa Jamal was a son of Aqa Husayn al-Khwansari and a scholar from the Khwansari family whose lineage traces back to [[Imam al-Kazim (a)]]. His birth date is not known, but since [[Afandi al-Isfahani]] mentioned that his father, [[Aqa Husayn al-Khwansari]], stayed in [[Isfahan]], probably he was born in Isfahan. According to al-Nasrabadi and al-Khwansari, Aqa Husayn migrated to Isfahan before his maturity.

Aqa Jamal was considered as a prominent scholar and teacher in Isfahan, which is why he was the head of the [[seminary of Isfahan]]. Scholars such as [[Muhammad Akmal al-Isfahani]] and [[Mulla Rafi' al-Mashhadi]] were his students.

He is said to have had a [[permission to narrate hadith]]s from Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi. [[Al-Muhaqqiq al-Ardabili]] considered him as a prominent narrator of [[fiqh]] (the Islamic jurisprudence). [[Shaykh Yusuf al-Bahrani]], the author of ''[[al-Hada'iq al-nadira]]'', mentioned him as one of his masters in the narration of hadiths.

Aqa Jamal wrote some works, some of which were published and almost all of them are available. His most popular book is ''[['Aqa'id al-Nisa' (book)|Kulthum nana]]'' or '' 'Aqa'id al-nisa' '' . This is a humoristic book that criticizes laypeople's approach to religiosity or piety and in particular women's ill-founded religious beliefs in the [[Safavid]] period. The book counts as the oldest written document concerning the moral codes, manners, and conducts of Iranian laywomen in that period. The book was written in order to combat superstitious beliefs. It has been translated into English, French, and Turkish.

Aqa Jamal was highly respected by the [[Safavid]] kings. Concerning his relationships with the Safavid government, mention could be made of his attendance in [[Sultan Husayn Safawi]]'s enthroning ceremony, his advising the king to select the appropriate person for the position of [[Shaykh al-Islam]] in Isfahan in 1115/1703 leading to the selection of [[Muhammad Salih al-Khatunabadi]], his accompanying Sultan Husayn, together with Muhammad Baqir al-Khatunabadi, in his travel to [[Mashhad]] in 1119/1707, and receiving a robe from the king in 1120/1708. He also worked as a judge for a while and said prayers for the corpse of [[al-'Allama al-Majlisi]].

Because of his extensive knowledge and his power to express scholarly issues without any complexity, some Safavid kings asked him to translate or explain some Arabic books to them. And they sometimes asked him some questions in [[fiqh]] and Islamic beliefs, and in reply to them he wrote some short essays. His essays on [[khums]] and visiting the graves are cases in point.

[['Abd Allah Mamaqani]] took his year of death to be [[1121]]/1709. He was buried in his father's mausoleum—built by [[Shah Sulayman Safawi]] in [[Takht-i Fulad Cemetery]] of Isfahan.

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