Yahya Ansari Shirazi
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| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Yahya Ansari Shirazi |
| Birth | 1306 sh/1927-8 |
| Residence | Darab |
| Death | 4 January, 2015 |
| Burial Place | Qom, Iran |
| Scholarly Information | |
| Professors | Ayatollah Burujirdi, 'Allamah Tabataba'i, Imam Khomeini, Murtada Ha'iri Yazdi, Muhammad 'Ali Araki, Husayn'Ali Muntazeri |
| Students | Sayyid Hasan Khomeini, Sayyid Hashem Husayni Bushehri, Muhammad Surush Mahallati , Sayyid Rida Husayni Eshaqnia |
| Works | Sharh-e Manzume of Mulla Hadi Sabziwari |
| Scholarly Activities | Teacher of philosophy and mysticism |
Yahyā Anṣārī Shīrāzī (d.2015) (Persian: یحیی انصاری شیرازی) was a Shiite mujtahid, and a prominent teacher of logics, philosophy, mysticism and ethics in the Islamic Seminary of Qom. He is well-known for his long career of teaching in Qom and for his moral and ascetic character. A 4-volume commentary on Mulla Hadi Sabziwari's Sharh al-Manzuma has been published as his lecture notes.
Biography
He was born in 1306 sh/1927-8 in Nudayjan of Darab, near Shiraz. His father was Muhammad Fakhr Ansari, the son of Shaykh Zakariyya Nasir al-Islam Ansari who was a Constitutional (Mashruta) warrior. His parentage goes back to Jabir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansari—the well-known companion of the Prophet (s).
Education
He began his initial education in his birthplace and in 1325 sh/1946-7, he went to Shiraz. After six years, he moved to Qom in 1331 sh/1952-3, and stayed there until his death. He was among 'Allama Tabataba'i's closest pupils attending his non-public lectures. Some of Tabataba'i's lectures were held in Ansari Shiraz's house.
Ansari Shirazi's pupils and friends have characterized him as having a moral and ascetic character.
Social and Political Activities
Ayatollah Ansari Shirazi campaigned against the Pahlavi Monarchy, and as a result, he was imprisoned by Shah's regime. According to reports by Qom's SAVAK (Pahlavi's Organization of Intelligence and National Security), he had a public speech in Imam Hassan al-'Askari (a) Mosque, making statements that were followed by SAVAK's warnings to him. He was on an exile in Kuhdasht in Luristan, and Na'in in Isfahan.
In the anniversary of the Invasion to the Faydiyya Seminary School in March 10, 1964, students of the seminary schools were supposed to make street protests and demonstrations, but because of the huge presence of the police and armies around the Holy Shrine of Fatima al-Ma'suma, Astana Square, and Faydiyya School, the demonstrations could not take place, and some leaders of the protests had been arrested before the time when the demonstrations were supposed to happen. Some clergies held the anniversary ceremony in Faydiyya School, and Ayatollah Ansari Shirazi made a speech in that ceremony.
Ansari Shirazi was one of the 12 people who approved Imam Khomeini's religious authority (or marja'iyya) after the death of Ayatollah Burujirdi.
Death
Yahya Ansari Shirazi died of a heart attack in Qom on 4th January, 2015 after a long period of illness. His funeral was held on 5th January 2015 from Imam Hassan al-'Askari (a) Mosque to the Holy Shrine of Fatima al-Ma'suma (s), and was buried besides 'Allama Tabataba'i's tomb after Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said prayers on his corpse.
Teachings in the Seminary School
Ayatollah Ansari Shirazi taught many textbooks of the seminary school, such as Sharh al-lum'a, al-Rasa'il, al-Makasib, Kashf al-murad, Sharh al-tajrid, Sabzawari's Sharh al-manzuma, Sharh al-isharat, al-Asfar, Qaysari's Sharh al-fusus, Tamhid al-qawa'id, Sharh manazil al-sa'irin, and Misbah al-'uns. He also taught some volumes of the book, Bihar al-anwar, concerning the doctrine of resurrection.
With Ayatollah Hasan Hasanzade Amuli's advice, Ansari Shirazi's lectures on Sabzawari's Sharh al-manzuma were transcribed and published. The series was published in four volumes by Bustan-e Ketab Publications in Qom.
On 9th June 2010, The Supreme Society of Islamic Wisdom (Majma'-i 'ali-i Hikmat-i Islami) held a meeting for the homage of Ayatollah Ansari Shirazi. This was the second convention of philosophy teachers of Qom's Islamic Seminary.
Teachers
Students
Ayatollah Ansari Shirazi has had an innumerable number of students because of his long period of teaching. Here are some of his best-known students:
Writings
Here are Ayatollah Ansari's works:
- Terminologies of the Transcendent Wisdom (in Farsi).
- The melody of freedom from Darab mountains (Ahang-i azadi az sarkuhe darab) (in Farsi, including parts of the struggles of his ancestor, Zakariyya Nasir al-Islam for Constitutionalism and a biography of Jabir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansari).
- A message from the hidden world (surushi az alam-i ghayb) (an exegesis of Sura al-Naba' in Farsi).
- Poems, ballads, and sonnets in Farsi.
- A commentary on Sabzawari's sharh al-manzuma (in Farsi).
References
- The material for this article is mainly taken from یحیی انصاری شیرازی in Farsi WikiShia.