Zayn al-'Abidin Mazandarani

Zayn al-'Abidin Mazandarani
	File:زین العابدین مازندرانی.jpg
Personal Information
Full Name	Shaykh Zayn al-'Abidin b. Muslim Barfurushi Mazandarani Ha'iri
Birth	1224/1809
Place of Birth	Babol
Residence	Babol,Karbala, Najaf
Death	Dhu l-Qa'da 1309/June 1892
Burial Place	Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a)
Scholarly Information
Professors	Sa'id al-'Ulama' Mazandarani, Sayyid Ibrahim al-Musawi al-Qazwini, al-Shaykh al-Ansari, Muhammad Husayn Ha'iri Isfahani, Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi, Shaykh Ali b. Ja'far Kashif al-Ghita'
Students	Sayyid Abu l-Qasim Dihkurdi, Thiqat al-islam Tabrizi, Taj al-'Ulama', Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi
Permission for; Ijtihad From	Sa'id al-'Ulama' Mazandarani, Sayyid Ibrahim al-Musawi al-Qazwini, al-Shaykh al-Ansari, Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi
Works	Dhakhirat al-ma'ad, Zad al-'Uqba, Zad al-muttaqin
Socio-Political Activities
Socio-Political; Activities	Supporting of Ithna'ashari Khojas

Shaykh Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn b. Muslim Bārfurūshi Māzandarānī Ḥāʾirī (b. 1224-1809/d. 1309-1892) was a Shiite marja' in thirteenth/nineteen and fourteenth/twentieth centuries. His best-known teachers were Sa'id al-'Ulama' Mazandarani, Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi, and al-Shaykh al-Ansari. He supported and guided Ithna 'ashari Khojas.

Biography

Birth and Lineage

Zayn al-'Abidin was born in Mazandaran in the city of Barfrouch (today's Babol). His father was Muslim Barfurushi Mazandarani.

Death

Mazandarani died in Dhu l-Qa'da 1309/June 1892 and was buried in the Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) at the gate of Qadi l-Hajat. There are different accounts of the day of his death: Dhu l-Qa'da 13, 17, and 19/June 9, 13 and 15.

It is quoted by Sayyid Muhsin Amin that Zayn al-Abidin turned sick on Saturday and died the next day.

Scholarly Life

Teachers

Zayn al-'Abidin began his studies in Barfrouch (Babol). In Rajab 1250/November 1834, he migrated to Karbala and then in 1258/1842, he went to Najaf. It is said that his teacher, Sa'id al-'Ulama', accompanied him in his latter migration. Some of his teachers from whom he received permissions for the transmission of hadiths include:

Shaykh Ja'far Hukmi
Sa'id al-'Ulama' Mazandarani
Al-Sayyid Ibrahim al-Musawi al-Qazwini, the author of Dawabit al-usul in Karbala
Al-Shaykh al-Ansari in Najaf
Muhammad Husayn Ha'iri Isfahani
Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi, the author of Jawahir al-kalam
Shaykh Ali b. Ja'far Kashif al-Ghita'

Students

Students of Zayn al-'Abidin include:

Shaykh Abd Allah Mazandarani (d. 1330/1912)
Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Barfurushui Mazandarani (d. 1317/1899-900)
Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi, the political leader of the Independence Movement in Iraq
Sayyid Abu l-Qasim Dihkurdi Isfahani
Ibrahim Lucknowi
Taj al-'Ulama' (d. 1312/1894) who got the permission for the transmission of hadiths from him.
Ali b. Husayn Khaqani (d. 1334/1915-6)
Mulla Qadir Husayn (d. in the 1890s)
Shaykh Sha'ban Gilani
Mirza Ali b. Musa Tabrizi known as Thiqat al-Islam Tabrizi
Mulla Muhammad b. Muhammad Husayn Khansari Najafi (d. 1332/1913-4)
Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Fisharaki Isfahani (d. 1353/1934-5)
Sayyid Jawad Husayni Isfahani known as Khatib Hindi (d. 1333/1914-5)
Mulla Ali Akbar b. Abd al-Karim Yazdi
Shaykh Abd al-Rahim b. Abd al-Husayn Isfahani Ha'iri (d. 1355/1936-7)
Sayyid Muhammad Isfahani Kazimi (d. 1355/1936)
Sayyid Ibrahim Tunikabuni Qazwini (d. 1324/1906)

Works

He wrote some works, including:

Dhakhirat al-ma'ad, known as Su'al jawab (questions and answers) on Islamic jurisprudence in Persian. The essay was repeatedly published in India and Iran with commentaries by Sayyid Muhammad Kazim al-Yazdi, Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi, and Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Ha'iri (Shaykh Zayn al-'Abidin's son).

Zinat al-'ibad in Persian and Arabic with commentaries by Akhund Khurasani, as well as two major and minor essays of fatwas under Zinat al-'Ibad al-Kubra and Zinat al-'Ibad al-Sughra with commentaries by his son, Shaykh Husayn.

An essay on rituals of hajj.

An essay on irtidad (apostasy or disaffiliation from Islam).

An essay on prayers.

Zad al-'Uqba (fatwas by Shaykh Zayn al-'Abidin collected by Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Hindi).

His notes of advanced lectures of al-Sayyid Ibrahim al-Qazwini on principles of jurisprudence.

Mafatih al-jinan (his essay of fatwas in Urdu).

Zad al-muttaqin (an essay of fatwas by him and Mirza Shirazi).

Shaykh Zayn al-'Abidin wrote letters to prominent figures in India in which he praised Mir Hamid Husayn and his writings. His endorsement of Abaqat al-anwar appears in volume four of Waqa'i' al-ayyam.

Marja'iyya

After the death of the al-Sayyid Ibrahim al-Musawi al-Qazwini, he was recognized as the marja' of many Shi'as in Iraq, Iran, and India. His essay of fatwas was repeatedly published at the time. The number of his followers was so great that, according to Fisharaki, he came to be known as the Ka'ba and the Qibla. Sayyid Muhsin Amin, who went to Iraq in 1308/1890-1, has enumerated prominent scholars and marja', referring to Zayn al-'Abidin Mazandarani as the great marja' in Karbala.

Support of Ithna'ashari Khojas

A group of Ithna'ashari Khojas led by Doji Jamal met with Ayatollah Mazandarani and asked him to send a clergy to Mumbai. Thus, at his command, Mulla Qadir Husayn went to Mumbai in 1873 and Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Mar'ashi Shushtari was sent to Zanzibar.

In the Views of Great Scholars

Mazandarani was praised for his worship and asceticism and characterized as "worshiping ascetic shaykh" by prominent Shiite figures, including Shaykh 'Abbas Qummi in al-Kuna wa l-alqab and al-Fawa'id al-radawiyya, Aqa Buzurg Tihrani in Tabiqat a'lam al-Shi'a, Muhammad b. Sulayman Tunikabuni in Qisas al-'ulama', Sayyid Muhsin Amin in A'yan al-Shi'a, Muhammad Hirz al-Din in Ma'arif al-rijal, Mu'allim Habibabadi in Makarim al-athar, and so on.

Tunikabuni characterized him as possessing the "ultimate degree of asceticism and piety". It is said that he strongly avoided worldly property and his food mostly consisted of bread, vinegar, and rice. He was well-known for his extraordinary commitment to recommended actions and nawafil.

He was allegedly highly regarded of by Nasir al-Din Shah, and with the Shah's intercession, Mazandarani was exempted from compulsory military service by the Ottoman government.

Children and Family

Most of Mazandarani's sons followed their father's lead and became clergies:

Shaykh Husayn succeeded his father in marja'iyya after his death.

Shaykh 'Ali, known as Shaykh al-'Iraqayn, the author of Fihris al-jawahir (index of Jawahir al-kalam).

Shaykh Muhammad

Shaykh 'Abd Allah, who, contrary to his father, joined Sufis and became a great Sufi master.

References

The material for this article is mainly taken from زین‌العابدین مازندرانی in Farsi WikiShia.

v t e Karbala
Places	Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) • Holy Shrine of al-Abbas (a) • Al-Tall al-Zaynabi • Al-Mukhayyam • Shrine of Al-Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi • Maqam Kaff al-'Abbas (a) • Qatligah • Al-Ha'ir al-Husayni • Al-Ghadiriyya • Niynawa • Euphrates • 'Alqama Stream • Bayn al-Haramayn • Al-Taff • Maqam Imam al-Zaman (Karbala) • Maqam Imam al-Sadiq (Karbala) • Nawawis
Events	Uprising of Imam al-Husayn (a) • Battle of Karbala • Demolition of the Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) • 1991 Uprising in Iraq
Marja's	Zayn al-'Abidin Mazandarani • Muhammad Baqir al-Bihbahani • Sayyid Muhammad Husayni al-Shirazi • Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi • Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Mudarrisi
Related	List of Figures Buried in Karbala • Martyrs of Karbala • Seminary of Karbala • Turbah Misbaha • Turbah • Ziyara of Imam al-Husayn (a) • List of Figures Buried in The Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) • Tuwairij Mourning • List of Figures Buried in The Holy Shrine of al-'Abbas (a)
Najaf

v t e Shia Jurists (14th/20th century)
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Iraq	Zayn al-'Abidin Mazandarani (d. 1309) • Husayn Quli Hamadani (d. 1311) • Mirza Shirazi (d. 1312) • Sayyid Muhammad Husaayn Shahristani (d. 1315) • Muhammad Hasan Mamaqani (d. 1320) • Muhammad Hadi Tehrani (d. 1321) • Husayn Khalili Tihrani (d. 1326) • Muhammad Kazim Khurasani (d. 1329) • Al-Habbubi Kabir (d. 1333) • Al-Sayyid Isma'il al-Sadr (d. 1338) • Al-Sayyid Ali Damad (d. 1336) • Al-Sayyid Muhammad Kazim al-Yazdi (d. 1337) • Second Mirza (d. 1338) • Shaykh al-Shari'a (d. 1339) • Abu Turab (d. 1346) • Sha'ban Gilani (d. 1348) • Al-Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr (d. 1354) • Muhammad Husayn Na'ini (d. 1355) • Muhammad Husayn Gharawi Isfahani (d. 1361) • Diya' al-Din al-'Iraqi (d. 1361) • Sayyid Abu l-Hasan Isfahani (d. 1365) • Muhammad Hirz al-Din (d. 1365) • Sayyid 'Ali Qadi Tabataba'i (d. 1366) • Muhammad Husayn Kashif al-Ghita' (d. 1373) • Al-Sayyid Husayn Al Ali Shahrudi (d. 1373) • Al-Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din (d. 1377) • Sayyid Jamal al-Din Gulpayigani (d. 1377) • Muhammad 'Ali Gharawi Urdubadi (d. 1380) • Al-Sayyid Muhammad Hasan al-Ha'iri (d. 1380) • Al-Sayyid Abd al-Hadi al-Shirazi (d. 1382) • Muhammad Rida al-Muzaffar (d. 1383) • Muhammad Hasan al-Muzaffar (d. 1375) • Muhammad Khalisizada (d. 1383) • Aqa Buzurg Tihrani (d. 1389) • 'Abd al-Husayn Amini (d. 1390) • Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim (d. 1390) • Al-Sayyid Mahmud Husayni Shahrudi (d. 1394) • Husayn al-Hilli (d. 1394) • Al-Sayyid Hasan Musawi Bujnurdi (d. 1396) • Sayyid Mustafa Khomeini (d. 1397) • Al-Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (d. 1400)
India	Taj al-'Ulama' (d. 1312)
Arabia	Ali b. Hasan Ali Khunayzi (d. 1362) • Ali b. Hasan Khunayzi (d. 1363)
Syria	Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin (d. 1371/1951)
Shia Marja's • Shia Rijal and Biography Scholars • Shia Theologians • Shia Exegetes • Shia Faqihs