..

ERUDITES FOR THE GUIDANCE

IN

THE PERiOD OF MAJOR OCCULTATION

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At the time of Death of A)-atullah Mohsinul Hakim, a short informal ion about this ~ub ject ",as given in Iran's Journal 'iTl ELA' A'i ' al.wut Deputies of lmam-c- Asr (A.S .) in the Period of Major O\:(uitation ~(;haibat-e-Kubra). The Urdu Tran5l1atiol1 ot' original Persian was obtained from Maulana Sled Ha:.an Abba~, Saheb 'I, ilrat' and was printed in Gujrati

Magazine 'ALAMDAR' Monthly of January, 1971.

--: 0 :--

Acc .::: rding to Shia belief the Last Prophet Hazrat Mohammad Tvlustafa (S. A .) appointed and nominated, by order of Allah, Maula­c- Mutta({c cn Ameerul Momineen Hazrat Ali bin Abi Talib (A .S.) as his Successor 3nd Vicegerent . Aft ( r the demise of the Holy Prophet, Halfa t Ali (A .S.) became Khaltfatur Rasul (Vicegerent of the Prophet ~S.A .) and the leaden,hip of Islam was transferred to him by the

Order of Allah .

After Him th is leadership was tra115ferred to his progeny and eleven In:ams were thus appo inted for the guidance of Muslims one after the other. The Holy Prophet S.A . had, ou several other

occasions dec L red Hazrat Ali (A .S.) as his successor .

From the t ime o f the H oly Prophet (S .A.) and throughout the

taue of the Twelve Imams th e: Traullicn about the promised Mehdi was

an .i ~ cepted fact and the bel id waf> conllDoniy held that the Mehdi will be Qdim-e-Adl-c -r-. lohamllad (A .S.), and that he will remain in Major O cc.ul:atlOl1, hldJ en fr uID the sight of the people, till his re-appearance at a tlul C \\0 hI.:n th: s wC'rld would be full of inju::.tice and oppression

~o that he would flU the Earth with Justice and Peace.

THE NECESSITY OF IMAMA T

MINOR OCCULTATION AND MAJOR OCCULTATION

(Ghaibat-e-Sughra aur Ghaibat-e-Kubra)

125

The Twelfth Imam (A .S.) was born on the 15th Sha'ban, 255 A.H. In this early years he remained concealed in an under-ground vault so that his enem ies m ight not hum him . Even after the death of his holy father, Imam Hasan Askar i (A .S.) he remained concealed from the eyes of the public for seventy years. This period is called Ghaibat-e-Sughra or M inor Occultation . During th is period, The Imam (A .S.) remained in commu nication with the faithfuls through four Safeers (or Deputies) who acted as med ium between the faithfuIs and the Imam (A.S.) . Their names are :

1. Oosman Bin Saeed .

2. Mohammad Bin Ovsrna n .

3. Husain Bin Rowh and

4. Abul Has:!n Ali Bin Moh amm?d Semarri.

In the last days of Abul H.tsan Ali Rin Mohammad Slmarr i, Ha uat Imam Mehdi (A .S.) told him not to appoint his successor, ~ny i n ~ : "Now the time for Major Occultation has arrived . DL) n o t appoint Y0ur successor. Hereafter the work of imparting kll ()wledgc (If Canon of MOhammad (S .A.) is to be entrusted to the crudites and jurists of the community ." This fourth wurthy deput y dicd in 32 7 A.H . and the worldly link and c:::>ntact of comm on Shia s with the Imam (A .S.) came to an end.

. From now onwards the responsibil ity of gu iding people and Imp~rting knowledge of Canon came on the shoulders of erud ~ tes, tradltionists and Jur ists . From then on, res ea rch \\ ork in rcllglou sacramen ts and matters began . These Ulema began giv ing Fatwa (decr ) d ' t ' n ~ j' udoements ees according to deduct io n'> based on tra , I to, ~ and decrees of the fourt een Infall ibles includ ing th e Prophet St. Thus a system of "Rcfe:-cncc" began which is kn own as Taqlecd . By Taql d ., . f an Au'lam who . ee We mean to follow decrecs and dcclslOns 0

IS a confirmed sch!)lar of Trad ition and Islamic jUflsprudcnce. Such an Aa'i . d" C Ire of Refere nce . amlS te rmed as 'Marja- e-Taqlee ,I .e. en

j 11 t · - , Ih ~ COfe a! juri st ~ U ~ t after the bC l!ill ni !1!! o f Major o~cu a 1\1.1 ::: . l\<foharnm ad Bin Yaqoob Kul alOi took charge o f the seat (If leaf111ng

126 THE NECESSITY OF IMAMAT

as the first Marja-e-Taqleed. He was the resident of Kula.in, a t~~n­ship near Tehran. The system of one Marja-e-Taq\eed takmg pOSition on the death of the predecessor has since continued throughout al\ these centuries . Some of them are mentioned he render.

In the fourth Century, Janab Abul Hasan Bin Moosa Ibne Babwaih, Qummi, was the next Marja-e-Taqleed for Shias .

Shaikh Saduq (Abu Ja'afar Mohammad Ali Bin Babwaih), who died in 381 A.H. and whose grave at Rai is still a revered place of visit for Shias was the contemporary of Ruknuddaula and remained for many years the Marja-e-Taqleed .

Shaikh-e-Mufeed (Mohammad Bin Nauman) was the next Marja-e­Taqleed and religious leader of Shial of his time . He died in the year 413 A.H.

On the death of Shaikh-e-Mufeed, Syed Murtazll (Al i Bin Husain Moosavi) "A'alamu\ Huda" was appointed to take his place . He was in the fifth generation ofHazrat Moosa Kazim (A .S.) .

After Syed Murtaza, Shaikh-e-Toosi (Abu Ja'afar Mohammad Bin Toosi) became the centre of Reference. He was the disciple of Shaikh-e-Mufeed and Syed Murtaza. His gra.ve is in Najaf-e-Ashraf.

After the death of Shaikh-e-Toosi his disciple lbne Barra j took up the work of gu iding the Shias . In the time of Shaikh-e-Toosi, he was appointet\ for the work of preaching the True Faith in Syria and Tripoli .

After the death of lbne Barraj the leadership of Shias became the responsibility of Shaikh Aboo Ali Toosi. He died in 496 A. H .

PREACHING IN AFRICA

In the 6th Century Hijri, Allama Mohaqqiq-e-Halabi became the leader of the Shias . He was the first person to send different groups to Africa for preaching .

After Al1 am a Mohaqqiq-e-Hal abi Janab Emadudd in Tabrasi and after him Sh aikh-e-Tabrasi hecamc Marja-e-Taqleed. Their graves are in Mashhad (lran). The Successor of Sha ikh-e-Tabrasi was Janab Hasan Tabras i.

rflE NECESSITY OF IMAMAT 127

Qutub Ravandi was one of the great Shia erudites . He wa~ the

fi,;t critiC of 'Nahjul Balagha'. After the death of Janab Hasan

T~brasi he became Marja-e-Taqleed . His grave is in the courtyard of

the masoleum of Ma'sooma-e-Qum at Qum in Iran .

In the la~t years of the 6th Century Ibne Zehra a nd lbne Tdrees

performed the functi o n of Marja-e-Taqleed .

SEVENTH & EIGHTH CENTURIES

In the Seventh and Eighth Centuries the following crudites were

the Marja-e-Taq Iced :

I. !anab Sazan Bin Jibraee I-e-Qumm i .

2. Jan ab Mohaqq iq-e-Hal abi . 3. Fakhr Bin Ma'ad.

4. Allama Halabi .

5. Fakhrul :\.1 ohaqqeql'en Aboo Abdullah B in Sh aikh Jamaludd in

Halabi (Shaheed-e-Awwal) .

I. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

NINTH & TENTH CENTlJRIE~

AlIama Ali Bin Kh azee n . Fazil-e-M iqdad. Ibne Fahod .

Ibne Najmuddin . Abdul A'ali .

Badruddin Ameli.

Janab Mohaqqiq-e-Maypasi .

Janab Mohaqqiq-e-Kark i (The first contemporary of Shah Tehmasp) .

were the C . lii " . entres of faqleed i n the Ninth and Tenth CenturIes, h In. When Shah Tehmasp a ccepted the true religi01l (Shi:! faith) e Called J

anab MOhaqq iq-e-Kark i fr om Najaf to Tabrcz .

ISPAHAN PERIOD The folI . .

the Ele OWll1g leaders of Shia Faith became Maoa-e-TaqIeed in and a venth and Twel fth Centuries H i iri, Seven of these erudite~ died

re bur ' I ' . - . re ligi net In Ispahan, wh ic h was In those days th e centre ~)f

ous studi' d . ' Or So is k cs an knowledge , :;0 thiS pefloct of two hund red ye~lfs

now n as Ispahan Period.

128

I.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6 .

7.

THE NECESSITY OF IMAM AT

Shaheed-e-Sani Muqaddas-e-Ardbeli (Co t Abbas Aa'zam) . 0 emporary of Shah

Hasan Bin Shaheed-e-Sani Shaikh-e-Baha i. Allama Majlisi the First.

Mulla Saleh Mazandrani.

M ohaqqiq-e-Khoonsari. Aq a- i-F azi I-e-Hi nd i .

Mlllla Ismail Khawaj wi (Contemporary of Nadir Shah) .

TWEI.FTH CENTURY

~n the Twelfth Century there were many great scholars and erudltes who performed the work of guidance of the Shia people, such as :-

... I.

2 . 3.

4. 5. 6.

Aqa Mohammad Baqir Bahbani . Mohaqq iq-e-Niraq i.

Aq~-e-Syed Bahrul-Uloom Shaikh Ja'far (Author of Kashiful Ghlta) .

Mirza-e-Qllmmi (Contemporary of Fateh Ali Shah Qach:u) . Mulla Ahm ad Naraini .

Shaikh Mohammad Ha~an Najafi [spahani (Author of 'J awahar').

7. Shaikh Ansari .

Apart from these the greatest leader and Marja-e-Taqleed of this period was Syed Mohammad Hasan Shirazi alias Mirza-e-Buzllrg. He preached the Tru e Faith in ot her parts of the world. In the re ign of Na~eerllddin Sha h Qacha r, Mirza was grieved to note that the English wer;.! strengthen ing the ir hald i'l Iran . They had introduced the use of Tobacco in fran and were e arning a lot by the trade of Tobacco. To infl ict a blow to th.! E 'l~li>h he d e..:r..:d the 11 ~e of ToblCC0 as prohibited . On accvunt of th is declara ti'J n he achieved ex tra IJrdi!lary popularity in the masses .

After Mirza-e-Buzurg, the Author of 'URWATUL WUTHQA', Ayatlillah Sye .j Kuim Yczdi heea me th e Marja-c-Taq leed .

JEHAD RELIGIOUS WAR

After A va tull ah Sved Kazim Yazdi, Ayatullah Mirza Mohammad Taqi Shirazi-alias Mir;a-c -K uch ak became the Aa'i am. He decreed

rHE NECESSITY OF IMAM AT 129

rdigi,)U :o; war ag.ainst tbe British Government because they had occupied Iraq in the First World War. This decree brougM the Independence

)f Iraq ncarcr.

Aftl'T Mirza-c-Kuchak the leadership of the Shias came in the lands of Ayatullah Syed Abu! Hasan Ispahani . In his period the :! ')\'crnment of Iraq hecame hostile to the Iranian erudites who were :ta ying in 11 aq . He migrated with a big group of I?eople to Iran an.d .cltleli in QUill . He came again to Najaf-e-Ashraf after the condt-

i o n ~ had inlproved .

The rer i·' d of hi s successor. late Ayatullah AI-Raj Husain Qumroi las not a long one . He die-d with in a short time of becoming

hrja -e-Taq Iced.

After him Ayatullah Aqa Syed Husain Burujardi became the 54th larja-e-Taqlecd and remained so till 1380 A.H . In his time some . . lissionary centres were established and mosques were constructed In

uropean Countries .

Ayatullah Mohsinul Hakim has been the centre of Taqleed in our mes, but unfortunately he too passed away on 26th Rabiul Aw wa.I. ,90 A.H . l2nd June. 1970) leaving the entire Shia world enautfed in 'ep gri ef. His grc atnc <;s in eruditi on was unequalled and he was so mous as a fearl ess supp)rter of the religiou5 cause that it is hard to \d anybody to replace him .

A complete list of the Marja-e-Taqlecd since the Major OceuI­iO Il adopted from the book "Hayat-e-Kakim" by Moulana Murtaza l<;ein Falil , Lahore. 1969, is shown in the appendix.

THE NAI\fES OF THE 'CE~TRES OF REFERENCE'

(MARJA-E-TAQLEED), IN THE PAST CENTURIES

l. ~q.Jl ~l ~slall? ~bu lafar Mohammad Bin Yaqub Bin lshaq l~lall Kuialnl author of the book 'Kafi' d ied 329 A.H.

(oAGHDAD).

2. ~h alikh Sudduq Moh amm ad Bin Ali Bin Babwaih Qummi, , ut lor uf the bl)l) ks " Maul a Yahzuruhul Faqih" etc . d ied X I .\.11. (Ra t) . • ,

3. Sh:likl M fi t . " , 1 I U ( Abu Abullah Mohammad Bm MohanHn ad S;n ' ~Ollla n IK"-e , ~ uth or of the book ' Al-Maqnaa' etc. died 31 8 A H \ . " malll) . , . .

130 TH E N ECESSiTY OF IMAMAT

4. Al am-II1-Huda, Abu1 Qasim Al i Hill Husain Bin Mus a .

Al-Musav i author of the hooks Ash-Sh afi , etc ., d ied 426 A.H .

(Ka ze01 ain) .

5. Abu1 Fath. Mohammad Bin Ali Bin Usman Karajok i author of the book 'Kanzul Fawaid' died 449 A.H .

6. Shaikh-ut-tlifa, founder of the reli gious academ y of Na jaf,

Abu hfar Mohammad Bin Hasan Bin Ali Toosi. author of

th e books Al-(st ilesar, Tahzibul Ahkam, etc . , died 460 A.H . (Najar) .

7 . "~h Sh a ikhu l Aja1 Sha ikh M ohammad Bin Shaikh ut Taifa, died 494 :\ .H .

~ . Shaikh Abu Jafar Mohammad Bin Abil Qasim Ali Bin

Mohammad Aam ili, T abari, allthor of the book Basharat-ul­Mustafa , d ied 540 A.H .

9. Ash Sha 1kh-u1-Fafih , Abu Alt AI-Fazl Bin Hasan, Tibrasi.

author of the book M ajma-ul-Bayan Fi-Tafsi rul -Quran, etc ., died 548 A.H . (Meshhed) .

.. 10. Abut M ak a11T1 Hamza Bin Ali known as Ibne Zahra Halabi,

auth or of the book Al -G hania , died 585 A.H . (Halle Aleppo).

11. Ihne Sh ahr Ashrile. Shaikh Rashi-ud-Din, Abu Jafar

Moha mm ad Bin Ali , author of the book, AI-Manaqile, etc , d ied 588 A.H . (H alle-Aleppo).

12. Shaik Bin Idrees M ohammad Bin Ahmad Hilli, author of

the book As-Saraer, died 598 A.H .

13. Shaikhul Ajat , Abul Fazal Shazan Bin Jibrail QUIDt settled

at Madina Munawwera, died 618 A.H .

14. Naj ieb-ud-Din. Abu Ibrahim Mohammad Bin Jafar Bin Abil

Bl qr Hibat-ul-1ah Bin Nemahile, died 645 A .H . (Naj af).

15. Shaikhul Faqih, N ajmuddin !afar Bin Moham mad Bin Ja far

known as Bin Nemahili, author of the book Mush ir-ul-Ah zan .

16. As Syedul Ajal, Razi-ud-Din Bin Taoos Abul Qasim Ali Bin

Musa Bin Jafar Hasani , Huseini , died 664 A .H .

17. Shaikhul Isl am, Khwaja Nasiruddin Mohammad Bin

Moh ammad Bin Hasan, known as Muhaqqiq Tusi, author of

the books 'Ta jridul Kalami ' et c., died 616 A.H . (K azemain) .

18. 5baikhul Fuquha, Jafar Bi n H asan Bin Y ahy a Bin Sa ee d ,

known as Muhaqqiq H ill i , author o f the hook Sh a r ae~ul · blam , d ied 676 A. H (Hilla) .

:6 NECESSITY OF IMAMA T J31

/9. Ayatullah, Shaikh IamaI-ud-Din, Abu Mansur Hasan Bin yusuf Bin Mutahhar, author of the book AI-Qaqaed, died 726 A.H. (Najaf) .

20. Nasiruddin Kashani Baghdad i. HiIIi , Ali Bin Mohammad, died 755, A. H. (Naj af) .

21. Fakhral Muhaqqiqin, Abu Talife Mohammad Bin Hasan Bin Yusuf Bin Mutahhar HiIli , author of the books Sharh-ul­Qawaed etc., died 771 A.H.

22. Syed-uf-JaliI, Taj uddin Abu Abdillah Mohammad Bin Qasim Bin Husain, d ied 776 A.H. (Najaf).

23. Shaheed-e-Awwal Abu Abdillah Mohammad Bin Jamal-ud-Din A'amili, author of the book AI-Lamaia, and Az-zi kra, etc., burnt alive 776 A.H.

24. Sbaik-e-Faqih, Abul Hasan ~ain - ud-D i n Ali Bin Khazin Haeri, died 820 A.H

25 . .8haikh-e-Ajal, Fazil-e-Miqdad, Abu AbdilIah, AI-Miqdad Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammad Bin Husein, author of the book Kanzul rrfan , d ied 825 A.H. (Baghd ad) .

26. Jamalus SaJikin, Abul Ayash Ahmad Bin Mohammed Bin Fahd Hilli Asadi, author of the book Idda -tud-Da'a i. died 841, A.H. (Karbala ).

27. Shaikh Shams-ud-Din Mohammad Bin Makk i, A'am ili Sham i, author of the book Mojaz-un-Nafisi, etc ., died 860 A.H.

28. Siqatul Islam Nuruddin Ali Bin Abdil A'ali A'amili , known as MUhaqqiq-e-Karbi, author of th e book Shaeh-ul­Qawaed, died 936 A .H .

~ 9 . S ). baheed Sani, Sha ikh-e-JaJiJ, Zain-ud-Din Bin Nuruddin A I

Bin Ahmad, author of the books Sharh Lama'a D.HlI ishqia, etc., died 936 A.H .

,0. A'al ime-Rabbani Maulana Ahmad Rin Mohammad Ardbel i, author of the books 'Aya tul Ahkam, etc., died 993 A H .

(burried, Najaf) .

. J. A'alim-e-Jaleel, Mohammad (Ali Bin Moh ammad Balaghi,

author of the books Shaeh-e-Usul -i l K:tfi , etc., d ied 1,0:'0 A. .ff. (Karbala).

2. ~haikh - (' -Jal ce l , Jamal-ud-D in, Abu Mans ur Hasan Bin Stlallced San i, author of {he boo ks Ma·aJirnuodin-ul- Usool. U' l.:d I () l . , 1 A. H. (Labanon).

132

..

THE NECESSITY OF TMAMAT

33. Sha ikhul Islam, Shaikh Bahai, Mohammad Bin Husain Bin

Ahdus Samad Jabar i, A'amil i Hdri si, author of the books

Al-Mukhillat etc. , d ied 1041 A . H . (Mashhcd, lran) .

34 . Zahid Wara , Mohammad Taqi B in Maqsud Ali, Knowll as

Majl isi Awwal, autho r of the bo ok Shaeh Man la fah za ruhul

Faqih, died 1070 A .H .

35. Maul a na Mohammad Swaleh Mazandrani, author of the book

Sharh-ul-Kafi , died 1080 A .H.

36. Murabbiul Fuqaha wal Muhaddison Husain Bin Jamaluddin

Mohammad Bin Husain Khwa nsari , author of the books Sharh-e-Durus, etc ., died 1098 A.H . (Isfahan gallows)

37. Shaikhul Islam wal Mlislimin Moham mad BaeJir Bill

Mohammad Taqi, kn own as M aj lisi Sani, author of the

hooks Bihar-ul-Anwar, etc ., died II J I A.H . (Isfahan) .

38. Fazilc H indi, Sha ikh 1aleel, Wahid-e-Asr. Mohammad Bin

H asan Bin Mohammad Isfah a n author of the books 'Kashful

Lisan', etc, died, 1137 A.H. (I sfah an) .

39 . All ama-tul-Auhad, Shaikh Ahmad-el-lazac ri, Najafi . author

of the book Q 3Idid -ud-Durr, died ll50 A .H. ( Naja f) .

40. A'alim -e-laleel, Mahagqiq Aqa Jamaluddin Bin Maul-et­

Husa in Bill lamaluddin Khoonsari, died 1155 A .H . (Khoonsar) .

41. Hak im Mutaallch, Ismail Bin Moh ammad Hl1sain Bin

Mohammad Raza Mazandrani Khwajwi, author of the book

Shaheedua-is Sabah, d ied 1173 A .H. (fsfahan) .

42. Muhaqqiq-e-Wahid, Bah bani, Mohammau Baqir, author of

the book Sharh-e-Mafat ih and Hashia Mudarak, died 120~

A.H . (Karbala) .

43. Ayatullah AI-Allama Syed Mahdi, kn o wn as Bahrul -Ulum,

died 1212 A.H . (Najaf) .

44. Sha i kh- ~ -Akba r, Shaikh Jafar Bin Shaikh Kh :zr Junaji Najafi,

died 1228 A.H. (Najaf) .

45. Faqih-e-Jalil, Abul Qasim Bin Mohammad Hasin Jil ani

Qummi, known as Mirza-c-Qummi, author of the book Ai­

Qawani n and Ja.mc-mh-Shatat. di ed 123 1 A .H . (Qum) .

46 . Maulana Ahmad Bin Maulana Mahd i AZ-Zl q i, author of the

book \1eraj -1I<; -Sa'adat, died 1244 A.H .

47 . Fatlh-e-Kabir, Shaikh Mohammad Hasan Na jafi , author of

the book 1awahir-ul-Kalam, died 1266 A.H . (Najaf) .

THE NECESSITY OF IMAMAT 133

48 . Ar- Raisul Azim, Murtaza Bin Mohammad Amin, known as Shaikhul Ansari, author of the book Ar-Rasaelowal Makasib, died 1281 A.H . (Najaf) .

49. AI-Allamatul Kabir, Syed Mohammad MahdiQazurni, author of many books, died 1300 A.H. (Najaf).

50. MauJana Mohammad Bin Mohammad Baqir Airwani, died 1306 A.H. (N(1juf).

51. Ayatullah-el-Majaddid, Mirza Mohammad Hasan Shirazi, died 13 J 2 A.H. (Najaf).

52. Shaikh·e-Jalil, Faqih wara, Shaikh Mohammad Hasan Bin Al -Mollla Abeoullah-e-Maniqani, died 1311 A.H, tburied, Najaf) .

53. Ayatullah Shaikh Mirza Khalil Tehrani, died 1366 A .H . (Najaf) .

5~ . Ustazul Ulama, Shaikh Mohammad Kazim, known as Akhund Khurasani, author of the book Kifayatu) Usu), died 1329,

A.H. (Najar) . 55 . Fafih-e·Ahle ilait, Syed Mohammad Kazim Yazdi, author

of the book Urwat-ul-Wusqa, died 1337 A.H . (Ndjaf). 56 . The leader of the Iraqi Movement against the British Mirza

Mohammad Taqi Shirazi, died 1338, A.H. (Karbala). 57. AI-Allamlil Faqih Shaikh Fath-ullah, known as Shaikh-ush­

Shari at 16fahani, died 1339 A.H. tNajaf) . 5!< . Ayatu!\'lh-el-Mutabahhr Shaikh Abdullah Bin Shaikh

Mohammad Hasan Momgani, author of the book Tangih-ul ­Maqu), etc ., died 1351 A.H. (Najaf) .

59 . Ash-Shaikh-ul Allam, Mirza Husein Nasceni, died 1355 A.H.

(Najaf) . 60. Mujtahid Akbar, Syed Abu} Hasan Isfahani, author of the

book Wasila-tun-Nijat, died 1365, A.H. (Najaf) . 61. Mujaddid-e-llm-e-Usul, Shaikh Ziauddin Iraqi, author of the

book Kitabul Maqalat, etc ., died 28, Zil-Qada, 1366 A.B . 62. Mujtahid-e-Aa'zam, Syed Husain Burojardi, died 1380 A.H.

(Qum, Iran) . 63 . Ayatullah-el.Kubra, Syed Mohsin-el-Hakim, died 1390 A. H.

(Naj :1 f} .