Al-Sayyed Mohsen al-Amin (b.1284/1867-d.1371/1952), also transliterated Muhsin al Amin, was a
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mo ...
scholar,
biographer
Biographers are authors who write an account of another person's life, while autobiographers are authors who write their own biography.
Biographers
Countries of working life: Ab=Arabia, AG=Ancient Greece, Al=Australia, Am=Armenian, AR=Ancient Rome ...
,
traditionist, and
jurist. He was born in
Jabal Amil
Jabal Amil ( ar, جبل عامل, Jabal ʿĀmil), also spelled Jabal Amel and historically known as Jabal Amila, is a cultural and geographic region in Southern Lebanon largely associated with its long-established, predominantly Twelver Shia Musl ...
,
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
. His most important work is ''A'yan al-Shi'a''.
Early life and education
Family background
Al-Amin was born in 1867 to a well-known
Sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, sons of Muhamma ...
family in
Jabal Amil
Jabal Amil ( ar, جبل عامل, Jabal ʿĀmil), also spelled Jabal Amel and historically known as Jabal Amila, is a cultural and geographic region in Southern Lebanon largely associated with its long-established, predominantly Twelver Shia Musl ...
, Lebanon.He was famous for al-Amin or the trusted one.
His father, Abdul al-Karim al-Amili, was a scholar of his time. His father died in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
was buried, when he had gone to pilgrimage Iraq.
His maternal grandfather was ′Shaykh Muhammad Hussein al Amili al Musawi, was one of the scholars who went to
Najaf
Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...
to education and died there.
Education
Sayyed Mohsen began to study the Qur'an and elementary Arabic grammar at the age of seven under village teacher.
Four years later, he learned jurisprudence for three years old under shaykh Musa sharara who returned to Iraq.In 1890, arrangements were made for him to study at the Iraq, Najaf.
Finally he was a learned
Mujtahid.
Activity
He was among the pioneers of correcting Shia beliefs in modern times. He forbade (
Haram
''Haram'' (; ar, حَرَام, , ) is an Arabic term meaning 'Forbidden'. This may refer to either something sacred to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowle ...
) self-injurious. His action made the rallying most of the uneducated villagers against al Amin's calls for reform. By this action, Amin wanted to rationalize religious practices and make them more moral. He was able to expose a more positive image of the Shia thereby.
His children
* Hasan al-Amin
* Hashem Al-Amin
* Abd al-Muttalib Al-Amin
* Jafar Al-Amin
* Muhammad Baqir Al-Amin
Published works
* ''Ayan al-Shia'' ( ar, أعيان الشيعة), is one of his works. This work the biographical encyclopedia book and consists of fifty-six volumes.
* ''Al-husun al-mani'a fi radd ma awradahu sahib al-manar fi haqq al-shia'' ( ar, الحصون المنیعة فی ردّ ما اورده صاحب المنار فی حقّ الشیعة), he explained some of the Shia views in this book.
* ''Risalat al-tanzih li-a'mal al-shabih'' ( ar, رسالة التنزيه لاعمال الشبيه), that was al-Amin's reply to his critics-Sadiq.
* ''Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya al-khamisa'' ( ar, الصحيفة الخامسة السجادية) is the longest version of the Sahifa of al-Sajjad has been published.
* ''Al-Majalis al-saniyya fi manaqib wa-masa'ib al-'itra al-nabawiyya'' ( ar, المجالس السنيه في مناقب و مصائب العتره النبويه)
* ''Iqna' al-la'im ala iqamat al-matam'' ( ar, اقناع اللائم علی اقامه المآتم)
* ''Lawa'ij al-ashjan fi maqtal al-imam Abi Abd Allah al-Husayn'' ( ar, لواعج الأشجان في مقتل الإمام إبي عبد الله الحسين ابن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام )
* ''Kashf al-Irtiyab fi Atba' Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Wahhab'' ( ar, كشف الإرتياب في أتباع محمد بن عبد الوهاب )
See also
*
Islamic scholars
*
Islamization of knowledge
The phrase Islamization of knowledge has been used by some. The phrase "Islamisation of knowledge" was first used and proposed by the Malaysian scholar Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas in his book "Islam and Secularism" (first published in 1978). Ca ...
*
Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy is philosophy that emerges from the Islamic tradition. Two terms traditionally used in the Islamic world are sometimes translated as philosophy—falsafa (literally: "philosophy"), which refers to philosophy as well as logic, ...
*
Ayatollah al-Shirazi
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Abdullah Al-Musawi Al-Shirazi (February 25, 1892 – September 29, 1984) was a Grand Ayatollah of Twelver Shi'a Islam.
Life
Grand Ayatollah Haj Sayyed Abdullah al-Shirazi was born in Shiraz, Iran. At the age of 15 he ...
*
List of Marjas
Maraji are the supreme legal authority for Twelver Shia Muslims. The following articles contain lists of Maraji:
* List of current Maraji''
* List of deceased Maraji''
See also
* Marja'
*Ijtihad
*Hawza
* Risalah (fiqh)
*List of Ayatollahs
*List ...
*
Allameh Majlesi
*
Hossein Nasr
Seyyed Hossein Nasr (; fa, سید حسین نصر, born April 7, 1933) is an Iranian philosopher and University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University.
Born in Tehran, Nasr completed his education in Iran and the United St ...
*
Musa al-Sadr
Musa Sadr al-Din al-Sadr ( ar, موسى صدر الدين الصدر; 4 June 1928 – disappeared 31 August 1978) was an Iranian-born Lebanese scholar and political leader who founded the Amal Movement.
Born in the Chaharmardan neighborhood o ...
References
Sources
* Fouad Ajami. ''The Vanished Imam: Musa Al Sadr and the Shia of Lebanon''. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1986.
External links
The Shi'is in Lebanon: Between Communal 'Asabiyya and Arab Nationalism, 1908-21by Kais M. Firro
Lebanese Shiʿites and The Marja'iyya : Polemic in the Late Twentieth Centuryby RULA JURDI ABISAAB
Lebanese Shiʿites and The Marja'iyya : Polemic in the Late Twentieth Centuryby Max Weiss
{{DEFAULTSORT:al-Amin, AlSayyed Mohsen
1867 births
1952 deaths
Shia scholars of Islam
19th-century Arabs
20th-century Lebanese people
Pupils of Muhammad Kadhim Khorasani