Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Gharib Nawaz

By: Syed Hashim Razavi, Hyderabad, India
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was born in Chisht, Iran and his family was rich and he led his childhood in comfort. However, when first his father and then his mother died in his teen, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s economic condition deteriorated. For a while Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti subsisted on the income from the orchard he received in inheritance. One day when Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was working in his orchard, a pious Iranian dervish Ebrahim Qundoozi, came and took his seat under the shade of a tree.
When Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Gharib Nawaz saw him, he brought a bunch of grapes and presented it to the dervish. The visitor ate the grapes and was delighted. He then took something out of his bag, chewed it, and then offered it to his young host. Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti ate it without any hesitation, and at once, the light of wisdom and knowledge dawned upon him. Immediately he disposed of all of his worldly belongings and distributed the money amongst the poor. Having thus broken all the ties with worldly affairs, he set off from Chisht, Iran for Samarkand and Bukhara, then the great centers of learning for religious education and knowledge.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti then went in search of a Murshid (Spiritual Master) to various places. Finally, he went to Neyshabour, Khurasan, Iran where he met a Sufi Saint Khwaja Uthman Harooni, who admitted him as his disciple.
He was initiated at the age of 18 and for the next 22 years served merely as the water-boy for his convent. During that period, he was not allowed to attend the exclusive circle of his Murshid. Eventually when he reached the age of 40, one day Khwaja Uthman Harooni called for him to his court, showed him his two fingers, and asked him what he was seeing in between those two fingers. Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti relied, “I am watching 18 thousand Galaxies.”
After performing Hajj, he visited the Masjid-ul-Nabawi (Holy tomb of the Prophet) in Medina. There he meditated at the tomb for several days. During meditation, he met the Prophet Muhammad, who commanded him in these words: “O, Moinuddin! Thou art the helper of the Faith. We hath granted thee the land of India. Go there and stay, at Ajmer. Thy stay shall remove the faithlessness and glorify the Truth.”
This pleased him greatly but it worried him as well since he did not know where Ajmer was in India, and he asked the Prophet Muhammad about that. He was shown the world and the mountain near Ajmer. He was then given the title of the Chief of the Sahykhs (Qutub-ul-Masha’ikh).
Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti left Medina for India. He continued his journey, passing through Isfahan, Bokhara, Herat and Lahore. In Lahore, he stayed at the tomb of Ali Hajveri Data Ganj Bukhsh, and meditated there for two weeks, and when he finished his meditation, he said a couplet in Farsi: “Ganj Buksh Faiz-e-Alam Mazhar-e-Noor-e-Khuda Naqisa-ra Pir-e-Kamil, Kamila-ra Rahnuma”
Translated: Ganj Buksh (Bestower of Spiritual Treasures) is a grace to the world; a manifestation of Divine Light.
For beginners a perfect spiritual teacher; for perfected, a leader.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, arrived in Ajmer in 1165, on his divine mission. At that time, Ajmer was ruled by Raja Rai Pithora of the Chohan dynasty. In his court, he had a large number of powerful magicians with Ajai Pal as their leader. Khwaja Moinuddin stayed on a hill close to Ana Sagar Lake now known as the Chillah Khwaja Sahib. At the arrival of Khwaja Moinuddin, there was not even a single Muslim in the state.
Khwaja Moinuddin stayed on the camel stable of the Raja of Ajmer. When the camel drivers returned with the camels from the grazing grounds in the evening and objected to his stay and the Royal soldiers removed him from the place forcibly. Khwaja Moinuddin moved away to another place saying: “Now, the camels shall sit here.” The other day when the camel drivers tried to raise the camels they failed to do so. They realized of their misbehavior to a holy man, beseeched of his pardon, which he readily granted. He asked them that whoever made the camel sit would raise them. When the camel drivers returned they saw the camels moving about. The news of this strange anecdote reached the ears of the Raja and the people flocked to him in droves, and many non-believers accepted Islam on his hand.
The Raja was not happy with his stay in Ajmer and started harassing him one way or the other. When nothing worked, he put the yogis after him. Jiapal, the Chief Pundit (priest) of the temple, came to face him along with his disciples. Khwaja Moinuddin gave him some water to drink, as soon as he drank it, his condition changed, and fell on the feet of Khwaja Moinuddin and accepted Islam.
Many of the royal servants embraced Islam on the hand of Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Raja’s daughter too became a Muslim. The events made the Raja upset and he threatened him to evict from Ajmer. In reply to the threats he said,” We turned him out and entrusted him”.
Gharib Nawaz Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s words proved true. The famous Muslim ruler Sultan Shahab-uddin Mohammad Ghouri attacked India, and became the new ruler of the state by defeating the Raja.
From the land of paganism i.e. Ajmer, Khwaja Moinuddin started the spiritual movement of the propagation of the Truth. His efforts bore fruit and within a short period of sixteen years, the condition of Ajmer was changed. It became the nerve center of moral and spiritual leadership in India, leveled the way for a grand religious and social revolution, and provided opportunity to countless people to lead a life of equality and honor.
He was kind and forgiving. Once a man came to him with the intention of murder. He read his intention spiritually, and treated him very kindly, and asked him, to do what he had intended. The man was ashamed and requested to be punished. Khwaja Moinudin replied, “The mendicant’s habit is, whoever does evil to them, they treat him well.” He forgave the man who later became his follower.
In spite of his renunciation of worldly things, his monastery was famous for his generosity and magnanimity. So much food was cooked in his kitchen that a poor, a beggar, or needy never went hungry from his gate. He is also known as Gharib Nawaz (patron of the poor). A large Kitchen even today serves the hungry and the poor of all faiths from the campus of his monastery. His tomb is one of the holiest places in India where pilgrims, Muslims as well as Hindus come from every corner of South Asia to pay their homage.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Gharib Nawaz went into his chamber after night prayers and closed the door. He did not permit anyone to enter. All night long, the people outside heard a mystical sound coming from inside of his room. At the approach of dawn, the sounds stopped. Sensing that there was something unusual because the door remained closed at the time of morning prayers, his devotees opened the door and found him dead. The year was 1229 A.D.

Quotes of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
A friend of God must have affection like the Sun. Because when it rises, it is beneficial to all irrespective of whether they are Muslim, Christian, or Hindu.
A friend of God must be generous like a river. We all get water from the river to quench our thirst. It does not discriminate whether we are good or bad or whether we are a relation or a stranger.
A friend of God must display the hospitality like the earth. It raises and cradles us in its lap, and yet it is always under our feet.
A friend of God must display the hospitality like the earth. It raises and cradles us in its lap, and yet it is always under our feet.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti…a renowned Sufi of repute says …. The revival of Islam took place by the sacrifice of Imam Hussain… Islam was saved through Imam Hussain…. That is why he termed IMAM HUSSAIN AS BUNIYAAD (Foundation) Of Islam.
Khwaja Muinu’d-Din Chishti says: “Shah ast Hussain, Badshah ast Hussain Deen ast Hussain, deen panah ast Hussain, Sardaad, na daad dast dar dast-e-yazeed, Haqqa ke bina-e la ilah ast Hussain.”
“Hussain is Shah (spiritual leader), Hussain is Badshah (the administrative leader or the king) of this world. Hussain is himself “religion” and also the one who gave shelter to the religion. He preferred to give his head but not his hand to Yazeed. The fact is …Husain is the foundation of The Religion, the foundation of la ilah ilallah}

The statesman, warrior, poet and literary figure, Moayyed od-Dowlah

On 27th of the Islamic month of Jamadi as-Sani in 448 AH, the statesman, warrior, poet and literary figure, Majd od-Din Osama ibn Murshid ibn Ali ibn Munqidh al-Kinani, titled Moayyed od-Dowlah, was born in Shaizar near Hama in Syria. His life coincided with the rise and fall of several Muslim dynasties, as well as the First Crusade and setting up of the illegal states by the European invaders. A nephew of the emir of Shaizar, he served at the courts of the Turkic Atabegs of the declining Seljuqid Empire who now founded dynasties of their own in Syria, such as the Burids, the Artuqids, and the Zengids, especially the famous Noor od-Din Zengi – the victor of several defeats against the Crusaders.
He then went to Egypt to serve at the Fatemid court in Cairo, and was later associated with Salah od-Din Ayyubi, the Kurdish ruler who brought the whole of Egypt and Syria under his sway. Osama often meddled in politics and was exiled from both Damascus and Cairo. He wrote many works of poetry, such as "Kitab al-Asa" (Book of the Staff), "Lubab al-Adab" (Kernels of Literature), and "al-Manazil wa'd-Diyar" (Dwellings and Abodes). For modern readers, he is well known for his "Kitab al-I'bar", which contains lengthy descriptions of the crusaders, whom he visited on many occasions, and some of whom he befriended, although he generally saw them as European barbarians.
It is assumed that Osama was a Shi'ite Muslim, because he often writes about and praises Imam Ali (AS). His family cooperated with the Fatemids and other Shi'ite dynasties, and he himself served the Fatemids in Egypt. Researchers are divided; some think that he had a "secret sympathy" with the Shi'ites, while others believe he was Sunni with Shi'ite tendencies. Still others think that his family members were Twelver Shi'ites. He died in Damascus at the age of 96, a year after the liberation of Bayt ol-Moqaddas from the crusaders after 88 years of occupation.

The renowned Muslim worldwide traveler, Ibn Battuta,

On 17th of the Islamic month of Rajab in 703 AH, the renowned Muslim worldwide traveler, Shams od-Din Mohammad bin Abdullah, popularly known as Ibn Battuta, was born in the northwest African city of Tangiers, which is now in Morocco. As a young man he started his initial journey to perform the Hajj, but after pilgrimage to Mecca, he kept on travelling, visiting over a period of thirty years, most of the Islamic world as well as many non-Muslim lands in the three continents of Africa, Asia and Europe.
His journeys including trips to North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, Southern Europe and Eastern Europe in the West, and to West Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and China, cover a total of 75,000 miles (121,000 km), surpassing by threefold the travels of his near-contemporary Marco Polo of Venice. In Iraq, he visited the holy shrine in Najaf of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), and although a Sunni, he has admitted how people from far and near seek intercession with God through the First Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and are cured of their ailments.
He then travelled all over Iran, and later, after visiting the Byzantine Empire, Europe and Russia, he arrived in India, where he was appointed the Qazi of Delhi by Sultan Mohammad bin Tughlaq. On his return to his homeland Morocco, again served as Qazi. He dictated to scribes the details of his travels in his book titled "ar-Rehla", and died at the age of 66 years.

The renowned Mu’tazalite Sunni scholar, Ibn Abi’l-Hadeed

On 20th of the Islamic month of Rajab in 656 AH, the renowned Mu’tazalite Sunni scholar, Izz od-Din Abdul-Hamid bin Hibbatollah, popularly known Ibn Abi’l-Hadeed, passed away at the age of 70 years. Captured by the Mongols during the offensive on Baghdad, he was later released upon the mediation by prominent figures. His most important book is a voluminous commentary on the “Nahj al-Balaghah”, the collection of the eloquent sermons, letters and maxims of Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), the First Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). His famous remarks on the Commander of the Faithful read: “The world cannot quote an example other than that of (Imam) Ali of a first class warrior and a marshal who is also a philosopher, a moralist and a great teacher of religious principles and theology.
A study of his life shows that his sword was the only help that Islam received during its early days of struggle in its wars of self-defence. For Islam he was the first and the last line of defence… The other facet of his character is reflected in his sermons, orders, letters and sayings. What high values of morality they teach, what ethics’ they preach, what intricate problems of Unitarianism they elucidate, how rich they are in philosophy; how they imbibe the spirit of righteousness and teach rulers to become kind, good, benevolent and God-fearing rulers, and subjects to be faithful, sincere and law abiding, how they persuade men to be warriors who can fight only for God, truth and justice, and not mercenaries murdering and plundering for wealth and riches; and how they instruct teachers to teach nothing injurious and harmful to mankind. These are but undisputable proofs of his greatness and spiritual superiority. Has history ever produced a more splendid personality incorporating such variegated characteristics of mind and heart?”

Allamah Rasheed Turabi, the famous religious scholar, philosopher, poet and outstanding orator of the subcontinent

On July 9, 1908 AD, the famous religious scholar, philosopher, poet and outstanding orator of the subcontinent, Allamah Rasheed Turabi was born in Hyderabad, India. After obtaining BA from Osmania University in Hyderabad and MA in Philosophy from Allahbad University, he learned religious sciences, and mastered Urdu, Persian and Arabic literature.
His Persian teachers were Mohsin Shirazi, Ali Hyder Nazm Tabatabai, and Mohammed Kirmani, while his Arabic language teachers were Tahir bin Mohammad, and Mawlana Sadeq Hussain Majjan.
On the political side, he started his career as a member of the working committee of the Hyderabad Legislative Assembly. Later on, he was nominated by the founder of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, as a member of the working committee of All India Muslim League. In 1949, following the fall of Hyderabad-Deccan to Indian forces in 1948, a year after independence from British rule, he migrated to Pakistan, where he left active politics, and devoted himself to religious erudition, especially discourses on Imam Husain (AS) and the tragedy of Karbala.
His great knowledge of hadith, jurisprudence, and exegesis of the holy Qur’an brought him Ijaza from Ayatollah Shaikh Mohammed Mohsin Tehrani, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohsin al-Hakeem Tabatabai, Ayatollah Seyyed Hibbatuddin Shahristani, Ayatollah Seyyed Hadi Milani, and Ayatollah Borujerdi.
He delivered more than 5,000 religious lectures and speeches over a period of 57 years that he spent out of his 65 years of total life in the service of the Ahl al-Bayt, introducing many dimensions to the Art of Oratory. The most sought after Urdu public speaker of his times, he was indeed a persuasive and brilliant orator.
He was a prolific author as well, and among his works is the book, “Tibb e Ma’soomeen” which is a composition of antidotes from Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) and the 12 Infallible Imams. He also wrote the 2-volume book "The Forests of Hyderabad" on the jungles of the Deccan.
Another of his work is the idiomatic translation of Imam Ali’s (AS) famous Letter of Instructions to his governor of the then Christian-majority Egypt, Malik Ashtar. This epistle is a guiding light for just and fair governance.
Turabi’s masterpiece on “Ilm Rijal” or biographical evaluation of narrators of hadith, which he titled "Wasl-e Qawl" was published after his death in Karachi.

The famous Egyptian jurist, reformist and religious scholar, Shaikh Mohammad Abduh

On July 12, 1905 AD, the famous Egyptian jurist, reformist and religious scholar, Shaikh Mohammad Abduh, passed away in Alexandria, at the age of 56 years. He was a product of al-Azhar where he studied logic, philosophy and mysticism. When the great Iranian pan Islamist scholar, Seyyed Jamal ad-Din Asadabadi, arrived in Egypt, Abduh became his student and was deeply influenced by him.
On being appointed editor-in-chief of al-Waqa'e al-Misriyya, the official newspaper of the country, he dedicated to reforming all aspects of Egyptian society. In his articles he criticized corruption, superstition, and the luxurious lives of the rich. He was exiled from Egypt in 1882 for six years, which he spent in Lebanon and Paris, where he joined Seyyed Jamaleddin in publishing the Islamic revolutionary journal "al-Urwat-al-Wusqa" which promoted anti-colonial views. Abduh also visited Germany and Britain and during his exile dedicated his efforts toward furthering respect and friendship amongst Muslims and Christians.
He returned to Egypt in 1888. In 1890, he became a consultative member of the Court of Appeal and in 1899, he was appointed Mufti of Egypt – a position he held until he died. He embarked on reforming the education system at al-Azhar having come to the conclusion that Muslims suffer from ignorance about their own religion because of the despotism of unjust rulers.
He was a prolific writer, and among his works is a commentary on Nahj al-Balagha, the famous collection of the sermons, letters, and maxims of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) – a book, which Abduh reintroduced to the Egyptians, seven centuries after the end of Fatemid rule.

The French Muslim philosopher and thinker, Professor Roger Garaudy

On July 17, 1913, the French Muslim philosopher and thinker, Professor Roger Garaudy, was born in Marseilles. After completion of preliminary studies, he went on to obtain PhDs in philosophy, literature and mysticism, and culture and civilizations. Due to his struggles against Fascism and Nazism, he was locked up in German labor camps during the occupation of France by Hitler as of 1940 to 1943.
He was also a member of French Communist Party for 36 years and was a member of this party’s central committee for 25 years. The communist and liberalist schools of thought did not satisfy Garaudy and he finally discovered the truth of the sacred religion of Islam.
The victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979 highly influenced Garaudy’s inclination toward Islam. His courage in exposing the Zionists and their evil made him a target of the enemies of humanity. The publication of his book: “The Case of Israel: A Study of Political Zionism” led to his trial, and his other book: “The Founding Myths of Modern Israel” once again infuriated the Zionists and Garaudy was tried in France for disclosure of the facts about the myth of the Holocaust.
He has left behind numerous books, of which mention can be made of “Promesses de I’Islam”. Professor Garaudy passed away on June 13, 2012 at the age of 99 years.

Bukhari, the famous Iranian compiler of "al-Jame' as-Sahih"

On July 20,810 AD, Mohammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Bardizbah Bukhari, the famous Iranian compiler of hadith, from what came to be later regarded as Sunni sources, was born in Bukhara (presently in Uzbekistan) in a family which before conversion to Islam were Zoroastrian fire-worshippers.
His father, Ismail, was also known as a hadith scholar, and it seems that with a zeal that is associated with converts, he gave a weird fatwa (against the letter and spirit of the shari’ah), saying persons drinking the milk of the same cow are considered foster siblings and hence cannot marry among themselves!
This fatwa led to his expulsion from Bukhara and he soon died, leaving his son, an orphan, who on entering adolescent years started collecting hadith from anyone who could relate. In his late teens, he travelled to Mecca for pilgrimage, and after visiting the important centres of learning, exchanging information on hadith from at least 1,000 persons, and recording over 700,000 narrations, he returned to his hometown Bukhara after an absence of 16 years.
Here he compiled his "al-Jame' as-Sahih", which is known and revered as "Sahih Bukhari" by Sunni Muslims, and contains 7,275 hadith, which he selected as per his inclinations. It seems that because of the usurper Abbasid regime's intense watch on the Infallible Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, Bukhari did not visit the rightful successors of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA) for precise information on authentic hadith. In 864 AD, he settled in Nishapur in Khorasan, where he met another Iranian with Sunni inclinations, named Muslim ibn Hajjaj, who became his student, and eventually collector of a separate book on hadith, known as "Sahih Muslim". Later he moved to Khartank, a village near Samarqand where he died in 870.

The prominent Iranian Islamic scholar, physician, mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer, Ibn Sina

Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz

On 1st of the Islamic month of Ramadhan in 428 AH, the prominent Iranian Islamic multisided genius, who was a physician, mathematician, philosopher, and astronomer, Abu Ali Hussain Ibn Abdullah Ibn Sina, passed away at the age of 58 in the western Iranian city of Hamedan. He memorized the Holy Qur'an at a young age and later learned logic, astronomy, geometry, and medicine to the extent that at the age of 18, he was an authority in the sciences of his day. Due to medical treatment of the Samanid King, Nouh ibn Mansour, he was allowed to use the large royal library at Bukhara. He was a genius, who because of his political views and religious tendencies in favour of the Prophet's Ahl al-Bayt, found himself persecuted by Sultan Mahmoud of Ghazna. Known as Avicenna to medieval Europe, his works were translated into Latin and for several centuries were taught at most western universities. Among his valuable books, mention could be made of the book: “Shafa” on philosophy; and “al-Qanoun fi't-Tibb” on medicine.

The prominent Iranian physician, mathematician, physicist, astronomer, poet and philosopher, Mulla Qotb Shirazi

Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz

On 24th of the Islamic month of Ramadhan in 710 AH, the prominent Iranian physician, mathematician, physicist, astronomer, poet and philosopher, Qotb od-Din, Mahmoud bin Zia od-Din Masoud Kazerouni, popularly known as Mulla Qotb Shirazi, was born in the southern Iranian city of Kazeroun. He studied medicine under his father, who practiced and taught medicine at the Mozaffari hospital in Shiraz.
He also studied the al-Qanoun fi’t-Tibb or the Canon of Medicine of the Iranian-Islamic genius, Abu Ali ibn Sina, along with its commentaries. In particular he read the commentary of Fakhr od-Din Razi on this book and raised many issues of his own. This led to his decision to write his own commentary, where he resolved many of the issues of this book, especially in the company of the famous genius of his age, Khwaja Naseer od-Din Tusi, who established the observatory at Maragha in northwestern Iran. Ten years later, he quit his medical profession, came to Maragha to devote his time to further education under the guidance of Naseer od-Din Tusi, who taught him astronomy in addition to Ibn Sina’s masterpiece on remarks and admonitions titled “al-Isharaat wa'l-Tanbihaat”.
One of the important scientific projects was completion of the new astronomical table or Zij. Qotb od-Din Shirazi subsequently traveled to Khorasan in the company of Naseer od-Din Tousi where he stayed to study under Najm od-Din Katebi Qazvini in the town of Jovayn and become his assistant. Later he journeyed to Qazvin, Isfahan, Baghdad, and Qonya in Anatolia or modern day Turkey, where he studied the “Jam'e al-Osoul” of Ibn Atheer with Sadr od-Din Qonawi. The governor of Qonya, appointed him as the judge of the cities of Sivas and Malatya. It was during this time that he compiled the books the “Meftah al-Meftah” on Arabic grammar and rhetoric, and Ikhtiyaraat al-Mozaffariya on astronomy.
He was later sent as envoy by the Ilkhanid ruler of Iran and Iraq, Ahmad Takudar, to Sayf od-Din Qalawun, the Mamluk ruler of Egypt. During his stay in Egypt he collected various critiques and commentaries on Ibn Sina’s Qanoun and used them on his commentary on the “Kulliyaat”. The last part of Qotb ad-Din Shirazi's active career was teaching the Qanoun and the “Kitab ash-Shefa” the philosophical magnum opus of Ibn Sina in Syria. Later he left for Tabriz and died shortly after.
He wrote in both Arabic and Persian on a wide variety of topics including medicine, astronomy, geography, mathematics, philosophy and religion. Among his works is “Nihayat al-Idraak fi Dirayaat al-Aflaak” on the movement of planets, and he identified observations by Ibn Sina on the transits of Venus and Mercury, centuries before European scientists.

The famous Iranian Sunni Muslim scholar and exegete of the holy Qur'an, Ibn Shahrestani

Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz

On July 20, 548 AH, the famous Iranian Sunni Muslim scholar and exegete of the holy Qur'an, Mohammad Ibn Abdul-Karim Shahrestani, passed away at the age of 81 years in his hometown Shahrestan in Khorasan, northeastern Iran. In the city of Nishapur he studied under different masters who were all disciples of the Ash`ari theologian al-Juwayni.
At the age of thirty, he went to Baghdad to pursue theological studies and taught for three years at the famous Nizamiyya Academy, before returning to Khorasan, where he worked as Deputy Chancellor for Sultan Sanjar, the Seljuq ruler. He wrote several important works, such as “al-Milal wa'n-Nihal” (The Book of Sects and Creeds), which presents the doctrinal points of view of religions and philosophies that existed up to his time. This book is one of the earliest systematic studies of religion and is noted for its scientific approach.
Another of his famous works is the exegesis "Mafatih al-Asraar wa-Masabih al-Abraar" (The Keys of the Mysteries and the Lamps of the Righteous), which introduces the Qur’an and gives a complete commentary on the first two Surahs. In this book, pointing to the confused events of the days of the 3rd Caliph, Osman Ibn Affan, concerning the compilation of the Qur’an, Shahrestani says: We should study why (Imam) Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (AS) was not approached for compilation of the Qur'an? Was he not a greater authority than Zayd Ibn Thabit in transcribing the Qur'an (as well as its memorization and familiarity with its contents)? Did he not possess a better knowledge of Arabic and its grammar than Sa'eed Ibn Aas? Was not (Imam) Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (AS) considered closer to the Prophet of Allah (SAWA) than any of the sahabah? Why did they (Abu Bakr and Omar) reject the first ever copy of the Qur'an compiled by (Imam) Ali (AS), immediately after the passing away of the Prophet?

The famous theologian “Sheikh Mufid

Compiled by: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On 3rd of the Islamic month of Ramadhan in 413 AH, the famous theologian, Mohammad Ibn Mohammad ibn N’uman known popularly as “Sheikh Mufid”, passed away in Baghdad at the age of 77 and was laid to rest in Kazemain in the shrine of Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS), the 7th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). Over a hundred thousand people, both Shi'ites and Sunnis attended his funeral, the largest ever in Baghdad, with all weeping uncontrollably. The funeral prayer was led by his worthy student and scholastic successor, Seyyed Morteza Alam al-Huda.
He has left behind numerous works in almost all branches of Islamic sciences, some of which are: “al-Irshaad”, “Ahkaam an-Nisa”, “Aqsaam al-Mowla”, “al-Ifsah fi'l-Imamah Amir al-Mu'minin”, and “Tashih E`teqadaat al-Imamiyah” – the last named is a critical and edited version of his one-time teacher, Ibn Babwaih Shaikh Sadouq's “al-E'teqad”.
Here it would not be out of context to relate how he acquired the epithet “Shaikh al-Mufid” or the Most Beneficial Scholar. It happened that his tutor suggested that he attend the lessons in theology of the Mu’tazalite scholar, Ali bin Eisa ar-Rummani. To quote his own words: I entered his class, and was impressed by the great number of students. So I sat at the end of the crowd, managing to creep forward as members of the assembly left. Then I saw a person enter, saying there is someone at the door from Basra who insists on being admitted. On ar-Rummani’s permission the man entered, and after a long conversation, asked him: "How do you view the event of “Ghadeer” (the day the Prophet, on God’s commandment, proclaimed Imam Ali [AS] as his vicegerent on 18th Zilhijja, 10 AH while returning from the Farewell Hajj pilgrimage) and the report of the “Ghar” (the incident of the cave in which Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet on the night of Hijrah)?"
Ar-Rummani replied that "the report of “Ghar” was a recognised event, while “Ghadeer” was just a narrative; and a narrative is not as mandatory as a recognised event." The man from Basra then left without making any reply. Then I came forward and said: "I have a question," and being permitted, I asked him: "What do you say about the one who fights a Just Imam?"
Ar-Rummani said: "Such a person would be an infidel." Then, after a pause, he rectified himself and said: "He would be a transgressor." I asked: "What do you say about the Commander of the Faithful, Ali bin Abi Taleb (AS)?” He said: "I believe he was an Imam." So I asked: "Then what do you say about the Day of Jamal and about Talha and Zubair?" Ar-Rummani retorted that both of them had repented. I said: "The Battle of Jamal is a recognised event, while their repentance is a mere narrative."
Upon hearing this, he said: "Were you present when the man from Basra put his question?" I said "yes." Then he asked: "What is your name and who is your tutor?" I said: "I am known as Ibn al-Mu’allem, and my tutor is Abu-Abdullah al-Jual." He said: "Stay where you are." Then he entered his room and came out with a letter, instructing me to hand it over to my tutor. When I gave the letter to my tutor, he read it and laughed, saying: "What transpired between you in his class? He has asked me to confer upon you the title of “al-Mufid” (the Most Beneficial)." I related to him the story, and he smiled.

The acclaimed Muslim physicist, mathematician, and astronomer, Ibn al-Haytham

On 13th of the Islamic month of Jamadi as-Sani in 430 AH, the acclaimed Muslim physicist, mathematician, and astronomer, Abu Ali Hassan ibn al-Hassan ibn al-Haytham, passed away in Cairo at the age of 76 years. He was born in the city of Basra in Iraq, which was then a province of the Iranian Bouyid Empire. He was also an authority on medicine, philosophy, and theology, having studied in Basra and Baghdad during the Golden Era of the Islamic Civilization.
He conducted extensive research on light rays. His influence on physical sciences in general, and on optics in particular, has been held in high esteem and, in fact, ushered in a new era in optical research, both in theory and practice. Known as “Alhazen” to Medieval Europe, the Latin translation of his main work, Kitab al-Manazer (Book of Optics), exerted a great influence on Western science: for example, on the work of Roger Bacon, who cites him by name, and on Johannes Kepler and Galileo.
His research in catoptrics (the study of optical systems using mirrors) centred on spherical and parabolic mirrors and spherical aberration. He made the observation that the ratio between the angle of incidence and refraction does not remain constant, and investigated the magnifying power of a lens. He moved to Egypt which was then ruled by the Fatemid Shi'ite Ismaili dynasty and carried out major projects including effort to regulate the annual floods of the River Nile. He is credited with inventing the telescope centuries before the Europeans, and as is evident in his books, he determined that the shape of the Earth is spherical.

The renowned theologian and hadith scholar, Shaikh al-Hurr al-Amili

On 8th of the Islamic month of Rajab in 1033 AH, the renowned theologian and hadith scholar, Shaikh Abu Jafar Mohammad bin al-Hassan bin Ali bin al-Hussain al-Ameli al-Mashghari, popularly known as al-Hurr al-Amili, was born in the village of Mashghara in the Jabal Amel region of southern Lebanon.
His early education began with a family of teachers that included his father, his paternal uncle, his maternal grandfather Shaikh Abdus-Salaam bin Mohammad, and one of his father's maternal uncles, Shaikh Ali bin Mahmoud. He also studied under Hussain bin Hassan bin Yunus Zahir and Hassan bin Zain od-Din Ameli, who was the great-grandson of the Second Martyr. Hussain Zahir was the first to give him the “ijaza” (license) to teach and transmit hadith. He remained for the first forty years of his life in his homeland, performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca twice and the Ziyarah to the holy shrines in Iraq.
He eventually journeyed to Mashhad, Iran, and settled there for the rest of his life as Shaikh al-Islam at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Infallible Successor of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA). On his way he stayed for a while in the Safavid capital, Isfahan, where he became acquainted with the famous Allama Mohammad Baqer Majlisi. The meeting between these two scholars left an impression on both of them, and Majlisi introduced Hurr al-Ameli to Shah Sulaiman Safavi.
He stayed in Mashhad for forty years and passed away at the age of 81 years. He was laid to rest in one of the portals of the holy shrine, where his grave is still the site of pilgrimage. He wrote numerous books including “Wasa'el ash-Shia”, which is a vast but concise compilation and classification of Hadith that took him 18 years to compose. Among his other famous works is “al-Jawaher as-Saniya fī'l-Ahadith al-Qudsiya”, and “Amal al-Amel fi Ulama Jabal al-Amel”, which is a biographical dictionary of Shi'ite Muslim scholars who originated from Jabal Amel.