Draft:Shaykh Mufid

Shaykh Mufid
Name	Shaykh Mufid
Other Names	Shaykh Mufid
Personal Details
Birth Place	Suwayqah village
Brith Date	336 or 338 AH (948 or 950 CE)
Death Place	Baghdad
Death Date	413 AH (1022 CE)
Teachers	Shaykh Saduq
Students	Sayyid Murtaza
Religion	Islam

Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu'man (336–413 AH / 948–1022 CE), known as Shaykh Mufid, was one of the prominent scholars of Shia. He was a pioneer in codifying Shia theology and Usul al-Fiqh of the Imamiyyah. One of the matters indicating his high status among Shia scholars is that he was honored to receive three letters (tawqiʿat) from Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) over a period of three years. Shaykh Mufid trained great students, among whom were Sayyid Murtaza, Sayyid Radi, and Shaykh Tusi.

Historical Context of Shaykh Mufid's Era

The 4th century AH (10th century CE) in Islamic history is the century of science and knowledge, coinciding with the establishment of the Buyid state which began in Baghdad. During this era, various sciences flourished and numerous books were written in most scientific fields.

Many governments, such as the Buyids in Iran and Iraq, the Samanids in Khorasan, Turkestan, and Transoxiana, the Ziyarids in Tabaristan, and other Islamic states played a significant role in the growth and flourishing of science. During this period, Baghdad was titled the scientific center of the Islamic world, and within the domain of Islamic states, prominent scholars and thinkers emerged in various scientific fields.

Adud al-Dawla al-Daylami played an important role in this flourishing. As the scholar-sultan of the Buyid dynasty, he is considered the founder of the valuable Adud al-Dawla library in Shiraz and the libraries of Sahib Ibn Abbad and Ibn al-Amid in Ray. A minister of the Buyids named Shapur ibn Ardashir built a large library called Dar al-Ilm in 381 AH (991 CE), which after his death came under the management of Shaykh Mufid. The historical importance of this period is that due to the rise of independent Shia governments such as the Buyids in Iran, Shia were able to express their beliefs quite freely.

Lineage, Kunya, and Birth

Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu'man was born on 11 Dhu al-Qi'dah 336 AH or 338 AH in Ukbara near Baghdad.

His father had the profession of teaching, and for this reason, Shaykh Mufid was known as "Ibn al-Mu'allim". Ukbari and Baghdadi are two other kunyas of his. Regarding his kunya "Mufid", it is said: In a debate he had with Ali ibn Isa al-Rummani, a Mu'tazili scholar, he was able to refute the opponent's arguments; thereafter, al-Rummani called him "Mufid".

Historical sources mention two children for Mufid; one was Abu al-Qasim Ali and the other a daughter whose name is not mentioned in sources and was the wife of Abu Ya'la al-Ja'fari.

Biography

Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu'man was born on the eleventh of Dhu al-Qi'dah in the year 336 or 338 AH in the village of Suwayqah ibn Basri, a dependency of Ukbara, ten farsangs north of Baghdad near the city of Dijil, into a noble family deeply rooted in the Shia faith.

Since his father was a pious and religious person engaged in teaching and education, he was given the kunya Ibn al-Mu'allim. Shaykh Mufid began his studies from childhood and before the age of twelve, he narrated from some Muhaddithun, and before the age of twenty, he heard hadith from his teacher, Shaykh Saduq.

Shaykh Mufid benefited scientifically from the presence of more than seventy elders. He learned theology and beliefs from the presence of Muzaffar ibn Muhammad, Abu Yasir, and Ibn Junayd al-Iskafi, and benefited from the lessons of Husayn ibn Ali al-Basri and Ali ibn Isa al-Rummani. He learned Jurisprudence from Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Qulawayh and learned the science of narration from the adept literateur and historian Muhammad ibn Imran al-Marzubani, and Ibn Hamza al-Tabari, Ibn Dawud al-Qummi, Safwan, and Shaykh Saduq were among his other teachers. His diligence in study caused him to become the head of scholars of his time in theology, jurisprudence, and principles after a while.

Shaykh Mufid lived in the Karkh neighborhood of Baghdad, which was the center of Shia, and the famous Baratha Mosque in that neighborhood, which still remains and is a pilgrimage site for Shia, was his place of teaching.

Education

Mufid learned the Quran and preliminary sciences from his father. Then, to continue his studies, he went to Baghdad with him and was able to benefit from prominent Muhaddithun, theologians, and jurists of Shia and Sunni.

Shaykh Saduq (d. 381 AH), Ibn Junayd al-Iskafi (d. 381 AH), Ibn Qulawayh (d. 369 AH), Abu Ghalib al-Zarari (d. 368 AH), and Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar al-Ja'abi (d. 355 AH) were among his most famous Shia teachers.

Shaykh Mufid learned theology from Husayn ibn Ali al-Basri, known as Ju'al, one of the great teachers of the Mu'tazila, and Abu Yasir, the student of the famous theologian Abu al-Jaysh Muzaffar ibn Muhammad al-Khorasani al-Balkhi. He also, at the suggestion of Abu Yasir, participated in the lecture session of Ali ibn Isa al-Rummani, the famous Mu'tazili scholar. He undertook the leadership of the Shia in jurisprudence, theology, and hadith from around the age of 40 and debated with scholars of other sects in defense of Shia beliefs.

Scientific Status of Sheikh Mufid

Sheikh Mufid held the leadership and religious authority of the Shia in his era. He established a new jurisprudential approach based on Ijtihad founded on systematic rules and principles, which was later continued by his students, Sayyid Murtada and Sheikh Tusi. This method of Ijtihad was a middle path between the hadith-based method of Sheikh Saduq and the analogical method of Ibn Junayd in Fiqh. Initially, to deduce rulings, he compiled principles in the book al-Tadhkirah bi-Usul al-Fiqh, and Sayyid Murtada in the book al-Dhari'ah and Sheikh Tusi in the book al-Uddah followed this innovation of their teacher.

He also holds a distinguished position in the history of Shia theology, to the extent that Ibn al-Nadim considers him the pioneer of theologians and the head of theologians in his time. He was highly skilled in the art of debate and defended Shia beliefs against opponents effectively. His book al-Fusul al-Mukhtarah is evidence of this claim.

Sheikh Mufid's Innovations in Shia Jurisprudence

The influences and innovations of Abu Nu'man can be shown in Fiqh in three areas: foundations, jurisprudential opinions, and its education. In terms of foundations, one of his important influences was attention to the source of consensus. Jurisprudential opinions before him were full of approaches contrary to consensus, fame, and remedial narrations. Sheikh Mufid, with a broader approach, was able to adopt a different view and approach in this regard.

Among these cases, one can mention the invalidation of Wudu while sleeping in a sitting position, considering Ghusl for Ihram as Mustahabb, and so on. Such that before him, fame and Ijma were not attended to, but after him, much attention was paid to fame and consensus. Many incorrect fatwas in the opinions of Shia jurists before him, such as Ibn Aqil, al-Nasir, and Sheikh Saduq, were raised due to opposition to consensus; opinions such as the permissibility of Wudu and Ghusl with rose water, the impermissibility of paying Zakat to one's wife, etc. Fadil Astrabadi believes that reliance on fame and consensus is among the innovative opinions of Sheikh Mufid, such that in Sheikh Mufid's fatwas, no opinion contrary to fame and consensus is seen. The use of rational proofs is another of his influences. Such that after him, reason is mentioned as one of the sources of religious rulings in Shia Fiqh.

Among his other influences, one can refer to the discussion of preferences of conflicting narrations or preferencers of conflicting narrations, where based on criteria such as the authenticity of the hadith chain, alignment with the famous and consensus, and incompatibility with the Sunni, one narration was preferred and given superiority over other narrations. In the field of Fiqh education, one can point out that before him, the method of teaching Fiqh was not proposed in a classic and organized manner and was mainly based on holding classes for the transmission of hadith texts. Organization contributed significantly to the fame of Sheikh Mufid and the jurists after him and the conflict of opinions among them. According to Ahmad Pakatchi in the Great Islamic Encyclopedia, the issue of cooperation with the Sultan, which was a common issue in Imami circles at that time, indicates in some of Sheikh Mufid's notes in the book al-Muqni'ah a new look at the political life of the Imamiyyah, such that it can be said a type of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist is embodied in this perspective.

Sheikh Mufid from the Perspective of Others

Sheikh Mufid holds a lofty status in the view of Shia and Sunni scholars, as we refer to some words from the greats:

Najashi

His famous and trusted student (Najashi) says about him: "Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu'man ibn Abd al-Salam ibn Jabir ibn Nu'man ibn Sa'id ibn Jubayr is our Sheikh and teacher - (may God be pleased with him) - his virtue in jurisprudence and hadith and his reliability are more famous than can be described. He has numerous writings".

Sheikh Tusi

His distinguished student from his school writes about the teacher in Al-Fihrist: "Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu'man, known as Ibn al-Mu'allim, is among the Imami theologians. In his era, leadership and authority of the Shia devolved to him. He was superior to everyone else in jurisprudence and theology. He had a good memory and a precise mind and was quick to answer questions. He has more than 200 volumes of small and large books".

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani

About Sheikh Mufid he says: "He was very devout and ascetic, full of humility and night prayers, and persisted in knowledge and science. Many groups benefited from his presence. He has a right over all Shia. His father lived in 'Wasit' and worked as a teacher and was killed in 'Ukbara'. It is said that Adud al-Dawla hastened to meet him and visited him during his illness".

Imad Hanbali

One of the other Sunni scholars says about him: "He is one of the greats of the Imamiyyah and the head of jurisprudence, theology, and debate. He engaged in debate and disputation with followers of every creed. He had a notable position in the structure of the Buyid government. He gave abundant charity. He was very much given to humility and night prayers and given to prayer and fasting and wore nice clothes."

Khatib Baghdadi

Khatib Baghdadi, who lived shortly after him, mentioned him in Tarikh Baghdad with regard to his specific bias and said inappropriate words which are not unexpected from a person like Khatib.

The words of Khatib clearly show how much opposing zealots feared the personality of Sheikh Mufid and his writings and school in the spread of the religion of the Ahl al-Bayt of Infallibility and Purity. As is also clear from the words of later Sunni scholars.

Ibn Abi Tayy

Ibn Abi Tayy says: "He supported the needy greatly, his humility and devotion were high, his prayer and fasting were abundant, and his clothes were coarse." Another said: Sometimes Adud al-Dawla would visit Sheikh Mufid. Mufid was a Sheikh of medium height, thin-bodied, and wheat-colored [complexion]. He lived for seventy-six years. He composed more than two hundred books. The story of his funeral is famous, as eighty thousand Rafidis and Shia participated in his funeral. May God relieve the Sunnis from his evil! His death occurred in the month of Ramadan.

Works of Shaykh Mufid

According to Najashi's list, Shaykh Mufid's writings consist of 175 books and treatises. It is said that half of these works are regarding the Imamate. The most famous work of Shaykh Mufid in jurisprudence is al-Muqni'ah, in theology Awa'il al-Maqalat, and in the biography of the Imams, al-Irshad.

The collection of Shaykh Mufid's written works has been published in a fourteen-volume set titled Musannafat Shaykh Mufid. This collection was published in 1371 SH (1992 CE) for the holding of the World Congress of Shaykh Mufid.

Shaykh Tusi, in the book al-Fihrist, names twenty of his books. He writes: Among his books are the book al-Muqni'ah in jurisprudence, the book al-Arkan also in jurisprudence, a treatise in jurisprudence which he wrote for his son and is incomplete, the book al-Irshad, the book al-Iidah regarding the Imamate, the book al-Ifsah fi al-Imamah, the book refuting Ibn Abbad regarding the Imamate, the book refuting Ali ibn Isa (al-Rummani) regarding the Imamate, the book refuting Ibn Qutaybah regarding narration and reported speech, the book Ahkam Ahl al-Jamal, the book Munir regarding the Imamate, Masail al-Saghaniyah, Masail al-Jurjaniyah, Masail al-Dinawariyah, Masail al-Mazandaraniyah, Masail Manthurah (scattered), approximately one hundred issues, the book Fusul min al-Uyun wa al-Mahasin, the book Ahkam al-Mut'ah, and others which are registered in the list of his books. Also the book Masalat al-Kafiyah in the invalidation of repentance for error, the book al-Jamal wa al-Nusrah li-Sayyid al-Itrah fi Harb al-Basrah. We have heard all these books from him. Some through recitation to him, and some which were recited to him multiple times and he listened, we have heard.

Shaykh Mufid has compositions in all Islamic arts and sciences, and has spoken about almost all scientific and religious topics, engaging in analysis, refutation, affirmation, criticism, and approval of them. As is evident from the multitude of his valuable compositions, most of them were responses to various scientific questions asked of him from Islamic cities and countries, and were refutations of the beliefs and opinions of famous scholars of the era from non-Shi'a sects. Muhaddith Hajj Mirza Husayn Nuri writes: Rarely is it found in the books of Shi'a scholars who came after him that there is no matter related to the Imamate and proofs of its establishment from the Book and Sunnah, whether in terms of derivation or narration, even with a reference to them in the books of Shaykh Mufid, and that is the grace of Allah which He gives to whom He wills.

Al-Dhahabi – who himself is among the elders and scholars of Sunni – mentions the books of this Shi'a scholar with the phrase "innovative and numerous compositions".

Ibn Shahrashub in his book counts 52 books and in addition to what Shaykh Tusi and Najashi have mentioned, names 15 other books; on this basis, the count of Shaykh's books is stated as 190 titles.

Jurisprudence

1. al-Muqni'ah;
2. al-Fara'id al-Shar'iyyah;
3. Ahkam al-Nisa.

Principles of Jurisprudence

1. Mukhtasar al-Tadhkirah bi-Usul al-Fiqh.

Quranic Sciences

1. al-Kalam fi Dala'il al-Quran;
2. Wujuh I'jaz al-Quran;
3. al-Nusrah fi Fadl al-Quran;
4. al-Bayan fi Ta'lif al-Quran.

History

1. Masar al-Shi'ah fi Mukhtasar Tawarikh al-Shari'ah;
2. al-Irshad;
3. al-Jamal.

Theology and Beliefs

1. Awa'il al-Maqalat;
2. Naqd Fadilat al-Mu'tazilah;
3. al-Ifsah fi al-Imamah;
4. al-Iidah;
5. al-Arkan.

Death of Shaykh Mufid

Shaykh Mufid died in 413 AH (1022 CE) in Baghdad, after 75 years of life, and was subject to great honor by the people and appreciation by scholars and elites. According to the expression of his student Shaykh Tusi, who was present at the scene, the day of his death was unparalleled due to the multitude of friends and enemies attending to perform Prayer and weep over him. Eighty thousand of the Shi'a participated in his funeral procession, and Sayyid Murtada led the prayer over him. He was buried in the shrine of Imam al-Jawad (peace be upon him), at the feet of His Holiness and near the grave of his teacher Ibn Qulawayh.

Najashi, the student of Shaykh, says this about the time of his teacher's departure: "Mufid (may God have mercy on him) passed away three nights before the end of the month of Ramadan in the year 413 AH. His birth was on the eleventh day of Dhu al-Qi'dah in the year 336 AH (948 CE). Sharif Murtada Abu al-Qasim Ali ibn Husayn (Sayyid Murtada) led prayer over his body in Maydan Ashnan. Despite the great width that the field had, it became crowded due to the multitude of attendance. After the prayer, his pure body was buried in his house. Several years later, he was transferred to the Quraysh cemeteries next to the shrine of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him).

See also

• Transoxiana
• Dhu al-Qi'dah
• Mosque
• Ibn al-Nadim
• Abu Ghalib al-Zurari