Saheb Ibn Ebad
Saheb Ibn Ebad; "Abu al-Qasem Ismail Ibn Ebad (326-385 AH)" was a Shiite scholar and one of the ministers of the Buyid dynasty.
Birth and early education
Abu al-Qasem Ismail Ibn Ebad, son of Ebad, nicknamed Saheb and known as Saheb Ibn Ebad, was born in Isfahan in 326 AH.
Saheb's father and ancestors were among the elders and prominent figures of Isfahan and held the rank of minister. His father, Ebad, had reached such a position that people called him "Sheikh Amin".
His first teacher was his father, who, in addition to being a father figure, was also a kind and compassionate teacher. After learning the basics, Saheb went on to study jurisprudence, hadith, exegesis, theology, and other popular sciences.
After a while, when he found himself without the need of the professors and elders of Isfahan, he migrated to the city of Rey , one of the centers of science and literature of that time, and in that city he joined the study circle of Ibn Amid, the learned and famous minister of the Buyids.
And when Ibn Amid observed Saheb's ability to compose literary texts, he appointed him as a scribe for the ministry.
Saheb's position among the Buyids and his role
The Shiite Buyid dynasty emerged from the northern region of Iran and at one point in the country's history (320 AH) they ruled over large areas of Iran.
During the Buyid era, many of the restrictions and hardships that the Shiites were subject to were removed. The testimony to the leadership of Imam Ali (a.s.) in the call to prayer, and the commemoration of the event of Karbala and its martyrs, and the publicization of other Shiite religious slogans and ceremonies are among the activities which this family rendered to Islam. “Mo'ezz al-Dowlah”, a Buyid king, promoted Shia Islam in Iraq. By his order, the markets of Baghdad were closed during the first ten days of Muharram and people wore black clothes in mourning.
Celebrating “Eid al-Ghadir”, holding grand celebrations on the occasion of the birth of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them), and promoting the virtues of the Shiite Imams (peace be upon them) are among the activities of this family.
The reconstruction of the holy shrines of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), as well as the construction of a dome and a shrine over their tombs, are among the Buyid activities.
In the year 347 AH, Saheb went to Baghdad with “Moayyed al-Dowlah” and his minister Abu Ali Ibn Abul-Fazl Kashani. In this city, which was the most important center of Islamic sciences at that time, he rushed to meet famous professors and elders.
During his short stay in Baghdad, he rushed to meet the famous people such as Seyrafi, Judge Abu al-Sa'eb, Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn Kamel, Mohlabi, the Caliph's minister, Abu Bakr Zakaria Yahya Ibn Alawi, and many others, and benefited greatly from them.
In the year 366 AH, “Moayyed al-Dowlah”, the ruler of Isfahan, appointed Saheb to the ministry.Before, Saheb had been his scribe for 13 years. During his stay in Isfahan, Saheb expanded the scope of science and literature in the city.
He spread and promoted scinces and knowledge and encouraged scholars and wise men. Gradually, his name became famous for his knowledge, and many orators, literary men, and writers came to him and settled in Isfahan.
During the Saheb's stay in Isfahan, many great scholars and writers emerged from the city. These people included: Abu Ali Marzooqi, a famous literary man, Hallaj Abu Mansoor Isfahani, a student of Abu Ali Farsi, Abu Abdullah Khatib Eskafi, Ibn Foorak Isfahani, the famous hadith scholar and historian Abu Na'eem Hafez Isfahani, and some others.
He was known in Isfahan for his firm belief in Shiism and also promoted his own belief and religion. He made great efforts in this regard. He debated with jurists and scholars on issues of belief and in most cases he prevailed over them. Many students attended his lectures in Isfahan. Abulnadi Muhammad Ibn Ahmad is one of the famous literary man who attended in one of the Saheb’s sessions and debated with him.
After the death of Rokn al-Dowlah in 366 AH, his son Moayyed al-Dowlah assumed the governorship of Rey and Isfahan. After a while, he dismissed his father's minister, Abu al-Fath, son of Ibn Amid, who was an inexperienced but arrogant young man, and appointed Saheb Ibn Ebad as the minister. Moayyed al-Dowlah, who was fully aware of Saheb's virtues and good deeds and his experiences, and had observed his abilities in statecraft and administration, after delegating the position of minister, he granted him full authority, so that the Saheb could dispose of the treasury funds in any way he saw fit and exercise his vote on all issues. The Saheb also made great efforts in spreading justice and good customs, developing the country, the welfare of the people, economic prosperity, and promoting knowledge and art, and he established his own scientific and literary circle in Rey, just like in Isfahan.
In 370 AH, the Saheb wisely ended the conflict between Moayyed al-Dowlah and Azad al-Dowlah, who had marched from Baghdad to Hamadan, and established peace and harmony between them. Also, the Saheb's strategy and cunning led to the armies of Azad al-Dowlah and Moayyed al-Dowlah winning over the armies of Khorasan and the army of Qaboos Ibn Woshmgir. This victory occurred in 371 AH. After the death of Moayyed al-Dowlah, through the Saheb's strategy and persistence, the government of Rey and the areas under its influence passed to Fakhr al-Dowlah. The Saheb's greatness and dignity reached its peak during Fakhr's reign. He, who was still in charge of the ministry, gained more freedom of action during this period. The Saheb's majesty and dignity at this time were so great that Fakhr al-Dowlah also treated him with caution and did not dare to joke with him.
During Fakhr al-Dowlah's reign, the Saheb, with great diligence, was able to conquer many regions, adding to the lands under Fakhr al-Dowlah's influence, and suppressing the seditions that had arisen in Tabarestan.
The Saheb's religion
Many great scholars have confirmed his Shiism and some have confirmed his belief to shiie Twelve Imams. Seyyed Ibn Tawoos, Sheikh Sadooq, Allamah Majlisi, Sheikh Horr Ameli, Sheikh Baha'i, Sheikh Agha Bozorg Tehrani, Sheikh Abbas Qomi, Allamah Amini and many others are among them, but it is not possible to comment on his religion with certainty. Even a careful examination of the poems that have survived from the Saheb and his enthusiasm for the guardianship and friendship of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) cannot be a solid proof that he was a Shiite.
For example, some Shiite scholars, such as those mentioned above, have taken the following poems as the best evidence of this great figure's Shiiteness:
«ابا حسن لو کان حبک مدخلی * جهنم، ان الفوز عند جحیمها» «فکیف یخاف النار من هو مؤمن * بأن امیرالمؤمنین قسیمها»
"O Aba Hassan, if your friendship were to lead me to Hell, then indeed the fire of Hell will be my salvation. How can someone fear the Fire who considers you the divider of Paradise and Hell?"
The Saheb's ethics and character
The Saheb, backed by his good morals, had endeared himself to the great men of science and literature and the general public. Generosity and chivalry are among the most prominent moral traits of the Saheb, which many stories have been narrated about him. He also had great humility and modesty and especially respected the Sadaat(the descendants of Propht of Islam) and scholars. In addition to his humility and modesty, the Saheb also had the glory of greatness. Forgiveness and indulgence, insight, courage and many other moral virtues can be found in the Saheb.
Strategy and statecraft
When Saheb became a minister, he set out to reform the country issues and, as a first step, he abolished undesirable innovations and oppressive customs. He was very diligent in administering justice and removing oppression from the people. He also took care of developing cities, repairing and rebuilding ruins, and building cultural and historical heritage; which can be mentioned in the prosperity of the cities of Qazvin, Qom, and Isfahan. Saheb paid special attention to the city of Qom, which was the main base of the Shiites at that time. The author of the book “ history of Qom”, who donated this book to Saheb, says: "I have not found anything more exquisite for Saheb than writing a book on the news of Qom and its people."
During his ministry, the Saheb boosted the country's economy and increased the treasury's assets to a high level. He also paid great attention to sports and encouraged athletes. He did not entrust the work of the Diwan except to people of virtue and knowledge. And whenever he became aware that a competent and skilled person was unemployed, he would take a job from those who had several jobs and assign it to him.
The role of the Saheb in the spread of knowledge and the establishment of the library
Saheb Ibn Ebad was born into an environment that was passionate about science and literature, and until the last moments of his life, he did not neglect knowledge and science for a moment. Saheb's efforts in education and learning were not limited to a specific time, so that even after reaching the position of minister, he did not forget to acquire knowledge and science. Whether during his stay in the cities of Isfahan, Baghdad and Rey or during his travels, he was never separated himself from scientists and scholars, and even during military missions, he had discussions and debates sessions.
Providing the ground for the spread of knowledge among the general public was one of the important policies of the Saheb during his ministry. Following this, he invited scholars from Baghdad to Isfahan and Rey. The Saheb knew that the prosperity of the country and the prosperity of the economy in the first stage depended on the people being freed from the chains of ignorance and understanding the light of knowledge and virtue.
The Saheb paid special attention to the works of writers. Whenever he was informed of the writing of a new book, he would make great efforts to obtain a copy of it and place it in his library for study. As a result of his many efforts, he was able to form a huge and unique library. The Saheb's library contained most of the scientific works and writings of that era, and numerous scholars and writers used that valuable treasure. "Maqddasi", a famous and renowned geographer of the fourth century, has stated that he was among those who made great use of and benefited greatly from the Saheb's great library. The list of books in the aforementioned library alone contained ten volumes, and the number of books themselves was countless. According to some researchers, the number of books in this library in the tenth century AD was equal to the total number of books in the libraries of Europe.
The Saheb respected too much to the people of religion, science, and literature and did not hesitate to show them respect. Some of the scholars came to him and were counted among his companions, and others expressed their devotion to him by writing letters; such as Sabi, the famous writer of that time. Seyyed Razi also composed odes in Baghdad and praised the Saheb.
Ibn Ebad sent five thousand dinars to Baghdad every year to be distributed among the jurists and literary men of that land. Some of the scholars and literary men who accompanied the Saheb were as follows:
1 – Abul Qasem Zafarani
2 – Abul Qasem Ibn Abi Al-Ala
3 – Abul Abbas Zabi
4 – Abu Saeed Rostami
5 – Abu Dalf Khazraji
6 – Abu Muhammad Khan Isfahani
7 – Badi’ al-Zaman Hamadani ... and many others.
Yaqoot writes in Mo'jam al-Odaba': Five hundred poets praised Saheb Ibn Ebad, and it is narrated from Saheb that he said that poets praised me in one hundred thousand Persian and Arabic couplets. He also favored the scholars and elders of Mecca and Medina, and every year he sent gifts to each of them according to his position with the caravan of pilgrims.
The academic position of the Saheb
The Saheb was proficient in different subjects such as the sciences of the Quran and its interpretation, hadith, theology, language, grammar, prosody, literary criticism, history, and medicine. His perseverance and enthusiasm for learning the sciences and arts prevalent in that era led him to acquire various knowledge, in such a way that he became an expert in many sciences.
Works
The Saheb has numerous works in the above sciences, as follows:
1. Al-Eqna' (in the science of persuasion)
2. Al-Amsal-Assaerah (in the science of literature)
3. Al-Tazkerah (in the science of theology and principles of religion)
4. Diwan Ashaar (a collection of poems)
5. Rasa'il al-Saheb (ethical, beliefs and social discussions)
6. A treatise on the virtues of Hazrat Abdul-Azim al-Hassani (peace be upon him)
7. A treatise on the science of medicine
8. Onvanol ma’aref
9. Al-Farq bain al-zad and vazza(الضاد و الظاء)
10. Al-Mohit (in Semantics)
11. Al-Manzoomatolfaridah
Rare Works of Saheb
Saheb Ibn Ebad had works that unfortunately have not reached us:
1. Al-Anwar
2. Al-Rooznamajah
3. Al-Imamah
4. Tarikh al-Molk wa Ikhtelafol al-Dowal
5. Al-Hejr
6. Al-Zeydiyyah
7. Al-Shawahed
8. Al-Fosool al-Mohazzabah Lelqol
9. Al-Qaza’ wa al-Qadar
10. Al-Wozara
11. Al-Waqf wa al-Ibtada
12. Al-Kafi fi al-Tarssol and some others.
Books donated to the Saheb
1. Oyoon Akhbar al-Riza (peace be upon him): by Sheikh Jalil and the distinguished jurist Sadooq (may God have mercy on him)
2. Kitab Rijal, by Hussein Ibn Ali Ibn Babawayh, the brother of Sheikh Sadooq
3. The History of Qom (Tarikh Qom), by Hassan Ibn Muhammad Qomi
4. Latayef al-Ma'aref, by Tha'alebi (a famous literary man)
5. Al-Saheb, by Ibn Fares
6. Al-Tahzib, by Qadi Abdul Aziz Jorjani
7. Al-Hejr, by Abu Ja'far Ahmad Ibn Abi Soleyman
Saheb's teachers
There is no exact information available about Saheb's teachers. Some of his important teachers are:
1. Ebad (his father)
2. Ibn Amid
3. Ibn Fares
4. Abu al-Fazl Abbas Ibn Muhammad Nahavi (known as Saddam)
5. Abu Sa'eed Hassan Ibn Abdullah Seyrafi
6. Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Ya'qoob
7. Qadi Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn Kamil
8. Abu Zakaria Yahya Ibn Adi
9. Abu Omar Sabbagh
Students of the Saheb
The names of some of his students are as follows:
1. Sheikh Abdul Qaher Jorjani
2. Abu Bakr Ibn Maqri
3. Qadi Abu Tayyeb Tabari
4. Abu al-Fazl Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Naswi Shafe'i
5. Abu Bakr Ali Zakwani
The author's poems
The Saheb has composed poems in all sections and techniques of poetry, such as praise, lament, humiliation, sermons, etc., and in each technique he has revealed the power of his nature by bringing new meanings and precise themes. He has composed numerous poems describing the Imams and Imam Ali (peace be upon them) and expressing their high status. The Saheb has composed 27 odes in praise of Ali (a.s) (peace be upon him ), in each of them one of the letters has not been used.
The "craft of deletion" in the twenty-eighth ode, which is devoid of the letter "waw", was left unfinished. Ibn Shahr-e-Ashoob, in Ma'alem al-Olama, has included the Saheb among the Shiite poets and quoted poems by him, considering him to be among the poets who were reckless in expressing Shiism and their love for the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Some of his poems are as follows:
Friendship with Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (peace be upon him) is the guide to Paradise for everyone
If his preference for the Companions is an innovation and against the Sunnah, then may Allah curse this Sunnah.
He also says:
A wicked man said to me: Moawiyyah is your uncle, the best of uncles and brother-in-laws
Indeed, Moawiyyah is the uncle of all believers! I said: Yes, he is an uncle, but he is devoid of good.
Saheb's prose
Saheb also had a strange skill in the art of writing and books, and in this field he was the owner of style and method. Tha'alebi considered Saheb's works to be close to the magic and miracle in terms of the beauty of words and meaning.
Saheb decorated his writings with verses from the Quran, proverbs and advice, and words and poems of famous poets. The sentence: "O judge of Qom, we have removed you from judgment, so rise from your place" is one of Saheb's famous literary sentences. Saheb's numerous eloquence and rhetoric are also other signs of his skill in literary techniques.
Saheb and the Persian Language
Some believe that Saheb was biased by preferring Arabic literature over Persian literature, while study of his circumstances refutes this belief. Our best evidence and proof is Saheb's connection with Persian-speaking poets such as Bandar Razi, Ghaza'eri, and Jonaidi, and the special respect of Saheb towards them.
Research and study on what the documents have said show that Saheb was never opposed to the Persian language and Persian-speaking people, but rather he was hostile to racism, infidelity, and the return to Magianism(Zoroastrianism) that was carried out under the pretext of defending the Persian language. He was concerned about the promotion and development of Magianism, especially since in the Buyid government, some Dialameh elders remained Zoroastrian and held important positions, and Saheb was disillusioned with them because of his adherence to his religion and sect. For this reason, he sometimes spoke of them in an expression of nostalgia, and this stance cannot be considered an opposition to the Persian language.
Death
At the end of his life, the Saheb became ill and suffering, and even in bed, he was not oblivious to the affairs of the country. People visited him during his illness and prayed to God twice a day in front of his house for his recovery.
He finally surrendered his soul to his Lord on the night of Friday, 24 Safar, 385 AH, and hastened to his eternal home.
In the morning, the people of Rey were informed of the passing of the faithful minister. All the markets of the city were closed and the gates of Rey were closed. A large crowd gathered to mourn the Saheb's body. Abu al-Abbas al-Zabbi, one of the scholars of Rey who was a student of the Saheb, prayed over the body of his teacher. Fakhr al-Dowlah and the leaders of the army, wearing black, participated in the mourning ceremony for the educated minister. For a while, the Saheb's coffin was kept in his house in Rey, and finally he was transferred with great pomp and ceremony and buried in his hometown of Isfahan. Since then, the tomb of the Saheb has become a special and public place of pilgrimage, and every year many people who are fascinated by the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) visit the tomb of the Saheb (his tomb is located in Tooqchi Square, next to the tomb of Ayatollah Tayyeb).
The news of the passing of the scholarly and religious Shiite minister quickly spread to all the important centers of the world, such as Baghdad and Isfahan. The heartbroken and those who knew the depth of the tragedy expressed their inner pain and sorrow in poems, and composed heartfelt laments in mourning this precious figure of Islam.
Some of his contemporaries wrote 112 verses( poem) in mourning for the Saheb , and Abu al-Fath Uthman Ibn Jenni compiled a commentary on those verses in a volume.
The greatness of the personality of Saheb Ibn Ebad is enough in such a way that Allamah Helli says about him: He is one of those people which all writers, no matter how literate and eloquent, are unable to express his virtues and honors, and the speaker who speaks about him dries up the words in his tongue.
Reference
Retrieved Sep,20, 2025, from https://fa.wikivahdat.com