al-Kulayni

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al-Kulayni
الكليني
TitleThiqah al-Islām ("The Trustworthy of Islam")
Personal
Born250 AH
/864 CE
Died329 AH
/941 CE
ReligionIslam
EraIslamic Golden Age
RegionIran and Iraq
DenominationShia
Main interest(s)Ḥadīth
Notable work(s)Kitāb al-Kāfī
Muslim leader
Influenced

Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni (Arabic: مُحَمَّد ٱبْن يَعْقُوب ٱلْكُلَيْنِيّ, romanizedMuḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb al-Kulaynī; c. 864–941) was a Shia Islamic scholar who authored the al-Kafi, the first of the Four Books of Shia Islam. He is considered an important hadith collector by the Shias.

Life[edit]

Al-Kulayni was born in Kulayn,[1][2][3] a village or small town situated near Rey, Iran.[4] His father was Ya'qub al-Kulayni, who is buried at Rey. He lived in the era of the Minor Occultation of Muhammad al-Mahdi, the last of the Twelve Imams who, according to Shia belief, is currently in occultation and will certainly appear before the Day of Judgment). He is claimed to have greatly benefited from al-Mahdi's divine knowledge by interacting with him through the Imam's Deputies.[5][6]

Kulayni received his early religious education in his native town and went to Rey for further education. According to Shia view he is among a special class of muhaddithin known as Rihalah-ye hadith (which means those who travelled in order to collect a hadith and met the persons considered to be the authority on hadith).[6]

He travelled to Baghdad for this reason and lived there for twenty years, engaged in teaching and pursuing academic work, until he died in 329 AH/941 CE. He is considered the foremost Shia compiler of hadith and was the author of al-Kafi.[7]

Work and contribution[edit]

Although Shaykh al-Kulaynī is most famous for al-Kāfī, this opus was not his only accomplishment. The following is a list of his known works:

  • al-Kāfī
  • Rasāʾil al ʾaʾimmah
  • Kitāb ar-rijāl
  • Kitāb ar radd ʿalā al qarāmitah
  • Kitāb mā qīla fī al ʾaʾimmah min ash-shiʿr
  • Kitāb taʿbīr al-ruʾyā

Of these only al-Kāfī has survived in its entirety.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sheikh Kulayni, the right keeper of Shia Ahadith mehrnews.com Retrieved 17 Oct 2018
  2. ^ Frye, R.N., ed. (1975). The Cambridge history of Iran (Repr. ed.). London: Cambridge U.P. p. 472. ISBN 978-0-521-20093-6.
  3. ^ Shaikh Mohammed bin Yaqoob bin Ishaq Kulaini & Al Kafi @ islam-laws.com
  4. ^ Ali Akbar al-Ghaffari's introduction to his eight-volume edition of al-Kulayni's Usul al-Kafi, Tehran, 3rd edition 1388-), I, 9–13.
  5. ^ Ali Akbar al-Ghaffari's introduction to his eight-volume edition of al-Kulayni's al-Kafi , Ibid. I, 13–14.
  6. ^ a b Syed Waheed Akhtar: Early Imammiyah Shiite Thinkers
  7. ^ Meri, Josef W. (2005). Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia. USA: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-96690-0.
  8. ^ Islamic Texts Institute (2012). Al-Kafi Book I: Intellect and Foolishness. Taqwa Media. ISBN 9781939420008.

External links[edit]