Ahmed Al-Taan

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saleh bin Taan bin Nasser bin Ali al-Sattari al-Bahrani al-Qatifi (, born in 1835 in Markouban, Sitra, Bahrain, died in 1898 in Al-Qudaih, Qatif, Saudi Arabia) was a Bahraini cleric, jurist, and Shia Muslim authority, who was among the most influential Twelver Shiites of the early modern Gulf. Many Shiites in Bahrain and Qatif followed his fatwas, but he is also known for his compilations on fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), hadith, history, and poetry.

Early life and education Born in the village of Markouban on the island of Sitra in 1835, Al-Taan moved with his father to Manama, where he studied grammar, morphology, logic, etc. at a Shia hawza (madrasa) with Ibn Ishaq Al-Baladi for nearly two years.

Migration to Najaf Al-Taan immigrated to Najaf to complete his religious studies in the late 1860s or early 1870s due to his father's poor financial condition. His first father-in-law funded his travels, so he moved to Najaf where he worked for a time with a group of ulema (clerics). الديوان الأحمدي (“The Ahmadi Diwan,” a poetry collection) الرسالة العاشورية (“The Message of Ashura”) البديعة الفريدة في مدح الأمير وأبنائه الكرام (“The Unique Innovation in Praising the Prince and His Esteemed Children”)

Students Hassan bin Ali bin Asfour Bahrani Baqir bin Ali bin Ishaq al-Bahrani Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Bahrani Dhaif Allah bin Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Saif Al-Qatifi Sheikh Ali Al-Biladi, son-in-law of Al-Taan and author of Anwar al-Badrayn (“The Light of the Two Moons”, a compilation of works by scholars from Qatif, Al-Ahsa, and Bahrain; he immigrated with his father from Bahrain to Qatif at an early age due to political conditions at home, taking hawza classes with Al-Taan Muhammad Salih Al-Taan, Ahmed's son, described in Anwar al-Badrayn as writing works including “an explanation of his father’s notions of doubts and forgiveness, and a high-quality book on fiqh.”