Al-Shaykh Al-Mufid

Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Nu'man ibn 'Abd al-Salam al-'Ukbari al-Baghdadi (Arabic: أَبُو عَبْدِ ٱللّٰهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ بْنِ ٱلنُّعْمَانِ بْنِ عَبْدِ ٱلسَّلَامِ ٱلْحَارِثِيُّ ٱلْعُكْبَرِيُّ ٱلْبَغْدَادِيُّ), known as al-Shaykh al-Mufid and Ibn al-Mu'allim (c.9481022 CE), was a prominent Twelver Shia Muslim scholar, jurist (faqīh) and theologian of Iraqi descent. or by al-Rummani, a Mu'tazilite scholar, after a discussion with him. The leader of the Shia community at his time, he was a staunch mutakallim, theologian, and jurist.

He studied and was taught by the prominent Shia scholars al-Shaykh al-Saduq and Ibn Qulawayh, as well as Mutazilite scholars Abu al-Husayn al-Basri and al-Rummani. His students included Sharif al-Murtaza and Shaykh Tusi, both of whom became important scholars in their own right. Only 10 of his 200 works have survived, among which are Amali, Al-Irshad, Al-Muqni'ah, and Tashih al-Itiqadat.

Early life and education

Al-Mufid was born in 'Ukbara, a small town to the north of Baghdad, on 11th Dhul Qa'dah in 336 Hijra. According to Shaykh Tusi, however, he was born in 338AH, Muallim was his father. Among his teachers were the Shia theologian Abu Ali al-Iskafi, Abu Abdallah al-Marzubani, Abu Abdallah al-Basri, Abu al-Hassan, and Ali ibn Isa al-Rummani. Al-Mufid is regarded as the most famous scholar of the Buyid period and an eminent jurist, Macdermott believes that al-Mufid's theology is closer to the old Baghdad school of Mutazilism than to Abdul Jabbar's late Basran system. His methodology is closer to that of the Baghdad school, and he seems to have followed the Baghdad school and Mutazilism in his views concerning such questions as God's unity and justice. However, al-Mufid differs from Mutazilism on the problem of Imamate and the position of grave sin in this life. Al-Mufid tried to defend the role of reasonhe described it as Al-Nazarand also disputed for the truth and put away faults with the help of argument and proofs. Also, al-Mufid believed that the task of a theologian was according to reason and argument. His views were adopted by his pupils, 'Abd al-Jabbar and Sharif al-Murtaza.

God's attributes

Al-Mufid defined God's unity in this way:I say that God is one in divinity and eternity. Nothing resembles Him, nor can anything be compared with Him. He alone deserves adoration. He has no second with Him in this, in any respect or connection. Some of his works are as follows:

Al-Amali (of Shaykh Mufid), also known as "Al-Majaalis", traditions recorded by al-Mufid's pupils during the sessions where al-Mufid gave the chain of narration ending up with himself Kitab al-Irshad or Al-Irshad fi ma'rifat hujaj Allah 'ala al-'ibad, on the lives of the Shia Imams Al-Fusul al-`Ashara fi al-Ghaybah Ahkam al-Nisa, on legal obligations regarding women Fifth Risalah on Ghaybah Al-Muqni'ah (The Legally Sufficient) The commentary on this book by Shaykh Tusi, Tadhhib al-Ahkam fi Sharh al-Muqni'ah, is among the Shia four books.

Tawqīʿ

Al-Mufid received two Tawqīʿs by Muhammad al-Mahdi during major occultation.

Death

Al-Mufid died on the third day of Ramadan in 413AH. According to the Shia writer Shaykh Tusi, "The day of his death drew the largest crowd ever seen in any funeral, and both friends and foes wept uncontrollably". He remained buried in his own house for two years, after which his body was moved to Al Kadhimiya Mosque and buried next to his teacher, Ibn Qulawayh al-Qummi. His grave is near the feet of two of the Shia Imams, Musa al-Kadhim and his grandson Muhammad al-Jawad. An image of Mofid has been shown as imaginary in a paint.