Sharif al-Murtaza

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Abū al-Qāsim ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā (Arabic: أبو القاسم علي بن الحسين الشريف المرتضى; 965 - 1044 AD ; 355 - 436 AH),^[1] commonly known as Sharīf Murtaḍā or Sayyid Murtaḍā (Murtazā instead of Murtaḍā in non-Arab languages) and also popular as ʿAlam al-Hudā, was an Iraqi scholar and considered one of the greatest Shia scholars of his time.^[2] He was one of the students of Shaykh al-Mufīd. His younger brother is al-Sharif al-Radi, the compiler of Nahj al-Balagha. He was four years older than his brother. He lived during the era of Buyid dynasty. It was the golden age of Arabic literature, and great poets Al-Ma'arri were among his contemporaries.

He was born in Baghdad in Rajab 355 AH (June/July 966 CE). He was born in a prominent household, descended from the seventh Twelver Shi'a imam, Musa al-Kazim. He was son of Abu Ahmad al-Husayn ibn Musa. His father called him Ali and his nickname was Murtada. His honorific title was Alam al-Huda. He called as Alam al-Huda according to a popular narration said by Shahid Awwal in The book of Arba'in as follow: the Vizier of Abbasid dynasty namely Muhammad ibn al-Husayn became sick. he saw in his dreams Imam Ali while address him: tell Alam al-Huda till demand Health for you. When Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ask on the person with such a nickname he told : he is Ali ibn al-Husayn or Sharif Murtada.^[3]

The name of Sharif al-Murtada's mother was Fatima. She was a pious and noble lady, who was held in high esteem by scholars and other notables. At her request, the great scholar Shaykh al-Mufīd compiled the book "Ahkām al-Nisā'", which contains the fiqhi rules for women. Her family had carved out an independent principality in Tabaristan, on the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea. She died in Baghdad, in the year 995, (385 AH).

From father's side 

1. Sayyid Ali al-Sharif al-Murtada
2. Sayyid Husayn
3. Sayyid Musa al-Abrash
4. Sayyid Muhammad al-A'raj
5. Sayyid Musa Abu Sibha
6. Sayyid Ibrahim al-Murtada
7. Imam Musa al-Kazim
8. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq
9. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
10. Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin
11. Imam Husayn al-Shahid
12. Imam Ali al-Murtada
13. Prophet Muhammad

From mother's side 

1. Sayyid Ali al-Sharif al-Murtada
2. Sayyida Fatima
3. Sayyid Husayn
4. Sayyid Hasan al-Nasir al-Kabir
5. Sayyid Ali
6. Sayyid Hasan
7. Sayyid Ali
8. Sayyid Umar al-Ashraf
9. Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin
10. Imam Husayn al-Shahid
11. Imam Ali al-Murtada
12. Prophet Muhammad

Since he was the pupil of both Qadi Abd al-Jabbar the Mu'tazilite and al-Shaykh al-Mufid, he was influenced by both of them. He even criticised them.

According to Sharif al-Murtada, the first part of religious duty is the obligation to reason to the knowledge of God. The other duties are dependent on this first duty. Al-Murtada along with the Mu'tazilite starting-point is the claim that man's first duty is to use his reason to arrive at the knowledge of God. Also in Kalam there is proof of the existence of God, he defended the atomist' stance versus that of the Aristotelian notion of substantial change.^[4]

He believed that we must not limit our-selves to applying those names mentioned in Quran.

Sayyid Murtaḍā acquired the epithet of: "ʿAlam al-Hudā" ("The banner of guidance"), and died at the age of 81 years in 1044 (436 AH).

He was a multi-dimensional personality. All Shi'ite scholars acknowledge that Sayyid Murtaḍā was the greatest scholar of his era, and groomed many outstanding ulama (scholars), including the famous Shaykh al-Tūsī, the founder of the celebrated theological Center of Najaf.^[5] He served as "Naqīb al-Nuqabā'" after the death of his brother.

Sayyid Murtaḍā was deeply interested in fiqh, unlike Sayyid Raḍī, who was more inclined towards politics and literature,. He was considered a master of kalam, fiqh, usul al-fiqh, literature, grammar, poetry and other fields of knowledge. His divan or poetry collection has more than 20,000 verses.

Books authored by Sayyid Murtaḍā include:

• al-Dhakhīra fī Uṣūl al-Fiqh ( الذخيرة )
• al-Ghurar wa al-Durar ^[6] ( الغرر والدرر )
• al-Intiṣār ( الانتصار )
• al-Shāfī ( الشافي )
• Tanzīh al-Anbiyāʾ ( تنزيه الأنبياء )
• Jumal al-ʿilm Wa al-ʿAmal.

• Fakhr al-Mulk
• Sayyid Raḍī
• Shaykh al-Mufīd
• Shaykh al-Tūsī
• Shaykh al-Sadūq
• Muḥammad al-Kulaynī
• Allāmah Majlisī
• Shaykh al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī

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