Sayyid Razi’s name was Abul Hasan Muhammad ibn Al-Hussayn
Al-Musawi, known in Arabic as al-Sharif al-Razi, in Persian as Sharif Razi or
Sayyid Razi. He was born in 359 AH in Baghdad. He wrote several books, but the
most important one was “Nahjul Balagha”,
a compilation of the sermons and sayings of the Commander of the Faithful Imam
Ali (a.s.). His father Abu Ahmad Hussayn was fifth in line of descent from
Imam Musa al-Kazim (a.s.) and held the prestigious position of “Naqib al
Nuqaba”, a responsibility which required the management of the affairs of
Sadaat (Prophet’s descendants). He died in 396 AH and was buried in the shrine
of The King of Martyrs, Imam Hussayn (a.s.). On his death, Sayyid Razi became the “Naqib al-Nuqaba” and held the position till his
death.
His mother, Fatima also traced her lineage to Imam Zain
al-Abedin (a.s.). She was a pious and noble lady and was held in high esteem by
scholars and notables. She requested the famous scholar Shaykh Mufid (r.a.) to
write a book on the religious ethics pertaining to the women. Shaykh Mufid had written the book Ahkam
al-Nisa. She died in Baghdad in 385 AH.
His elder brother, Sayyid Murtaza was a great theologian and
a poet. His work is still being published in Cairo and Beirut and formed the
part of Arabic literature in universities of those two cities.
According to Ibn Abi
al-Hadid in Sharah Nahjul Balagha, Shaykh Mufid (r.a.) saw a dream in which he
saw that a lady appearing to be the Lady of Paradise Hazrat Fatima Zahra (s.a.)
came in his mosque with two small boys and asked him to teach them fiqh. Next
day, the mother of Sayyid Razi and Sayyid Murtaza brought them and asked him to
teach them Islamic sciences. The two brothers soon mastered different branches
of Islamic sciences under Shaykh Mufid and other scholars of Baghdad.
Sayyid Razi’s genius came to the notice of his family and
teachers at very young age. He started composing poetry at 9. He went to
different teachers for different faculties and most of his teachers were
eminent scholars and writers of Arabic. He started teaching at the age of 17
when he himself was a student. He
completed his education at the age of 20.
Very soon he acquired fame as a scholar, commentator of the Noble Qur’an,
thinker and a poet. In those days, because of the environment of tolerance,
students will go to Sunni and Shia teachers. Some of his teachers were Sunni
and Mu'tazeli. He started teaching from early age and started his own school
which blossomed into a huge educational institution named “Dar al Ilm”. It consisted of many buildings providing residential
quarters to the deserving students. Students graduating from here started
teaching at other schools as well.
Sayyid Razi lived a brief but highly fruitful life. So great
his contribution to the Islamic sciences that a study of his life and works
requires an analysis of almost all works on history, biographies and literature
written since 5th Century AH.
Peak of Eloquence:
Sayyid Razi compiled this collection of
the sacred sermons and sayings of the Commander of the Faithful, the Gateway of
Knowledge whose City was the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the Orator of the
Pulpit of “Salooni” Imam Ali (a.s.) over a thousand years ago. It can be said about the book that it is
under the Holy Qur’an but above the
work of Allah’s creatures. It has been translated in the following
languages:
English
translation of Nahjul Balaghah is Peak of Eloquence.
French
translation is La Voie de leloquence by Sayyid Attia Abul Naga
Romanian
translation is Nahj al-balagha/Calea Vorbirii by George Grigore
German
translation is Pfad der Eloquenz by Fatima Ozoguz
Russian
translation is Put Krasnorechiya by Abdul Karim Taras
Spanish
translation is La cumber de la elocuencia by Muhammad Ali Azaldura-Morales
Urdu
translation first by Tanzimul Makatib Lucknow and Mahfooz Book Agency Karachi
Ibn Abi al-Hadid
had written commentary on Nahjul Balagha in 20 volumes.
Abul Hakim al-Mu’allim had collected Sayyid Razi’s poetic
works in 5th century AH. His
Diwan consisted of 16300 verses.
Sayyid Razi died in the month of Muharram 406 AH at the
age of 45 and was buried in Kazimain, Iraq.
Some of his other books are:
Talkhis al-Bayan an Majazat al-Qur’an
Haqaiq al-Ta’wil fi Mustahabih al Tanzil
Ma’nil Qur’an
Nahj in Majazat al-Athar al-Nabawiyyah
Sayyid Razi’s only son was Abu Ahmad Adnan was also a
prominent scholar of his time and after the death of his uncle Sayyid Murtaza
was entrusted with the post of Naqib al Nuqaba.
Sources used:
Islamic Laws.com
Imam Reza Network
WIKIPEDIA
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