SHAHEED-E-AWWAL, SHAMSUDDIN MUHAMMAD AL-MAKKI AL-AMILI

He was born in 734 A.H. in Jabal ‘Amel, an area of today’s South Lebanon. When he was 16 years of age, he went to al-Hilla in Iraq and became a student of the pupils of Allama Hilli (r.a.). The Shi’ah schools were banned in Jabal ‘Amel. He was certified by Fakhr-ul-Muhaqqeqeen, the son of Allama Hilli (r.a.).

When he was 21 years old, he returned to Jabal ‘Amel and was already certified to narrate Hadees by many other famous scholars of Shi’a and Sunni doctrines of Najaf, Hebron, Makkah, Madinah, Quds, Damascus and Baghdad. He also built good relations with Sultan Ali bin al-Mu’ayyad of Khorasan.

He came from a very distinguished family, and the generations that succeeded him preserved this honor. He had three sons who were all ulemas and jurisprudents, and his wife and daughter were likewise jurisprudents.

He became a Mujtahid at an early age of 35 years. Over 1,000 Mujtahid obtained their permission for Ijtihad from him, which is unique. He also became a Mujtahid of all Sunni fiqh and he was consulted by Shi’ahs and Sunnis alike.

He became very famous and the other scholars became jealous of him. According to a fatwa of a jurisprudent from the Maliki sect, which was endorsed by a jurisprudent from Shafe’i sect, he was imprisoned for one full year.

Apparently, he did not do any Makrooh, Mubah or Haram deed in his life!

While in prison, he wrote the most famous Shi’ah book of the time and still referenced today; The Damascene Glitter (al-Lum’ah) in which he combined all religious practices according to the Shi’ah school of thought. It is reported that he wrote this book in 7 days!

Other books written by him - “The First Martyr or Shaheed-e-Awwal” are:

Durou, Thikra, Bayan, Alfiyeh, and Qawa’d. All these books are still the priceless work on Jurisprudence.

He was martyred on Thursday the ninth of Jumada al-Awwal 786 A.H. He was killed by the sword then crucified and then stoned in Damascus in the days of Sultan Barquq.

One can imagine the pains, sufferings, hardships and unparallel oppression experienced by Shi’ah scholars to preserve and carry forward the teachings of AhlulBayt (a.s.)