Muhammad Jamaluddin al-Makki al-Amili

Muhammad Jamaluddin al-Makki al-Amili al-Jizzini,[1] (1334–1385) also known as Shahid Awwal (Arabic: ash-Shahid al-Awwal الشهيد الأول "The First Martyr"), is the author of Al-Lum'ah ad-Dimashqiya (اللمعةArabic: الدمشقية "The Damascene Glitter") and was one of the greatest Shi'a scholars. Although he is not the first martyr in Islam and not even the first Shia scholar to have become a martyr, he became known as "Shahid Awwal" because he was probably the first Shia scholar of such stature to have been martyred in such a brutal way.

Life

Shahid Awal was born in 734 A.H (ca. 1334 ) in Jabal 'Amel. He was a pupil of the pupils of Allamah Hilli, amongst them Allamah's son, Fakhr ul-Muhaqqeqin. The Shi'a schools were banned and almost detoriarated in Jabal 'Amel. When Mohammad bin Makki was 16 years old he ventured to al-Hilla in Iraq where he was certified by Fakhr al-MuHaqqiqin the son of the famous al-Hilli.

By the age 21, he returned to Jabal 'Amel and was already certified to narrate hadiths by many other famous scholars of Shi'a and Sunni doctrines of Najaf, Hebron, Makka, Medina, Quds, Damascus, and Baghdad. He also built good relations with Sultan Ali ibn al-Mu'ayyad (Arabic: علي بن المؤيد) of the Sarbadars.

Al-Amili used taqiyya to establish himself as one of the leading religious scholars of Damascus, using Sunni law to judge Sunnis, while covertly leading the Shia and judging them using Shia law.[2]

Death

Shahid Awwal was killed on Thursday the ninth of Jumada al-awwal, 786 A.H. (ca. 1385) according to the fatwa of a jurisprudent from the Maliki sect which was endorsed by a jurisprudent of the Shaf'i sect. Accusations against him included rafd, defamation of Aisha, Abu Bakr and Umar, following the Nusayri faith and permitting the drinking of wine.[3] These accusations were first brought against him by two of his former students from Jabal Amil, who were also former Twelver Shiites. One of them, Yusuf ibn Yahya, submitted a report (which included the signatures of 70 former Shiites from Jabal Amil) to the authorities detailing al-Amili's "vile doctrines and abominable beliefs."[4][5] However, according to Shia biographer al-Khwansari, al-Amili denied these charges in a letter to the governor of Damascus, protesting his love for "the Prophet and all who loved him, all the Companions without exception."[6] He was killed by the sword then crucified and then stoned in Damascus in the days of the Sultan Barquq after he was imprisoned one full year.

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

Works

While imprisoned he wrote the most famous Shi'a book of the time and still referenced to today The Damascene Glitter(Arabic:al-lum'ah al-Dimashqiyaاللمعة الدمشقية) in which he combined all religious practices according to shi'a school of thought. It is said that he wrote it in seven days.

Muhammad ibn Makki, known as Shahid Awal ("the First Martyr"), one of the great Shi'ite jurisprudents. He is of the rank of Muhaqqiq Hilli and Allamah Hilli. He was from Jabal 'Amel, an area in today's south Lebanon which is one of the oldest centres of Shi'ites and still is today a Shi'ite area.

The famous books of Shahid Awal on jurisprudence include Al-lum'ah which he composed during the brief period he remained in prison awaiting his martyrdom. Amazingly, this noble book was subject to a commentary two centuries later by another great jurisprudent who suffered the same fate as the author. He too was martyred and thus became called Shahid al-Thani ("The Second Martyr"). The famous book Sharh ul-lum'ah which has been the primal textbook of the students of jurisprudence ever since is the commentary of Shahid Thani.

Other books of Shahid Awal include Durou, Thikra, Bayan, Alfiyeh and Qawa'id. All of the books of the First Martyr are among the priceless writings of jurisprudence.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Phyllis G. Jestice (2004). Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 432. ISBN 9781576073551.
  2. ↑ Phyllis G. Jestice (2004). Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 432. ISBN 9781576073551.
  3. ↑ Houchang Chehabi; Rula Jurdi Abisaab (contributor) (2 Apr 2006). Distant Relations: Iran and Lebanon in the Last 500 Years. I.B.Tauris. p. 70. ISBN 9781860645617.
  4. ↑ STEFAN H. WINTER (1999). Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Makki "al-Shahid al-Awwal" (d. 1384) and the Shi‘ah of Syria. THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. p. 173. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  5. ↑ Houchang Chehabi; Rula Jurdi Abisaab (contributor) (2 Apr 2006). Distant Relations: Iran and Lebanon in the Last 500 Years. I.B.Tauris. p. 69. ISBN 9781860645617.
  6. ↑ STEFAN H. WINTER (1999). Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Makki "al-Shahid al-Awwal" (d. 1384) and the Shi‘ah of Syria. THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. p. 174. Retrieved 25 September 2014.

External links