Friday, February 21, 2014

AKHBRI SCHOLARS
FROM ASTARBDI TO
THE END OF THE
THIRTEENTH CENTURY
AH
The list below is by no means
comprehensive, and contains only
the most
prominent Akhbri scholars found
in the bio-bibliographical literature.
The nature of biographical
compendia was such that in the
rst
150 years of the Akhbri school,
little reference was made to the
Akhbri (or any other) allegiance

of the scholars.1 I have restricted

the list below to scholars who
composed Akhbri works and who
were referenced as such in the
Shia biographical tradition.
The list
takes us to the end of the
Thirteenth Century AH. The large
number
of Thirteenth Century Akhbri
scholars, many of whom had
personal
connections with Mirz
Muammad al-Akhbr and/or were
based in
India is an indication of the
possibilities for future research on
the
post-Mirz Muhammad and
modern Akhbri school. The

increase in
the number of Akhbris in this list
after Mirz Muhammad al-Akhbri
does not necessarily reflect
increased Akhbri activity. Rather,
it probably
reflects other factors: proximity of
time (and hence greater records
available to the principally modern
biographical works cited here),
a
greater willingness of biographical
writers to identify their fellow
scholars
as Akhbris in the Thirteenth
Century (as compared to the
Eleventh),
and finally a minority loyal to Mirz
Muhammad himself.
Scholars not mentioned elsewhere

in this book are provided with

single reference (many more could
be given). The scholars are
ordered
by death date when known. When
death dates are not known I have
inserted scholars in what I judge to
be an appropriate position in the
list. Scholars whose Akhbri
allegiance is doubtful or disputed
are
marked with an asterisk*.
Eleventh Century AH
Mir Yusuf `Ali al-Husayni
(d. early Eleventh Century).
Described as an Akhbari in

Tihrani, Tabaqat, v. 5, p. 645,

though this is a late source.
`Abd Allah al-Tustari
(d. 1021)
Majid al-Bahrani
(d. 1028)

Muhammad Amin alAstarabadi

(d. 1036)

Fakhr al-Din Haydar alLankari

(d. after 1031)
`Isa al-Duzmari
(d. not known)

Safi al-Din Muhammad

(d. after 1033)
`Abd al-Hadi al-Husayni al-

Tustari
(d. not known)

Husayn b. al-Hasan b. Yunis

al-Tahiri
(alive in 1051)
Zayn al-`Abidin b. Nur al-Din alKashani
(d. after 1040)
`Ali Naqi al-Shirazi
(d. 1060)

Zayn al-Din b. Muhammad b. alHasan al-`Amili

(d. 1064)
Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi
(Majlisi I, d. 1070)
`Abd al-`Azhim b. `Abbas alAstarabadi
(d. late Eleventh Century).
Described as an Akhbari by alBahrani (Lulua, p. 66).
*`Abd Allah al-Tuni
(d. 1071)
Husayn b. Shihab al-Din al-Karaki
(d. 1076)
`Abd `Ali b. Jum`a al-`Arusi al-

Huwayzi
(alive 1079)
Ibrahim b. `Abd Allah alAstarabadi known as al-Khatib
(d. after 1081)
*Muhammad Salih al-Mazandarani
(d. 1081 or 1086)
Muhammad Mumin b. Dawsat (or
D st) al-Astarabadi (d. 1087)
Khalil al-Qazwini
(d.1089)
Muhsin Fayd al-Kashani
(d. 1091)
`Ali Asghar al-Qazwini

(alive 1092)
Radi al-Din al-Qazwini
(d. 1096)
Muhammad Tahir al-Qummi
(d. 1098)

Twelfth Century
Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Yusuf alMaqabi al-Bahrani
(d. 1102)
Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Hurr al`Amili
(d. 1104)

Hashim b. Sulayman al-Bahrani

(d. 1107)
*Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi
(d. 1111)
Sayyid Ni`mat Allah al-Jazairi
(d. 1112)
*`Abd Allah b. al-Husayn al-Yazdi
(alive 1113),
Al-Tihrani suggests (Tabaqat, v. 6,
p. 447) that this is the same
person as `Abd Allah b. al-Husayn
al-Ujri.
Nur al-Din Muhammad al-Kashani
al-Akhbari
(d. 1115)

Muhammad Salih al-Harawi/alHarati

(alive in 1119). Pupil of al-Hurr,
author of the Akhbari work Waslat
al-ma`ad f dhamm al-ijtihad: see
(Mashhad Fihrist, v. 16, p. 603,
MS3030, where an ijaza to one
Nar Allah al-Mudarris is recorded,
another possible other Akhbari in
Khorasan, see Tihrani, Tabaqat, v.
6, p. 376).
Muhammad Raaim b. Muhammad
al-Harawi/al-Harati
(no death date known). Another
pupil of al-Hurr with the same
nisba, and author of the Akhbari
work of fiqh, Ans alMustawahishn, see Mashhad
Fihrist, v. 16, pp. 7475 MS1600

and Tihrani, Tabaqat, v. 6, p. 261.

Sulayman b. `Abd Allah al-Bahrani
(d. 1121)
`Abd Allah b. Salih al-Samahiji
(d. 1135).
He gave an ijaza to one Nasir b.
al-Jarudi al-Qatifi, another
possible, Baarayni Akhbari (see
Schmidtke, The ijaza).
`Abd Allah b. Nur al-Din al-Jazairi
(alive in 1151)
Sadr al-Din b. Nair al-Din b. Mirza
Salih al-abaabai al-Yazdi
(d.1153).
Akhbari teacher in Yazd, his son
Muhammad b. Sadr al-Din al-

Akhbari,
no death date known, was also an
Akhbari (see Tihrani, al-Dhari`a, v.
6, p. 42 and p. 198). The son was
forced to defend his fathers
Akhbarism and `irfani tendencies
(see Tihrani, Tabaqat, v. 6, p. 377).
Nur al-Din b. Ni`mat Allah alJazairi
(d. 1158)
Unknown 12th Century Akhbari,
who wrote an important
commentary on al-Hurrs Hidayat
al-Umma, see Tihrani, al-Dhari`a,
v. 14, p. 172.
Muhammad Ja`far b. Muhammad
Tahir
(born 1080, no death date known,

though the recent editor of his

work argues for 1175, making him
95 at the time of his death). An
Akhbari pupil of Majlisi II and alHurr, who wrote an appendix to
Sahib al-Rijals biographical
compendium entitled Ikll alManhaj;2 see Amin, A`yan alShi`a, v. 9, p. 204 and described
as an Akhbari at al-Husayni,
Tilamidhat al-Majlis, p. 88.
2 This has been published in 1425
AH. One would not be able to
detect his Akhbari allegiance from
the work itself.
Yusuf b. Ahmad al-Bahrani
(d. 1176)
Shaykh Hasan Akhbari

(d. 1181)a poet and Akhbari,

with an ijaza for ijtihad from
Karbala, but based in Bushehr and
then Bahrayn (Amin, A`yan alShi`a, v. 5, pp. 260261).

Thirteenth Century
Muhammad b. `Abd al-Nabi alAkhbari
(d. 1232)
Fath `Ali Zand al-Shirazi
(d. after 1236)
Shaykh al-Husayn b. Muhammad
b. `Ali b. `Aythan (or Ghayshan)
al-Bahrani

(d. before 1240).

Referred to as an Akhbari by both
Mirza Muhammad al-Akhbari and
Fath `Ali Zand al-Shirazi (see his
al-Fawaid al-Shiraziyya,
f.107b.11). Probably the Akhbari
who posed questioned to Shaykh
Ahmad al-Ahsai (see Ahsai, alRisala f Jawab Masail Husayn al`Usfur, pp. 4246).
Hasan `Ali Khan al-Akhbari
(d.1240). Composed al-Wazriyya
on the difference between
Akhbaris and Usulis (Kint ri, Kashf
al-Hajab, p. 600 3372) for one
Wazir al-Din al-Akhbari.
Muhammad al-Kirmani (d. 1240?).
An Akhbari pupil of Fath `Ali Zand
(Tihrani, al-Dhari`a, v. 2, p. 67).
Muhammad Baqir al-Tabrizi (died

after 1242). Author of an Akhbari

work of `irfan (!) Masalik al-Atwar
(Tihrani, al-Dhari`a, v. 20, p. 377).
Habib al-Din Muhammad b. `Ali
Asghar al-Jurfadaqani (d. after
1244). Author of al-Malhama bilawab, supposedly a work of `irfani
akhabari kalam (Tihrani, alDhari`a, v. 22, p. 223).
Jawad Siyahpush b. Muhammad
al-Zayni b. Ahmad b. Zayn alHasani al-Husayni (d.1248). A
pupil and ijaza recipient of Mirza
Muhammad al-Akhbari (Amin,
A`yan al-Shi`a, v. 4, p. 280).
Muhammad Sa`id b. Mahdi alQummi (death date not known). A
pupil of Mirza Muhammad alAkhbari (Tihrani, al-Dhari`a, v. 22,
p. 169).

Muhammad Ibrahim b.
Muhammad `Ali al-abasi (death
date not known). Another pupil of
Mirza Muhammad al-Akhbari
(Tihrani, al-Dhari`a, v. 21, p. 161
and Tihrani, al-Dhari`a, v. 24, p.
71).
Muhammad Mahdi al-Astarabadi
(d. 1259). An Iranian who moved
to Lucknow.
Hasan b. Husayn b. Muhammad
b. Ahmad al-Darazi al-Bahrani Al`Usfurii (d.1261) a pupil of Fath
`Ali Zand, who died in Bushehr,
and is mentioned in al-Fawaid alShiraziyya (f.123a.5). Composed
various works refuting ijtihad and
defending the Akhbariyya.
`Ali b. Mirza Muhammad alAkhbari (d. 1275). Youngest son of

Mirza Muhammad al-Akhbari,

wrote a refutation of ijtihad
(Tihrani, al-Dhari`a, v. 24, p. 267).
`Abd al-Sahib b. Muhammad
Ja`far al-Dawwani al-Khashti alFarisi (d. circa 1274). A pupil of
Mirza Muhammad al-Akhbari and
author of the Akhbari defence
Tuhfat al-Habib(Amin, A`yan alShi`a, v. 8, p. 16).
Muhammad Baqir b. Muhammad
`Ali al-Dasti al-Lari (date of death
unknown). An Akhbari pupil of
Mirza Muhammad who wrote a
refutation of the Bab (Amin, A`yan
al-Shi`a, v. 8, p. 308).
Mustafa b. Isma`il al-Musawi (date
of death unknown). A pupil of
Mirza Muhammad al-Akhbari who
wrote an Akhbari work entitled al-

Lawami` al-Muhammadiyya for

Muhammad Shah Qajar, a copy of
which is to be found in the
University of Tehran Central
Library (University Fihrist, Elahiyat
section MS463D)
Hasan b. `Ali b Muhammad alAkhbari (date of death unknown).
Grandson of Mirza Muhammad alAkhbari: see Tihrani, al-Dhari`a, v.
16, p. 286. Brother of Muhammad
b. `Ali b. Muhammad al- Akhbari
(about whom nothing else is
known).
Muhammad Najaf al-Kirmani alMashhadi al-Akhbari (d. 1292). An
`arif Akhbari, who composed a
number of works of an Akhbari
character (I`timad al-Saltanah,
Maathir wal-Athar, p. 173).

`Ali b. Isma`il al-Akhbari (d. after

1295). Wrote Hamalat al-Layth, an
attack on the Usulis (Tihrani, alDhari`a, v. 9.3, p. 740).
Yad `Ali b. Mumtaz (date of death
unknown). A pupil of Mirza
Muhammad al-Akhbari (Mustadrak
A`yan al-Shi`a, v. 2, p. 286).
Inayat Allah b. Hasan `Ali b. Mirza
Muhammad (date of death
unknown). Grandson of Mirza
Muhammad al-Akhbari, who wrote
a work on tawad (Tihrani, alDhari`a, v. 4, p. 481).
Muhammad b. `Ali b. Muhammad
al-Akhbari (date of death
unknown). Grandson of Mirza
Muhammad al-Akhbari who
appears to have taken a moderate
Akhbari path, writing a work of

inductive law ( fiqh istidlal,

normally a hallmark of an Usuli)
(see Tihrani, Tabaqat al-Alam, v.
6, p. 745).
Muhammad b. `Ali Husayn or alHusayni (d. Thirteenth Century).
Described as an Akhbari
(Mustadarkat A`yan al-Shi`a, v. 2,
p. 26).
Posted by IDRIS IBRAHIM
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