Abstract:
The previous articles in this series touched
upon the subjects of fiqh and usul of fiqh - with a glance into
its history and sources - as well as Hadith studies, Qur’anic
sciences, the Science of Exegesis, and the Science of Ethics.
The next few parts give a glimpse into the historical origins of
some of the most important religious seminaries in the Shi‘a
world. Islamic seminaries are the most affective institution in
propagating the teachings of the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt,
and have moreover triggered a unique culture in the
scientific, social, and even political spheres. One
significant role of seminaries was the rise of knowledgeable
and pious Shi‘a scholars who pursued ijtihad with the use of
the Qur’an, sunna, and reason to respond to legislative needs
and guide the Muslim community with their contemporary
issues. This part focuses primarily on the Islamic seminaries of
Basra, Baghdad, and Najaf. The Seminary of Basra was
known for its major role in the Science of Narration (‘Ilm-e
Hadith); the Seminary of Baghdad was recognized as the
center of scholarly discussions as well as bringing about new
advancements in principles of jurisprudence, theology,
deductive reasoning (istidlal) and independent reasoning
(ijtihad); and the Seminary of Najaf was one of the most
important institutions of academics and ijtihad in the history of
Shi‘a academia.
Machine summary:
"It was in such an atmosphere that great Shi‘a personalities such as Shaykh Mufid, Sayyid Radi, and Sharif Murtadha with reviving the intellect as a source in the acquisition of Islamic teachings, on one hand were to guide the Ja’fari Jurisprudence towards comparative and demonstrative jurisprudence (fiqh istidlali) and ijtihad; on the other hand, with addressing intellectual issues, they revised the Shi‘a theological viewpoint in regards to ideological topics under scrutiny at the time.
In what follows are a few spiritual and knowledgeable personalities whom were present in this seminary: -Ibn Idris Hilli, the founder and leader of the Islamic seminary of Hillah; -Mirza Shirazi, who issued boycotting the use of tobacco and the leader of the Islamic seminary of Samarra; -Hajj Muhammad Ibrahim Kalbasi and Sayyid Muhammad Baqir Shafti the two leaders of the Islamic seminary of Isfahan; -Hajj Shaykh Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi, founder of the Islamic seminary of Qum, -Mowla Ahmad bin Muhammad Ardebili, known as "Muqaddas Ardebili", a well-known scholar in the Shia world; -Shaykh Ja’far Kashif al-Ghita’, leader and great Shi‘a authority (marja’); -Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Najafi, great jurist (faqih) and author of Jawahir al-Kalam; -Shaykh A’adham Murtadha Ansari, the undisputable scholar in jurisprudence and the principles of jurisprudence; -Mulla Muhammad Kadhim Khorasani, author of Kifayat al-Usul; -Hajj Husayn Burujerdi, leader of the Islamic seminary of Qum, -Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai, author of the Quranic exegesis al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an; and -Allamah Sayyid Sharafiddin Amuli, author of al-Muraja’at."