Biography of Seyed ibn Tawus
 

He is Seyed Raziyuddin Abul Qâsim Ali Ibn Sa?aduddin Abi Ibrahim Musa Ibn Ja?far Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Tâwűs. His holy ancestry reaches to Imâm Hasan al-Mujtaba (a.s.) from his father?s side and upto Imâm Husain (a.s.) from his mother?s side and hence he is also called Zul Hosnain.

He is known as Tâwűs (peacock) because one of his ancestors Abu Abdullâh Muhammad bin Ishâq bin Hasan was a handsome man with ugly legs. Therefore, they called him Tâwűs, and thereafter his progeny too got the same title. He was born in the middle of Muharram 589 in Hilla. The report that he was born in Rajab of 587 is weak. Ibne Tâwűs grew up in Hilla and acquired the preliminary training there. He was in Hilla upto year 602 where he was taught by many teachers and got certificates from others who included:

His father Sa?aduddin Musa bin Musa. His grandfathers Warâm bin Abi Farâs Nakhaee. As he himself says, his father and his grandfather, Warâm had given special attention to his education and training and had taught him the best of righteousness and courtesy. Abul Hasan Ali bin Yahya al-Khiyât al-Hanât Sawrâvi Hilli.

Hussain bin Ahmad Sawrâvi Asad bin Abdul Qâdir Muhammad bin Ja?far bin Hibbatullâh Hasan bin Alyud Darâbi Muhammad as-Sawrâvi Muhammad bin Ma?d al-Musavi Fakhr bin Muhammad al-Musavi Haider bin Muhammad bin Zaid al-Husaini Salim bin Mehfooz bin Azizat al-Hilli Jibraeel bin Ahmad as-Sawrâvi Ali bin al-Husain bin Ahmad al-Jawâni Husain bin Abdul Karim al-Gharvi Muhammad bin Abdullâh bin Ali bin Zahra al-Halabi Ibn Tâwűs learned from non-Shia teachers and got permission (testimonial) and explained the gracefulness of Shia through their narrations. Among such teachers are: Muhammad bin Mahmood Najjâr Muaiyaduddin Muhammad bin Muhammad Qummi.

Ibn Tâwűs married Zahra Khâtoon, daughter of the Shia Vazir of Nâsir bin Zaidi. He was not pleased with that matrimony because it involved tendency towards the world. We do not have enough information about the said persons. We do not know whether or not she bore any child for the Shaykh. The Seyed?s famous children were known by the names of their mothers. The Seyed had good relations with the ruling diplomats like Vazir Alqami Muhammad bin Ahmad, his brothers, and his son.

He also had good relations with Caliph Mustansir Abbâsi so that the caliph built a house for the Seyed in the eastern part of Baghdad. The caliph had tried to involve Seyed Ibne Tâwűs in political affairs and to place all the Tâlibiyyin under his leadership but the Sayyid emphatically rejected this. Mustansir also tried to send the Seyed as an emissary to the Mongol ruler, which was not accepted. The first son of the Seyed was born on the 9th of Muharram 643 in Hilla and the second on the 8th of Muharram 647 in Najaf.

What we come to know from books of biography and translated works is that the Sayyid had returned to Hilla in 641 and had gone to Najaf in 645 wherefrom he had gone to Kerbala in 649 and had proceeded on a journey to Sâmarrah in 652 and on reaching Baghdâd he stayed there and when Baghdâd fell to Moguls he was in that city.

When Holaku Khan arrived in Mustansariyah he asked the Ulamas (scholars) this query: Who is better, a tyrant Muslim ruler or a Kâfir judicious ruler? None gave a reply to this query but the Seyed said: A Kâfir judicious ruler is better. All the ulama followed the Seyed?s reply! It is obvious that the reply of Seyed saved and proteced the lives of the people of the city. Only Allâh knows that any Muslim would have remained alive in Baghdâd if he had not replied so.

It was on the 10th of Safar 656 A.H. that Holaku Khan called Seyed and gave him protection and the Seyed left for Hilla.

On 9th Muharram 658 he was in Najaf in his house. On 14th Rabiul Awwal 658 he was in Baghdâd in his residence. It is mentioned that Holaku gave the leadership of the Alawys to Seyed during 656-661, and it appears that in 656 he was given the leadership of Baghdâd and in 661 that of all the Tâlibiyyin. In the beginning, Seyed refused the leadership. But Shaykh Naseeruddin Tusi told him that non-acceptance of it would result in his death and thus he was compelled to agree.

The Seyed expired on the morning of Sunday, the 5 of Zilqad 664 A.H. in Baghdâd, and his long time wish for being buried in Najaf was fulfilled. th Information about his last days is difficult to obtain.

Some say that he died as the chief, and some state that in the last days of his life he was dismissed from leadership or he and his brother were martyred. He wrote the first part of his book Al-Malâhim on 15 Muharram 663 while leaving Baghdâd for Ziyarat in Najaf and during his stay in Hilla.

In Jamâdiul Awwal 664 A.H. he gave Ijaza (Doctrinal authority certificate) to some of his students. We have no information that he left Iraq in 624 A.H. for a reason other than the Ziyarat of the House of Allâh (Ka'ba).

Seyed?s economic condition was good and he reminded his children in his will that, "following the traditions of the holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and Amirul Momineen (a.s.) he did not leave gold and silver as his heritage. He invested his property and orchards as charity memorials.

It is famous that Seyed had Karâmat (Divine Miracles) some of which have been mentioned in his notes and some have been written by his biographers. It is also said that he had direct contact with Hujjatullâh al- Muntazar (a.t.f.s.) and also that he was given Isme ?zam but was not permitted to teach it to his children. Ibne Tâwűs had three brothers:

Sharfuddin Abul Fazl Muhammad Izzuddin Hasan Jamâluddin Abdul Fazâil Ahmad, father of Ghayâsuddin Abdul Karim Ibne Tâwűs had four daughters, the names of two; Sharful Ashraf and Fâtima are found in books. Seyed always remembered his daughters with pride, because they had learnt the holy Quran by heart. Sharaful Ashr?f had learnt it at the age of 12, and Fâtima at 9. Seyed had willed two copies of the Holy Quran for them.

Seyed had willed many things whereby his children and the Shias (friends) were urged to fear Allâh (taqwa), to be abstinent and to remain away from people as far as possible because (excessive) involvement with people results in getting distanced from the Almighty Allâh.

Seyed Ibne Tâwűs owned a large library and a list of its books was prepared. It is one of the important libraries in history. He always maintained righteousness and regularity, and encouraged others to learn about the holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the Ahle Bayt (a.s.). Because such knowledge about the original sources of religion was the actual understanding of religion (in practice). Seyed Ibn Tâwűs has written many and various useful books. Some of them are as follow:

Al-amân min akhtâr al-Asfâr waz zamân Anwâr Akhbâr abi Umar az Zâhid Al-Anwâr al-bâhirah fee intisâr al-itratit Tâhirah Al-asrâr al-muwaddah fee sa'atil lail wan nahâr Asrâr as-salât wa Anwârud dawât Samarat al-mahjah fee muhimmatil awlâd Al-basharât be qazâil hajât alâ yadil aimmah badal mamât Ad daroo al-waqiât minal akhtâr Falah as-sâil wa Najâh al-masâil fee amalil yawm wal lail Farjul mahmoom fee ma arifatil halâl wal harâm min Uloom nujoom Farhatun nâzir wa bahjatul khawâtir Fathul abwâb baina zavil albbâb wa rabbil arbâb fil istikharah wa ma feeha min wajoohis sawâb Fathul jawâb al-bâhir fee khalqil kâfir Ghayâsul sultânul warâ li sukkanis sarâ Al-ibânah fee ma'rifatil asma kutubul khazânah Ighâsatud dâee wa Iana as-sâee Al-ijazât li kashfi turuqil mafazât Al-Iqbâl bil amalil hasanah Al-istifa fee Akhbâril mamlook wal khulafa Jamâl ul usboo' fil amalil mashroo'

Al-karamât Kashful mahjah li samaratil mahjah Libâbil musarrah min Kitâbe ibne Abi Qurrah Al-malhoof ala qatlit tufoof Al-manamât was Sâdiqat Sâlikil mahtaj ila manasikil hajj Al-mizmâr lis sibâq wal lihâq bi saumi shahri itlâqil arzaqi wa itâqil a'naqi Misbâhuz zair wa janâhul Musâfir Mahjud dâwât wa manhajul inayât Muhasibatun Nafs Al-muhimmât fee islâhil muta abbad wa tatimmat li Misbâhi mutahajjad Al-Mujtana minad dua il Mujtaba Mukhtasar Kitâbe ibne Habib Al-muntaqa fil auzi war riqâ Al-muwâsa wal muzâiqa Al-qabas al-wazih min Kitâbil jalees as-sâleh Rabiul albâb Raiuz zamaan min marviyy Muhammad bin Abdullâh bin Sulaimân Rooh ul asrâr wa rooh ul asmâr As-sâdât bil ibadatallati lais laha awqâtu muaiyinât Sa'adus suood lin nufoos Shifa ul uqool min dail fuzool fee ilmil usool At-tehseel minat taz yeel At-tehseel min asrâri ma za da min Akhbâri Kitâbil yaqeen Attamam li maham shahr siyâm Taqreeb us sâlik ila khidmatil Mâlik At-tarâif fee ma'rifati mazahib tawâif At-tarâjum fee ma nazkuruhu anil hâkim At-ta'reef lil moolidis shareef At-tashreef bil minani fit tareefe bil fitani At-tashreef bi târeef waqtit takleef At-tawfeeq lil wafai ba'da tafreeqi dârul fana Turfaum minalambai wal Manâqib fee sharfi saiyadil ambiya wa itratihil ataib Al-yaqeen fee ikhtisâsi maulana Ali (a.s.) bi imratil Momineen Zahrur rabee' fee adiyatil asâbee'

This was a brief story of the great and fruitful life of the Seyed, which we have compiled from numerous books and most important of them are the writings of ?le Yasin about the life, books, and library of Seyed Ibne Tâwűs. Other writings are from Eton Kulburk about the library and the life of the Seyed in English, which were later translated into Persian.

SEYED IBN TAWUS (R.A.) IN WRITINGS OF THE SCHOLARS

Scholars who have quoted from Seyed Ibn T?w?s:

1. Mirza Abdullâh: Riyâzul Ulama 4/161
2. Ali bin Anjab bin al-Sâyi: Târikh Ibne al-Sâyi
3. Khwânsâri: Rawzâtul Jannât 4/325-339
4. Al-Majlisi: Bihârul Anwâr 1/12-13, 107/34, 37-45, 63,
5. Ibn al-Taqtaqi: Târikhul Fakhri: 13
6. Mashârekatul Irâq fee Nashre Turâth: Issue no. 58
7. Zahra Journal: 2/635
8. Journal of Educational Society of Irâq: 12/192
9. Mahd al-Makhtootât Journal: 4/216
10. Abdul Husain al-Amini: Al-Ghadeer 4/187
11. Muhammad Hâdi al-Amini, Mojamul Rijâl al-Fikr wa al-Adab fee Najaf 1/80-82
12. Jawwâd Shahristâni: Preface to Kitâb Al-Amân: 4-8
13. Al-Hurr al-Amili: Amalul Amil 2/205
14. Aliyy Adnâni: Muqaddama Kitâb Naba-ul Maqalatul Fatemiyya: 12-21
15. Eton Kulburk: Kitâb Khana-o-Athar-o-Ahwal Ibne Tâwűs (Written in English in 1413 AH and translated into Persian and published in 771 pages.)
16. Muhammad al-Hassoon: Preface to Kashful Muhajja 15-34
17. Hamid al-Khifaf: Preface Kitâb Fathul Abwâb: 9-41
18. Kamâluddin Abdur Razzâq bin al-Futi: Al-Hawâdisul
Jamia wat Tajâribul Nâfiqa fil miyatis Sâbeqa: 346 and 350 (In this it is to be considered that this book is written by Bin al-Futi) Talkhees Majmu-ul ?dâb 5/489 and 547
19. Ibne Unba: Umdatul Tâlib fee Ansâb ?le Abi Tâlib: 190-191
20. At-Turaihi: Majmâul Bahrayn 4/83 Tusi
Jameul Maqâl Fima Yatallaq bi Ahwâlul Hadith war Rijâl: 142
21. Ash-Shaykh Yusuf al-Bahrâni: Loulouatul Bahrain:

Al-Kashkool 1/306-307, 2/196

22. At-Tafrishi: Naqdur Rijâl: 244
23. Muhammad Aminul Kâzmi: Hidâyatul Muhaddetheen
Ila Tareeqatul Muhammadeen: 306
24. Sirkees: Mojamul Matbuât 1/145
25. Al-Ardibeli: Jâmeur Ruwât 1-603
26. Abu Ali Muhammad bin Ismail: Muntahiul Maqâl fee Ahwâlur Rijâl: 225 and 357
27. Al-Wahid al-Bahbahani: At-Taleeqa: 239
28. Al-Dizfuli: Maqâbisul Anwâr: 12 and 16
29. An-Noori: Mustadrakul Wasael 3/467-472
30. Al-Baghdâdi: Hadiyatul Arefeen 5/710
Izâhul Maknoon 3/76 and 77, 90, 110, 202, 340, 365, 471, 548, 4/16, 82, 83, 151, 158, 160, 186, 366, 417, 430, 439, 492, 495, 609, 683, and 731
31. Mâmaqâni: Tanqihul Maqâl: 2/310
32. Al-Qummi: Al-Kunni wal Alqâb: 1/327, Hadiyatul Ahbâb: 70
33. Safinatul Bihâr 2/96
34. Al-Fawâidur Razawiyya: 43, 109, 199, 312, 334, 338,
35. At-Tahrâni: Al-Anwârul Sâte-ah fil Miyatis Sâbeqah (Tab-aat Aalâmush Shia): 107-116 and 164
36. Musfal Maqâl: 301
37. Ad-Dhariah 1/58, 127, 222, 366, 396 and 2/20, 45, 49,
56, 59, 121, 249, 264, 392, 418 and 3/111, 113, 159, 303,
396, 398 and 4/115, 130, 189, 197, 215, 454, 500 and 5/129, 170, 236 and 6/260 and 7/100 and 8/146, 190 and 10/75 and 11/109, 262 and 12/73, 101, 119 and 14/140, 205 and 15/154, 161, 242 and 16/73, 103, 108, 113, 302, 303, 407 and 17/36, 289 and 18/58, 69, 76, 95, 274, 281, 326, 389 and 19/3 and 20/1, 68, 112, 121, 122, 167, 170, 183, 296, 319, 320, 330, 380 and 21/12, 20, 23, 107, 118, 135 and 22/189, 223, 225, 228, 276, 338 and 23/8, 161, 222, 272, 277, 287, 299 and 24/63, 158, 177, 270 and 25/8, 105, 224, 279 and 26/210, 249 and 270.

38. Al-Ameeni: Ayânush Shiah 8/358
39. Al-Khoei: Mojam Rijâlul Hadith 12/188
40. Az-Zarkulial Alâm 5/26
41. Kahhala: Mojamul Muallifeen 7/248
42. ?le Yasin: As-Sayyid Ali ?le Tâwűs Hayâte, Muallifate Khazanate Kutub page 58
43. Abdur Razzâq Kamuna: Mawâridul Ittehâf fee Nuqabâil Ashrâf 1/107-110
44. Yâqubi: Al-Babiliyât 1/64-66
45. Hâji Khalifah: Kashfuz Zunoon: 166, 752, 1608, 1911
46. Al-Ansâri: Preface Kitâbul Yaqeen: 53-84
47. Muhammad Hasan Zanoozi: Ar-Riyâzul Jannâh 1/219-
48. Al-Mudarris: Raihânatul Adab 8/76-79
49. Mashâr: Muallifeen Kutube Chapi 4/413-417
50. As-Sadr: Taseesus Shia: 336
51. Afrâm: Dâiratul Ma'rif 3/296
52. Journal of the Arabic Educational Society of Damascus: 28/468
53. Ibne Dâwood: Ar-Rijâl: 226-228
54. Ash-Shaheed at-Thâni: Haqâiqul Eimân: 156, 170,
177, 252, 256, 260 and 267 55. Brockleman: Under 1/911-913
56. Name Danishwarân: 1/161-168

There are many other sources but we have sufficed with this much.

The study of books by Seyed Ibne Tâwűs tell us a lot about his life as he has left many biographical details in many places in his writings out of which we mention some here.

1. Al-Iqbâl: 334, 527, 585, 586, 588 and 728
2. Al-Amân: 107, 116, 143
3. Al-Ijazât li Kashfi Turuqil Mafazât, In Vol. 107/37-45 Bihâr of Allamah Majlisi parts are quoted from the same.
4. Jamâlul Usboo': 2, 23, 169, 170 and 172
5. Mahjud Dâwât: 212, 256, 296 and 342
6. Kasful Muhajja: 4, 86, 109, 112-114, 115, 118, 122, 125 and 127, 130, 132, 134, 136, 137, 138, 151 and 193 7. Al-Yaqeen: 5, 45, 79-81, 178-191
8. Falâhus Sael: 2, 5, 6, 14-15, 68, 70, 72, 74, 194, 246, 264, 269, 270
9. Sa'adus So'ud: 3, 25-27, 232-233
10. Al-Malâhim wal Fitan: 81, 82 and 92
11. Fathul Abwâb: 223, 237, 264 and 328
12. Farjul Mahmoom: 1, 146, 126-127 and 187 Apart from this, the respected Seyed has written other books, and in most of them he has written many thing about his life; that if all those material is collected we may have a complete book in his biography.