Seyyed Abdul Hossein Sharaf al-Din Aameli
Seyyed Abdul Hossein Sharaf al-Din Mousavi Aameli, outstanding Shia scholar (1874 – 1958), Kazimayn – Iraq. His father “Seyyed Yusuf” was a great scholar. At the age of 8 he went to Jabal Aamel (his birth place) with his family and studied grammar, syntax, logic, rhetoric, jurisprudence and principles (Osul) in his father’s presence. He stayed up to 17 in Jabal Aamel. Then went to Najaf – Iraq to complete his studies. He continued Jurisprudence and principles, philosophy, commentary and Hadith under prominent scholars of Najaf. He also ####traveled to Karbala, Samarra and Kazimayn to learn more. Again returned to Najaf; he lived for 15 year in this city. Allameh Sharaf al-Din researched thoroughly into Shi’i issues, therefore referred to Hadith and Sunnah (the Arabic word means custom, use, statute, and is found in the Quran and in tradition), he collected the Islamic documents and separated the valid documents from the invalid ones. Allameh Sharaf al-Din was known as a great scholar by all the Iraqi jurisconsults and Mujtaheds. In 1904 returnded to Najaf. In 1908 he was resident in Tyre (town in south of Lebanon). Many mosques, schools and centres of public utility were built by him. Before the first world war, he was the revolutionary keader of Lebanon. His aim was to release Lebanon from the sovereignty of Ottoman. At the end of the firs world war, Lebanon was under the rule of France. Allameh Sharaf al-Din ordered Lebanese to fight against France. The French sentenced him to death bt he went out of Tyre with his family, therefore they set fire to his house and library; around 20volumes of his books were burnt in fire. He could finally free Lebanon from the sovereignty of France. The most important events of his life was his effort for uniting the Muslims (Shia and Sunni) all over the world.
Important steps taken by Allameh Sharaf al-Din:
1- Saying prayed in Masjed al-Haram (in Mecca. He was the first scholar who said prayer in this mosque; Shias and Sunnis said prayer with him) in 1922.
2- Building schools for boys and girls in Tyre
3- Building Ja’fariyya college in Tyre, etc.
Masters:
1- Mullah Kazem Khorasani
2- Seyyed Kazem Yazdi
3- Sheikh al-Shariah Isfahani
4- Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Najafi
5- Seyyed Hasan Sadr
6- Seyyed Yusuf Aameli (his grandfather), etc.
Works:
1- On virtues of Hazrat Zahra(daughter of the Prophet Muhammad)
2- Abu Harirah
3- Philosophy of the alliance and guardianship
4- Recourse (containing 112 letters between Allameh Sharaf al-Din and the Sunni scholar sheikh Salim; on the caliphate and guardianship of Ali “P.B.U.H”. Eventually sheikh Salim confessed to his mistake and believed in caliphate of Ali)
5- Al-Nass wa Ijtehad, etc.
Sources :
Sharaf al-Din -written by Muhammad Reza Hakimi
Reyhanat al-Adab
Imam Sharaf al-Din’s life