The Prophet's custom
“Sonan al Nabi” (The Prophets Custom ) is a book concerning the Prophets manner and deeds .
It is composed in Arabic by the pre-eminent scholar “Allameh Tabataee”.
The author
Allameh Seyyed Muhammad Hossein Tabatabaie, prominent philosopher, born in 1903 in Tabriz –Iran.
He studied primary education in his birthplace, then in 1925 travelled to Najaf and completed his education during 10 years.
He studied jurisprudence (Fiqh) and methodology (Osul) in the presence of celebrated masters: "Naieni" and "Company", and philosophy in the presence of "Seyyed Hossein Badkouie", mathematics in the presence of "Seyyed Abul Qasem Khansari" and ethics in the presence of "Mirza Ali Qazi". In 1935, returned to Tabriz.
Allameh Tabatabaie's education was not restricted only to jurisprudence; in addition to studying: conflection & syntax, Arabic literature and jurisprudence & methodology, he aslo learnt old mathematics from "the principles of Euclid" to "the Almagest of Ptolemy" and philosophy, theology, thesophy too and achived a high position in these sciences.
In 1946, he emigrated to Qom and established the philosophy and metaphysics classes. He also travelled to Tehran successively and communicated with people who were intrested in Islamic philosophy and discussed even with those who were against religion; he could make them understand the reality of religion. Therefore Allameh Tabatabaie had a deep influence on Iran and educated and modernist classes in the west.
For many years every autumn there was a meeting between Allameh Tabatabaie and "Henry Carbon" (French Islamist, orietalist and philosopher) and also number of scholars attended, they discissed about the vital issues of philosophy and religion.
In Qom Hawzeh (religious school), Allameh Tabatabaie revived intellectual sciences and exegesis of the Quran.
Gradually teaching basic levels of philosophy such as: the book "Shefa" (written by Avicenna) and "Asfar" (written by mullah Sadra), became common.
Hundreds students attended in his philosophy classes; some of them are now great philosophy masters.
Works:
There are left many works of Allameh Tabatabaie, the following are some of them:
1- Tafsir al-Mizan (the Quranic exegesis, 20 volumes, in Arabic)
2- The principles of philosophy and method of realism
3- Gloss on "Asfar" (written by mullah Sadra)
4- Conversations with "Carbon"(2 volumes)
5- A treatise on Islamic government (it has been published in Arabic, Persian and German)
6- Gloss on "Kefayatul Osul" (written by mullah Mohammad Kazem Khorasani)
7- A treatise on power (Qoweh) and effect (Fe'l)
8- A treatise on attributes
9- A treatise on acts
10- Man before religion
And some other essays and treatises
Certainly his main work is "Tafsir al –Mizan" (the Quranic exegesis). Allameh Tabatabaie applied a new method for interpreting the Quran; he interpreted the Quranic verses by other verses.
Allameh Tabatabaie died in 1981.
The book structure
The book is arranged in 21 chapters, as follows:
1- The Prophets icons
2- The Prophets etiquettes
3- The Prophets manner in cleanness
4- The Prophets custom in travelling
5- The Prophets custom on wearing clothes
6- The Prophets custom on his house
7- The Prophets custom on his sleep
8- The Prophets custom on marriage and training children
9- The Prophets custom on eating
10- The Prophets custom on toilet
11- The Prophets custom on deed people
12- The Prophets custom on brushing teeth
13- The Prophets custom on curing diseases
14- The Prophets custom on ablution (an act performed before saying prayer, wozu)
15- The Prophets’ manner on washing body
16- The Prophets’ manner on saying prayer
17- The Prophets’ manner on fasting
18- The Prophets’ manner on I'tekaf (going to mosque or staying at home in order to say prayer and praying)
19- The Prophets’ manner in donating charity
20- The Prophets’ manner in reading the Koran
21- The Prophets’ manner in praying
The book was translated into Persian and published in 1975; it was also translated into Urdu and published in 1997.
Sources :
The Prophet's custom