Mullah Mahdi Naraaqi

Mullah Mahdi Naraqi, great Iranian jurisconsult, born in 1715 in Naraq-Kashan. From the beginning of his youth, was so intrested in learning Islamic sciences, therefore went to religious school of Kashan and started stydying in the presence of prominent scholar “Mullah Jafar Bidgoli” for many years. Then he travelled to Isfahan to continue his studies in “Isfahan Hawzeh” (religious school). He stayed for 30 years and studied in the presence of great scholars of this city. Mullah Mahdi Naraqi studied the sciences: jrisprudence, methodology (Osul), theology,#### philosophy, arithmetic, astronomy and geometry in the presence of celebrated scholar “Mullah Ismail Khajuei”. Soon he became one of the great masters and scholars of “Isfahan Hawzeh”. Besides studying and teaching, he also learnt Hebrew and Latin language and writing in order to communicate with Jewish scholars. He translated some of their religious books. Naraqi also travelled to Najaf and Karbala –Iraq.

Works:
There are left amny prominent books of him on different fields. Most of the following books are kept in different libraries in manuscript; only about 10 of them have been published and some of them such as: “Companion of merchants” has been published many times and also has been written some glosses on it by great scholars: Seyyed Kazem Tabatabaei Yazdi, Seyyed Ismail Sadr and Sheikh Abdull Karim Haeri.

Jurisprudence:
1- Companion of merchants
2- Companion of pilgrims
3- On Islamic commandments
4- Rites of haj
5- Friday prayer

Principles of jurisprudence:
1- Abstraction of methodology
2- Comprehention of methodology
3- Treatise of consensus
4- Companion of jurists

Philosophy and metaphysics:
1- Comprehension of thoughts
2- Explanation of divine sciences of the book “Shefa” (written by Avecinna).
3- Companion of monotheists
4- Companion of philosophers , etc.

Mathematics and astronomy:
1- Explanation of geometric shapes (Euclidean geometry)
2- Ascension of the sky (on astronomy) , etc.

Ethics:
1- Comprehension of prosperity
2- Comprehension of advice

Other books:
1- On “simile”, “metaphor”, and figures of speech
2- The Holy bird (his collected poems)
3- Glosses and marginal notes on works of the early scholars , etc.
Mullah Mahdi Naraqi died in 1794 in Kshan and ws buried in Najaf –Iraq.

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