The spring of life

Spring of life (Eyn al- Hayat) is a Persian book composed by the significant shia scholar Allameh Majlesi.

 

The author

Allameh Muhammad Baqer Majlesi, born into an educated family, was the most cwlebrated Twelver Shia scholar and traditionist in the middle of the second half of the17th and the first ten years of the 18th century in Isfahan.

Allameh was the 3rd son of “Allameh Muhammad Taqi Majlesi” who was one of the most prominent Shia schoalr.
Allameh Majlesi studied most of the religious sciences in the presence of his father. The following are some of his masters:

1-     Mullah Saleh Mazandarani
2-     Mullah Hasan Ali Shushtari
3-     Mirza Rafi’ al-Din Tabatabaei
4-     Mir Muhammad Qahpaei Isfahani
5-     Mullah Muhammad Sharif Isfahani
6-     Sheilk Abdullah Aameli
7-     Sheikh Ali Aameli
8-     Mullah Mohsen Feiz Kashani
9-     Seyyed Mirza Jazayeri
10- Mullah Muhammad Taher Qomi

His students:

1-    Seyyed Ne’mat Allah Jazayeri
2-    Mir Muhammad Sulh Khatun Abaadi
3-    Abul Hasan Sharif Aameli
4-    Sheikh Suleyman Bahreini
5-    Mullah Muhammad Sarab
6-    Mirza Abdullah Tabrizi
7-    Mir Muhammad Hossein Khatun Abaadi
8-    Mulalh Muhammad Majlesi , etc.
Works:
There are different ideas about the number of his books; some sources indicate that there are left 70 Arabic and Persian books altogether. The book “Reyhant al-Adab” indicate: 77 books.
The book “al-Zari’e” shows 169 books of Allameh Majlesi.

His Persian books:

1-    Hayat al-Qolub (Life of hearts), 3 volumes, one of his most important books. The 1st volume on history of propherts, the 2nd on life of the Holy Prophet and the 3rd on life of the Imams and history of caliphs.

2-    Eyn al-Hayat (spring of life)
3-    Meshkat al-Anwar (Lamp of lights)
4-     Jala al-Oyun (Polishing eyes) on life of the Imams
5-    Zaad al-M’aad (The book is on prayers)
6-    Spring of weeks
7-    Tuhfat al-Zaer (present of pilgrim)
8-    Ekhtiyarat al-Ayyam (Options od days)
9-    Options of great days

10- Composition of desire
11- Times of noon and afternoon
12- The treatise “Bada’ “ (Bada’ means the change of God’s free will in some special positons

13- Translation of “Mufazzal’s monotheism” (the book Mufazzal’s monotheism is one of the most prominent Shia books in which Imam Sadeq explained philosophy of creation simply to his student “Mufazzal” )

14- Translation of the prayer :Jame’ Kabireh”
15- Translation of the prayer “Jushan Kabir”
16- Translation of Hadith “ Force” and “Free wil”
17- Translation of Hadith “Raja”
18- Translation of Hadith “Setat Ashya” (“the six things” is the name of a Hadith of Imam Sadeq)
19- Translation of Hadith “Sa’d Ibn Abdullah Ash’ari”

20- Translation of the famous prayer “Samaat”
21- Translation of “Teb al-Reza” (Explanations of the 8th Imam of Shias “Imam Reza” on hygiene and medical subjects)

22- Rules of saying prayers
23- Translation of “Malik Ashtar’s treaty” (Imam Ali’s companion)
Allameh Majlesi died in 1699 in Isfahan.

 

The book structure

In this ethical work, the author considers the subjects such as: soul, advice, preaching, virtue of existence of prophets, and mystical and ethical issues.

The book is written in a simple Persian written, and sometimes it is influenced by Arabic syntax.

Spring of life starts with life of the celebrated companion of the Prophet “ Anuzar Qafari” and them continues in the following chapters:

1- Seeing God: In these chapters the author mentions that God is not a body as a result the He could not be seen.

2-The aim of the creation of Heaven and Earth and all creatures is to know God and worship Him

3-Intention as the condition of any deed

4- Presence of heart in worship

5-Necessity of existence of prophets

6-Miracle

7-The last prophecy (khatamiyat) of the prophets

8- The prophets is innocence

9- On Imamate and Resurrection

10-The pleasant and unpleasant personality traits

11- Mystics characteristics and criticism of Sufis

12- the prophets advice to Abuzar  Qafari