Al Nass Wal Ijtihad

His Criticizing Poetry

He was too sensitive, accurate in criticizing and understanding poetry and he had memorized too many verses of good poetry. Whenever he talked about a subject he evidenced his subject with chosen verses of poetry to confirm his opinion.

Once he noticed my astonishment about his acute memory of many subjects of literature that might slip away because of his old age and his many public affairs. He said to me: “This is from the age of youth but now I memorize something and after some hours I forget it.” He had a good faculty to compose good poetry. He practiced this during his youth but then he gave it up to the scientific subjects, to which he devoted his mind and pen. He permitted no one to narrate any poetry of his.

It was said that he had a good poem, in which he had elegized the great allama Skeikh Musa Sharara. It affected people too much. Sayyid Sharafuddeen was then in the first stage of his youth. His sense in recognizing poetic meters was so sharp that he did not mistake any of the meters even they were too near and this was due to his acute sensitivity and not his knowing of metrics. I noticed that from him many times.

His generosity

He was a high example of generosity of morals and hand (giving). His morals were morals of a generous Alawite man. He respected the old, pitied the young, sympathized with the poor and pardoned badly doers.

As for his liberality, he was an example of that throughout his life, which was full of great acts. This aspect was clear in him. It was well-known by his relatives and friends since he had been a student in Holy Najaf, the capital of knowledge and religion. The examples on this matter were many but we mentioned here just a few of them:

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Once he saw one of the students of the Hawza[^1] of Najaf in ragged clothes that did not fit a student of religious studies, who had to have a special dignity. He was in the yard of the shrine of Imam Ali (s). Sayyid Sharafuddeen put off his own cloths and offered them to that student and came back home wrapped in his aba. He was then in the first month of his marriage.
One day he entered the house and found that his family had served good food for an occasion. He took all the food to his neighbor preferring his neighbor to himself. Those, who were familiar with him, said that his mother accepted that from him delightfully and always prayed Allah to make him succeed.
When he was in Najaf his expenditure came to him from his father and from his grandfather ayatollah Sayyid al-Hadi as-Sadr. It was more than his need and so he always spent the further amount on some of his study-mates.
Sheikh Imran Hadeeda an-Najafi said that once he had been in Mecca in the year when Sayyid Sharafuddeen had gone to offer the hajj.[^2] He complained to Sayyid Sharafuddeen that he was in need of a jubba. Sayyid Sharafuddeen pointed to his own jubba hanged on the wall and said to him: “Take it with all what it has.” There were ten Ottoman liras in its pocket.
Sheikh Imran said too: “Sayyid Sharafuddeen had a big tent, in which he used to held religious ceremonies. Many hajjis of ulama and high classes used to attend his meetings. Some merchants of Muscat saw how much money Sayyid Sharafuddeen had spent. They offered to him one hundred Ottoman liras, which Sayyid

[^1] Hawza is a theological college, where students can specialize in Islamic law, philosophy, theology, and logic. [^2] It was in 1340 A.H. He went by sea to offer the hajj. With him there were a great number of people from his country Aamila. He led those people crowded in al-Masjid al-Haram in offering the prayer. He might be the first Shia imam who could lead the great masses of people in Mecca in offering the prayer. This made him as a famous religious authority, about whom people began to talk here and there. King Husayn welcomed him warmly and they both washed the Kaaba. He met with him many times. In honor of him, King Husayn invited famous ulama and leaders from different countries in a big invitation.

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Sharafuddeen spread at once among the needy and for the public affairs. The next day they offered to him another hundred liras and said to him that they were not of the legal rights and they were as a gift and they insisted on him to spend them on his own affairs. He accepted the liras from them and spent them on the affairs of the meeting itself, which was as a forum that hajjis came to from everywhere.

His dignity

All his life showed that he had a high dignity and a great personality. I remember two events showing clearly this deep-rooted aspect in his high Alawite soul.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen was in Damascus during the reign of King Faysal the First when he had been exiled from his country and had been sentenced to death by the French. Among those, who had been included by this sentence was the leader of Mountain Aamil Kamil Beg al-As’ad, the sincere patriot.

Because he (the leader of Mountain Aamil) was away from his country, he became in financial straits. He became obliged to send his messenger to Bint Jubayl to borrow from one of the rich people three hundred Ottoman liras in order to pay for some of his needs. The rich man sent to him thirty liras and apologized for not sending the rest. The leader became very angry and sent the money back with the messenger at once.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen heard of this matter. He went to visit the leader and offered to him three hundred liras. He refused to accept them because he knew that Sayyid Sharafuddeen was also in a financial strait. Sayyid Sharafuddeen told him that he had enough money at that time. The leader accepted the amount and thanked him.

When the two leaders returned to their countries and the situation returned normal, Kamil Beg al-As’ad visited Sayyid Sharafuddeen in his house and with him there was the amount of money. He offered it to Sayyid Sharafuddeen gratefully but Sayyid Sharafuddeen refused to take it and told him that they were one self that could not be divided and they had spent the money on their united selves. The

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leader returned to his country after he had become certain that Sayyid Sharafuddeen would never accept the amount.

The leader Kamil Beg al-As’ad visited Sayyid Sharafuddeen again having with him a document of entailment showing that he had entailed a property to Sayyid Sharafuddeen’s elder son Sayyid Muhammad Ali Sharafuddeen, who was then in Holy Najaf. Kamil al-As’ad thought that matter had been concluded firmly and could not be revoked because an entail could not be changed or recanted. Sayyid Sharafuddeen smiled and said: “An entail does not become compulsive except by its conditions and among these conditions are delivering and receiving. Neither delivering by you nor receiving by my son have taken place and so this entailment is not compulsive. And thus the leader came back for the second time after he had become certain that Sayyid Sharafuddeen was serious.

The second event was that one day Sayyid Sharafuddeen with a delegation of some ulama went to visit King Faysal the First in Damascus. When the visit finished and he wanted to go back to Mountain Aamil, the king sent to him with al-Jabiry an amount of five thousand Ottoman liras as a gift. Sayyid Sharafuddeen accepted the gift gratefully and then he gave it back to al-Jabiry to be offered to the Arabic army in Syria as a gift from him. Then he said: “I wish I was a dirham to put myself in the bursary of the Arabic army to defend Islam and the Arabs”.

Professor al-Jabiry often mentioned this event when he mentioned Sayyid Sharafuddeen with honor and glorification. He narrated this event in every occasion.

These two events showed Sayyid Sharafuddeen’s liberality and highness of soul at the same time. His life always gave lessons of knowledge, morals, sincerity and generosity of manners and nature to the umma. His assist to people of knowledge and pen He cared too much for the people of study and talented writers and poets and he helped them as possible as he could. In fact many times he burdened himself with more than he could to help them. I

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remember that I have seen him, during one of my visits to Mountain Aamil, taking much care of an occasion of the coming back of one of the ulama of Mountain Aamil, who had finished his studies and was coming back to his country to begin his task in teaching and guiding people. I saw him (Sayyid Sharafuddeen) visiting a village after a village that neighbored the village of that coming back jurisprudent.

He made speeches before the people of those villages informing them of the high position of an alim and inciting them to take much care of him and to prepare all suitable circumstances for him to step toward a good future. His encouraging authors and poets, in whom he found the ability to serve the welfare of people, was a famous matter that all people talked about in every occasion.

Once it happened that a famous learned poet had composed a divan, in which he had praised Ahlul Bayt (s), and offered a copy to Sayyid Sharafuddeen, who accepted it from him gratefully and offered to the poet an amount of money that befitted his own position and the poet’s position. When the poet wanted to pay the costs of publishing his book, the publisher said to him that Sayyid Sharafuddeen had paid all the amount and that the poet had not had to pay anything.

His works

Sayyid Sharafuddeen in his works reminds us of the age of Alamul Huda Sayyid al-Murtadha. Their aims met together and their intents were the same. They both had the same aspect of insight, accurate thinking, firm evidence, right opinion, getting to conclusion in a shortest way, deep research, bright style, fidelity in quoting and avoiding all what was far from the scientific facts. He also looked like him in the high religious authority and he was near to him even in age.

It was no wonder because they were from one lineage and one dynasty. They belonged to the same grandfather Musa Abu Sibha, who was one of Imam Musa al-Kadhim’s grandsons.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen followed the same way that had been followed by the teacher’s son and the first teacher Sheikh al-Mufeed, his

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disciple Sayyid al-Murtadha and the graduate of their school, the chief of the sect (the Shia) Sheikh at-Toossi (may Allah have mercy upon them). This holy scientific trinity had offered to the religion of Islam and to the doctrine of the Shia great services, which history had perpetuated inside the souls of the generation throughout the ages.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen absorbed the souls of all these men inside his Alawite soul so he was from them and they were from him and then all these men together formed this flowing flood of knowledge that came out via this Alawite eloquent tongue and this firm pen that had formed these immortal books in eloquent expression, accurate depiction, deep meaning, clear aim and wonderful style, with which this pen had acted as it liked and as the truth and fact liked. It was this that had led people to regard and appreciate this man during his life and to keep his mention alive after his death.

He will remain alive and immortal in the people’s minds throughout the ages as long as his works are recited and his books are read and published. Here are the titles of his immortal works:

Al-Muraja’at: it is a sign and a miracle with its high eloquence, irrefutable evidences and honorable aim. It has been published twice during the lifetime of Sayyid Sharafuddeen and six times after his death. It has been translated into Persian, English and Urdu.
Al-Fusool al-Muhimma fee Ta’leef al-Umma: it is a loud cry in the way of uniting the umma. It has been published twice in Sayda (Sidon-Lebanon) and twice in Najaf (Iraq).
The Answers of Musa Jarullah: it is as answers on twenty questions offered by Musa Jarullah to the ulama of the Shia in the Islamic countries. These answers show his abundant knowledge and great information that suffice everyone looking for the truth. It has been published in Sayda in 1355 A.H./1936 AD. And another time in Sayda too in 1373/1953.

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Al-Kalima al-Gharra’ fee Tafdheel az-Zahra’: It has been published in Sayda attached with the second edition Al-Fusool al-Muhimma. It shows the high position of Lady Fatima az-Zahra’[^1] (s) and why she has been preferred to the all women of the world with irrefutable evidences.
Al-Majalis al-Fakhira fee Ma’atim al-Itra at-Tahira: it has been published in Sayda and Najaf. It shows the facts of the revolution of Imam Husayn (s) and the favors of this revolution on Islam and the Muslims. Also it has sayings quoted from great foreign personalities, who have discovered the greatness of Islam via Imam Husayn (s) in his eternal revolution against the arrogants and injustice.
Abu Hurayra: It has been published in Sayda and then in Najaf twice. It is a new gate for understanding the prophetic traditions and interpreting them in the right way. He followed, in this way, the virtuous Egyptian allama Abu Riyya in his nonesuch book Sheikhul Madheera. How this umma is in need to approach to the truth and to be away from bad fanaticism!
An-Nass wel Ijtihad (this book): it is one of the profoundest Islamic studies in the present age. It has been published for the first time by the Society of Muntada an-Nashr in Najaf during the life of the author. Sayyid Sadruddeen Sharafuddeen (the author’s son) has published the second edition in Beirut with additions added by his father after leaving to the better world. It has been published by Darul Nahj Publications.
Falsafatul Meethaq wel Wilaya: published twice in Sayda. Although it is small in size, it is great in meaning and subject.
Masa’il Fiqhiyya (juristic questions): juristic subjects with profound research and accurate concepts showing the magnanimity and the abundant knowledge of the author. It has been published during the author’s life in Sayda and [^1] The Prophet’s daughter (s).

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then in Egypt, Beirut and Kerbala.

Hawla ar-Ru’ya: a religious thesis discussing the matter of the impossibility of seeing Allah in a scientific way and by convincing evidences. It has been published in Sayda in 1370 A.H.
Ila al-Majma’ al-Ilmi (to the scientific convention): In this book he refutes the fabrications ascribed to the Shia and sends advices to the scientific convention inciting it towards agreement and to avoid disagreement and separation. It has been published in Sayda in 1369 A.H.
Bughyatur Raghibeen (manuscript): includes biographies of the famous personalities of the family of as-Sadr and Sharafuddeen with biographies of their teachers and students besides photos from those ages. It is one of the good books that is considered to be at the head of the books of biographies.
Thabtul Athbat fee Silsilatur Riwat: In this book he talks about his teachers and the great ulama of the Islamic sects in a wonderful style. It has been published in Sayda twice.
Zaynab al-Kubra (great Zaynab): a good thesis, in which he has talked about the high position of Lady Zaynab (Imam Ali’s daughter) (s) and her eternal situations in Islam. It was a speech he had made in the holy shrine of Lady Zaynab (s). It had been recorded and then published in Sayda.

His lost works

Sayyid Sharafuddeen had written many books other than these mentioned above, which would have enriched the Arabic library with great knowledge, but the storm of France willed to blow them away during the events of the twentieths. The French burned them as they had burned the house before them. Whenever Sayyid Sharafuddeen remembered them, his soul was about to leave his body because of regretting. In order to immortalize those books, we mention them here:

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Sharh at-Tabsira: in jurisprudence and in three volumes about purity, judgment, witnesses and inheritance.
Ta’leeqa ala al-Istis~hab: from the theses of Sheikh al-Ansari in Usool, one volume.
A thesis about the will of a sick man (who is about to die).
Sabeel al-Mu’mineen: about imamate, three volumes. Sayyid Sharafuddeen told me once that this book was the best of what he had ever written at that time.
An-Nusoos al-Jaleela: about imamate too. It had forty traditions agreed upon by all the Muslims and forty traditions from the sources of the Shia.
Tanzeel al-Aayat al-Bahira: about imamate, one volume depending on one hundred verses from the Holy Qur’an revealed about the imams according to the Sunni Sihah of traditions.
Tuhfatul Muhaditheen feema kharaja feehi as-Sunna minal Mudha’afeen: a unique book that no book had ever been written like it.
Tuhfatul Ass~hab fee Hukm Ahlil Kitab.
Ath-Tharee’a fir-Radd ala al-Badee’a: Badee’a of an-Nabhani.
Al-Majalis al-Fakhira: four volumes; the first about the life of the Prophet (s), the second about the life of Imam Ali, az-Zahra’ and Imam Hasan (peace be upon them), the third one about Imam Husayn (s) and the fourth about the other nine imams (s).
The writers of the Shia in the first age of Islam: some of its chapters have been published in al-Irfan Magazine.
Bughyatul Fa’iz fee Naql al-Jana’iz: most of it has been published in al-Irfan Magazine. It refuted those, who thought of the prohibition of transferring dead bodies (from a tomb to another).
Sir Bughyatus Sa’il an Lathm al-Anamil: including

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eighty traditions from the Sunni and the Shia.

Zakatul Akhlaq: some of its chapters have been published in al-Irfan Magazine.
Al-Fawa’id wel Fara’id.
A comment on Sahih of al-Bukhari.
A comment on Sahih of Muslim: these two books show clearly the abundant knowledge of Sayyid Sharafuddeen about the traditions and his great ability in refuting and concluding.
Al-Asaleeb al-Badee’a fee Rijhan Ma’atim ash-Shia: depending on rational and traditional evidences that prove the permissibility of practicing the obsequies by the Shia on their occasions.

These are the books that have had different Islamic studies in jurisprudence, traditions, biographies and distinguishing the narrators of the prophetic traditions. The French have burned these books out of their grudge against them and against Sayyid Sharafuddeen, who has fought them with his heart, tongue and hand.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen regretted bitterly whenever he remembered his burnt books and often said: “The sorrow when losing a son may disappear but the sorrow of losing the product of intellect remains and continues until the last moment of one’s life.”

But Sayyid Sharafuddeen has recompensed this great loss with what he has written of great immortal books that will remain as long as there is life on the earth.

His projects and heritage

When Sayyid Sharafuddeen came to live in Soor, the Shia had no even one mosque to gather them and to offer their obligations in it. He possessed a house and entailed it as a (Husayniyya) mosque, in which he led the Shia in offering the prayers, taught the believers religious lessons and principles and met with them to settle their problems.

After that he established a mosque, which was one of the stateliest

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and most perfect and beautiful mosques. It had two big domes, a high minaret and a wide yard in front of a wonderful hall connected with the gates of the mosque. In the middle of the mosque there were two pillars from Phoenician ruins.

Every year on the twelfth of Rabee’ul Awwal[^1] Sayyid Sharafuddeen celebrated the blessed anniversary of the Prophet’s birth in this mosque and people gathered from everywhere of Mountain Aamil. When Sayyid Sharafuddeen finished his eloquent speech and scholars and poets finished their words and poems, the crowds went towards the house of Sayyid Sharafuddeen to have lunch, which consisted of various and delicious kinds of food due to his Hashemite and Alawite generosity.

Every year he stressed on the brotherly connections and relationships between the two great sects; the Shia and the Sunni. Choosing the twelfth of Rabee’ul Awwal[^2] as the day of the Prophet’s birth was a clear evidence showing his truthful Islamic spirit that he always invited to.

When finishing the celebration, he used to go to the mosque of his Sunni brothers to congratulate them and to participate them in the general Eid of the Muslims. In their turn they thanked him for his prophetic morals and paternal kindness towards all the people of Soor that he always did and with no differentiating between a sect or another.

The horizon of his thinking was so wide and his magnanimity was so great that he undertook all that might raise the society and did not object to the religion. He expressed his opinion through his wonderful saying “Guidance does not spread except from where deviation has spread”; therefore he determined to fight deviation by himself to spread guidance among people. He determined to walk in

[^1] It is the third month in the Islamic calendar.

[^2] Some Shia ulama thought that the birth of the Prophet (s) was on the twelfth of Rabee’ul Awwal whereas most of them believed that the birth was on the seventeenth of the same month. Sayyid Sharafuddeen preferred the first opinion, which most of the Sunni ulama believed in. Sayyid Sharafuddeen celebrated on this day in order to unite between the different sects of the Muslims.

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the way in order to make the Muslims safe from the barriers and obstacles that might block their way or puzzle their true Islamic culture. He established schools for them to learn the contemporary culture, with which the present age has armed, the culture that had to be mixed with the Islamic culture in order to be real Muslims as Islam willed for them.

He thought, in order to pave this way, to do the following:

First: He established a school called the Ja’fari[^1] School to educate the new generation. It was a primary school consisting of fifteen classrooms besides the halls and yards. It was built on the roof of six big stores, which were to be the source of revenue to run the affairs of the school in the future.

Second: He established a club and called it “Imam as-Sadiq Club” for religious celebrations and cultural lectures. Third: He added to the school and the club a mosque in the first floor and made it especially for the school and its pupils to offer their daily obligations in it. By this he ensured for the rising generation a primary culture based on religion and science. Undoubtedly if the base of a child was good, it would have a great effect on fixing beliefs and religion in the future.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen (may Allah have mercy upon him) thought that those pupils had to keep on studying in the secondary stage so that their bases would be firm and fixed that no effects could change their beliefs in the university. But what was the way for that whereas the matter needed a great assistance from Allah and supports from the people, who had to carry out this task and undertake its burdens, because the governments would not carry out such special projects although they were public educational projects?

Then who would do that?

No one came to his mind save his followers in the African countries of emigrations, who were as sons for him and he was for them as a father and a higher religious authority.

[^1] Referring to the Shia and the name “Ja’fari” is derived from the Name of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (s), the founder of the Shiite school.

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He sent to them his two sons Sayyid Sadruddeen and Sayyid Ja’far. Each of these two sons was as an example of his father. Sayyid Sadruddeen made speeches with the knowledge and eloquence of his father and Sayyid Ja’far came to them with the morals, politeness and kindness of his father. The two seas mixed and the place of emigration took out pearls and corals and then the edifice arose and it was the eternal Ja’fari College.

Sayyid Sadruddeen when making speeches, his voice reminded the people of his father’s voice when talking with wisdom, knowledge and high politeness. He captivated the hearts and returned to the attendants the days of Sayyid Sharafuddeen, which had still been as a blaze on the front of time. People thanked this blessing with their tongues and hands. The delegation came back to Sayyid Sharafuddeen successfully with two hundred and fifty thousand Lebanese Liras that had formed that great edifice with its three floors and each floor with two wings, the first of which was sixty-eight meters long and the second was forty-one meters whereas both were ten meters wide. In the middle of the building there was a big tower having a big clock. In front of the building there was a yard of ten thousand square meters connected with the old school. There was a fence that made the buildings of the college as one unit that might be called as “the town of knowledge in Soor”.

This Ja’fari College has become one of the best schools in Lebanon in the field of knowledge, culture and high morals. This was the hope of Sayyid Ja’far, who ran its affairs in the past and supervises it nowadays.

The Ja’fari College does not get fees from the poor but it gets fees just from the rich in order to carry out its duties towards the needy and their affairs.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen had established this school just to educate the rising generation of the rich and the poor equally. Because of his too much care for the needy, Sayyid Sharafuddeen had established the Society of Charity to help the poor and to look after them and to carry out the procedures of burying their deads and because of this there was no beggar or needy in Soor.

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His visiting the sacred places

In 1355 A.H. Sayyid Sharafuddeen visited the sacred places in Iraq and visited his uncles and relatives of Aal[^1] as-Sadr. A group of ulama, ministers, lords, deputies and chiefs had received him until the bridge of Fallouja. At the head was the chief of Iraq Sayyid Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr, who was the chief of the House of Lords at that time.

At honor of Sayyid Sharafuddeen, Sayyid Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr[^2] invited the ulama, ministers, lords, deputies and famous personalities to three invitations.

The house was crowded with ulama, leaders and ordinary people every day. The learned Muslim class seized the opportunity of the availability of Sayyid Sharafuddeen in Iraq and began to put forth different religious questions and whatever ununderstandable traditions narrated from the infallible imams (s) and he answered every question in clear eloquence and irrefutable evidences.

I still remember that splendid meeting, in which many questions about conflicting traditions that each of them contradicted the other were put before him. Sayyid as-Sadr asked Sayyid Sharafuddeen permission to answer the questions. He began to answer the questions one after the other explaining with clear eloquence and bright evidences and removing the clouds of that contradiction from those traditions that drew all the attentions towards him and made all the believers regard him highly and admire his accuracy, quick-wittedness and firm evidencing.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen confirmed the answers of Sayyid as-Sadr showing his admiration and high regards.

The attendants admired Sayyid as-Sadr very much for they thought

[^1] Aal means the family of. [^2] He was born in Kadhimiyya in 1300 A.H. and died in 1375. He was buried in the graveyard of Aal as-Sadr beside the tomb of his father ayatollah Sayyid Hasan as-Sadr, the patriot leader, who was well-known of his bright situations towards his country and people. He was really a religion in politics and good politics in religion.

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that he had been interested in politics totally and turned away from the religious subjects although they knew about his excellent scientific degree he had got when studying in Holy Najaf during his youth. When the meeting ended, the people left and Sayyid Sharafuddeen became alone with us, he said: “If a tradition has two meanings; a primary meaning that comes to people’s minds and a secondary meaning that dose not come to mind except after long pondering, the second meaning will be as the first meaning in the mind of Sayyid as-Sadr.”

Sayyid Sharafuddeen visited the shrines of the infallible imams in Kadhimiyya, Samarra’, Kerbala’ and Najaf. People received and welcomed him in all these sacred placed in a splendid way that befitted his high position.

Before receiving him in Holy Najaf, the capital of knowledge and religion, his book “al-Muraja’at” in its first edition had reached there. It occupied the highest position inside the selves of the ulama and scholars of Najaf. The all were waiting for the author of al-Muraja’at impatiently.

Sayyid Sharafuddeen became the guest of his aunt’s son, the great religious authority ayatollah Sheikh Muhammad Redha Aal Yaseen, whose house was full of the people of knowledge and virtue. The scientific talks prevailed over the meeting and Sayyid Sharafuddeen had witnessed rounds that showed his great rank in branches and basic principles (Usool) of religion. The ulama of Najaf said then: “The good ability of Sayyid Sharafuddeen in scientific evidencing, mentioning traditions and accuracy of conclusions make us feel that as if he is still among us and has not left the hawza.”

Sayyid Sharafuddeen recalled his memories in Najaf and Najaf began anew talking about his favors during his youth, about his virtues during his old age and his lofty services throughout the ages of his life.

The members of Literature League seized the opportunity of the existence of Sayyid Sharafuddeen in Najaf during the occasion of Eid al-Ghadeer and held a big celebration on this occasion, to which they

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invited him besides the ulama and notables of Najaf. The poets recited poems talking about the Eid and about the virtues and favors of Sayyid Sharafuddeen. The poem of Professor al-Habboobi was the best in its high literature and abundant feelings among the other poems, which were full of tender feelings and sentiments.

After visiting Iraq, Sayyid Sharafuddeen kept on his travel towards Iran to be honored by visiting the shrine of Imam ar-Redha (s) and the shrine of Fatima al-Ma’ssooma (s) in Qom. He was the guest oh his aunt’s son ayatollah Sayyid Sadruddeen as-Sadr, who had emigrated from Iraq to Qom in order to run the Hawza there.

Many scientific meetings were held between Sayyid Sharafuddeen and the ulama of Qom, who regarded him highly and admired his great knowledge and his clear Arabic eloquence.

In every city in Iran he passed by, he was received and welcomed splendidly due to his high position among the faithful Iranian people.

Najaf was in need of him

The great religious authority ayatollah Sayyid Abul Hasan al-Isfahani before his death had traveled to Lebanon for recreation. He settled down in Ba’albak.[^1] The ulama and scholars of Lebanon competed to visit him. At the head was Sayyid Sharafuddeen. He was pleased very much to meet with him. Sayyid Abul Hasan found it a good opportunity to talk with Sayyid Sharafuddeen about the matter that Najaf was in need of him to be there and showed the utmost readiness to arrange his affairs and the affairs of everyone, who would be with him in a way that would befit his rank and position. Sayyid Sharafuddeen thanked him for his generous sentiment and apologized with convincing excuses that prevented him from leaving his country.

Those, who were close to ayatollah Abul Hasan, said that he often said in the last week of his life: “Najaf is in need of Sayyid Sharafuddeen”.

[^1] A city in Lebanon.

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We understand from his previous request and mentioning the name of Sayyid Sharafuddeen in the last days of his life that Sayyid Sharafuddeen have had all what a religious authority has to have of great knowledge, firm evidences and wide comprehension of everything about traditions, narrators and Islamic jurisprudence that may not be easy except to very few of the ulama especially that Sayyid Sharafuddeen has clear eloquence, fluency in his speeches and a great ability of composition, which are necessary for a religious authority in the present age.

It was no wonder that Sayyid Sharafuddeen got all this regard from Sayyid Abul Hasan because a virtue would not be known except by its people and who was worthier than Sayyid Abul Hasan of virtues and of appreciating them?

His death and burial

The man of that big heart that beat with life and was full of knowledge and faith became silent after passing eighty-seven years of old, which had been spent in continuous jihad for the sake of Allah in spreading the pure sharia, making the umma familiar with the two weighty things; the Book of Allah and pure progeny of the Prophet (s), guiding people towards their purity and welfare and leading them on the right path as Allah and His Messenger had ordered.

He wanted, some years before his death, to go back to Iraq, the place of his birth, of his growing up, of his study and the nation of his family and relatives to renew the age he had spent near them and to recall those happy days he had lived with them and to be, at the last moment of his life, beside the sanctum of his grandfather, the guardian (Imam Ali (s)), whom he hoped to be buried in his pure soil and to be joined with him in his sanctum!

Became silent that voice, which sounded with the truth and spread the mention of Allah. Calmed down those eyes, which stayed up to achieve justice and to look after the general Islamic welfare.

Went out that burning torch inside that genius mind, which kept on thinking of anything that might bring goodness to the umma. Sloped those hands that stood against the untruth and stretched with

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goodness to fulfill the needs of the needy. Stopped that continuous movement of that pure body, which was a source of goodness and mercy all the time.

He left to the better world on Monday, the thirtieth of December, 1975 AD. / the eighth of Jumada ath-Thaniyya,[^1] 1377 A.H. When the news of his death was announced, the people of the villages of Mountain Aamil gathered in Beirut to farewell their great religious leader. Beirut, with all its ulama, scholars, chiefs, politicians and the rest of people, went out. At the head were the ulama and the rulers.

The honored coffin was put in a special airplane to Baghdad. The crowds of the Muslims were waiting for him. Baghdad and Kadhimiyya escorted him and then we went on towards Kerbala. Every village on our way took its share of escorting.

Kerbala did the best in carrying funeral rites in a way that befitted the high position of the deceased man. When the coffin reached Najaf before the sunset, Najaf went out with all its people; ulama, scholars, poets, notables and all classes of people. It was a memorable day that Najaf had never seen its like before. All that was because of the high position of the man inside the selves of all the classes of people due to his valuable works, his nonesuch scientific fame and his great favors on Islam and the Muslims.

The funerals were distinguished with quality and quantity in comparison with the other deceased ulama, who had been escorted before this man, although among them were some ulama, who had resided in Najaf and had the general authority of taqlid.[^2]

He was buried in one of the rooms in the holy shrine of Imam Ali (s) on Wednesday, the first of January, 1958/ the tenth of Jumada ath-Thaniyya, 1377 A.H. with crying and moaning.

The crowds of people cried and sighed bitterly over the great loss of this great man.

[^1] The sixth months in the Islamic calendar. [^2] Taqlid: accepting and following the opinions of a mujtahid or a religious authority concerning the religious affairs.

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Najaf expressed its deep sorrow on the fortieth day of the great loss by holding two solemn celebrations by the two societies; Muntada an-Nashr and the Literature League. The poets and scholars praised the deceased man and his valuable works. In the first of their speeches they mentioned the sayings of the great ulama and religious authorities about the deceased man. Obsequies were held in Iraq, Lebanon and the rest of the Islamic countries continuously until the fortieth day after his death.

We pray Allah to have mercy upon this great deceased man and make the umma take advantage of his works and make us patient before this great loss. (The contentment of Allah is our contentment; Ahlul Bayt. We became patient before His affliction and He will reward us with the reward of the patient).

7-1-1964 AD. / 1383 A.H. Kadhimiyya-Baghdad Muhammad Sadiq as-Sadr