TAQLEED IN AKHBARISM

‫التقليد يف املدرسة األخبارية‬

Compiled and authored by Hadi ibn

Muhammad al-Makky
DEFINING TAQLEED
1. Al-Faydh Al-Kashani’s definition: "It is the adherence to the clear
verses of the Book, the Sunnah, and the ahadith of the Ahl al-Bayt (A),
while avoiding the ambiguous verses, as the early scholars used to
do, and many people of our time and those before us have followed
them in this.”1
In my opinion, this is an excellent definition of the process of taqlid,
as it can be applied purely upon akhbari and not usuli jurists;
however, it does not mention how taqleed occurs. It also
encompasses taqlid in both fiqh and aqeedah.
2. Shaykh Hussain ibn Shahab al-Din al-Karaki(QS)’s definition: "It is the
common person's reliance on a scholar regarding what they need in
their religious matters, as none of the rulings of Islamic law are self-
evident."2
Note: This definition also includes taqlid in both aqeedah and fiqh.
3. Shaykh Muhammad Amin Zain al-Din (QS)’s definition: "Taqlid is the
adherence to the fatwa of a jurist who can be relied on, as the actions
of the mukalaf cannot be realized without this commitment (to the
fatwa of the jurist)."3
4. Shaykh Mohsin aal Asfour: "In common usage, it is the process of a
common person returning to a scholar who is knowledgeable about
the rulings of the Sharia, characterized by specific qualities, placing the
responsibility for their actions upon them, delegating the matter to
them in investigation and research, and determining the legal ruling in
the matter of concern."4
Shaykh Mohammad-Amin al-Astrabadi(QS) defined taqleed in al-Fawa’id
al-Madaniyah’s introduction, but this definition does not apply to Akhbari
jurists, rather it applies purely to Usuli ones.

PROVING THE OBLIGATION OF TAQLEED

1. Imam Jaafar al-Sadiq(A): "Look at those among you who have narrated
our hadith, examined our halal and haram; and understood our

1 Al-Usul Al-Asilah P181

2 Hidayat al-Abrar P221
3 Bayn al-Sa’il wa al-Faqih P5
4 Fiqh al-Taqleed al-Mu’adal P7
 rulings. Accept them as rulers5 over you, for I have made them rulers
over you. If they rule by our ruling and you do not accept it from them,
then you are taking lightly the judgment of God. The one who rejects
them is rejecting God, which is close to associating partners with
Him."6
2. It was narrated through another chain to him (A): "Look at those
among you who have narrated our hadith, examined our halal and
haram; and understood our rulings. Accept them as rulers over you,
for I have made them rulers over you. If they rule by our ruling and
you do not accept it from them, then you are taking God’s judgment
lightly. The one who rejects them is rejecting God, which is similar to
associating partners with Him."7
3. From Imam Mahdi(AJF): "As for the incidents that occur, refer to the
narrators of our hadith, for they are my proof on you, and I am the
proof of Allah."8
4. Narrated by Sheikh Al-Saduq (QS): "Look to the most knowledgeable
and learned among them regarding our hadith, and the most pious,
and follow their ruling, without paying attention to others."9

TWO SCHOLARS’ EXEGESI

1. Shaykh Mohammad-Salih al-Mazandarani (QS), author of Sharh Usul
al-Kafi: ‘I said: 'How should they act?' He said: 'They should look to
those among you'—meaning from your religion and sect—'who have
narrated our hadith, examined our halal and haram; and understood
our rulings.' This means they should know all of our rulings in a clear
manner or some of them, particularly those needed for governance 10,
based on the sources, which are the Book and the Sunnah, understood
either directly or through close proximity. This is what is referred to
as a faqih who meets the conditions for issuing fatwas and governing
among people. It is not permissible for anyone below this rank to
assume this authority, even if they are aware of the fatwas of the
jurists, without any disagreement among our scholars. 'Accept his

5 Pertaining to giving rules and not political rule.

6 Al-Kafi V1 P68
7 Al-Kafi V7 P412
8 Al-Ihtijaj V2 P283
9 Man la Yahdhruh al-Faqih V3 P8
10 Pertaining to being a court judge
judgment.’—the term 'judgment' (‫ )حكم‬refers to the court judge who is
the ruler. 'For I have made him a judge over you.' This indicates that
the narrator described with the aforementioned qualities and the
jurist characterized by the specified attributes are appointed for court
by them (A), both in their presence and absence. It is wajib for him to
respond and fulfill this duty if no one else is available, and it suffices if
there is another. It is also necessary for the people to accept his rulings,
refer their disputes to him, and assist him in carrying out his decisions
when needed.
'If he rules by our ruling'—derived from the words of God and the
Messenger (S)—'and you do not accept it from him, then you are
taking God’s judgement lightly. This is because our ruling is God’s, and
whoever does not accept God's ruling does not accept the ruling of the
one we appointed for governance. 'And to us he has replied'—if they
do not accept the ruling of the one we appointed for governance—'and
the one who rejects us is rejecting God,' for we are the representatives
of truth and His messengers among His servants. 'And this is similar to
associating partners with God,' meaning that the one who disdains the
judgment of God and rejects it has reached the highest degree of
misguidance and the lowest level of Islam, such that if they go against
it, they would enter the realm of associating partners with God, like
the hypocrites. Alternatively, it could mean that they have entered into
a state of shirk because whoever does not accept God’s judgement and
rejects it has accepted its opposite, which is the taghut, and that is
indeed associating partners with God the Almighty. I say: 'If each one
of the disputing parties chooses a man from among us and agrees to
have him decide their rights, and they differ in what he rules’—one
ruling one way and the other ruling differently—'and both of them
differ in your hadith?' This means each one holds fast to your hadith in
opposition to the other's ruling. The singular pronoun associated with
'differed' may refer to the wording, and the condition’s result may
imply 'and they differed,' or it may be understood as omitted, meaning:
how should they act? ‘He said: 'The ruling is what the more just and
knowledgeable among them rules, and the one who is more truthful in
his reports and most cautious.' They should not pay attention to what
the other rules. For a judge must possess the attributes of justice,
knowledge, truthfulness, and piety. Whoever possesses these four
 qualities is fit for court and appointed by them (A), while anyone
lacking any of these attributes is not permitted to rule among the
people."11
We learnt from the quote above that the Akhbari marja/faqih is the
representative of the Imam(A) as he fits the descriptions the Imam(A)
gave us. We learnt that such jurists have to have their rulings accepted
and are the ones who should be court judges.

2. Shaykh Mohammad-Baqir al-Majlisi(QS):

“His statement (A): "For I have made him a judge over you" is cited as
evidence that he is a representative of the Imam in all matters, except
for those excluded by evidence. However, this is not without its
difficulties. Rather, it appears that he has been permitted to rule in
cases that have been brought before him, but he cannot compel
people to refer their disputes to him. Nonetheless, people are
required to refer to him and accept his ruling. His statement: "In what
he rules" suggests that their disagreement is based on differing
narrations rather than differing fatwas. His mention of "the more just
and knowledgeable among them" implies that both must be just,
knowledgeable, truthful, and pious. Fiqh refers to the knowledge of
legal rulings, as is evident.”12
This reinforces what I mentioned earlier as well as what Shaykh
Mohammad Salih al-Mazandarani (QS) said. The Akhbari jurist is the
representative of the Imam (AJF), and not accepting his ruling is like
polytheism. Everything showed in this section alongside the previous
one proves that taqleed of the most knowledgeable is wajib.

THE RULING OF TAQLEED, ACCORDING TO AKHBARI

SCHOLARS
1. The Muhaqiq, Shaykh Yusuf al-Bahrani(QS):
"And what some individuals have hallucinated, who have not grasped
knowledge with a firm resolve and have not given proper consideration to
all aspects, is the misguided notion of solely working with ahadith
without considering the words of the scholars. This is a clear stupidity, as
we have clarified. Although some have adopted this stance in recent
times, it is, as you know, obviously flawed and arises from bias and
stubbornness.

11 Sharh Usul al-Kafi V2 P338

12 Bihar al-Anwar V2 P22
 To illustrate the correctness of our assertion: it has become common
among them that a student of knowledge should not engage except with
the books of hadith, even if they are illiterate and have not read anything
of the sciences at all, which has led to the neglect and abandonment of the
jurists' books. This is a clear foolishness.
It is not hidden from a fair-minded person knowledgeable in the legal
principles and established rules that this level of engaging with ahadith
and extracting rulings and secrets from them is not easily accessible to
anyone who desires it, despite what some may claim while wearing this
facade.
This is a level reserved for the faqih who meets the necessary conditions,
a level that scholars only reach after long years spent acquiring
knowledge, understanding every relevant piece of information, mastering
its principles, and obtaining its regulations. Even then, they find
themselves in varying states: some are firm, others are wavering, some
are sinking, and others are learning yet.
What can these ignorant people hope to achieve in reaching this lofty
rank merely with their flawed reasoning and misguided assumptions?
We seek refuge with God from wandering minds, missteps, straying from
the right path, and deviating from the straight way."13

It is as if he is describing the hashawi phenomenon, incredibly stupid

people who lack the ability to extract rulings from the Qur’an and
Ahadith and fail when they even try. Leading to false fatwas such as
allowing the meat of Christians, and not asking the father for permission
for marriage with virgins. Shaykh Yusuf (QS) describes these people for
what they are, clearly stupid and idiotic. We understand from this text
that: only jurists are allowed to extract rulings, and not teenagers on
discord, and that we must do taqleed of these jurists.

2. Shaykh Mohammed-Amin al-Astrabadi(QS):

“Fa’ida: The method of precaution in the rulings of God varies based on
the scarcity or abundance of knowledge in hadith. This necessitates that a
person in doubt, who is obligated to exercise caution, must refer to
someone more knowledgeable than themselves, as this is a form of
necessary precaution to the extent possible.”14
What he supports here very much is the process of taqleed as is self-
evident.
3. Shaykh Mohammed-Baqir al-Majlisi, author of Bihar al-Anwar.
“It is known that the gravest of sins—according to the verses and
13 Al-Hada’iq al-Nathira V11 P177
14 Al-Fawa’id al-Madaniyah P349-350
 narrations—is the fabrication against God and his Messenger.
Fabrication refers to someone issuing a ruling without having the
qualifications to do so or understanding the ruling from the verses
and narrations, and not attributing it to someone who is qualified to
issue fatwas.

However, if a person does not have the qualifications for

understanding, but they relay a ruling from a knowledgeable scholar
by saying, 'I heard this from him,' then this is permissible. Otherwise,
what they say is considered incorrect, and the person is guilty, even if
it aligns with reality.”15

This is simply another quote from him(QS) showing that he

supported taqleed, the aforementioned one in Bihar also shows that
he viewed it as wajib, as the hadith entailed.

4. The Shaykh of the Sect, al-Tusi (QS):

“What we go to is that it is permissible for a common person who is
unable to research and investigate to follow a scholar. This is
supported by the fact that I have found that the majority of our
ummah, from the time of Amir al-Mu'minin (A) until our present day,
has returned to their scholars for guidance. They consult them on
rulings and acts of worship, and the scholars provide them with
fatwas, allowing them to act upon those rulings. We have not heard of
anyone among them telling an asker that they should not seek
guidance or act upon it. Rather, it is expected that they look as the
scholars have looked and learn as they have learned. No one has
denied them the right to act according to the fatwas given by
scholars, and many great individuals among them lived during the
time of the Imams (A), without any Imam condemning this practice
or insisting on a contrary view. Instead, they supported them in this
matter. Therefore, those who oppose this are in contradiction to what
is well-known.
Even if we concede that none of them objected to this, it does not
undermine this argument, because there are rational and textual
proofs from the Book and the Sunnah that support the invalidity of
following without understanding, which is sufficient for criticism.
Moreover, the one who follows in aqeedah is advancing on what they
cannot be sure of is ignorance, because the path of belief is stable and
does not change in essence. This is not the case with legal rulings,
which depend on societal interests. It is entirely possible that it is in

15 Ayn al-Hayat V1 P297

 their best interest to follow scholars in all those rulings, which cannot
be the case in the usul of the religion.
What strengthens my conviction is that the one who follows the truth
in the usul of religion, even if they are mistaken in their following, is
not held accountable for this and is excused. We say this based on the
approach we have presented, as I have not found anyone among our
ummah nor the Imams (A) who have cut off ties with those who
heard their sayings and believed as they believed, even if this was not
attributed to a rational or textual proof.

No one should say that this is not permissible because it leads to the
risk of ignorance. This is not the case, as the follower cannot initially
know that such a following is permissible. They are apprehensive
about acting on it and cannot know whether they are free from
punishment while maintaining their belief, because they can only
know this if they understand the usul al-din, which we have assumed
they do not. How then can they know their exemption from
punishment? They would be at risk of holding beliefs that might be
ignorance or continuing in them.
Only those who have knowledge of the usul and have examined their
conditions can ascertain this, and the scholars have not severed their
ties with them nor denied them, and this was only permissible for
them after knowing that they would not be punished. This removes it
from the realm of risk.
This is sufficient in this regard, God willing.”16

Sticking to the topic of taqleed in fiqh, as taqleed in aqeedah is not

our topic-yet-, it should have become evident from the above quote
that people have been practicing taqleed from the time of Imam
Ali(A). Combining this with what Shaykh Yusuf al-Bahrani (QS) said,
it becomes most evident that abandoning taqleed is bidah.
Furthermore, this clarifies the quote that some have gotten from al-
Ikhtisas as being taqleed in aqeedah as so does the context of the
quote. Also in practice, this permissibility is an obligation. 17

5. Sayyid Adnan aal Abdaljabar:

“When you are fully aware of what we have mentioned and reflect
deeply on what we have chosen from the beginning of this discussion
until now, it becomes clear to you that the members of the ummah
fall into two categories: the messanger and the recipient, the follower

16 Idat al-Usul V2 P730-731

17 This statement has been approved off by Shaykhs Ali aal Thunayaan and Jaafar al-Shariqi.
 (muqallid) and the reliable jurist (faqih). The necessity for the
follower to refer to the jurist is evident, as supported by the Sunnah
and the Book: such as the verse of traveling (Ayat al-Nafar), the
command to ask the people of knowledge, the reports on
representation, and the practice of the esteemed Imams and the
companions.”18
He also says:
“Whoever is not fully aware of these introductions cannot uncover a
legal ruling, and it cannot be revealed to them except through the
process of taqlid or direct communication with the infallible.
Therefore, it is not permissible for anyone who does not possess that
foundational knowledge to issue fatwas or take charge of any matters
of public interest.”19
The Hashawis often quote this book when it suits them, but they do
not mention how the Sayyid(QS) has entire chapters on the
permissibility of taqleed of the dead as well as taqleed in aqeedah.
6. Mirza Mohammad al-Akhbari(QS) :
“The sixth proof for what they have asserted regarding the ummah's
obligation to follow the infallible, even through sure transmission or
through trustworthy narrators, is as follows: If this were not the case,
it would necessitate the presence of the Imam with every mukalaf
while the Imam is in occultation, or it would lead to the nullification
of wajib acts related to auditory revelations, which is not acceptable.
It would also mean imposing obligations based on desires and
whims, which is not consistent with the principles of justice and the
affirmations of divine purposes in actions. Consequently, it would
necessitate equating the disbeliever in prophethood with the
believer, which would be a grave error, as there would be no
distinction between the two groups.”20
Combine this with the fact that the next paragraph is about how it is
false to give and rely upon fatwas based on
dhan/assumptions/conjecture as well as the following quote, and
you’ll know that “sure transmission” is taqleed:
“I have left fiqh for the family of aal Asfour (Meaning the Muhaqiq
and the Allamah), so it is wajib upon you to do taqleed of them and
the first one among the two( referring to Shaykh Yusuf) is the more
knowledgeable.”21This is a quote that his descendants/children
widely attribute to him through his son, Sayyid Ali. It is because of
18 Mashariq al-Shumoos al-Dariyah fi Ahqiyat Madhhab al-Akhbariyah P216
19 ‫ر‬ ّ
‫غي طريق التقليد والمشافهة من المعصوم‬‫ول يمكن انكشافه إليه من ر‬، ‫ع‬
‫خيا لم يتمكن من استكشاف حكم ش ي‬
‫فمن لم يحط بتلك المقدمات ر‬
ُ ‫ر‬ ‫ر‬
‫يفت أو يتویل شيئا من االمور الحسبية‬
‫ فل يجوز لمن انحط عن تلك اليبة أن ي‬،
20 Risalah fi Ba’adh Matalib al-Muhaditheen P7
21 Al-Khilaf Bayn al-Usuliyeen wa al-Akhbariyeen P160 by Shereen al-Musawi
 this quote that the family of Jamal al-Din (his children) do taqleed of
Shaykh Yusuf(QS).22
7. The Allamah, Shaykh Hussain aal Asfour (QS):
“There is no doubt that the apparent nature of this question is based
on the claim that it is obligatory for the mukalaf to refer to the most
knowledgeable regarding religious issues, as held by a group of usuli
scholars. However, they have not found any evidence for this claim
other than conjecture and speculation.”23
Furthermore: “It is not obligatory to engage in ijtihad in the usul al-
din except for those who can derive legal rulings from the Book and
the Sunnah. For all other accountable individuals, it is sufficient to
practice taqlid, similar to what is required in fiqhi matters.”24
8. Al-Faydh Al-Kashani(QS):
“When the jurist possesses the aforementioned attributes, it becomes
wajib for people to refer to him, accept his words, and adhere to his
rulings. This is because he is appointed by the Imam (A) in general, as
stated: ‘Look at those among you who have narrated our hadith.' This
has been mentioned previously. It is also possible for an individual to
attain this status in one field of knowledge but not in another, or even
in one specific issue rather than others."25
9. Shaykh Mohammed-Amin Zayn al-Din(QS):
“In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
The ruling differs based on the various kinds of rulings on one hand,
and the ability of each mukalaf to access those rulings on the other.
Rulings can be divided into two categories:
1. The first category: Those that are definitively established for
every Muslim, such as the obligation of prayer, fasting, and the
prohibition of consuming alcohol, gossip, and similar matters that
are known with certainty as essential to the faith. In this category,
there is no need for taqlid once the individual has reached
certainty regarding the ruling from the source of legislation.
2. The second category: Those that do not reach this level of
certainty. In such cases, the mukalaf must arrive at the legal ruling
through one of three methods:
22 This is what Sayyid Murtadha Jamal al-Din(HA) told me.
23 Al-Mahasin al-Nafsaniyah P114
24 Hidayat al-Ibad P8, al-Qawl al-Sharih P28, Majmu’at al-Fatawi 70 and 90.
25 Al-Usul al-Asilah P190-191
 • First: Gaining knowledge of the religion and understanding the
legal ruling from its established evidence in Sharia.
• Second: Following a trustworthy jurist who fulfills the
conditions for taqlid, which involves acting according to the
fatwa of the jurist with a commitment to follow them.
• Third: Exercising caution (ihtiyat), which means acting in a way
that ensures the individual is certain of being free from
obligation.
Thus, any action taken by the individual in this second category of legal
rulings is invalid unless it is based on jurisprudence, taqlid, or caution.
And Allah knows best.”26
10. Shaykh Hussain al-Amili (QS), teacher of al-Hurr al-Amili(QS):
“In summary, anyone who is not among the diligent scholars, like
those who strive in their pursuit, must be a muqallid. O my mawla, it
is hoped that you will compile a concise book on jurisprudence that
reflects your chosen views. You have certainly acquired
comprehensive knowledge of the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (A). For
the common person who cannot reach the level of understanding
attained by those who delve deeply into this research, it is necessary
for them to follow the most knowledgeable among the scholars and
to act according to what they have stated and chosen.”27
11. Sayyid Nimatullah al-Jaza’iri(QS):
“Taqlid precedes ijtihad. The prominence of ijtihad emerged only
from the time of the Allamah and his teacher, Ahmad ibn Tawus, and
around that era. However, taqlid—referring to the common person
and others turning to scholars and accepting their opinions and
fatwas—has existed throughout all periods from Adam (A) until the
Day of Resurrection. It has always been wajib, according to textual
evidence, to take and understand the rulings from the scholars and to
act according to their content. There has been no report from any of
those scholars or in any of the narrations that prohibits them from
acting on what was taken before that era.”28
12. Shaykh Hussain ibn Shihab al-Din al-Karaki (QS):

26 Bayn al-Mukalaf wa al-Faqih P5-6

27 Al-Masai’l Al-Dhuhayriyah P551
28 Manba’ al-Hayat P32
 “As for the statement: 'He must have the ability to derive legal rulings,'
this ability is not well-defined and should not be the basis for
understanding divine rulings, due to the resulting mischief, as is clear.
Rather, what is essential—after attaining reason and accountability—
is the effort to acquire what is obligatory, which involves asking the
scholars from the family of Muhammad (A) and those who follow their
path.
Regarding the statement: 'The appointed jurist is one who will
adjudicate between them,' if that appointed jurist possesses the
conditions for issuing a fatwa, he is appointed by the Imam (A);
otherwise, the appointment of the jurist holds no significance.”29
13. The Greatest Jurist, Shaykh Abdali aal Asfour (QS): “Know that
whenever a jurist is established and possesses these conditions,
relying solely on the clear texts of the Sunnah and the Book, and
confines himself to the narrations in all areas, it becomes obligatory
for the Ummah to accept the rulings he provides. This is because, in
reality, he is conveying the words of the Imam. Thus, it is commanded
to accept the words of their narrators and refer to them, and the one
who rejects them is akin to rejecting the Imam.
In this case, there is no difference between the life of such a person
and their death, as you have understood that they are among the
transmitters of the infallible's rulings and their narrators. They are
like the other narrations preserved in the books of hadith that are
transmitted meaningfully from the pure Imams. Therefore, the
scholars would refer to the rulings of the jurist Ali ibn Babawayh as
they were in accordance with the texts of the noble Imams.
As for those who do not possess this quality and do not rely on this
approach, but rather stray to invented usul and dhan, they are not
permitted to engage in taqlid, even in life, let alone after death. This is
supported by the verses that prohibit taking from those in such a
condition, in addition to the narrations.”30
There you go. 14 – don’t forget Shaykh Mohammad Salih al-
Mazandarani - Akhbari scholars saying taqleed is wajib. Some were

29 Hidayat al-Abrar P219

30 Ihya Ma’alim al-Shia P180-181
 explicit about the hurmah of Usuli taqleed as well, such as the Mirza
(QS) and the Greatest Jurist (QS).

ADDRESSING THE AHADITH ATTACKING TAQLEED

It will suffice to mention the main one, the hadith in al-Kafi:
“From Abu Basir I asked Abu Abdullah (A):'They took their scholars and
monks as lords besides God?' He replied, 'By God, they did not call them to
the worship themselves. If they had done such, they(referring to the jews
and Christians) would not yielded. Rather, they made halal for them what
was haram and made haram what was halal, thus they worshipped them
without realizing it.'31
1. It is clear to anyone who has read and actually understood this
narration that it is referring to taqleed that goes against God and his
Prophet. This is about haram/bad taqleed, while what was previously
discussed was good taqleed. As in the earlier narrations and quotes,
the scholar is going with the Ahal al-Bayt(A), while here it is about
opposing them. Meaning: This is unrelated.
2. We know that there is good and bad taqleed from the following
narration: “And likewise, if the common people of our Ummah
recognize blatant immorality, extreme rage, the pursuit of worldly
gains and forbidden things among their fuqaha’, and the destruction
of those they show fanaticism towards, even if their affairs warrant
reform, then it is incumbent upon them to treat those they show bias
towards with compassion, benevolence, and kindness, even if they
deservehumiliation and disgrace.
So whoever among our Ummah does taqleed of such scholars, they
are like the Jews whom God has criticized for blindly following their
corrupt scholars.
As for those scholars who safeguard themselves, preserve their
religion, oppose their personal opinions, and obey the command of
their Lord, it is for the common people to do taqleed of them.
However, this applies only to some of the Shia fuqaha’, not all of
them. For those who indulge in abhorrent sins and wickedness like
the scholars of the ’aamah, do not accept anything from them on our
behalf, nor do they deserve any honor. The mixing up of matters that
31 Al-Kafi V1 P53
 we, the Ahlul-Bayt, bear is due to their ignorance, as they distort the
truthentirely, and they misrepresent things due to their lack of
knowledge. Others intentionally lie about us to gain worldly benefits,
leading them to the fire of Hell.”32
So, it should be clear that: there are good scholars and bad
ones(shocker!).
3. Let’s look at what our scholars have said:
Shaykh Mohammad-Baqir al-Majlisi (QS):
"He said, 'I asked him about the meaning of this verse’, meaning the
'rabbis' refer to the learned, while the 'monks' refer to the
worshippers. The meaning of the hadith is that whoever obeys
someone in what they command, even if it contradicts what God has
commanded and they are aware of it—or if they are negligent in
investigating—has taken that person as a lord and worshipped them
without realizing it. This is akin to what God said: 'Do not worship
Satan,' because worship is essentially obedience and submission.
However, if someone follows a scholar who issues rulings based on
the clear texts of the Qur'an and hadith, and that scholar is
trustworthy and just, then this is not following him, but rather
following the one whose obedience God has made obligatory, and
who judges by the command of God, the Exalted. God has only
condemned the following of those scholars and monks who lead
people astray and criticized them for that.'"33
Mawla Muhammad-Muhsin “Al-Faydh Al-Kashani”(QS):
“Clarification: This narration is to be mentioned again in the chapter
on polytheism, reported by Al-‘Uddah from Al-Burqi, from his father,
from Abdullah ibn Yahya. It seems that this Ibn Yahya is Al-Kahili.
The 'rabbis' refer to the learned, and the 'monks' refer to the
worshippers. The meaning of the hadith is that whoever obeys
someone in what they command, contrary to what God has
commanded, has taken that person as a lord and worshipped them
without realizing it. This is supported by the Noble Qur'an, where
God says: 'Have you seen the one who has taken his desire as his
god?' and 'Did I not enjoin upon you, O Children of Adam, not to
worship Satan?' This is because worship is essentially obedience and
submission. This hadith clearly indicates the prohibition of following
the opinions of jurists in their rulings, as is commonly practiced
today.”34

32 Tafsir al-Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (ASWS) P300

33 Miraat al-Uqul V1 P183
34 Al-Wafi V1 P44
 Mawla Muhammad-Salih al-Mazandarani (QS):
“From Ibn Maskan, from Abu Basir I asked Abu Abdullah (A) about
the verse: 'They took their rabbis and monks as lords besides God.'
The 'rabbis' refer to the learned among the Jews, with 'hibr' (‫)حبر‬
being the word for ‘rabbi’, famously pronounced with a kasrah or a
fathah. The former is more common and eloquent, while the latter is
preferred by Abu Ubaid, who stated that 'hibr' with a fathah means
one who is knowledgeable in eloquence and the improvement of
speech and knowledge. The 'monks' refer to the worshippers among
the Christians, with 'rahib'(‫ )راهب‬being the term for a worshipper,
and 'tarabbuh'(‫ )تربه‬means to engage in worship.
He said: 'By God, they did not call them to the worship of themselves,'
meaning they did not command them to perform acts like fasting,
prayer, and prostration as a means of drawing closer to them. ‘If they
had done such, they(referring to the jews and Christians) would not
yielded,' because they knew that these scholars and monks did not
deserve to be worshipped; only God, the Exalted, is worthy of
worship.
'But they permitted for them what was forbidden and prohibited
what was permissible,' either mistakenly due to their reliance on
corrupt opinions regarding legal rulings, or deliberately to avoid
being accused of ignorance, or due to their inclination toward
worldly gains, making such rulings a means to achieve those ends, or
for other corrupt motives.
'Thus, they worshipped them' through the acts of worship based on
their opinions and views, or by submitting to them, returning to
them, and accepting their opinions and statements.35

ADDRESSING WHAT SEEMS TO BE DENOUNCING TAQLEED

Some of our scholars have made statements that seem to attack and
denounce taqleed entirely, but it is not so. In this section, it will suffice to
get what Shaykh Mohammad-Amin al-Astrabadi(QS) and Sayyid Raa’uf
Jamal al-Din(QS) said.
1. Shaykh Mohammad-Amin al-Astrabadi(QS) says: “I have compiled
benefits that encompass much of what I have gained from the words
of the pure Imams (A) regarding the field of usul al-fiqh and some
other related topics. I have titled it 'al-Fawa’id al-Madaniyah in
response to those who advocate for ijtihad and taqlid’, meaning

35 Sharh Usul al-Kafi V2 P229

 following conjecture/dhan/assumptions in divine rulings. It consists
of an introduction, twelve chapters, and a conclusion.”36 It is clear
that he is referring to usuli taqleed, as he admits to attacking taqleed
based on dhan, and not taqleed based on qati’(as we akhbaris do).
How do we confirm this? By looking at all we have to say:
“Some of our scholars hold that the saying 'the dead are like the dead'
means that the views based on dhani/unsure reasoning cannot be
acted upon after the death of the jurist. However, the fatwas of the
akhbaris among our scholars are based on what is explicitly stated in
the hadiths or clear from them, and thus do not cease to be valid
upon the death of the jurist.
Indeed, some of these fatwas, which are based on a hadith that was
revealed in the context of taqiyyah, will be fixed once the Mahdi (AJF)
appears. Similarly, the fatwas of later scholars based on explicit
hadiths or what is clear from them do not become invalid upon the
death of their giver. However, distinguishing between these two
categories is difficult for their followers.”37
It is clear here that he is differentiating Usuli and Akhbari taqleed.
Highlighting that Usuli taqleed is based on Dhan while Akhbari
taqleed is not, as he himself says. Let’s end this with the following: “It
is wajib for the scholar to convey what they are sure of, but it is not
wajib for them to convey what is unclear to them.”38
2. Sayyid Raa’uf Jamal al-Din(QS) says:
“Some Evidence for the Hurmah of taqleed of Non-Infallibles:
The Requirement of Infallibility: The condition of infallibility
contradicts the acceptance of the statements of non-infallibles
without a source from them; therefore, one of them must be invalid.
The Religion of Muhammad encompasses all beings: The religion
includes jinn, angels, and all human beings; so whom should the first
two groups follow?
If following a jurist is as described: Are the deceased questioned in
their graves about this? They said: "Whoever has no Imam, their
actions are generally valid, while one who has does not practice
taqlid has actions that are absolutely invalid." Does this not imply

36 The introduction of al-Fawa’id al-Madaniyah

37 Al-Fawa’id al-Madaniyah P299
38 Al-Fawa’id al-Madaniyah P352
 placing the jurist above the infallible? Knowing that imamate cannot
be followed, it cannot serve as a prerequisite for taqlid!”39
What might be understood from this is that he is against Taqleed in
general, but we know that this is wrong because he does taqleed of
Akhbari scholars, because taqleed of them is taqleed of the infallible.
He says after telling the reader to study Bidayat al-Hidaya(the risalah
amaliyah of al-Hurr {QS} that does not include dalil), Mafatih al-Shar’i
and al-Hada’iq al-Nathira: ‘And we have a small book titled: 'The
Fatwas of the Infallibles on Religious Rulings,' to familiarize readers
with the method of authentic Shia jurisprudence, not for practical
implementation; because I have written it to renew the approach of
original jurisprudence only. I do not consider myself someone who
writes practical jurisprudence, as I am still a muqalid to this day.’40 So
he considers taqleed of al-Hurr al-Amili, al-Faydh al-Kashani and al-
Muhaqiq al-Bahrani to be taqleed of the infallible(A). Because he
wants you to study their fiqhi books and implement them, especially
Bidayat al-Hidaya, which is as previously stated, a regular risalah that
does not contain dalil.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USULI AND AKHBARI TAQLEED

Al-Faydh Al-Kashani (QS) says: “Some of it is permissible; that is, following
akhbaris in their fatwas, whether they are alive or dead, as death does not
affect this. The halal of Muhammad remains halal until the Day of Judgment,
and his haram remains haram until the Day of Judgment. Those who engage
in this form of following are the ones addressed in the mentioned hadith by
the phrases 'look' and 'you should follow,' and similar expressions.
Some of it is not permissible, and this can be divided into two categories:
One category is known in the terminology of the jurists as ijtihad, which
involves taking from ambiguous and conjectural/dhani/unsure matters
with the help of jurisprudential principles derived from the general public's
opinions. This was practiced by many of our later scholars in agreement
with the aamah, leading to significant disagreements. This is prohibited in
many narrations and numerous verses, as discussed in previous usul.

39 Al-Wiqayah min Aghlat al-Kifayah P140

40 Murshid al-Talib P19
The second category is known as taqlid, which refers to following these
jurists while they are alive. However, following them after their death is not
halal, as they unanimously acknowledge this based on their own ijtihad. If
their opinions are considered valid, then their opinions after death hold no
value. Rejecting this particular opinion while accepting others is arbitrary.
The distinction that one is a foundational issue while the other pertains to
branch issues is not significant, as both are based on ijtihad. These scholars
were driven to exercise ijtihad by their desire for clarity in rulings, treating
ambiguous matters as if they were definitive and asserting their ability to
issue fatwas on every issue.”41
He goes on to say: “Know that there is no necessity for ijtihad in the sense
mentioned regarding the rulings of God at all, let alone following a jurist
whether they are alive or dead. This is because the definitive rulings in the
Book of God, the Sunnah, and the narrations of our Imams(A) are well-
established, and the general usul from them are transmitted and
confirmed.”42
Al-Hurr Al-‘Amili(QS) says: “It is wajib upon the mukalaf to confirm and
believe… all the established rulings from them, it is wajib to seek
knowledge about the wajib and haram matters from them and from those
who transmit their teachings. It is also essential to exercise caution and to
be hesitant when such knowledge is not available. One must not act based
on opinion or dhan/conjecture concerning the legal rulings, nor engage in
ijtihad, nor accept the statements of non-infallibles that do not have a text
from them."43
IS GIVING DALIL WAJIB?
The hashawis have misunderstood the hadith of “Beware of taking a man as
your leader without the hudja and accepting everything he says.”44
1. Some of them have said that the hudja here means dalil, rather than
the Imam(A), how did they arrive at such a conclusion? This is ijtihad
from them

41 Al-Usul Al-Asilah P181-182

42 Al-Usul al-Asilah P186
43 Bidayat al-Hidayah 3-4
44 Bihar al-Anwar V2 P83
 2. As previously shown, akhbaris choose their maraaja through the
Imam(A), not without him. We take a man as our leader with the
Hudja, not without.
3. Let’s take a look at what scholars have to say:
Shaykh Muhammad-Baqir al-Majlisi(QS):
“Clarification: The asker assumed that the intention of the Imam (A)
regarding "following the footsteps of men" was simply the act of
acquiring knowledge from people. However, he clarified that the
intention is to elevate someone who is not an authority and to believe
everything they say based on their opinion without attributing it to
the infallible.
As for someone who narrates from the infallible or explains what
they have understood from their words to those who do not have the
capacity to understand their speech without extreme teaching, taking
knowledge from them is like taking it from the infallible. It is wajib
for those who do not know to refer to such individuals to understand
the rulings of Allah, the Exalted.”
Shaykh Yusuf al-Bahrani (QS):
“All that we have mentioned, which is necessary for purifying the
inner self from vices and adorning it with virtues, is a condition for
the one who acts on their behalf. It is essential for them to possess
piety and righteousness, to renounce worldly desires, and to avoid
arrogance, envy, a desire for leadership, being followed around,
partisanship, anger, and similar traits that are discussed in their
contexts.
This is indicated by the saying of the Prophet (S) in the mentioned
narration: 'The ruling is what the more just, most knowledgeable, and
truthful among them has reached to.' This signifies that the
representative must be endowed with these qualities from them(A).”45
The renewer of the religion, Shaykh Hussain aal Asfour(QS) speaks
about this in detail in al-Mahasin al-Nafsaniyah46, and confirmation
from Sayyid Adnan aal Abdaljabar(QS) comes in Mashariq al-Anwar al-
Dariyah47. So with this, we have 6 akhbari jurists who view the akhbari

45 Al-Durar Al-Najafiyah V1 P264

46 Pages 114-129
47 Page 216
 marja as the representative of the Imam(AJF), making taqleed of them
and accepting their fatwas wajib.

SCHOLARS ON THEIR BOOKS SIMPLY BEING TRANSMISSION

OF WHAT IS IN THE AHADITH
The renwer of the religion, Shaykh Hussain aal Asfour(QS): “Intending to
compile a comprehensive book on the various issues of fiqh, from its
introduction to its conclusion, based on what has become clear to me from
the Book and the Muhammadan Sunnah, which clarify the complexities and
ambiguities of legal rulings.”48
Al-Hurr Al-Amili(QS): “So I intend to compile for him whatever I can gather
of the clearly stated obligations and prohibitions, and only include a little of
what is mustahab, makrooh, and halal derived from the narrations of the
pure Imams, in a concise and brief manner. Thus, I have begun this endeavor,
seeking to draw closer to Allah through it.”49
Shaykh Abdullah al-Sitri(QS): “Rather, merely fatwas based on what I have
discovered through analyzing from the narrations of my Imams (A).”50

EXAMPLES FROM AKHBARI FIQH BOOKS

Sadaad al-‘Ibad, by Shaykh Hussain aal Asfour(QS): “And as for what is
mustahab, it includes performing wudhu for the nadb of both the prayer
and tawaf, even if it is optionally wajib. It also includes reading the Qur'an,
carrying the Mushaf, entering the mosque, performing the funeral prayer,
striving to fulfill needs, visiting graves, performing actions to maintain
continuous purity after a minor ritual impurity, and all acts of Hajj from
beginning to end. Additionally, it is mustahab before resuming marital
relations, when a traveler returns to his family, during moments of anger,
for sajdat al-shukr, for a junub to sleep in a place of purity, for marital
relations of a pregnant woman, to welcome the wajib prayer, and similarly
when a doubtful moisture is discharged after istibra’. It also applies to the
mustahab ghusls, to wrap the deceased before their ghusl, and for the
burrier of the deceased to engage in relations before performing the ghusl

48 Sadad al-Ibad’s introduction

49 Bidayat al-Hidayah’s introduction
50 Mu’tamad al-Sa’il’s introduction
as well. Furthermore, it applies to mentioning menstruating woman, the
relationship of a person who has had a wet dream, and for renewal of
tahara.”51
Shaykh Yusuf al-Bahrani (QS): “Is the minimum required for performing
the wiping over the head merely the name itself, or is it the width of a
finger or three fingers held together across the head? The most apparent
and cautious opinion is the third one, which states that this amount should
be wiped, even if it is done with a single finger held horizontally along the
length of the head.”52
Al-Hurr Al-‘Amili(QS): “It is not permissible to perform wudhu with najis
water, which is defined as: 'water that has changed due to najasah, or water
that has been contaminated and is stagnant, less than the amount of a kar’,
or: ‘water whose length, width, and depth are each three shibrs long.'
One must avoid using the two containers if a najasah has fallen into one of
them and is unsure; one should not perform wudhu nor ghusl with it, but
rather perform tayammum.
It is not halal to use well water if it has changed due to najasah; otherwise,
it is permitted. It is wajib to drain it if there is a change, unless it is
removed, and it is mustahab to do so even if there is no change.”53
Al-Tusi (QS): “What follows tahara is something that needs to be known in
order to enter into prayer, even if it is not referred to as tahara itself. This
involves knowledge of removing najasaat from the body and clothing,
because it is not halal to enter into prayer while there is a najasah on the
body or clothes, just as it is not halal to pray without tahaera. We arrange
this according to what is necessary, God willing.”54
Shaykh Mohammad-Amin al-Astrabadi(QS): “Issue: Friday Prayer? I agree
with what is chosen by Al-Shahid Al-Thani which is definite wujoob.
Issue: Shortening Prayer for Travelers? I say: I have come to certainty that
it is required to shorten the prayer at a distance of four farsakhs.
Issue: The Ghusl of Ihram? I say: It is clear that its istihbab is emphasized.

51 Sadaad al-‘Ibad P24

52 Al-Risalah Al-Salatiyah P7
53 Bidayat al-Hidaya P27
54 Al-Nihayah P2
Issue: Charcoal Soil from the Soil of Al-Husayn? I say: The truth is that it
does not lose its designation as earth, and it is halal to perform sujood on it
and to perform tayammum with it for that reason.
Issue: The Remaining Ghusls Apart from Ghusl Janabah? I agree with:
whether they are wajib or mistahab, what is chosen by ‘Alm al-Huda is that
all ghusls suffice in place of wudu.”55
Al-Faydh Al-Kashani (QS): “Every mukalaf who is free from haydh and nafas
bleeding, and who has the means for thara, must perform five daily prayers,
which total seventeen rak'ahs during regular times: four rak'ahs for both
Dhuhr and 'Asr, four for 'Isha, three for Maghrib, and two for Fajr. However,
on Fridays, for those who meet the necessary conditions, the Dhuhr prayer
consists of two rak'ahs, known as the Friday prayer.
While traveling, all prayers are two rak'ahs except for Maghrib, which
remains three. This is all based on abundant textual evidence and
consensus.”56
Al-Halabi (QS): “The wujoob of khums is specific to a small amount
obtained through war with the disbelievers, whether it be money, slaves,
livestock, weapons, or anything else that can be transferred, regardless of
its quantity. It also applies to treasures that reach the amount at which
zakat is due, and to what is obtained from minerals, with the value of a
dinar or more. Additionally, it includes what exceeds the annual expenses
from all gains obtained through trade, craftsmanship, agriculture, rental,
gifts, charity, inheritance, or other means of acquisition. Furthermore, it
applies to all that is mixed with what is lawful and unlawful, where one
cannot distinguish between the two or identify the rightful owner.”57
Al-Saduq (QS): “Know that there is no wujoob on gold until it reaches
twenty dinars. Once it reaches that amount, there is a half dinar due. When
it reaches twenty-four dinars, there is then a half dinar and a tenth dinar
due. This continues in this manner: whenever it exceeds twenty-four by
four dinars, there is a due of a half dinar for every four dinars until it
reaches forty dinars. Once it reaches forty mithqals, there is one mithqal(a

55 Al-Masa’il Al-Dhuhayriyah P573-575

56 Mafatih Al-Shara’i P13
57 Al-Kafi fi al-Fiqh P170
measurement of weigh that is 3 dirhams and 3 sevenths of a dirham heavy)
due.”58
Also, F.Y.I. Mirza Mohammad al-Akhbari(QS) doesn’t give evidence for a
whole number of beliefs in the end of the Theological Letter, meaning: he
wants you to do taqleed in aqeedah.

Today, the School of the Ahal al-Bayt(A) has four maraaja, them being:
1. The Muhaqiq, Shaykh Yusuf al-Bahrani(QS)
2. The Allamah, Shaykh Hussain aal Asfour(QS)
3. The Muqalad, Shaykh Abdullah al-Sitri(QS)
4. Shaykh Mohammad-Amin Zayn al-Din(QS)
The next section is the shortened biography for Shaykh Yusuf(QS).

58 Al-Hidayah P174
 SHAYKH YUSUF AL-BAHRANI(QS)
By Shaykh Jaafar al-Shariqi(HA)

The great jurist and the radiant muhadith is Shaykh Yusuf, the son of the
Allamah, the hujjah, the icon, Shaykh Ahmad ibn Ibrahim bin Ahmad ibn
Salih bin Ahmad ibn Asfour ibn Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Husayn ibn 'Atiyyah ibn
Shaybah al-Durazi al-Bahrani.

His birth was in the village of Mahooz, where our great shaykh, Shaykh
Ahmad (the father of Shaykh Yusuf) had migrated from his hometown of
Duraz to complete his advanced studies under his teacher, the great
muhaqiq, Shaykh Sulayman al-Mahoozi. He had brought his family with
him, and settled there, devoting himself to learning from the
aforementioned teacher. During his stay there, Shaykh Yusuf was born in
the year 1107 hijri.

And since Shaykh Yusuf was the first son to his father, he was specially
favored by his grandfather, the pious and generous merchant, the Hajj
Ibrahim, who was a merchant with ships and workers who worked in pearl
diving, trade and commerce.

Shaykh Yusuf grew up in the bosom of his righteous grandfather and was
raised and nurtured under his care. His grandfather provided him a tutor at
home who taught him reading and writing until he mastered them. Then
his father took charge of his training, upbringing, and educating with great
affection and tenderness. He personally undertook the task of teaching and
instructing him, keeping a close watch over him, giving him his attention
and guidance.

He began to teach him the elementary subjects, dictate to him the

fundamentals, taught him Arabic, and impart to him the literary and non-
literary sciences until he completed them and became proficient in them.
He attained an elevated status in the literary arts and excelled in the
sciences of rhetoric.

He continued in this way, studying under his father and drawing from his
pure and sweet spring of knowledge.

The life of Shaykh Yusuf was filled with calamities, tribulations, disasters,
and hardships, as if it was divine desire for him from the first day that he
would be the target of afflictions and misfortunes.
Five years of his life passed then the seditions and disturbances began in
his homeland, Awal/Bahrain. Tribal wars broke out between the Hawala
and Utub tribes, and these continued for years with their consequences.

When this problem ended, and the people of Bahrain had barely escaped it,
they were assaulted by an even greater and more severe and shameful
calamity, namely the attacks of the Khawarij on Bahrain one time after
another, until in the third year they besieged it and occupied it by force. It
was a momentous event and a disastrous calamity due to the immense
killing, looting, plundering, and bloodshed that occurred, to the point that
the nobles and leaders of the land were compelled to flee their homelands,
escaping with their families to save themselves. Among them was the
father of the shaykh, for his father (rh) emigrated and left behind his eldest
son, who is the Sheikh Yusuf, in that dire predicament and terrible
situation, in the hope that he might guard what remained in the looting, and
try to recover some of what had been plundered of furnishings and
possessions, especially the books that were seized by force and carried off
as spoils, so that he might salvage what had been lost and safeguard what
remained, and send it little by little to his father.

After the years he spent like that, he joined his father in Qatif and renewed
his bond with him. But his father had grown weary of staying there and
disliked remaining due to the large number of children and the weakness of
his means. The events in Bahrain had affected him in a remarkable way,
especially when they burned down his house, which had an impact on the
health of Sheikh Yusuf's father and led to his illness lasting two months,
until he met his appointed end and God chose him for His vast mercy on the
morning of the twenty-second of Safar, 1131 hijri. People in general and
Sheikh Yusuf in particular suffered a great loss.

Sheikh Yusuf performed hajj and visited the shrines of the Imams(A) of
Guidance. He was also granted the opportunity to undertake several
journeys to Najaf and Iran, from where he then traveled to the holy city of
Karbala, where he authored some of his works. Through these visits, he
was able to gain maturity in his thinking and depth in his knowledge. He
studied under a number of great scholars, and in his book "Lulu'at al-
Bahrayn", he mentioned four of his teachers:

1. His father, the remarkable Shaykh Ahmad.

2. The outstanding scholar Shaykh Ahmad bin Abdullah bin al-Hasan
bin Jamal al-Baladi al-Bahrani, who passed away in the year 1137.
3. The great muhaqiq, the hudja, Shaykh Husayn, son of Shaykh
Muhammad Ja'far al-Mahoozi, who passed away in the year 1171
 hijri. He was the mainstay of his shaykhs and teachers in fiqh and
hadith.
4. Shaykh Abdullah ibn Ali ibn Ahmad al-Baladi al-Bahrani, who passed
away in Shiraz in the year 1148 hijri.

Shaykh Yusuf left behind a group of distinguished scholars, students of

knowledge, and men of virtue. Study circles were held for him, from which
his students sought to quench their thirst for knowledge and benefit from
his abundant grace. However, it is deeply regrettable that history has
overlooked most of those who graduated under him, especially in the lands
of Iran, particularly the school in Shiraz, as well as the holy city of Karbala,
where he remained a leader and teacher for twenty years, during which
time it was teeming with thousands of scholars and seekers of knowledge.
Among these were:

1. The famous rijalist Abu Ali al-Ha'iri, Muhammad ibn Isma'il, author of
the book "Muntaha al-Maqal fi 'Ilm al-Rijal".
2. The muhaqiq from Qom, Mirza Abu al-Qasim, the author of "al-
Qawanin".
3. Sayyid Ahmad al-'Attar al-Baghdadi, who passed away in the year
1215 hijri.
4. Sayyid Ahmad al-Taliqani al-Najafi, who passed away in the year
1208 hijri.
5. Shaykh Ahmad al-Ha'iri.
6. The noble Sayyid Ali al-Ha'iri, the author of the valuable book "al-
Riyad".
7. Sayyid Mahdi Bahr al-'Ulum(Ocean of knowledge).
8. The muhaqiq Ahmad al-Naraqi, the author of the valuable book
"Mustnad al-Shi'ah".
And other great and distinguished scholars who studied under his
tutelage and narrated from him(may God have mercy upon all of
them).

The following section is extracted from Fiqh al-Taqleed al-Mu’adal by

Shaykh Mohsin aal Asfour:

1. The esteemed Shaykh Ali al-Baladi al-Bahrani said in Anwar al-

Badrayn:
“The working knowledgeable, the perfect, the noble, without parallel
and without equivalence, the learned, the just, the divine scholar,
Shaykh Yusuf son of the most guided scholar, Shaikh Ahmad bin
 Shaikh Ibrahim aal Asfour al-Durazi al-Bahrani, the author of al-
Hadaiq al-Nadirah and other excellent works - the Shaykh of the
Shaykhs of Iraq and Bahrain, free from any blemish or defect... This
Shaykh, independent in spiritual and physical beauty, learned from
the greatest scholars of faith and Islam, and from the greatest
masters of refutation and establishment. All those who came after
him have mentioned him and praised him beautifully in terms of
knowledge, action, piety and nobility... In short, this Shaykh is from
the greatest scholars and the most prominent leaders of Islamic
scholarship. Whoever has delved into his books, such as al-Hadaiq, al-
Durr al-Najfiyyah, al-Ridha'iyyah, al-Shihab al-Thaqib, Salasil al-
Hadid, and Lu'lu'at al-Bahrain, and others, will know the true state of
this great man.”
2. Shaykh Abu Ali Muhammad bin Isma'il al-Rijali al-Ha'iri said in his
book Muntaha al-Maqal fi Ahwal al-Rijal:
“A learned and distinguished scholar, an excellent researcher, a
muhaddith, a devout worshipper, truthful, a religious man from
among the most illustrious of our contemporary shaykhs and the
most accomplished of our profoundly learned scholars”
3. Grandson of Scholars, Prince Abdalbaqi al-Majlisi said in Muntakhab
Lu'lu'at al-Bahrain:
“He was a distinguished, learned, muhaqiq, andeloquent scholar who
encompassed both the rational and literary sciences.”
4. And the verifier al-Tustari, Shaykh Asad Allah, said in Maqabis:
“The learned, the hard-working, the muhaqiq, the complete scholar,
the muhaddith, the faqih, the theologian, the eminent, the
quintessence of the noble distinguished ones and the mainstay of the
great examples, the one who has attained the utmost in piety and
God-consciousness, the loftiest in asceticism and worship, the highest
in virtue and bliss, the most precious in noble traits and merits, the
pleased, the pure, the chaste, whose excellence is renowned in all
regions of all cities and in all corners of the wilderness, the one
supported by the kind favors of the Creator.”
5. Mirza Mohammed al-Akhbari in his Rijal book:
“He was a jurist, a muhaddith and a man of piety.”
6. And the al-Fadil al-Khwansari said in Rawdat al-Jannat:
“The divine and the human scholar, most knowledgeable in fiqh and
most cautious and precise shaykh, the author of al-Hadaiq al-Nadirah,
al-Durr al-Najfiyyah, Lu'lu'at al-Bahrain, and other magnificent and
brilliant works that delight the soul with their perusal and please the
eye with their observation. The like of him has not been known
among the scholars of the saved sect in embodying the most shining
 noble traits, in the soundness of his character, the rectitude of his
conduct, the excellence of his innate disposition, the solidity of his
method, the observance of sincerity in knowledge and action, and the
adornment with the qualities of the first generation, and the free of
the vices of character of the latter-day ones who seek after positions
and ranks.”
7. The author of Nujum al-Sama' in his biographies of scholars said, in
paraphrased form:
“The author of al-Hadaiq is one of the later scholars, the most perfect
of the akhbaris, the most deeply versed of the jurists, and the greatest
of the people of religion and the people of fairness and moderation
between the methods of the Usulis and the Akhbaris.”
8. And the learned Mawla Shafi al-Jabalqi said in his large ijazah
(scholarly authorization) called al-Rawdah al-Bahiyyah fi al-Ijazat al-
Shafiiyyah:
“As for the muhadith, the scholar, the muhaqiq, Shaykh Yusuf (QS)
author of al-Hadaiq, he is one of the eminent ones of this community,
possessing abundant knowledge, excellent compositions, and
perceptive in speech, knowledgeable about the reports narrated from
the infallible Imams, may all the blessings of God be upon him. His
complete mastery and deep research in the reports is evident from
his books, especially al-Hadaiq al-Nadirah, for it is truly written with
light. And everyone who came after him benefited from al-Hadaiq al-
Nadirah. And he was trustworthy, pious, worshipful, and
abstemious...In summary, this Shaykh was one of the eminent and
distinguished scholars. So look at what afflictions and trials befell this
Shaykh, and despite that, how he occupied himself and composed
excellent works?”
9. And the great scholar, al-Muhadith al-Nuri, said in his mustadark
while speaking about the teachers of al-Sayyid Bahr al-`Ulum:
“The hard-working scholar, the muhadith, the divine jurist...and he
was a learned, distinguished scholar, an akhbari,”
10. The noble al-Shuwayky said in al-Durar al-Bahiyyah:
“He was an accomplished and meticulous scholar. There was no one
in his time who was his equal. He authored extensively, and his
writings and books became well-known.”
11. And the muhadith, Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi, said in al-Fawa'id
al-Radawiyyah:
“He is the learned, worshipping, practicing, muhadith, pious, perfect,
accomplished, profoundly knowledgeable, diligent, noble scholar -
the point of reference for the prominent jurists, the jurist of the Ahl
al-Bayt(A), the spiritual scholar, and the Bahrani jurist. He is the
 author of valuable and beneficial works, the best of which is the book
"Al-Hadaiq al-Nadhirah" on the rulings of the pure progeny.
And he also said in his book "Hidayat al-Ahbab":
“He was a learned, accomplished, traditionalist, pious, and perfect
scholar - the point of reference for the prominent jurists, the jurist of
the Ahl al-Bayt.”
12. al-Khayyabani said in Raihanat al-Adab regarding those known
by their name and titles:
“He was a spiritual scholar, a noble jurist, an esteemed muhadith, an
accomplished and meticulous researcher, an extremely learned
scholar, a devout worshipper, an ascetic, a pious man of good
character - he attained the peak of fame in knowledge, practice, and
excellence of natural disposition.”
13. Sayyid Ibrahim al-Musawi al-Zanjani said in his book Jowlah fi
al-Amakin al-Muqaddasah:
“The great traditionalist and the greatest jurist, Shaykh Yusuf ibn
Shaykh Ahmad ibn Ibrahim.”
14. Mulla Ahmad al-Naraqi, in one of his ijazahs to some of his
contemporaries as narrated by al-Khwansari in his Rawdhat, said
when listing the chain of his father Mulla Muhammad Mahdi al-
Naraqi's authorizations:
“And the second is the accomplished muhadith, the perfect jurist, the
learned, pious, practicing scholar, the author of "Al-Hadaiq al-
Nadhirah" and other numerous excellent works, Shaykh Yusuf ibn
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Bahrani.”
15. Al-Zarkali said:
“He was an Imami jurist, an ocean of knowledge.”
16. Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin said:
“He was one of the most excellent of our later scholars, with a natural
disposition, balanced temperament, and excellent jurisprudence and
hadith.”
17. Dr. Mansur Sarhan said:
“Shaykh Yusuf ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim Al-Asfur, known by the title
"Al-Durazi Al-Bahrani", was born in the village of Mahooz in the year
1107 AH. He is called "Al-Durazi" in relation to the residence of his
ancestors in the village of Al-Duraz. Shaykh Yusuf is considered
among the most prominent scholars of the aal Asfour family, the
scholars of Bahrain, and Shia scholars as a whole in the 12th century
AH. He was the most prolific in knowledge and production, and was
known for his works "Al-Hadaiq" and "Lulu'at al-Bahrain". He studied
under his father Shaykh Ahmad ibn Ibrahim, Shaykh Husayn Al-
Mahawalawi and Shaykh Ahmad ibn Abdullah Al-Baladi.”
Shaykh Jaafar al-Shariqi continues:

Shaykh Yusuf al-Bahrani (QS) left behind lasting works that have remained
the focus of scholars to this day, in addition to his role as a teacher. It is said
that the number of his authored works, including books, treatises,
annotations, and commentaries, exceeded forty:

1. His valuable book, which has become as well-known as the sun at

noon,"al-Hada'iq al-Nadhira", which has become more famous than
the author himself, to the point that he is often referred to simply as
"the author of al-Hada'iq". This work is printed in 25 volumes.
2. "Lu'lu'at al-Bahrayn fi Tarajim al-'Ulama'".
3. "Forty Hadith on the Virtues of the Commander of the Faithful (A)",
which he extracted from the books of the aamah (sunnis, ibadis ect..).
4. His explanation on the book "Madarik al-Ahkam" by the jurist Sayyid
Muhammad al-'Amili (QS).
5. His commentary of "al-Shamsiyyah" in logic.
6. "al-Shihab al-Thaqib fi Bayan Ma'na al-Nasib" (The Piercing Meteor in
Explaining the Meaning of the term: “Nasib”).
7. "Mi'raj al-Bayyinah fi Sharh Man la Yahduruh al-Faqih" (The Ascent
of the Proof in Explaining “Man la Yahduruh al-Faqih").

And other valuable works and legacies. May God reward him the best for
his service to Islam and muslims.

Sheikh Yusuf al-Bahrani (QS) passed away in the afternoon of Saturday, the
4th of Rabi' al-Awwal, 1186 AH, at the age of around 80. He had dedicated
his life to the service of knowledge and religion, documenting and
organizing fiqh, and compiling the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (A). May
God sanctify his soul, illuminate his resting place, and reward him for his
service to His Prophet(S)
and Imams(A).