Al-Bahrani
Maytham ibn Ali (Arabic: ميثم ابن علي, 1238 – 1280), commonly known as Al-Bahrani (Arabic: البحراني), also known as Shaykh Al-Bahrani (Arabic: الشيخ ميثم البحراني) was a Twelver Shia Islamic scholar, theologian, and philosopher.
Shaykh al-Shia Kamal al-Din Maytham ibn Ali | |
|---|---|
 Shaykh al-Bahrani calligraphy | |
| Personal | |
| Born | 1238 |
| Died | 1280 Mahooz, Bahrain |
| Religion | Islam |
| Era | Islamic Golden Age |
| Denomination | Shia |
| Jurisprudence | Twelver |
| Creed | Ja'fari |
| Main interest(s) | Hadith, Shia fiqh |
| Notable work(s) | Shahr Nahj al-Balagha |
He promoted Twelver Shia Islam throughout Bahrain, which had been dominated by the Ismaili Shias. He died in 1280 in Mahooz, and is buried at the Shaykh al-Bahrani Mosque.
Life and work
Al-Bahrani wrote on Twelver doctrine, affirmed free will, the infallibility of prophets and imams, the appointed imamate of `Ali, and the occultation of the Twelfth Imam.[1] Along with Kamal al-Din Ibn Sa’adah al-Bahrani, Jamal al-Din ‘Ali ibn Sulayman al-Bahrani, Al-Bahrani was part of a 13th-century Bahrain school of theology that emphasised rationalism.[2]
At the same time, Al-Bahrani was profoundly influenced by the disciplines of philosophy and mysticism.[2] He wrote widely on such theology related philosophical issues as epistemology and ontology. Al-Bahrani died in 1280.
Legacy
Al-Bahrani has been described as the most important Shia scholar of Bahrain for his work in the region. He was also one of the greatest philosophers of Bahrain.[3] Al-Bahrani is also known as Shaykh al-Shia, among the Shia Muslims. scholarship took in both Twelver Imami and Sunni sources; according to University of Bahrain academic, Ali Al Oraibi:[2]
Maytham expresses admiration for certain Sunni theologians and quotes Sunni traditions, to the extent that it is said in Shi’i circles that while the Sunni ibn Abi al Hadid can be mistaken for an Imami, the Imami Maytham can be mistaken for a Sunni.
In the 13th Century, the Twelvers, who were particularly mystics,[2] were a growing influence in Bahrain, which had previously been dominated by the Ismaili Qarmatian sect.
The Bahrain school of thought's integration of philosophy and mysticism into Imami Shiasmhad an enduring legacy, influencing fourteenth century theologians such as Ibn Abi Jumhur al-Ahsai'i. Politically, the intellectual vitality of al-Bahrani and his contemporaries is credited with converting the Ilkhanid monarch, Öljaitü, to convert to Shia Islam and announce a Shia state.[4][2] He is buried in Mahooz, Bahrain, where a shrine and mosque have been constructed, known as the Masjid al-Bahrani.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attended Al-Bahrani's 2nd commemoration in Qom, Iran.[5]
See also
References
- Cole 2007, p. 33.
- Clarke 2001, p. 331–336.
- Matveev 1997, p. 11.
- Saeed 2004, p. 138–139.
- Warnaar 2013, p. 212.
Bibliography
- Saeed, Alizadeh (2004). Iran: A Chronological History. Alhoda UK. ISBN 9789640614136.
- Clarke, L. (2001). Shi'ite Heritage: Essays on Classical and Modern Traditions. Global Academic Publishing. ISBN 9781586840662.
- Cole, Juan (2007). Sacred Space and Holy War. IB Tauris.
- Matveev, Konstantin (1997). Bahrain Movement for Democracy. Bahrain Voice.
- Warnaar, Maaike (2013). Iranian Foreign Policy during Ahmadinejad: Ideology and Actions. Springer. ISBN 9781137337917.
- Rival Empires of Trade and Imami Shiism in Eastern Arabia, 1300-1800, Juan Cole, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2, (May, 1987), pp. 177–203