MISBĀH-UL MUTAHAJJID

Sheikh-e Tūsi, Abū Jafar Muhammad son of Hasan son of Ali

SUBJECT

Du'ā
(Supplications) and Ziyārat (Prayers said during pilgrimages)

TOPICS:

Sheikh Tūsī in this book
has mentioned recommended rituals' (so-called Ibādāt-e Mustahabb), as
well as supplications (Du'ā) and prayers (Ziyārāt) during the year.

Sheikh-e Tūsi also
mentioned some juridical prescripts in his book, which are related to the
rituals.

CREDIBILITY OF THE
BOOK:

Misbāh-ul Mutahajjid is
one of the authentic books of narrations among Shi'a scholars, and has
continuously received the most attention of the Ulamā and laymen. Great Shi'a
scholars have provided commentaries, abstracts, and translations of this book
and written many books about it. Outstanding dignitaries such as Kaf'amī, Sayyid
Ibne Tāwūs, Allāmah Hillī, and Sheikh Abbās Qummī have taken advantages of this
book in their compilations.

DATE OF WRITING:

This book was written
soon after Sheikh-e Tūsī arrived in Baghdād in the year 408 H. Then he could
make use of the famous Shāpour' Library of Baghdad, which later on was set on
fire by criminals of history. He could also use the library of his teacher,
Sayyid Murtadā, and collect authentic Riwāyāt (Narrations and Traditions)
about the religious precepts of the Shiites as well as books written by the
disciples of the Infallible Imams (A.S.). Particulars of these valuable books
are given in Sheikh-e Tūsi's books. At the same time he completed other books
entitled as Tahdhib-ul Ahkām and Istibsār further to the book
Misbāh-ul Mutahajjid .

VALUE OF THE BOOK:

The book Misbāh-ul
Mutahajjid' is regarded as one of the important books of Du'ā & Ziyārat' among
Shiite Muslims since the time of its writing until the present time. Outstanding
Ulamā like Kaf'ami, Sayyid Ibne Tāwūs, Allāmah Hillī and Sheikh Abbās Qummī have
made extensive use of this book in their own books of Du'ā, namely Misbāh
(by Kaf'amī), Iqbāl-ul-A'māl (by Ibne Tāwūs), and Mafātīh-ul-Jinān
(by Sheikh Abbās Qummī).

SUPPLEMENTARY
WRITINGS:

In the year 635 H. Sayyid
Raziuddīn Abul-Qāsim Ali son of Mūsā son of Tāwūs, wrote five books as
supplements to Sheikh-e Tūsi's Misbāh-ul Mutahajjid'. These are:

1)
Falāh-us-Sā'el containing daily and nightly rituals;

2)
Zahrat-ur-Rabī'
on the weekly recommended rituals;

3)
Ad-Dorū'-ul-Wāqiyah' on the monthly recommended

rituals;

4) Iqbāl-ul-A'māl
on the yearly-recommended deeds;

5) Asrār-us-Salāh
(Secrets of the Prayer)

SUMMARIZATION:

Considering that his book
was well received, Sheikh-e Tūsī himself decided to make an abridged version of
his work, with a view to its greater use by the people. He gave the summary the
title Misbāh-ul Mutahajjid-e Saghīr'. Other Ulamā also made summaries of
Misbāh-ul Mutahajjid'. They include:

1)
Sheikh
Nizāmuddīn Suleimān son of Hasan Mehrashtī, whose summary was given the title
Qabas-ul Isbāh Fī Talkhis-il Misbāh'; and

2)
Allāmah
Hillī who summarized Misbāh-ul Mutahajjid' at the request of a minister named
Muhammad Ibne Qūhadī, and gave his work the title Minhāj-us-Salāh Fī
Mukhtasar-il Misbāh', and at its end he added a chapter Hādī Ashar' (a series
of the principles of Islamic beliefs).

TRANSLATIION:

Some other distinguished
Ulamā have translated this book, as named below:

1)
Sayyid Ali
son of Muhammad son of Asadullāh Imamī Isfahānī

2)
Sheikh
Abbās Qummī (Persian translation) in the year 1331 Hejira. This translation has
been used marginally in the print of the book Misbāh-ul Mutahajjid'.

EXPLANATORY
WRITINGS:

Some of the Ulamā have
written commentaries for Misbāh-ul Mutahajjid'. They include:

1)
Sayyid
Bahā-uddīn Ali Ibne Ghiyāsuddīn Abd-ul Karim

2)
Sayyid
Zainuddīn Ali Ibne Abd-ul Hamīd Husainī Najafī.

TOPICS:

This book includes many
subjects, some of which are mentioned below:

1-
Tahārah'
(keeping oneself in a state of personal cleanliness, including ablution before
prayers)

2-
Daytime and
Nighttime Prayers

3-
Acts of
recommended rituals for week-days

4-
Rituals
recommended especially for Fridays

5-
Prayers
recommended during week

6-
Prayers and supplications during the holy month of Ramadān

Manuscripts AND PRINTS:

1)
A manuscript
kept in the library of Āstān-e Quds-e Razawī (Mashhad) bears the date 500 H.,
i.e. forty years after the demise of Sheikh Tūsi.

2)
The
manuscript in the library of Sheikh Ismāeil Ansārī has the date 1082 H.

3)
The copy
which has been printed now originally, belonged to Sheikh Abbāss Qummī, the
compiler of Mafātīh-ul-Jinān'. The print is valuable and well got up. It is
proofread, corrected, and introduced by Ustād Ali Asghar Murvārīd' and
Hujjatul-Islām Sheikh Abūdhar Bīdār. At the end of it, seven lists are appended:

1)
List of the
Qur'anic verses:

2)
Glossary of
terms;

3)
List of the
given days, months and years;

4)
List of
scientific figures;

5)
List of the
places mentioned;

6)
List of the
tribes mentioned; and

7)
Contents
(Topics) of the book.