Shaikh Sadouq ibn Babwaiy: An immortal scholar of Islam

Welcome to an exclusive feature on the great Iranian Islamic scholar, jurisprudent and theologian, Shaikh Mohammad bin Ali, known popular as Shaikh Sadouq ibn Babwaiy, who flourished a thousand years ago, and whose mausoleum is in Reyy, south of Tehran.

Although no exact date of his birth is available, whether in accordance with the lunar or solar calendar, he is commemorated every year in the Islamic Republic of Iran on the 15^th of the Iranian month of Ordibehesht.

His father, Abu’l-Hassan Ali Babawaih, was also a great scholar and flourished in the city of Qom during the imamate of Imam Hasan Askari (AS) – the 11^th Infallible Heir of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Shaikh Sadouq was born in Qom, sometime in 306 AH, during the minor occultation or Ghaybat as-Soghra of the Lord of the Age, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance for establishment of the global government of peace, prosperity and justice. In fact, his birth was due to the prayer of the Twelfth Imam in the Divine Court, since his father had written to Imam Mahdi (AS), saying he was now in an advanced age and without children. Shortly after this he received a reply instructing him to marry such and such a women, who will bear several children. Thus when the eldest was born, his father named him Mohammad, and he grew up to become the great Shaikh Sadouq because of his truthfulness and extreme diligence in matters of religion. Later Shaikh Sadouq has narrated from one of his teachers: Abu Ja’far Mohammad bin Ali al-Aswad used to say to me, ‘It is not strange for you to have such an insistent desire for learning since you came to this world by the supplication of the Imam of the Age.

Shaikh Sadauq used to take pride in such a birth and say, ‘I was born due to the prayer of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance).’

Shaikh Sadouq grew up in the laps of virtue; his father used to feed him with the knowledge, shower him with the abundance of moralities, and instill in him piety. All these contributed in his scholastic perfection. Soon he became a great figure excelled in the fields of virtue and knowledge. The  political circumstances of that period played a significant role in crystallizing the personality of Shaikh Sadouq who lived in the reign of the Iranian Buwaihid dynasty of Iraq and Iraq, the Fatemids of Egypt and Northern Africa, and the Hamdanids of Syria – all of whom were Shi’a Muslims or followers of the Prophet’s blessed household, the Ahl al-Bayt.

Shaikh Sadouq travelled widely in search or hadith and acquisition of knowledge. He traveled to Khorasan and Central Asia and performed pilgrimage to the holy shrine of the Prophet’s 8^th Infallible Heir, Imam Reza (AS). He says in this regard: “After I visited the shrine of Imam Reza (AS) I was in Naishapur where I found that the majority of people were perplexed by the Ghaybah or Occultation of the Imam of the Age. Hence, I exerted all my efforts for guiding them to the right path by means of the relevant narrations of the Prophet and the Imams, peace be upon them.”

In the years 352 and 355 AH, Shaikh Sadouq was in Baghdad where he acquired more knowledge under the leading scholars of Iraq. In 354 AH, he had the honour to perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and visit the shrine of the Prophet in Medina.

Abu Abbas an-Najashi, the famous bibliographer has written that Shaikh Sadouq wrote some three hundred books and treatises. He also groomed several students who grew into leading scholars. He passed away in 381 AH and buried in the city of Reyy. Today, his tomb is one of the famous shrines whom are frequently visited by people who seek blessings there. In 1238 AH, Fath Ali Shah Qajar reconstructed that holy shrine.

AS/ME