In these few lines I would like to introduce the great
Shiʼi scholar, Sayed Mohmmad Quli Kintoori, and to point out his view
regarding the third testimony in the Adhān. The purpose of writing this is not
proving whether that testimony is an essential part of Adhān or not, it is
rather to state the view of this great scholar.
Firstly, I have to introduce him and quote some scholars
who praised him to let the readers aware of the great position of this scholar.
Sayed Mohammad Quli Kintoori, was an Indian Shiʼi scholar
originated from the town of Kintoor in Northeastern India, though his ancestors
were originally from Nishapur, Iran, but had moved and settled in Kintoor since
too long.
The Sayed was born on 1775 in Kintoor and grew up
there. He moved later to the city of Lucknow where he became one of the major
pupils of Sayed Dildār ʿAli (d. 1820), who was the head of Shiʼas at
that time. During that time, the Shiʼi faith prevailed all over India
due to the efforts of Sayed Dildār ʿAli, and for instance I quote here a
saying by a so-called ”Sunni“ historian, namely Abd al-Hay Lucknowi who was
from the same place as well. This man authored a biographical book entitled Nozʼhat
al-Khawātir including biographies of many Indian clerics from different Islamic
sects. In the biography of the latter Sayed, he says the following:
”ثم إنه بذل جهده في إحقاق مذهبه وإبطال غيره من المذاهب، لا سيما الأحناف والصوفية
والإخبارية، حتى كاد يعم مذهبه في بلاد أودة ويتشيع كل الفرق “
”He
[Sayed Dildār ʿAli] placed his efforts for justification his Madhʼab and
vitiating the else especially the Hanafi, Sufi and Akhbari groups, until his
Madhʼab was about to dominate the whole state of Oudh, and all other sects to
adhere to Shiʼism“.
Nozʼhat
al-Khawātir, page 967.
The same reason led a major Indian scholar from Delhi,
India; namely Shāh Abd al-Azīz Dehlavi (d. 1823) to write a book entitled
al-Toḥfa al-ʼIthnā ʿAshariyya as refutation to Shiʼis, which was highly appreciated
by Sunni scholars. He says in the introduction of this book the following:
”غرض از تسوید این رساله و تحریر این مقاله آن است که در این بلاد که ما ساکن
آنیم و در این زمان که ما در آنیم رواج مذهب اثنا عشریه و شیوع آن به حدی اتفاق افتاده
که کم خانه باشد که یک دو کس از آن خانه به آن مذهب متمذهب نباشند “
”The purpose of writing this
treatise and authoring this essay is the prevailing of the Madhʼab of the
ʼIthnā ʿAsharīs in this country where we live in and at the time which we are
already in, to a degree that it is hardly to find a house where no two or three
of its members adhere to this Madhʼab“.
al-Toḥfa
al-ʼIthnā ʿAshariyya, page 2.
The Shiʼi scholars in India had not turn any
blind eye to this book, rather they have written numerous rebuttals to it.
Sayed Mohammad Quli Kintoori took part in this too, and enjoyed fame for his
five rebuttals to al-Toḥfa al-ʼIthnā ʿAshariyya, and the most know of
his books is Tashyīd al-Matāin where he spoke about the misdeeds of the
enemies of the Ahlul-Bayt (AS) and refuted what Dehlavi had written in defense of
them.
Unfortunately, the book has not been translated to any language, although
some quotes can be found translated, and here is an example from the book The
Tragedy of Al-Zahra (AS) which was written by Sayed Jaʿfar Murtadha al-ʿĀmili
(Beirut, Lebanon) and translated by Yasin T. al-Jibouri, where the Sayed
quotes the opinion of Sayed Mohammad Quli regarding the tragedy of Lady
al-Zahra (AS):
”T
he father of the author of `Abaqat al-Anwar, says the
following in his book titled Tashyeed al-Mata`in wherein he recorded scores of
pages containing many texts the translation of which is as follows:
`Omer
threatened to burn Fatima (A.S.), gathering firewood around her house as is
narrated by trustworthy Sunni narrators and the most prominent of their
reliable authorities and the greatest of their traditionists from the early
generations and from the latter Ones (A.S.) such as al-Tabari, al-Waqidi,
`Othman ibn Aba Shaybah, Ibn `Abd Rabbih, Ibn Jirayah, the compiler of
Al-Mahasin and Anfas al-Jawahir, Ibn `Abd al-Birr ibn Aba Shaybah,
al-Balathiri, Ibn `Abd al-Birr (author of Al-Ista`ab), Abu Bakr al-Jawahiri,
author of the book titled Al-Saqifa, the judge Jamal ad-Din Wasil, Abul-Fida’
Isma`al ibn Ali (A.S.) ibn Mahmad (author of the book titled Al-Mukhtasar), Ibn
Qutaybah, Ibrahim ibn `Abdullah al-Yamani al-Shafi`i (author of the book titled
Al-Iktifa’), al-Sayyati (author of the book titled Jam` al-Jawami`, Mulla Ali
al-Muttaqi (author of Kanz al-`Ummal) and Shah Wali-Allah al-Dahlawi..., etc“.
Now, let me examine what three of well-known leading Shiʼi
scholars said about him.
1- Sheikh Āgha Bozorg Tehrāni (d. 1970), says
the following:
”وهو من أكابر المتكلمين والمفسرين، ومن أعاظم تلاميذ العلامة السيد دلدار علي “
”He was of the greatest
theologians and Mufassirin (i.e. interpreters of Qur'an), and one of the
greatest pupils of the ʿAllāmeh, Sayed Dildār ʿAli“.
Al-Kirām
al-Barara, volume 2, page 255.
2- Sheikh Abd al-Husain al-Amīni (d. 1971),
better known as ʿAllāmeh al-Amini, says the following in his Al-Ghadīr
encyclopedia while speaking about his son, Sayed Mir Hamid Husain, the
author of the book ʿAbaqat al-Anwār:
”وهذا السيد الطاهر العظيم كوالده المقدس، سيف من سيوف الله المشهورة على أعدائه “
”This pure great Sayed was like
his sacred father a sword of Allah's swords which has been used against his
enemies“.
Al-Ghadīr,
volume 1, page 196.
3- Sayed Moḥsin al-Amīn (d. 1952) says the
following:
” كان متكلماً بارعاً في علم المعقول حسن المناظرة (...) واشتغل في الرد على المخالفين
فقام به أحسن قيام “
”He was a theologian accomplished
in the logical sciences, good in debating, (...) and he involved in refuting
the opponents (i.e. so-called Sunnis), and what he did in this was excellent“.
Aʿyān
al-Shīʿa, volume 10, page 27.
Well, going back for the purpose of writing these line
which is pointing out his view regarding the third testimony being a part of
the Adhān. Sheikh Ali Namāzi Shāhroodi (d. 1982) says the following in
his book:
” سنة 1260 في 9 محرّم توفيّ السيّد محمّد قليخان المفتي والد صاحب العبقات. وله
كتب وتصانيف، منها رسالة في أن الشهادة بالولاية جزء الأذان “
”Year 1260 (according to the
Hijri calendar), on the 9th of Muharram, passed away Sayed Mohammad Quli Khan,
the mufti, the father of the author of the book Abaqat. He authored some books,
including a treatise proving that the testimony of Wilayat is an essential part
of the Adhān“.
Mustadrak
Safīnat al-Biḥār, volume 5, page 266.
Therefore, the opinion that the third testimony is an
essential part of the Adhān was held by some great Shiʼi
scholars, among them is Sayed Mohammad Quli Kintoori.
Absolutely, there are many
besides scholars hold this opinion too, but these lines are intended to
introduce this scholar in brief. I hope this open the eyes of some folks who
are dare to accuse others of Ghuluw, and would like to see if Sayed
Kintoori is the next one to be accused of Ghuluw or not.
