Papers by Tahir R. Jaffer
Infallible Words, vol. 1, 2022
The relationship between religion and medicine is not new, and when it comes to the Abrahamic tra... more The relationship between religion and medicine is not new, and when it comes to the Abrahamic traditions, we find that all the three main Abrahamic faiths have, within their scriptures, teachings that are related to medicine and health. While it is evident that the Bible and the Qurʾān are not medical texts, there are certain verses within them that are clearly about the human body, ailments that afflict it, remedies that can benefit it, and actions that can help protect it by preventing disease. In this study, we will focus our attention specifically on the narrations in the ḥadīth corpus that address issues pertaining to health and medicine.
A Computer Program for Windows PCs that calculates the Islamic Inheritance based on the rulings o... more A Computer Program for Windows PCs that calculates the Islamic Inheritance based on the rulings of al-Sayyid al-Sistani.
When there is a dearth of information about a given author or compiler in biographical sources, o... more When there is a dearth of information about a given author or compiler in biographical sources, one of the ways in which clues about his worldview is attained is through scrutinizing his work. Generally, what an author writes manifests his thoughts and beliefs. When it comes to ḥadīth compilations, the traditions that a compiler chooses to include in his work also portrays his own opinions and those that were prevalent during his time. In this paper, we will attempt to show how the process of deciphering a ḥadīth compiler's creed and understanding his milieu is not as straightforward as it seems. To do this, we will examine the 5th Century AH ḥadīth compilation of al-Ḥākim al-Ḥaskānī before trying to determine his confessional identity and learn a little about his era. Close reading and literary analysis is essential if one wishes to learn more about a literary text than what is apparent. To delve into the 'soul' of the text as it were, and try to discover what lies behind the words-not only its deeper meaning, but also what was going through the mind of the author, requires this kind of close reading. When it comes to ḥadīth texts, however, the issue becomes much more complicated. Since the aḥādīth are actually spoken by someone else (the Infallible) and conveyed by a chain of narrators, it would be almost impossible to attain an accurate understanding of the original speaker's thoughts and feelings unless they are made clear within the conveyed words. Even then, we would have to be certain that the words have been transmitted verbatim, without any changes whatsoever. Nevertheless, there is something to be said about the choices made by the compilers of ḥadīth regarding the traditions they decide to include within their collections.
Fadak was a fertile farm of date-palms outside Madīnah. The Holy Prophet (ṣ) gifted it to his dau... more Fadak was a fertile farm of date-palms outside Madīnah. The Holy Prophet (ṣ) gifted it to his daughter Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ ('a) but after he passed away, it was taken as the general property of Muslims. Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ went to see the caliph and delivered a sermon in which she demanded what was rightfully hers. This momentous sermon came to be known as the Sermon of Fadak. In this paper we first examine the sources and narrators of this sermon and then proceed to translate the entire sermon. Sources It can be evinced from biographical accounts that this sermon was recorded in the earliest sources. Lūṭ ibn Yaḥyā, better known as Abū Mikhnaf al-Azdī (d. 154 A.H.), penned a monograph titled Khuṭbat al-Zahrāʾ which is no longer extant. 1 The famous fourth century historian-cum-hadith scholar Abū al-Faraj Isfahānī, also wrote a book titled Kalāmu Fāṭimah fī Fadak which, similarly, has not reached us. 2 The teacher of al-Najāshī and al-Tūsī, Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Wāḥid al-Bazzāz (d. 423 A.H.) is similarly said to have written a book called Tafsīr Khuṭbat Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ. 3 Aside from these early works, we find that many scholars recorded this sermon in their books, either in its entirety or partially. The following is a list of all the extant works, that were compiled before the end of the 7 th century A.H., wherein the sermon of this holy lady has been mentioned: 1) Balāghat al-Nisāʾ by Aḥmad ibn Ṭayfūr: Abū al-Faḍl Aḥmad ibn Abī Ṭāhir, better known as Ibn Ṭayfūr (d. 280 A.H.), is reported to have authored about fifty works. His magnum opus was Tārīkh Baghdād and another famous work by him is al-Manthūr wal-Manẓūm. 4 The latter work was penned in fourteen volumes out of which only the eleventh and twelfth volume have reached us. Part of the eleventh volume is currently available under the title: Balāghat al-Nisāʾ. This monograph contains the speeches of some influential women. Ibn Ṭayfūr narrates the sermon of al-Sayyidah Fāṭimah ('a) after the speeches of ʿĀishah, wife of the Prophet (ṣ). 5 This is one of the earliest written sources where the sermon of the Prophet's daughter has been recorded with its chain of transmission. 2) Mukhtaṣar Baṣāʾir al-Darajāt by al-Ḥasan ibn Sulaymān al-Ḥillī: Saʿd ibn ʿAbdillāh al-Ashʿarī al-Qummī (d. 300 A.H.), one of the well-respected Shiʿa scholars of his time, wrote a book called Baṣāʾir al-Darajāt. 6 This book contained numerous traditions related to Shiʿī beliefs and was extant until the eight century. al-Ḥasan ibn Sulaymān
Life after death is as mysterious as it is frightening. This paper is an overview of the beliefs ... more Life after death is as mysterious as it is frightening. This paper is an overview of the beliefs of the three Abrahamic faiths, namely: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, about death and what comes after it. There are many similarities between these traditions but there are quite a few differences also. This is with regards to what has been mentioned in the Judeo-Christian scriptures. Mostly however, we find that Islam offers details that are not found in the earlier traditions and hence no comparison can be made. The dearth of information about the afterlife in the Jewish and Christian teachings has led to many scholars coming up with hypotheses and speculations about what to expect after death. Islam, on the other hand, gives us all the details about what will transpire and this is, after everything is said and done, the greatest difference between the three religious traditions
Translations by Tahir R. Jaffer
Jārullāh al-Zamakhsharī was a late 5th, early 6th century Sunnī scholar who authored many works. ... more Jārullāh al-Zamakhsharī was a late 5th, early 6th century Sunnī scholar who authored many works. This book is an abridged translation of his Rabī' al-Abrār wa Nuṣūṣ al-Akhyār which contains traditions, historical reports, wise sayings, aphorisms, and the occasional witticism that bring comic relief to the reader. Since not everything that is mentioned in his work is relevant for our times or beneficial, we have selected what we felt would be interesting and inspiring to readers and presented it in this volume.
This book was written by a companion of the Infallible
Imams who lived in the 3rd century AH. Al-... more This book was written by a companion of the Infallible
Imams who lived in the 3rd century AH. Al-Ḥusayn ibn
Saʿīd al-Ahwāzī lived during the time of the 8th, 9th and
10th Imams and narrated traditions from them all. He
is considered a reliable transmitter of ḥadīth and has
many treatises on various subjects. In this work, he has
compiled two hundred and ninety traditions on twenty
different ethical subjects. Many of the narrations he
quotes have been recorded in later authoritative ḥadīth
collections as well. As a manual of ethical teachings, this
work contains a summary of all the important teachings
of Islam pertaining to the subject of morals and akhlāq.
A translation of the 'nurnama' tradition.
A historical treatise on the life of the Prophet's daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon them... more A historical treatise on the life of the Prophet's daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon them both.
Books by Tahir R. Jaffer
Nahj al-Balāghah is a work that holds great value, particularly for the Shīʿah of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭā... more Nahj al-Balāghah is a work that holds great value, particularly for the Shīʿah of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (ʿa). With over a hundred commentaries written on it by both Sunnī and Shīʿī scholars, Nahj al-Balāghah is deemed second only to the Qurʾān in terms of the sheer number and volume of its commentaries. It comprises of a range of diverse topics including theology, eschatology, history, human life and psychology as well as politics, and religion. The uniqueness of Nahj al-Balāghah is based on, but not limited to, its literary elegance (faṣāḥah) and eloquence (balāghah). As the first complete commentary of Nahj al-Balāghah in English, this work is primarily aimed at making a difficult text more accessible to lay readers and non-specialists. It seeks to take readers beyond the literal meaning of the text when necessary, to clarify difficult passages, and to give a context to the words of the Imām especially when it is not apparent from the text itself.
A monograph exploring Islamic teachings that help to alleviate overwhelming grief and depression.
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Papers by Tahir R. Jaffer
Translations by Tahir R. Jaffer
Imams who lived in the 3rd century AH. Al-Ḥusayn ibn
Saʿīd al-Ahwāzī lived during the time of the 8th, 9th and
10th Imams and narrated traditions from them all. He
is considered a reliable transmitter of ḥadīth and has
many treatises on various subjects. In this work, he has
compiled two hundred and ninety traditions on twenty
different ethical subjects. Many of the narrations he
quotes have been recorded in later authoritative ḥadīth
collections as well. As a manual of ethical teachings, this
work contains a summary of all the important teachings
of Islam pertaining to the subject of morals and akhlāq.
Books by Tahir R. Jaffer
Imams who lived in the 3rd century AH. Al-Ḥusayn ibn
Saʿīd al-Ahwāzī lived during the time of the 8th, 9th and
10th Imams and narrated traditions from them all. He
is considered a reliable transmitter of ḥadīth and has
many treatises on various subjects. In this work, he has
compiled two hundred and ninety traditions on twenty
different ethical subjects. Many of the narrations he
quotes have been recorded in later authoritative ḥadīth
collections as well. As a manual of ethical teachings, this
work contains a summary of all the important teachings
of Islam pertaining to the subject of morals and akhlāq.