Baha al-Din Muhammad al-Amili

Baha al-Din Muhammad al-Amili was a Lebanese-born Shia Islamic scholar, poet, philosopher, architect, mathematician and astronomer, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries in Safavid Iran. He was born in Jabaa, Lebanon in 1547 CE, and belonged to the lineage of Imam Musa al-Kadhim. He showed remarkable intelligence and talent from an early age, and mastered various branches of Islamic sciences such as jurisprudence, hadith, theology, ethics and mysticism. He followed the Twelver school of Shia Islam in jurisprudence and theology, but was also influenced by Sufism and philosophy. Al-Amili traveled extensively to different regions and countries, such as Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey and India, to seek knowledge and teach his students. He visited many eminent scholars and Sufi masters of his time, such as Ahmad ibn Abi Jumhur al-Ahsa'i, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Latif al-Muqaddasi, Mir Damad and Shaykh Hasan al-Safawi. He also served as a royal physician and astrologer for the Safavid kings Shah Abbas I and Shah Safi. He was given the titles of Sheikh Baha'i (the Sheikh of Baha), Baha al-Din al-Amili (the Glory of Religion from Amil) and Sheikh Bahai (the Sheikh of Bahai). Al-Amili was a prolific writer and authored over 90 books and treatises on various subjects, such as medicine, chemistry, philosophy, logic, astronomy, theology and poetry. His most famous works include Kashkul (The Begging Bowl), a collection of poems, anecdotes and stories; Jami' Abbasi (The Abbasi Compendium), a comprehensive book on astronomy; Tadhkirat al-Awliya (The Memoir of the Saints), a biographical work on Sufi saints; Risala fi'l-Hay'a (Treatise on Astronomy), a summary of Ptolemaic astronomy; Risala fi'l-Mizan (Treatise on the Balance), a manual on mechanics; Risala fi'l-Hisab (Treatise on Arithmetic), a book on mathematics; Risala fi'l-Musiqi (Treatise on Music), a book on music theory; Risala fi'l-Shi'r (Treatise on Poetry), a book on poetics; Risala fi'l-Siyasat (Treatise on Politics), a book on political science; Risala fi'l-Tibb (Treatise on Medicine), a book on medicine; Risala fi'l-Waridat (Treatise on Spiritual States), a book on mysticism; Risala fi'l-Zij (Treatise on the Astronomical Tables), a book on astronomical calculations; Risala fi Sharh Fusus al-Hikam (Treatise on the Explanation of the Bezels of Wisdom), a commentary on Ibn Arabi's work; and others. His books are considered as classics of Persian literature and Islamic thought, and have been translated into many languages. Al-Amili was a pioneer in many fields of science and art. He was the first to use algebraic methods to solve geometric problems; he discovered the formula for the volume of a truncated pyramid; he invented several mechanical devices and instruments; he designed and constructed many architectural wonders such as the Monar Jonban (the Shaking Minarets) and the Sheikh Baha'i Hammam (the Bathhouse of Sheikh Baha'i) in Isfahan; he composed many poems in both Persian and Arabic languages, and used various forms and styles such as ghazal, rubai, mathnawi, qasida and qit'a; he advocated for rationalism and free inquiry against dogmatism and blind imitation. Al-Amili was revered as one of the greatest scholars and scientists of his time and of all time. He was given the titles of Imam al-Hukama (Leader of the Wise), Hakim Bimaristan (Physician of the Hospital) and Ustad Jami' al-Funun (Master of All Sciences). He influenced many later scholars and thinkers in both the Islamic world and Europe. His works were translated into Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, Latin and other languages. He died in 1621 CE at the age of 74 in Mashhad. He was buried in the Imam Reza Shrine.²