The history of Shiism and Arabic literature in the fourth century AH is indebted to a figure who dedicated his life and pen to elucidating the teachings of the Alawi tradition. Sayed Razi is remembered not only as a distinguished man of letters and a proficient jurist but also as the compiler of Nahj al-Balagha—establishing an unbreakable bond between human knowledge and the divinely-inspired words of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him). In his short yet highly productive life, he recorded achievements ranging from social administration to the founding of academic centers. Ultimately, with a heart overflowing with love for Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), he hastened to his shrine in Karbala, there to rest eternally in the shade of the very words he had spent a lifetime collecting.
Birth and Academic Life
Muhammad ibn al-Hussain ibn Musa, famously known as Sayed Razi and Sharif Razi, was a Hashimite sayed from the family of Abi Talib—hence the title “Sharif.” On his father’s side, his lineage traces back to Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him), the seventh Shia Imam, through six intermediaries. His mother was a descendant of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him), the fourth Shia Imam. [1][2]
Sayed Razi was one of the great Shia figures and renowned literary scholars of the fourth century AH. He was born in Baghdad in 359 AH and, due to his extensive knowledge in jurisprudence, literature, grammar, and Quranic exegesis, was recognized as one of the most outstanding scholarly and literary personalities of his time.
Alongside his brother, Sayed Murtada, Sayed Razi was a prominent Shia figure in Baghdad, and both played significant roles in the scientific and social arenas. Razi’s primary fame rests on his compilation of the invaluable work Nahj al-Balagha. He completed this work in 400 AH, organizing it into three main sections: “Sermons,” “Letters,” and “Wisdom (Sayings).” He took great pride in this achievement. His criterion for selecting narrations was their literary eloquence and rhetorical excellence. [3]
Works and Legacy of Sayed Razi
In addition to Nahj al-Balagha, Sayed Razi authored books such as Mujazat al-Quran, Mujazat al-Nabawiyya, and Ma’ani al-Quran, which demonstrate his mastery of Quranic sciences and literature. His poetry also enjoyed particular renown, establishing him as one of the greatest Arab poets. [4]
Establishment of Dar al-Ilm
Despite holding heavy official positions—such as the Niqabat al-Talibiyyin , the Imarat al-Hajj and the Riyasat Diwan al-Mazalim —each of which could have consumed all his time, Sayed Razi never neglected his scholarly activities, poetry, or authorship of valuable works. Going beyond individual efforts, he conceived the idea of establishing a higher religious school to train students. Although he lacked personal financial means, he noticed that a group of students and disciples constantly accompanied him. He procured a house, converted it into a school for his pupils, and named it Dar al-Ilm. He provided all the necessary facilities for the students.
Sayed Razi equipped Dar al-Ilm with a library and a treasury containing all manner of supplies. He gathered all the students’ living essentials in the treasury and gave each student a key, allowing them to open the storeroom directly and take whatever they needed at any time, without waiting for a storekeeper. By doing so, he sought to grant his students dignity and independence. Dar al-Ilm also housed a library with all the books students required, ensuring they were self-sufficient in their studies and research.
It is important to note that the founding of Sayed Razi’s Dar al-Ilm predated the establishment of the Nizamiyya of Baghdad by several decades—a school built with a massive state budget by Khwaja Nizam al-Mulk al-Tusi. Although most historians consider Nizam al-Mulk the first to establish schools for teaching religious sciences in Islam, we find that Nizam al-Mulk undertook this project nearly a hundred years after the death of Sayed Razi. It appears that Dar al-Ilm was later continued and expanded by his brother, Sayed Murtada, becoming an institution that nurtured great scholars such as Shaykh al-Ta’ifah, Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Tusi. [5]
Motivation for Compiling Nahj al-Balagha
In the beautiful and significant introduction to Nahj al-Balagha, Sayed Razi writes about his motivation:
“In the early days of my youth and the freshness of life, I began compiling a book on the ‘Characteristics and Virtues of the Imams (peace be upon him),’ which included interesting reports and outstanding sayings of theirs. I stated the motivation for this work at the beginning of that book. However, after gathering the characteristics of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), the difficulties and vicissitudes of time prevented me from completing the rest of the book.
I had divided that book into various chapters. In its final chapter, I included a section containing the fascinating sayings of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)—short aphorisms on sermons, wisdom, proverbs, and etiquette (not long sermons or extensive letters).
Some friends found it remarkable and wondrous in various respects, and they asked me to compile a book that would collect the choicest sayings of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him). They knew this book would contain marvels of eloquence, precious examples of rhetoric, the gems of Arab speech, and brilliant points of religious and worldly discourse—things never before gathered in any single book or comprehensively compiled in any writing.
Therefore, I answered my friends’ request and began this task (the compilation of Nahj al-Balagha), certain that its spiritual benefit would be great, that it would soon spread everywhere, and that its reward would be a treasure for the Hereafter.”
The Goal of Compiling Nahj al-Balagha
Sayed Razi continues in the introduction:
“My aim was, in addition to his countless other virtues, to illuminate the greatness and rank of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) from this perspective: that he is the only one, among all those who preceded him whose words remain, who attained the pinnacle of eloquence and rhetoric—his speech being a boundless ocean that no orator’s words could ever reach.
The speech of that Imam revolves around three principles:
- Sermons and commands.
- Letters and epistles.
- Wise and admonitory sayings.
I decided to first gather the sermons, then the letters, and finally the fascinating wise sayings of his holiness. I then dedicated a chapter to each and allotted specific pages to them, serving as a preliminary for what I might not yet have access to (and might obtain in the future). Whenever I found a statement of his on debate, answering a question, or some other purpose that did not fit any of these three categories, I placed it in the most appropriate and closest section.”
The Wondrous Words of the Master of the Pious
Sayed Razi writes in the introduction:
“Among the wonders of the speech of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)—in which he stands alone and unparalleled—is this: if one contemplates his words on asceticism and sermons, while disregarding that they come from a man of immense dignity and penetrating authority before whom all bow down, one will have no doubt that the speaker is someone who has trodden only the path of asceticism and piety, with no occupation other than worship. One would be convinced that this speech comes from someone secluded in a solitary corner of a house, far from society, or in a cave, hearing nothing but his own voice and seeing no one but himself, continually engaged in devotion.
One could never imagine that these words belong to a man who, at the time of battle, would plunge into the sea of enemy troops and cast down powerful champions and mighty warriors upon the ground. Yet, despite this, he was one of the ascetics, one of the righteous and pure, and an unparalleled exemplar.
These are his wondrous and astonishing virtues—the unique characteristic of having combined opposites.
After completing the book, I decided to name it Nahj al-Balagha (The Path of Eloquence), for it opens the doors of rhetoric to the beholder and brings his desires within reach.”
The Death of Sayed Razi
Sayed Razi passed away in Baghdad on the 6th of Muharram in the year 406 AH. His death was a great loss for the scholarly and Shia community of the time. Reports indicate that Fakhr al-Mulk, the vizier of Baha’ al-Dawla al-Daylami, along with the dignitaries and nobles of Baghdad, attended his funeral procession. His brother, Sayed Murtada, was so overwhelmed with grief that he could not participate in the ceremony and instead took refuge in the shrine of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him). Sayed Razi’s body was initially buried in his home but was later transferred to Karbala, where he was laid to rest beside the grave of his father and near the shrine of Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him). [6]
Following the death of Sayed Razi, the people of Baghdad turned out in large numbers for his funeral, an event recorded as one of the most crowded and significant occasions of that period. [7]
[1] Aqa Buzurg, Tabaqat A’lam al-Shi’a, Vol. 2, p. 164
[2] Ja’fari, Sayed Razi, 1375, p. 22
[3] Al-Nujum al-Zahira, Vol. 4, p. 240
[4] Tarikh al-Islam, Vol. 28, p. 149; Al-Nujum al-Zahira, Vol. 4, p. 240
[5] Pazhuhesh-ha-ye Nahj al-Balagha, No. 6; Umdat al-Talib fi Ansab Al Abi Talib, p. 179
[6] Waqa’i’ al-Ayyam, Vol. 1, p. 225; Al-Nujum al-Zahira, Vol. 4, p. 239
[7] Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, Vol. 9, p. 261
