Qazi Nurullah Shustari

Qazi Nurullah Shustari

Life

(1549 A.D.-1610) Also known as Shaheed-e-Salis was an eminent Jurist (Faqih-scholar of Fiqh) and scholar (alim) of his time. Qazi Zia-ud-Din Nurullah Shustari known as Amir Sayyid and Shaheed-i-Thalis was born in 956 A.H./ at Shushtar, one of the cities of the present Khuzestan province in South of Iran. He was sayyid by lineage and belonged to the Mar'ashi family. Qazi Nurullah Shustari was the most important Shi'a scholar of the Mughal period [The World's Religions -Page 383- by Stewart R. Sutherland - Religion - 1988 - ] .

His father was Sayyid Muhammad Sharif-ud-din and grandfather Sayyid Zia-ud-Din Nurullah.

Education

He received his early education at home under the tutlage of his grandfather Sayyid Zia-ud-Din Nurullah and his father Sayyid Muhammad Sharif-ud-din and other local tutors. In the year 979 AH he went to Mashhad, the holy city in the Khurasan province.

Akbar's period

On 1 Shawwal 992/6 October 1584, Nuru'llah Shustari moved from Mashhad to India [ A Socio-intellectual History of the Isnā Asharī Shīaīs in India - Page 346by Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi, - 1986 - ] , and by another account in 1587 [The Shi'a of India-Page 140, By John Norman Hollister-1953] . He held the Post of Chief Qazi under Akbar. [Majmaʻulafkār - Page 15by Iqtidar Husain Siddiqi, K̲h̲udā Bak̲h̲sh Oriental Public Library- 1993] [The Shi'a of India-Page 140, By John Norman Hollister-1953]

Role in Mughal Court

He was an emissary of Akbar in Kashmir and was instrumental in pacifying a revolt which was in offing and he obtained the first census of the areas of Mughal Empire during Akbar's reign. This earned him great respect and trust of the Mughal emperor.On his return he was appointed as Chief Qazi (Qazi Quzaz), position equivanet of Chief Justice, of the Mughal empire.

Jehangir's period

Charges leading to his death and execution

Qazi Nurullah Shustari was flogged to death by Jahangir's order because of his writings and he was seventy years old at this time [Islamic education, diversity and national identity: Dīnī madāris in India ... - Page 107 by Jan-Peter Hartung, Helmut Reifeld - Islamic religious education - 2006 -] [A Cultural History of India - Page 290 by Arthur Llewellyn Basham - History - 1975] . Qazi Nurullah Shustari was executed in Jumada II 1019/September 1610 [Religion, State, and Society in Medieval India: Collected Works of S. Nurul Hasan- Page 76 by S. Nurul Hasan, Satish Chandra - History - 2005 ]

Shaheed-e-Salis Mousoleum

His tomb, which is at Agra, has been the centre of pilgrimage since the day of his martyrdom. It is also a venue where every year people gather from all over the Indian sub-continent to commemorate the anniversary of his martyrdom.

Works and Contribution

He wrote numerous books, which according to some count upt hundred and a large number of treatises on various subjects . Some of them are: Ahqaq-ul-Haq (Justification of the Truth ) : In this work he has defended the beliefs of Shi'ite faith .

Majalis-ul-Mo'mineen ( The Assembly of the faithfuls ) : Gives the description of the religious scholars and the other learned men .

Risala-i-Jalaliyyah: A treatise dedicated to Jalal - ud- Din Akbar , the Mughal emperor of Hindustan . It consists of knowledge . Marginal notes on several books like Shamsiya written about logic .

Sharh-i-Tajrij is regarding scholastic theology .

Khulasa-tul Aqwal : Deals with the biographies .

Sharh-i-Chaghmini: is a book on astronmy .

Tahrir-i-Uqlidas : meaning-'Writings of Euclid' is a book on geometry .

Sharh-ul-Hidaya : is a book on philosophy.

Sharh-i-Waqaya and Hidaya : both these works are on Hanafi school of jurisprudence .

Sharh-i-Aqa' id-i-Nasafi : is on the theology of the Sunnite Muslims .

Sharh-i-Mukhtasar-i-A'zdi : is a book on the principles of the jurisprudece dealing with Sunnite Muslims .

Do Risala (two treatises) : one of them is a commentary on the verses of the Glorious Quran related to the unity of God (Tawheed ) . The other is also a commentary dealing with the verses of the Glorious Quran related to sanctification of the Holy Ahlul Bayat ( A. S.)

Risala Dar Bab-i-Wujud : a treatise on the existence .

Risala Dar Sharh-i-Rubayi - i Abu Sa'id Abul Khair : a treatise in which one of the quatrains or the Sufi poet Abu Sa;id Abul Khair has been elaborated . A intricate review on the commentary written by Shaykh Faizi.

Risala Dar Bab-i-Qaza O' Qadar : treatise on free will and determinism.Commentaries on Tahzib - ul Ahkam : are related to the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad ( S. A.W) and jurisprudence . These are the detailed explanations of judgements based on the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A.W ) and the Islamic jurisprudence .

Tashrih-ul-Aflak : deals with astronomy .

Muqaddima-i-Masabih : is related to the traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) quoted by the Sunnite Muslims .

Risala Dar Munazira-i-Gul O' Sunbul : a treatise on the dispute between the flower and the hyacinth .

Risala-i-Munsha'at : a treatise on writings and compositions.

Beside the above mentioned books and treatise he has also several other literary works . Qazi Nurullah had excellent literary expertise and was profound in producing beautiful literary pieces in Arabic and Persian . His compositions in both languages are eloquent and full of fluency . He also composed verses in both the languages which number about three thousand . Some of them are still preserved in various books and treatises . Many of his works with the description of his life have been translated into Arabic, Persian and Urdu.

See also

Akbar

Jehangir

Nur Jahan

Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi

References

External links

* [http://books.google.com/books?id=zaoYAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA306&dq=shustari&lr=] An Oriental Biographical Dictionary: Founded on material collected by Thomas William Beale New edition revised by Henry George Keene
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=VVUOAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA116&dq=nurullah+shustari] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal
* [http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=7054] Biography: Shaheed-e-Thalith Qazi Nurullah Shustari
* [http://www.jafariyanews.com/articles/2k3/22aug_shustari.htm] Biography:Qazi Nurullah Shustari -Jafariyanews