Shaykh Baha' ad-Din al-`Amili, Shaykh Bahai or Sheykh Bahaee (Persian: شیخ بهایی) (February 1547 - 30 August 1621) was a scholar, philosopher, architect, mathematician, astronomer and poet in 16th-century Iran. He was born in Baalbek, Lebanon but immigrated in his childhood to Safavid Iran with his father. He wrote over 88 books in different topics mostly in Persian but also in Arabic. He is buried in Imam Reza's shrine in Mashad in Iran.

He is considered one of the main co-founders of Isfahan School of Islamic Philosophy. In later years he became one of the teachers of Sadr al-Din al-Shirazi, also known as Mulla Sadra.^[1]

His works include Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, as well as designing the construction of the Manar Jonban, also known as the two shaking minarets, situated on either side of the mausoleum of Amoo Abdollah Garladani in the west of Isfahan.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Exact dates of birth and death 1.2 Pen name 2 Works 2.1 Books 3 Imami Jurisprudence 4 Sciences 5 Mysticism 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Biography

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Shaykh Baha' al-Din (also spelled Baha'uddin) Muhammad ibn Husayn al-'Amili was born in Baalbek, Lebanon in 1532. He lived in Jabal Amel in a village called Jaba'.

Jabal Amel had always been one of the main Shiite centers of west Asia. Even today various Shiite groups live there. They have played an important role in establishing Shiism in Iran, especially from 13th century onwards. The Baha'i (Bahaei) progeny was among those well-known Shiite families.

As a child, he came to Iran with his father and completed his studies in Isfahan. Having intended to travel to Mecca in 1570, he visited many Islamic countries including Iraq, Syria and Egypt and after spending four years there, he returned to Iran.

Shaykh Baha' al-Din died in 1610 in Isfahan. His body was buried in Mashhad according to his will.

[edit] Exact dates of birth and death

The exact dates of his birth and death are different on his grave stone and on the ceramic of the walls of the room where he is buried in.^{[citation needed]}

Date of birth:

• On the ceramics of the wall: 27 February 1547
• On the grave stone: March 1546

Date of death:

• On the ceramics of the wall: 30 August 1621
• On the grave stone: August 1622

The dates on the wall contain day, month and year, while the dates on the grave stone only contain month and year. The ceramics of the wall are made in 1945. It seems that at that time a research is performed about the exact dates, and, therefore, the information about the day is added to the dates.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Pen name

According to Bahá'í scholar ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Ishráq-Khávari, Shaykh Baha' al-Din adopted the pen name (takhallus) 'Baha' after being inspired by words of Shi'a Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (the fifth Imam) and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (the sixth Imam), who had stated that the Greatest Name of God was included in either Du'ay-i-Sahar or Du'ay-i-Umm-i-Davud.^[2] In the first verse of the Du'ay-i-Sahar, a dawn prayer for the Ramadan, the name "Bahá" appears four times: "Allahumma inni as 'aluka min Bahá' ika bi Abháh va kulla Bahá' ika Bahí".^[3]

[edit] Works

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Shaykh Baha' al-Din contributed numerous works in philosophy, logic, astronomy and mathematics. His works include 88 articles, epistles and books. Shaykh Baha' al-Din also composed poems in Persian. His outstanding works in the Iranian language are Jame’ Abbasi and two masnavis (rhymed couplets) by the names of "Milk and Sugar" and "Bread and Halva". His other work Kashkool includes stories, news, scientific topics, Persian and Arabic proverbs. He wrote Khulasat Al-Hisab and Tashrih Al-Aflak in Arabic.

Shaykh Baha' al-Din's fame was due to his excellent command of mathematics, architecture and geometry. He was the architect of Isfahan’s Imam Square, Imam Mosque and Hessar Najaf. He also made a sun clock to the west of the Imam Mosque. There is also no doubt about his mastery of topography. The best instance of this is the directing of the water of the Zayandeh River to different areas of Isfahan. He designed a canal called Zarrin Kamar in Isfahan which is one of Iran’s greatest canals. He also determined the direction of Qiblah (prayer direction) from the Imam mosque.

He also designed and constructed a furnace for a public bathroom, which still exists in Isfahan, known as Sheikh Bahaei’s bathroom. The furnace was warmed by a single candle, which was placed in an enclosure. The candle burned for a long time, warming the bath’s water. According to his own instructions, the candle’s fire would be put out if the enclosure was ever opened. This happened during the restoration and repair of the building and no one has been able to make the system work again. He also designed the Manar Jonban (shaking minaret), which still exists in Isfahan.

The High Council of Cultural Revolution in Iran designated April 23 as the National Architect Day, marking the birth anniversary of Sheikh Bahaei.

[edit] Books

• Kashkoul (in Persian) (Persian: کشکول بهایی)
• Touti Nameh (in Persian) (Persian: طوطی نامه)
• Naan o Paneer (in Persian) (Persian: نان و پنیر)
• Sheer o Shekar (in Persian) (Persian: شیر و شکر)
• Naan o Halva (in Persian) (Persian: نان و حلوا)
• Jaame'e Abbasi (in Persian) (Persian: جامع عباسی)
• Al-favayed as-Samadieh (in Arabic)
• Mashregh osh-Shamsain wa Eksir os-Sa'adatain (in Arabic)
• Al-Athna Ashariyah (in Arabic)
• Zobdat ol-Osul (in Arabic)

[edit] Imami Jurisprudence

In the Twelver tradition, Shaykh Bahai is regarded as a leading scholar of his age and a mujaddid of the seventeenth century.^[4] His erudition won of him the admiration of Shah Abbas, and he was appointed the Sheikh ul-Islam of Isfahan after the death of the previous incumbent.^[4] He composed works on tasfir, hadith, grammar and fiqh (jurisprudence).^[4]

[edit] Sciences

Shaykh Baha' al-Din is also attributed with archtiectural planning of the city of Isfahan during the Safavid era. His interest in the sciences is also apparent by some of his works and treaties. One of his works in astronomy is the treatise Fi Tashir al-Aflak(Anatomy of the heavens).^[4] His book Kholasat al-Hesab the summa of arithmetic was translated into German by G. H. L. Nesselmann and was published as early as 1843.^[4]

[edit] Mysticism

Shaykh Baha' al-Din was also an adept of mysticism. He had a distinct Sufi leaning for which he was criticized by Mohammad Baqer Majlesi.^[4] During his travels he dressed like a Dervish^[4] and frequented Sufi circles.^[4] He also appears in the chain of both the Nurbakhshi and Ni'matullāhī Sufi orders.^[4] In the work called "Resāla fi’l-waḥda al-wojūdīya" (Exposition of the concept of Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Existences), he states that the Sufis are the true believers,^[4] calls for an unbiased assessment of their utterances,^[4] and refers to his own mystical experiences.^[4] His Persian poetry is also replete with mystical allusions and symbols.^[4] At the same time, Shaykh Baha' al-Din calls for strict adherence to the Sharia as a prerequisite for embarking on the Tariqah^[4] and did not hold a high view of antimonian mysticism.^[4]

A poem of his is cited below^{[citation needed]}:

Plead For Unison ^{Translation: Maryam Dilmaghani}

So long, in plead of unison with thee

my eyelids are drowned in the deluge of tear.

So long, in plead of unison with thee,

Thou, the sole beloved!

The arrow of thy sorrow pierced all lovers’ heart…

For how long, how long shall we be kept apart?

We are countless, all occupied by thy thought

Helas! thou be'est concealed of our sight.

Thou, the sole beloved!

The bird found thy fine face in every turf

The butterfly enlightened in core of the flame

The mystic recognized thy essence

In every scene and each face.

It means that one can see thee at every glance,

In every instance.

It means that I am not mad that I knock every door,

I knock every door.

In every sea I dive, thou be'est the sole host.

In every route I walk, thy shine is the lone light,

In the tavern and mosque thou be'est the only Lord,

Thou be'est the only Lord.

Thou be'est the destination, thou be'est the pledge.

The reason is thee when I wander drunk,

The reason is thee when I meet with the monk,

The reason is thee when I am praying in the mosque.

They are all pleas and thou be'est the pledge.

Thou be'est the sole pledge.

The reason is thee when I wander drunk,

The reason is thee when I meet with the monk,

The reason is thee when I am praying in the mosque.

They are all pleas and thou be'est the pledge.

Thou be'est the sole pledge.

[edit] See also

• Sheikhbahaee University in Isfahan, which was named in his honour

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Biography
• Bibliography of Shaykh Baha'i, by Stephen Lambden (in progress)
• Menar-e-Jonban
• Hamid-Rezā Hosseini, [http://www.jadidonline.com/story/27122008/sheihk_bahai Lovingly in the House of Sheykh Bahāee (in Esfahan) (Āsheghāneh dar Khāneh-ye Sheykh Bahāee - عاشقانه در خانه شيخ بهايى), in Persian, Jadid Online, 27 December 2008.
• A shorter version in English: Isfahan's Hidden House, Jadid Online, 26 February 2009.
• Audio Slideshow with English subtitles (5 min 18 sec).