Remembering Compiler of Nahjul-Balagha

TEHRAN -- The 6th of Muharram marks the death anniversary of the great Shia scholar and hadith “Sayyid al-Radi”, the compiler of Nahjul-Balagha, who passed away in 406 AH.

He devoted twenty years of his life in compiling Nahjal-Balaghah, and traveled to many libraries to collect texts that had recorded the lectures, letters, and sayings that Ali had written or delivered on different occasions.
Abu al-Hassan, Muhammad bin Hussein bin Musa Mousavi Baghdadi, known as “Sayyid al-Radi”, was one of the great Shia scholars born in the year 359 AH in the ity of Baghdad.
Sayyid al-Radi was the younger brother of Sayyid Morteza Alam al-Huda. His mother was a scholarly and pious woman who wrote the book Ahkam al-Nisa at his request.
Sayyid Radi, who is considered one of the prominent personalities of the Shia world, was a thinker with great intelligence, understanding and talent. After studying in the field of Islamic sciences and reaching a high level of knowledge, he established a school in the city of Baghdad and devoted himself to the training of students in Islamic sciences.
Sayyid Radi’s greatest service to the Shia World was collecting Nahjul-Balagha. In the introduction of this book, he writes: I started collecting Nahjul-Balagha knowing that its spiritual benefit was immense, and that soon it will dominate the scholarly world.
Nahjul-Balagha includes the precious words, maxims and letters of Amir al-Mu’minin (Peace be upon Him). The value of this book lies in the fact that the most eloquent speakers throughout history have considered it their honor to study Nahjul-Balagheh. It is also known as “Akh al-Qur’an” which means the brother of the Holy Qur’an.
In the introduction of the book, Sayyid Radi pointed out that what he brings are only selected words and letters of Amir al-Mu’minin.
Sayyid Radi passed away when he was under fifty years old. Some accounts say he had not visited the Master of the Martyrs, until the time of his death, claiming that he could not bear to stand in front of the shrine of Imam Hussein (AS).
He was a great poet and left many poems in his legacy. While visiting for the first time the shrine of Sayyid al-Shuhada, he composed an ode describing the Master of the Martyrs.
Some sources say he surrendered his soul to his Lord while reciting this ode at the doorstep of the entrance of Imam Hussein (AS)’s shrine.