Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi

Lore & Background

Born in Isfahan in 1627, his father Mulla Mohammad Taqi Majlesi (Majlesi-ye Awwal—Majlesi the First, 1594-1660) was a cleric of the Ja'fari school. His family genealogy traces back to Abu Noaym Ahmad ibn Abdallah Esfahani (d. 1038), author of a History of Isfahan, but his first definitive ancestor appears to be Kamal al-Din Darvish Mohammad ibn Hasan Ameli, of Lebanese origin, who propagated the Usul of Shia Hadith in Isfahan after the rise of the Safavids. By age 25, Baqer Majlesi gained certification of riwāyat from Mulla Sadra to teach. He completed studies under 21 masters and trained 181 students to become masters themselves. In 1687, the Safavid emperor Suleiman appointed Majlesi as the Shaykh al-Islām (Chief Religious Leader) in Isfahan, the capital of the Safavid Empire. In this position, he was given a free hand by the Sultan to encourage and to punish as he saw fit. The three inter-related areas where he exerted his efforts were the suppression of Sufism, philosophic views known as falsafah (which he claimed were contrary to Islam), and the suppression of Sunnism and other religious groups. According to scholar Moojan Momen, Majlesi's era marked a breaking point: up to his time, Shiism and Sufism were closely linked, but after his death Sufism became 'divorced from Shiism and ceased to influence the mainstream of Shi'i development.' Philosophy was also down-graded and ceased to be an important part of studies at religious colleges. Majlesi re-established clerical authority under his leadership and renewed the impetus for conversion from Sunni to Shi'a school. He is credited with propagating numerous Shi'a rituals that Iranians regularly practice, such as Azadari, Arba'in pilgrimage, Alam processions, Ta'ziyah, and Latmiya. He fervently upheld the concepts of 'enjoining the good' and 'prohibiting evil,' providing fatwas for all hypothetical situations a true believer could face, including directions on wearing clothes, sexual intercourse, clipping fingernails, sleeping, urination and defecation, enemas, sneezing, and treatments for many illnesses.

Reader's Guide

Majlesi's significance lies in his decisive role in reorienting Twelver Shi'ism away from Sufism and philosophical rationalism. By suppressing these currents and emphasizing hadith, he helped shape mainstream Shi'i development for centuries after his death. His appointment as Shaykh al-Islām in the Safavid capital gave him the authority to enforce his views. His most important field of interest was hadith, and he popularized his teaching by writing numerous works in an easily understandable style summarizing essential doctrines for common people. He wrote more than 100 books, both in Arabic and Persian. His most famous work is Bihar al-Anwar ('Seas of Light') in 110 volumes. Other works include Reality of Certainty, Mirror of Intellects (a 26-volume commentary), Shelter of the Upright People (a 16-volume commentary), Provisions for the Hereafter, A Gift for the Pilgrims, Essence of Life, Adornment of the Pious, Al-Fara'edh al-Tarifah, and Majmu'at Rasa'il I'tiqadi. Majlesi defined 'science' very narrowly as knowledge of clear ayat, religious duties, and Prophetic Traditions (Hadith) valid until the day of Resurrection. Beyond this, he warned, seeking knowledge is 'a waste of one's life' and would 'generally lead to apostasy and heresy, in which case the likelihood of salvation is remote.' He opposed the school of mystical Irfani philosophy developed by Mir Damad and Mulla Sadra, who argued the Quran was always open to reinterpretation and valued insights from intuition and ecstasy rather than reason. His propagation of rituals like Azadari and Ta'ziyah remains influential in Iranian religious practice today.

Did You Know?

• By age 25, Baqer Majlesi gained certification of riwāyat from Mulla Sadra to teach.
• He completed studies under 21 masters and trained 181 students to become masters themselves.
• In 1687, Safavid emperor Suleiman appointed Majlesi as Shaykh al-Islām in Isfahan, giving him a free hand to encourage and punish as he saw fit.
• He wrote more than 100 books, including Bihar al-Anwar in 110 volumes.
• Majlesi defined 'science' so narrowly that he warned seeking knowledge beyond religious duties and hadith would generally lead to apostasy and heresy.