KARBALĀʾ HERITAGE Quarterly Authorized Journal Specialized in Karbalāʾ Heritage

After the killing of Imam Abi Abdullah Al- Hussain (p.b.u.h.) Kerbala
witnessed great scholastic renaissance, but in late of the third century of
Hegira such scholastic renaissance movement flourished and qualified
scholars flashed in the sky of religion، knowledge and virtue whose efforts
and contributions and the great role in the establishment of the scholastic
movement in the holy Kerbala city . Kerbala as a city dominated by fear
and terror Al- Mutawakel caused in the hearts of the pilgrims (visitors) as
he prevented them from visiting the sacked Hair Al- Hussainy in addition
to his destruction of the holy tomb many times، this city was then
changed and rendered into a city full of security and order especially
during the days ( ) of Al- Muntasir Al- Abbasy who was sympathized
with the Alawys' and with the followers of Ahlul – Bait ( pbuth ) Al- Sayyd
Ibrahim Al- Mujab was a man characterized by patience، high morals
and greatness as he exceeded all the others of his age in worshipping،
knowledge and wisdom . The holy Kerbala city benefited much from his
knowledge، jurisprudence and doctrines together with establishing the
principles of belief and doctrine as a great number of scholastic families
went back to him such as Aal Fa’iz family whose members provided
Kerbala with a great number of scholars، jurisprudence and narrators .
Kerbala was full of the schools and institutes of science and literature .
The coming of Al- Sayyd Ibrahim Al- Mujab and his neighbourhood of
and closeness to the holy Ha’ir Husainy with his sons ( Ali buried in Serjan،
Ahmad buried in Al- Musayab and Muhammad Al- Hairy buried in Al- Hay
district in Wasit – Muhammad Al- Ha’iry was notable، honourable and a great
scholar in addition to the fact that his house was considered a guesthouse،
a school and a court where disputes were settled which the cause behind
the prosperity of the city and its being well- known of knowledge and virtue .

From Kerbala school، a number of outstanding religious and
jurisprudence scholars graduated who had their great role in keeping
Ahlul- Bait (pbuth) heritage and route inspite of the aggression and
opposition of the ruling authorities . However، they were able to keep all
they had found of such intellectual heritage . In order to acquaint readers
with some of the outcomes of such a school we started studying one
of such personalities who was the jurisprudent، Al- Naynawy the title
Hameed Bin Ziyad Bin Hammad Al- Naynawy ( died 310 A.H. ) And His
Intellectual Impact A Historical Study .
This study fell into two sections with an introduction . In the
introduction، the reason and division of the study together with the
difficulties which had faced the researchers were mentioned . Section
one dealt with the sociological side – his name، his family، his nickname
and his place and date of birth and death together with his scholastic
status as seen by the scholars of his age . Section two، on the other hand،
dealt with their intellectual side of personality – his scholars (sheikhs)، his
students، his writing، his scholastic certificates and licenses he awarded
to his students، his intellectual characteristics such as the speech- giver
and narrator and also his contribution to genealogy .
Due to the great number of the texts to the first section as to those
of the second section، the number of the characteristics of the two
sections was not equal .
Lack of the historical texts regarding his bringing – up and his study
in Ninevah was one of the difficulties the researchers had faced Another
difficulty was the rarity and lack of the texts which showed his intellectual
point of view or stand specially in the books of the other Islamic sects in
spite of the search and effort exerted

The Book، ‘Iddatul Daiy Wa Najahnl - Saiy by the scholar ‘Ibin Fahd Al- Hilli
is considered as one of the most valuable and precious treatises. The author،
in this work، used different ways that was ‘Adab Al- Du’aa’ the manners
of the supplication. This compilation consists of three hundred pages
which were sophisticatedly managed by ‘Ibin Fahd Al- Hilli in a specific
.approach different form other written works that were achieved in his time
Based on the famous French critic، Charles Augustin Sante-
Beuve (1804- 1869 A.D ) who said “ The style is man”، this article
has been planned to deal with the method used by ‘Ibin Fahd Al- Hilli
.foxing on what he has differed from other styles and other authors

During his residence in Kerbala for more than thirty years
and his heading of the religious Hawza in it، Al- Sheikh Al-
Waheed Al- Bahbahanys' efforts graduated of a great number
of students and well – known jurisprudence scholars and
Mujtahids ( those issuing Fatwa) . Regarding this، his grandson،
agha Ahmad said : From his school and his argumentation
rounds، a great number of scholars who got the highest
degree of Ijtihad and who exceeded the previous scholars
graduated such as agha Muhammad Ali Bin Al- Waheed
Al- Bahbahany agha Abdul- Husain، his، son، the honourable
Sayyd and scholar Muhammad Mahdi Al- Tabaatabaiy ( Bahrul-
Uloom )، Al- Sayyd Ali Al- Tabaatabaiy، Al- Mirza Mahdi Al-
Shahrastany، Mulla Mahdi Al- Nuraqy and Mirza Muhammad
Mahdi Al- Khurasany . In the same domain، Al- Sheikh agha
Bazrik Al- Tahrany said : also Al- Sheikh Al- Waheed Al-
Bahbahany was still alive when his sons، agha Muhammad Ali
and agha Abdul- Husain became Marji ( the highest and most
pious and responsible person ) and got the highest religious
leadership in Karminshah in Iran . Besides، his students like
Al- Sayyd Bahrul- Uloom became Marji in the holy Najaf city
and Al- Sayyd Al- Tabaatabaiy، the Merza Muhammad Mahdi
Shahrastany in the holy Kabala city، Al- Sayyd Muhsin Al-
Aarajy Al- Kadhimy in Kadhimiyah، the Merza Abi Al- Qasim
Al- Qummy in the holy Qum city، the Merza Muhammad Mahdi Al- Khurasany in Mashhad city and Mulla Muhammad
Mahdi Al- Nuraqy in Kashan city . Al- Sheikh agha Bazrik Al-
Tahrany said that these scholars transferred the thoughts and
knowledge of their authentic teachers after improving and
adding their points of view to them . These had their great
scholastic writing and contributions in addition to the fact that
they had their roles to play in the religious Hawza and most of
them were great scholars and Marji in the religious Hawzas’

It is well – known that knowledge is the most honourable virtue،
the noblest merit and most valuable characteristic by which a
human being is characterized . It is the essence of civilization and
the origin of the nations’ glories and the symbol of their sublimity in
life . Scholars are the inheritors of the Prophet ( pbuh& progeny )،
the knowledge keepers، the right propagators as they guide people
to believe in Allah، the Most High، and to follow his orders and they
lead people to welfare and honesty . As c consequence، a great
number of verses and sayings are cited to dignify knowledge and
scholars and to give credit to their high- ranking positions .
Due to all the above، the researchers started to study the biography
of this great scholar who had remarkable traces and effects on the
scholastic ( scientific ) movement in Kerbala . Because of the great
sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Al- Shahrastany، Kerbala witnessed a
period of prosperity ; he exceeded all the scholars of his age in his
knowledge of all that is related to Shiite Islamic jurisprudence and
doctrines – its bases and principles . The city became an important
centre for philosophical studies and researches and also for mental
and narrative studies . A great number of scholars moved and went
towards Kerbala and settled down at it، which contributed much to
the development and growth of its scholastic movement and they
also had their significant historical role .
They study fell into two sections preceeded by an introduction
and followed by a conclusion . Section one referred to the
beginnings of the scientific renaissance in Kerbala and also to the role of Kerbala scholars in transferring and spreading the
knowledge mission to differing parts not only inside the city but to
many parts of the country . Section two، on the other hand، shed
light on Al- Shahrastany family and their scholastic status in Kerbala
. It was subdivided in to a number of subsections which focused on
the biography and the scholastic status of Al- Sayyd Muhammad
Mahdi Al- Shahrastany showing the other scholars points of view
about him and also on his contributions in Kerbala and finally on his
death . Besides، there was a conclusion which showed what the
two researchers came out with wishing that these results would
be of advantage to study and research the biographies of the other
Kerbala scholars who contributed much to the scholastic Kerbala
history .
To sum up، Kerbala so long retained its great figures and
jurisprudents who contributed much to science، virtue and
knowledge، they granted Kerbala its continuity in the field of
scholastic contributions، which they sent to all other parts of the
country through their scholastic journeys . They constituted a
movable school as they provided libraries with a great number of
books and writings .
the glory Kerbala has witnessed and attributed first to the
revolutionary thought Imam Husain ( pbuh) carried and called for
and second to the efforts of the jurisprudents of the Imamate sect
who carried the banner of Islam and the beliefs and principles of
Ahlu – Bait ( pbuth ) which is considered the principal basis of all the
Mulims cultural and intellectual growth and development.

Certainly, most people who settled down in Kerbala
city since its first establishment till present time have had
scholastic and spiritual motivations which attracted them to
this holy city specifically after Imam Husain ( pbuh) had been
murdered, and because of his being buried in it, Kerbala gained
its great significance . In this city, there appeared a number
of scholastic families whose members , generation after
generation , continued to transfer and carry the intellectual
heritage and the scholastic contributions of their decendants
and grandfathers to the next generation .
The two researchers studied one these scholastic families
which was Aal Wahab; family was a deep- rooted renowned
Alawite family which had its noticeable effect in leadership .
They settled down in Kerbala since the beginning of
the fifth century of Hegira . Most members of that family have
had their significant impact, the most prominent of which was
Sayed Ali Al- Ra'ees who was the head of Kerbala municipality
in addition to other positions. He was the father of the poet ,
Sayed Abdul – Wahab , the subject of the present research,
who was considered a great poet and wrote a number of
poems, the most prominent of which was that in which he
elegized Imam Husain ( pbuh) . He also studied astrometry
and soothsaying in addition to other fields of science

The present research tried to study the scholastic life of the
holy city of Kerbala and its effect on the scholastic families and
their Scientific contributions during ten centuries of the Hegira .
The area surrounding the present Kerbala during the pre-
Islamic centuries had its historical , religious and geographic
significance . However , the present Kerbala city as an Islamic holy
city came to existence with the martyrdom of Imam Husain bin Ali
bin Abi Talib ( pbuth) in Al-Taff Battle in ( 61 H/ 680 A.D. ) .
Through its various historical stages, Kerbala city was the
scene of different happenings which affected its sociological
prosperity and growth . This could be attribated to the attention
the city and its holy shrines during the Islamic period by a great
number of governors and rulers of Iraq . These rulers were from
different cultures especially during the Abbasid , the Bowayhid ,
the Jalairid and Safawid periods.
Kerbala played a great and significant role in different periods
of the Islamic history . It was the centre of urbanization and of
scholastic , religious and cultural flourishing .It was considered
as one of the most important cities of the Islamic world. The city
received the care of a number of the explorers , historians and the
orientalists each one of them took or studied a particular side of
the history of the city and its distinctive Islamic landmarks

The present study dealt with the Kerbala city fence which was completely
removed and demolished in the first half of the twentieth century ; one could
not find its remains due to the opening of many streets، the negligence،
and the establishment of different modern orban projects in addition to
becoming old and to the breaking out of wars and the natural disasters.
This subject is considered new and important as it has never ever been
tackled or documented by archaeologists . The absence and rarity of the
new studies dealing with the fence might be due to the rarity of information
and data in the historical studies and also the rarity of the evidence and
traces which indicate its route and line in the old and ancient districts .
The researcher tried to draw the fence and indicate and appoint the route
of it through the old city depending on the local references and on the maps
drawn during the British occupation or after it . Besides، he sheds light on
its architecture and building materials and sees its measurements and also
shows the number of its towers together with the situation of its six gates
mentioning their names in addition to mentioning the role the fence played
in the historical events the city witnessed during the Ottoman era .

The research contains the role of the international movement
in Kerbala\' in 1918- 1920. It has shed lights over the geographical
location of the City and its importance, then it has explained the
attitude of the population of Kerbala\' towards the referendum of
1918- 1919. In addition, the research has treated the diplomatic role
of Kerbala\' in the claims of the Iraqi Cause in both of the international
and the regional levels. The arcticle also has included the leading
role of Kerbala\' in the international movement of Iraq including the
prominent Revolution of 1920. Hence, the hypotheses which must
be answered in this research is that the Holy City of Kerbala\' had a
pioneering part in motivating the international movement of Iraq in
1918- 1920 with all its implications up to the Revolution of 1920
and then the foundation of the contemporary state of Iraq.

Kerbala' could be considered as one of the most important cities of
Iraq in general and of the Middle Euphrates in particular in view of its
religious significance for large part of the Muslim community. Its spiritual
importance is attributed to the fact that it embraced the Holy Shrines
of Imam Hussein (p.b.u.h.) and his brother Al- 'Abbas (p.b.u.h.). This
spirituality let much more gatherings of peoples periodically come to
perform the religious sermons at the Holy Sanctuaries. So, this huge
social presence resulted in the revival of the commercial economy of the
City. In regard with this town's particular strategic position as it is on a rich
river, Euphrates, and it has a climate convenient for the cultivation of the
palm trees, this led to a certain agricultural style played a complementary
role in the trade and the fairs of Kerbala'.