Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi

Let me share with you the story of one of the most towering and influential figures in the intellectual and spiritual history of Shi’a Islam—Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi, often remembered simply as Allama al-Majlisi or al-Majlisi the Second. Born in the bustling city of Isfahan in the year 1037 AH (1627 CE), during the golden age of the Safavid dynasty, he grew up in an environment saturated with scholarship, piety, and spiritual discipline. His father was none other than the renowned scholar Muhammad Taqi al-Majlisi, himself a prominent jurist and transmitter of hadith, and a leading student of giants like Shaykh Bahāʾī, Mullā ʿAbdullāh al-Shushtarī, and Mir Damād. His mother, too, came from a household steeped in learning and virtue—she was the daughter of Ṣadr al-Dīn Muḥammad ʿĀshūrī al-Qummī, a man whose family was known for knowledge and nobility.

As a child, Muhammad Baqir was surrounded by books, scholars, and conversations that reached into the deepest corners of theology, law, philosophy, and mysticism. He began his scholarly journey by studying under his father’s supervision. From a very young age, he displayed a rare and passionate thirst for knowledge—a curiosity so intense that, in his own words, he described his youth as a time when he was “eager to seek out all types of knowledge, longing to gather the fruits of the sciences from every branch and sip from every spring of wisdom.” He immersed himself in the ocean of Islamic sciences, particularly the sayings of the Prophet and the Imams, collecting, analyzing, and eventually systematizing vast bodies of hadith literature.

There’s a touching story from his infancy that reflects the divine attention his life would receive. One night, his father, the venerable Muhammad Taqi, after finishing his nightly prayers and spiritual devotions, felt an unusual spiritual openness—an awareness that his supplications would be answered. In that sacred moment, he heard the cry of his infant son from the cradle. With a heart full of hope and faith, he turned to the heavens and prayed, “O Allah, for the sake of Muhammad and his holy family, make this child a propagator of Your religion and a bearer of the laws of Your Messenger.” And what a profound prayer it turned out to be, for young Muhammad Baqir would indeed grow into one of the greatest preservers of the Shi’a tradition.

His early education was not limited to his father’s house. He would go on to study with more than eighteen great scholars of his time—figures such as Mulla Muhammad Ṣāliḥ al-Māzandarānī, the famed commentator on Usūl al-Kāfī; Mulla Muḥsin Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, author of Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī; al-Ḥurr al-ʿĀmilī, the compiler of Wasāʾil al-Shīʿa; and Sayyid ʿAlī Khān al-Madanī, among many others. He studied not only jurisprudence and hadith, but also ethics, mysticism, history, and philosophy—equipping himself with the tools necessary to take on the monumental task that awaited him.

And what a task it was.

His most celebrated contribution, without a doubt, is the encyclopedic masterpiece known as Biḥār al-Anwār—a vast compendium of Shi’a hadith, covering theology, law, ethics, cosmology, eschatology, the lives of the Prophets and Imams, and more. This work, which spans over 110 volumes, stands as the largest Shi’a hadith encyclopedia ever compiled, and its influence is immeasurable. But his scholarly output didn’t stop there. He authored more than 169 works, both in Arabic and Persian, ranging from advanced legal commentaries like Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl and Malādh al-Akhyār, to accessible works like Ḥilyat al-Muttaqīn and ʿAyn al-Ḥayāt, which were written specifically to educate the general public in the religious sciences and ethical teachings of Islam.

Beyond his scholarly pursuits, al-Majlisi played a deeply influential political and religious role during the reigns of Shah Sulṭān Sulaymān and Shah Ḥusayn of the Safavid dynasty. Holding the official titles of Shaykh al-Islām and Chief Judge, he utilized these powerful positions not for worldly gain, but to protect the faith, promote religious observance, and implement reforms across society. He stood firmly against the growing tide of Sufism, which he viewed as deviating from the core teachings of Islam, and he worked tirelessly to suppress corrupt practices, close down centers of idolatry, ban intoxicants, and revive Islamic rituals—most notably, Friday congregational prayers, sermons, and public gatherings for moral instruction.

He was not only a scholar for scholars; he was a scholar for the people. He wrote and translated books into Persian so that ordinary believers could access the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt. He answered the questions of the common folk with clarity and compassion. He reconnected an entire society with its spiritual roots and theological depth.

His students, too, carried on his legacy. It is said that over a thousand students studied under him, and among the most notable were Mirza ʿAbdullāh al-Afandī, Sayyid Niʿmat Allāh al-Jazāʾirī, Shaykh ʿAbdullāh al-Baḥrānī, Mirza Muḥammad al-Mashhadī, and many more—each of whom became an authority in their own right. His teachings rippled across Iran, Iraq, and beyond, shaping generations of jurists, theologians, mystics, and preachers.

Even his critics acknowledged his towering presence. Sunni scholar ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Dihlawī once said,

If one were to claim that the religion of the Shi’a is the religion of Muhammad Bāqir al-Majlisi, it would not be far from the truth.

And in fact, many believe that it was al-Majlisi’s tireless effort, writing, and systematization that gave Twelver Shiism its modern structure, character, and breadth.

He passed away in 1110 AH (1699 CE) and was buried with honor in the Jāmiʿ Mosque of Isfahan, beside his father. But his voice still echoes—in the sermons we read, the supplications we recite, the books we study, and the very framework of the religious tradition he helped define.

Allama al-Majlisi was not just a man of his age—he became a voice for generations. Through his pen, his leadership, and his devotion, he brought to light the vast treasures of Shi’a hadith, and in doing so, gave his people a deeper understanding of their heritage, their Imams, and their Lord.