Ayatollah Sayyid Hossein Borujerdi's Works and Writings

- Ayatollah Sayyid Hossein Borujerdi's Works and Writings**

Ayatollah Sayyid Hossein Borujerdi (1254–1340 SH), a prominent Shia jurist and religious authority of the 20th century, left behind a vast collection of writings in the fields of jurisprudence (fiqh), principles of jurisprudence (usul), hadith, and biography (rijal). Among his most notable works are:

Biography

Sayyid Hossein Tabatabai Borujerdi (1254–1340 SH), a distinguished jurist and one of the leading Shia scholars of his time, was born into a religious and affluent family in Borujerd. His ancestors were from the Tabatabai family of Isfahan, traced back to Ismail al-Dibaj. His father, Sayyid Ali Tabatabai, was a scholar of the city, and his mother, Sayyidah Aghabegum, was the daughter of Sayyid Mohammad Ali Tabatabai. Borujerdi's lineage reaches Imam Hasan (A.S.) through 32 generations.

He served as the head of the Qom Seminary for seventeen years and was the supreme religious authority for Shia Muslims for fifteen years. After the death of his teacher, Ayatollah Abdul-Karim Haeri Yazdi, Borujerdi was invited by three prominent scholars (Hojat, Khonsari, and Sadr) to move to Qom, where he assumed leadership of the seminary. Following the passing of Ayatollah Abul-Hasan Isfahani, Borujerdi became the leading religious authority for Shia Muslims, and during the 1330s SH (1950s), he was regarded as the supreme religious leader.

Under his leadership, the Qom Seminary expanded significantly, with a dramatic increase in the number of students. He also supported the revival and publication of various important works of hadith and jurisprudence.

Notable Works

Borujerdi made significant contributions to the study of earlier Shia texts, including the compilation and publication of works by classical scholars such as *al-Khallas* by Sheikh Tusi, *Qurb al-Asnad* by Humeiri, and *Jami' al-Ruwat* by Al-Ardabili. His scholarship also extended to meticulously reviewing and editing several hadith sources.

He is best known for his writings in the fields of jurisprudence, hadith, and the biography of narrators (rijal). His works also include contributions in philosophy, logic, theology, and poetry. It is estimated that Borujerdi authored around forty books and treatises, all in Arabic, excluding his fatwa collections.

Notable Writings

Borujerdi's contributions are particularly influential in four areas: *rijal*, *hadith*, *fiqh*, and *usul al-fiqh* (principles of jurisprudence). Additionally, works attributed to him are found in philosophy, logic, beliefs, and even poetry.

Fiqh and Usul Fiqh Lectures

Borujerdi’s students, including Imam Khomeini, Hussein Ali Montazeri, Ali Panah Eshtahardi, Mehdi Haeri Yazdi, and Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani, wrote down and published his lectures on jurisprudence and principles of jurisprudence.

Usul Fiqh Works

Margin on *Kifayat al-Usul* (by Allama Hilli)
Margin on *Faraid al-Usul* by Sheikh Ansari
Lectures on the Principles of Jurisprudence

Hadith Works

Jami' Ahadith al-Shia* (The Comprehensive Collection of Shia Hadith), compiled under his supervision, remains one of the most important contributions to Shia hadith literature.

Rijal (Biographical) Works

Tajreed Asanid al-Kafi* (Review of the Chain of Narrators of *al-Kafi)
Tajreed Asanid al-Faqih* (Review of the Chain of Narrators of *al-Faqih)
Tajreed Asanid al-Amali* (Review of the Chain of Narrators of *al-Amali)
Tajreed Asanid al-Khassal* (Review of the Chain of Narrators of *al-Khassal)
Tajreed Asanid al-Tahdhib* (Review of the Chain of Narrators of *al-Tahdhib)
Tajreed Asanid al-Istibsar* (Review of the Chain of Narrators of *al-Istibsar)
Tajreed Asanid al-Fahrast* (Review of the Chain of Narrators of *al-Fahrast)

Fiqh Works

Margin on *Nihayat al-Shaykh al-Tusi* (Final Work of Sheikh al-Tusi)
Margin on *Mabsut al-Shaykh al-Tusi* (Extensive Work of Sheikh al-Tusi)
Al-Fiqh al-Istidlali* (Jurisprudence of Proof)
Risala fi al-Muwassah wa al-Mudayqa* (Treatise on Jurisprudential Relaxation and Strictures)
Risala fi Manjarat al-Mareed* (Treatise on Medical Jurisprudence)

Miscellaneous Writings

Risala fi al-Mantiq* (Treatise on Logic)
Commentary on al-Usfar* by Mulla Sadra
Margin on Manhaj al-Rashad* (The Path of Guidance)
Al-Mahdi in the Books of Ahl al-Sunnah* (Imam Mahdi in Sunni Texts)

Ayatollah Borujerdi's contributions to Shia scholarship are profound, and his legacy continues to influence contemporary Islamic studies. His efforts in the preservation, organization, and publication of key hadith collections, along with his detailed and methodical approach to jurisprudence and biography, have left an indelible mark on the Islamic scholarly tradition.