Hajji Shaykh `Abbas Qummi

Name: Hajji Shaykh `Abbas Qummi 

Date and Place of Birth: 6781, Qom, Iran
Date of Death: 0491 

Education:

Shaykh `Abbas Qomi spent his childhood and early youth in his hometown where he received his early education including Arabic grammar and literature. He was deeply interested in learning the hadiths quoted from the Prophet and his pure Household )Ahla al-Bayt). To acquire the knowledge of hadith and to enjoy traditionalists' lectures those interested even had to travel to distant cities and tolerate the sufferings involved. So Shaykh `Abbas traveled to Najaf, Iraq, at the age of eighteen.
As he has written in his book called Fawa'id al-Radawiyyah, Shaykh `Abbas selected traditionalist Mirza Husayn Noori, one of the outstanding authorities in hadith, as his master and teacher, and spent many years studying under him. In his autobiography he says, "I always have been in company with my master, even during his journeys. I considerably benefited from him days and nights; I took advantage of his knowledge and conducts until the last day of his life."
After staying many years in Jajaf, Shaykh `Abbas fell ill suffering from bodily weakness and asthma that endured until the end of his lifetime.
He traveled back to Qom, Iran, and resided his hometown. During his stay in Qom he compiled many books.
Due to some civil unrests and bad events, the Shaykh migrated to Mahshhad, the city of knowledge and virtue, where he dwelled many years, taking advantage of the blessings of the holy shrine of Imam Rida (`a). There he wrote many useful books. During his free time and on the occasion of mourning ceremonies held for the Prophet's pure Household, Shaykh `Abbas gave lectures and preached the people in the mosques. The audiences were deeply impressed by his sincere and pleasant preaching and moral advices. His conduct, asceticism, piety and purity absorbed the hearts of those attended his lectures. It can be said that his personality was an exemplary pattern at his age in pursuing only the path of truth and devotion and in discharging one's duties perfectly.
It was in 3391 that he traveled for the second time to Najaf and resided a house in the vicinity of Imam Ali's holy shrine where he spent the rest of his life being constantly busy with writing books.
After numerous fruitful services to Islam and the Muslim community, Shaykh Abbas, who devoted his life to serve Islam, died in 0491 in Najaf at the age of 56 and was buried in the vicinity of Imam Ali's holy shrine near the tomb of his master, the late traditionalist Noori - may the soul of both of them rest in peace.

Writings:

Being a voluminous author, Shaykh `Abbas Qomi wrote some 08 books on various subjects like hadith, hadith narrators, history of Islam, virtues of the Prophet and his pure Household, biography of Shiite scholars, ethics, moral advices, supplications and ziyarats, etc. The following are some of his works:

•  Mafatih al-Jinan
• Safinat al-Bihar (a subject index of the book Biharal-Anwar by Allamah Majlisi)
•  Muntaha al-Amal
•  Tatimmat al-Muntaha (a complementary to the above book)
•  Nafas al-Mahmoum
•  Al-Fawa'id al-Radawiyyah( on the biography of Shi`a scholars)
•  Fayd al-Qadir
•  Bayt al-Ahzan
• Al-Kuna wa al-Alqab
• Al-Maqamat al-`Aliyyah (a summary of Mi`raj al-Sa`adah)
•  Manazi al-Akhirah
• Fawa'id al-Radawiyyah