Agha Buzurg al-Tihrani
- Died
- 1389 AH
- Born in
- -
Agha Buzurg al-Tihrani (1293–1389 AH / 1876–1970 CE) was an Iranian Shi'i jurist, hadith scholar, and bibliographer, best known for his comprehensive multi-volume bibliographical encyclopedia al-Dhari'a ila Tasanif al-Shi'a.
Early life and education
He was Muhsin (also called Muhammad Muhsin) ibn Ali ibn Muhammad Rida al-Tihrani, born in Tehran. In 1313 AH, he relocated to Iraq to pursue his higher religious training in Najaf, where he studied jurisprudence and attained authorization for ijtihad before reaching the age of forty. During his early studies, the hadith scholar al-Husayn al-Nuri was the first to grant him a formal transmission license (ijaza) and admit him into the ranks of hadith transmitters in his youth. He also studied under prominent jurists of Najaf, including Muhammad Kazim al-Khurasani, Shaykh al-Shari'a al-Isfahani, and Mirza Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi.
Career and scholarly activities
Beyond his religious studies, he was involved in political developments, taking part in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution movement. Between 1329 and 1355 AH, he resided in Samarra before returning to Najaf, where he spent the remainder of his life dedicated to research, compiling historical and biographical records, and writing. In his home, his spoken language was Persian, while he conversed with Arabic speakers in Classical Arabic.
His scholarly legacy centers on the documentation of Islamic literature and biography. He composed Tabaqat A'lam al-Shi'a, a multi-volume biographical dictionary organized chronologically by century from the fourth century AH onward to record the biographies of scholars, transmitters, and notable figures. He also authored Dhayl Kashf al-Zunun, written as marginal annotations and critical additions to Katib Celebi's major bio-bibliographical dictionary to supply omitted works, rectify author names, and correct dates of death.
Standing and death
He came to be regarded as the preeminent hadith authority of his community, issuing more than two thousand licenses of hadith transmission to contemporary scholars and students. He endowed his personal library of over five thousand volumes, designating a dedicated section of his home in Najaf to house it. He died in 1389 AH (1970 CE) in Najaf.
Answer updated
List of Works
Dhayl Kashf al-Zunun is a bibliographical supplement and critical commentary on Katib Celebi's major bio-bibliographical dictionary Kashf al-zunun 'an asami al-kutub wa-l-funun. Originating as marginal glosses and annotations on a 1310 AH print, the work supplies omitted titles by Sunni authors alongside critical additions and corrections. Organized sequentially by the volume, page, and line numbers of Kashf al-zunun, it rectifies author names, death dates, and book identifications while providing manuscript descriptions and details on related theological and polemical writings.