Shafaqna English- “Atlas of Shia” is a book written by “Rasul Ja’fariyan” in Persian, published in Tehran in 2008. This scholarly work, consisting of 743 pages and 12 chapters, aims to provide a geographical and historical depiction of Shia Islam from the beginning of Islam to the first decade of the third millennium. The “Atlas of Shia” has won the Book of the Year Award of the Islamic Republic of Iran and has been translated into Arabic. Shafaqna News Agency has translated sections of this significant book into English for interested readers.
Scholars of Al-A’in Family
Al-A’in family is one of the prominent Shia families in the 8th and 9th centuries CE, and the most notable figure of this family is Zurarah, the son of A’in, one of the renowned Hadith scholars of the 8th century CE.
This family, originally Roman, is considered to be part of the Mawali of the Banu Shayban. It is said that A’in was a Roman slave who was bought and raised by a man from the Banu Shayban. He was taught the Quran and became a cultured and learned individual. When he grew up, his father, a monk named Sinsin, found him and recognized him. The father returned to his homeland, but Zurarah stayed behind. The Roman influences remained within this family, so much so that Zurarah named one of his sons “Rumi,” who also became a Shia scholar and had a Hadith book (Najashi: 166).
Thus, the Al-A’in family flourished in Kufa, and their homes were located within the Banu Shayban tribe. It is said that their neighborhood was specifically “Mahallat Al-Saad bin Hammam,” and they had a Mosque there where Imam Sadiq (AS) once visited and prayed.
A’in had several children, among whom Zurarah, Humran, Bakir, and Abdul-Malik are the most well-known. What is certain is that A’in embraced Shia Islam in Kufa, which led most of his family members, with a few exceptions, to adopt the Shia faith, and all became renowned scholars and Hadith narrators.
Among the notable members of this family, Imam Sajjad (AS) is said to have met them. It is reported that Humran was the second Shia in the family and learned Shia Islam from Abu Khalid Al-Kabuli, one of the companions of Imam Sajjad (AS). Before him, Abdul-Malik bin A’in was influenced by Salih bin Maytham, a prominent figure from the Al-Maytham family, who were also original Shia of Kufa.
Humran is considered one of the greatest Shia scholars and is regarded as one of the bearers of the Qur’an. His name is included among the Qurra (reciters). He was a student of Imam Baqir (A.S). His two brothers, Zurarah and Bakir, were also students of Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (AS).
Zurarah is the most prominent figure of this family, known for his poetry and literary talents, with numerous literary works attributed to him. He was tall, imposing, and handsome, and whenever he came to the Friday prayer, everyone was captivated by his presence. He was a devout scholar and a staunch defender of Shia Islam. Despite this, he was so devoted to worship that he seldom engaged in debates.
Abul-Abbas Najashi refers to him as “the Sheikh of our companions in his time and their leader,” indicating that he was the foremost figure among the Imami companions of his era. Zurarah passed away in 767 CE.
Around 1,700 Hadiths narrated by Zurarah remain in Shia Hadith collections. He narrated 1,226 Hadiths from Imam Baqir (AS) and 441 from Imam Sadiq (AS).
From these Hadiths and the historical details mentioned, it can be understood that Zurarah was a man of high intelligence.
Some members of this family moved to Egypt, including Uthman bin Malik bin A’in and Yunus bin Qanb bin A’in. The children of Ja’far bin Qanb bin A’in also settled in the Fayyum region of Egypt.
The significance of this family lies in the fact that most of its members, even for several generations, were deeply interested in the sciences of the Ahlul-Bayt (AS), and many of their names, as seen in their family tree, appear in the biographical and Hadith sources. Many of the children of Humran, Zurarah, and Bakir were Shia Hadith narrators, and their reports from the infallible Imams (AS) are found in Shia sources.
Among them were Ubaid, Rumi, and Abdullah, three sons of Zurarah, whose names appear among the Shia authors in the biographical works of Najashi. As Najashi mentions, Hasan bin Jahm bin Bakir bin A’in, a descendant of Bakir, was also among the Shia authors.
Ali bin Sulayman bin Hasan bin Jahm bin Bakir was another individual who had contact with Imam al-Zaman (A.J), and letters (Tawqi’at) were issued in his name (Najashi: 260).
Several generations later, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Sulayman bin Hasan bin Jahm bin Bakir, known in the sources as Abu Ghalib Zurarari, remained a leading figure in the science and Hadith of Shia Islam. He wrote a treatise in which, fortunately, he described the history of his family for his descendants, so they would know who their ancestors were.
He passed away in 978 CE, and Najashi refers to him as “the Sheikh of the group in his time and their leading figure,” signifying that he was one of the prominent Shia leaders of his era.
If we trace the Shia Islam of this family back to Imam Sajjad (AS), it spans from the second half of the 6th century CE to the time of Abu Ghalib Zurarari, who lived in the second half of the 8th century CE. Thus, this family can be considered one of the longest-lasting Shia families in the early Islamic centuries.