Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi
Powerful Safavid-era Shi'a scholar who reshaped Twelver orthodoxy.
Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi (around 1627 – 29 March 1699), often called Allamah Majlesi or Majlesi the Second, was a prominent Iranian Twelver Shi'a scholar during the Safavid era. He is regarded as one of the most powerful and influential Shi'a clerics in history, whose decisions and policies fundamentally reshaped Twelver Shi'ism into the form it would take from his time onward. His burial site is a family mausoleum beside the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, where his father is also interred.
Born in Isfahan in 1627, his father, Mulla Mohammad Taqi Majlesi (known as Majlesi the First, 1594–1660), was a cleric of the Ja'fari school. The family line traces back to Abu Noaym Ahmad ibn Abdallah Esfahani (died 1038), who wrote a history of Isfahan called *Zikr-i akhbar-i Isfahan*. The earliest clear ancestor, however, was Kamal al-Din Darvish Mohammad ibn Hasan Ameli, a Lebanese-born scholar who first spread the Usul of Shia Hadith in Isfahan after the Safavids rose to power. Ameli later adopted the nisbas Natanzi and Esfahani, which Majlesi also used, sometimes signing his ijazat as "al-Esfahani al-Natanzi al-Ameli." Majlesi's father was the first in the line to carry the epithet "Majlesi." By age 25, Baqer Majlesi had received certification to teach from Mulla Sadra, having studied under 21 masters. He is reported to have trained 181 students who themselves became masters.
In 1687, Safavid emperor Suleiman appointed Majlesi as Shaykh al-Islām, the chief religious leader in Isfahan. In this powerful role, the sultan gave him broad authority to reward or punish as he saw fit. His efforts focused on three connected areas: suppressing Sufism, opposing philosophical views known as falsafah (which he considered contrary to Islam), and suppressing Sunnism and other religious groups. According to scholar Moojan Momen, Majlesi's era marked a turning point because he successfully weakened the influence of Sufism and philosophical rationalism within Shiism. Before Majlesi, Shiism and Sufism were closely linked, and Sufism had even served as a vehicle for pro-Shia sentiment among Sunnis. After his death, this trend continued among later generations of ulama, so that Sufism became separated from mainstream Shiism and philosophy lost its importance in religious college studies.
Majlesi reestablished clerical authority under his leadership and renewed efforts to convert Sunnis to the Shia school. He is credited with spreading many Shi'a rituals that Iranians still practice, including Azadari, the Arba'in pilgrimage, Alam processions, Ta'ziyah, and Latmiya. He strongly upheld the principles of "enjoining the good" and "prohibiting evil," issuing fatwas for nearly every situation a believer might face. In one guide to proper behavior, he gave instructions on topics ranging from clothing and sexual intercourse to clipping nails, sleeping, urination, defecation, enemas, sneezing, entering and leaving a home, and treatments for various illnesses. More controversially, he defined "science" very narrowly as knowledge of clear Quranic verses, religious duties, and prophetic traditions valid until the Day of Resurrection. He warned that seeking knowledge beyond this was a waste of life and could lead to apostasy and heresy, making salvation unlikely. He opposed the mystical Irfani philosophy of Mir Damad and Mulla Sadra, who believed the Quran was always open to reinterpretation and valued insights from intuition and ecstasy over reason.
Majlesi's main scholarly focus was hadith. He popularized his teachings by writing many works in an easy-to-understand style that summarized essential doctrines for ordinary people. A prolific writer, he authored over 100 books in Arabic and Persian. His most famous works include *Bihar al-Anwar* ("Seas of Light") in 110 volumes, *Reality of Certainty*, *Mirror of Intellects* (a 26-volume commentary), *Shelter of the Upright People* (a 16-volume commentary), *Provisions for the Hereafter*, *A Gift for the Pilgrims*, *Essence of Life*, *Adornment of the Pious*, *Al-Fara'edh al-Tarifah*, and *Majmu'at Rasa'il I'tiqadi*.
- born
- c. 1627, Isfahan
- died
- 29 March 1699
- field
- Twelver Shi'a Islamic scholarship, hadith
- nationality
- Iranian (Safavid Empire)
- known_for
- Suppression of Sufism and falsafah; reorienting Twelver Shi'ism; author of Bihar
Lore & Background
Born in Isfahan in 1627, his father Mulla Mohammad Taqi Majlesi (Majlesi-ye Awwal—Majlesi the First, 1594-1660) was a cleric of the Ja'fari school. His family genealogy traces back to Abu Noaym Ahmad ibn Abdallah Esfahani (d. 1038), author of a History of Isfahan, but his first definitive ancestor appears to be Kamal al-Din Darvish Mohammad ibn Hasan Ameli, of Lebanese origin, who propagated the Usul of Shia Hadith in Isfahan after the rise of the Safavids. By age 25, Baqer Majlesi gained certification of riwāyat from Mulla Sadra to teach. He completed studies under 21 masters and trained 181 students to become masters themselves. In 1687, the Safavid emperor Suleiman appointed Majlesi as the Shaykh al-Islām (Chief Religious Leader) in Isfahan, the capital of the Safavid Empire. In this position, he was given a free hand by the Sultan to encourage and to punish as he saw fit. The three inter-related areas where he exerted his efforts were the suppression of Sufism, philosophic views known as falsafah (which he claimed were contrary to Islam), and the suppression of Sunnism and other religious groups. According to scholar Moojan Momen, Majlesi's era marked a breaking point: up to his time, Shiism and Sufism were closely linked, but after his death Sufism became 'divorced from Shiism and ceased to influence the mainstream of Shi'i development.' Philosophy was also down-graded and ceased to be an important part of studies at religious colleges. Majlesi re-established clerical authority under his leadership and renewed the impetus for conversion from Sunni to Shi'a school. He is credited with propagating numerous Shi'a rituals that Iranians regularly practice, such as Azadari, Arba'in pilgrimage, Alam processions, Ta'ziyah, and Latmiya. He fervently upheld the concepts of 'enjoining the good' and 'prohibiting evil,' providing fatwas for all hypothetical situations a true believer could face, including directions on wearing clothes, sexual intercourse, clipping fingernails, sleeping, urination and defecation, enemas, sneezing, and treatments for many illnesses.
Reader's Guide
Majlesi's significance lies in his decisive role in reorienting Twelver Shi'ism away from Sufism and philosophical rationalism. By suppressing these currents and emphasizing hadith, he helped shape mainstream Shi'i development for centuries after his death. His appointment as Shaykh al-Islām in the Safavid capital gave him the authority to enforce his views. His most important field of interest was hadith, and he popularized his teaching by writing numerous works in an easily understandable style summarizing essential doctrines for common people. He wrote more than 100 books, both in Arabic and Persian. His most famous work is Bihar al-Anwar ('Seas of Light') in 110 volumes. Other works include Reality of Certainty, Mirror of Intellects (a 26-volume commentary), Shelter of the Upright People (a 16-volume commentary), Provisions for the Hereafter, A Gift for the Pilgrims, Essence of Life, Adornment of the Pious, Al-Fara'edh al-Tarifah, and Majmu'at Rasa'il I'tiqadi. Majlesi defined 'science' very narrowly as knowledge of clear ayat, religious duties, and Prophetic Traditions (Hadith) valid until the day of Resurrection. Beyond this, he warned, seeking knowledge is 'a waste of one's life' and would 'generally lead to apostasy and heresy, in which case the likelihood of salvation is remote.' He opposed the school of mystical Irfani philosophy developed by Mir Damad and Mulla Sadra, who argued the Quran was always open to reinterpretation and valued insights from intuition and ecstasy rather than reason. His propagation of rituals like Azadari and Ta'ziyah remains influential in Iranian religious practice today.
Did You Know?
- By age 25, Baqer Majlesi gained certification of riwāyat from Mulla Sadra to teach.
- He completed studies under 21 masters and trained 181 students to become masters themselves.
- In 1687, Safavid emperor Suleiman appointed Majlesi as Shaykh al-Islām in Isfahan, giving him a free hand to encourage and punish as he saw fit.
- He wrote more than 100 books, including Bihar al-Anwar in 110 volumes.
- Majlesi defined 'science' so narrowly that he warned seeking knowledge beyond religious duties and hadith would generally lead to apostasy and heresy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi?
Born around 1627 in Isfahan, he was a Safavid-era Iranian scholar of Twelver Shi'a Islam, commonly called Allamah Majlesi or Majlesi Al-Thani. He lived until 29 March 1699 and is widely regarded as one of the most commanding figures in Shi'a religious history.
What is Majlesi's most famous work?
His monumental compilation Bihar al-Anwar is a vast assembly of hadith and religious narratives that became a cornerstone reference for Twelver Shi'a scholarship. The work consolidated centuries of transmitted traditions into a single encyclopedic source still consulted today.
What was Majlesi's stance on Sufism and philosophy?
He actively moved to suppress Sufi practices and philosophical (falsafah) traditions within the Shi'a community, viewing them as threats to orthodox jurisprudence. This campaign significantly narrowed the intellectual space available to later Twelver scholars.
Where is Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi buried?
He rests in a family mausoleum situated beside the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, laid to ground next to his father. The site remains a place of visitation for Shi'a devotees to this day.
Why is Majlesi considered so pivotal in Shi'a history?
His policies and scholarly authority effectively redirected the trajectory of Twelver Shi'ism, establishing the juridical and theological framework the tradition would follow for centuries afterward. Many historians credit him with cementing the dominant form of contemporary Twelver orthodoxy.
More in Islamic Scholars & Sages 1-21
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record