al-Sabzawari, al-Hajj Mulla Hadi

(1212–95 or 1298/1797–1878 or 1881)

   The most important Iranian philosopher of the nineteenth century, al-Sabzawari revived Mulla Sadra’s transcendent wisdom and set the stage for the dominant trends of twentieth-century Iranian philosophy. He is best known for two complementary works: a didactic poem entitled The Blaze of Gems (Ghurar al-fara’id) and his Commentary on the Didactic Poem (Shahr almanzuma). These two works taken together provided an elegant, comprehensive and carefully organized exposition of Mulla Sadra’s system. The latter in particular, with its blend of rational argumentation and mystical intuition, became a standard text for philosophy students in Shi‘ite madrasas throughout the twentieth century and produced countless super-commentaries and textbook summaries. Al-Sabzawari is also famous for his influential commentary on Mulla Sadra’s magnum opus, The Journeys (al- Asfar), as well as Jalal al-Din al-Rumi’s key work of Sufi poetry, Mathnavi. Al-Sabzawari himself was an ascetic of saintly stature, whose piety led him to reject royal patronage. Several miracles are attributed to him.

   See Mulla Sadra

   Further reading: Nasr 1996; al-Sabzawari 1983; Toshihiko 1971