The book Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami'a li Durr al-Akhbar al-A'imma al-At'har, commonly known as Bihar al-Anwar, is the largest source of Shia Hadith, compiled by Allama Majlisi.
Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami'a li Durr al-Akhbar al-A'imma al-At'har, commonly known as Bihar al-Anwar, is the most comprehensive Shia hadith collection, compiled under the supervision of Allama Majlisi. The compilation of this book, which is a collection of Shia teachings and principles, took over 30 years, and a group of Allama Majlisi’s students assisted him in this work.
The author designed the book based on 25 general topics, placing them into 25 volumes (it is now published in 110 volumes in recent editions). In each volume, related subtopics are organized into different chapters. In each chapter, he first mentions the related Quranic verses, offers their interpretations, and then presents the hadiths related to that chapter.
Allama Majlisi aimed to cover all topics and issues in Bihar al-Anwar. For example, this collection starts with the book titled Al-Aql wa al-Jahl (Reason and Ignorance) and proceeds with discussions on theology, the oneness of God, divine justice, and the history of the prophets. Volumes 15 to 53 of the 110-volume edition are dedicated to the history, virtues, and lives of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Fatimah (SA), and the Shia Imams.
Bihar al-Anwar holds great value among researchers and scholars due to its documented narrations, subject organization, detailed explanations, and various theological, historical, jurisprudential, interpretive, ethical, and linguistic investigations. Despite its vast size, numerous handwritten copies were created from its time of composition, and with the advent of printing, it has been published in full or in parts multiple times. Different volumes of this book have been translated into Persian, with the most famous translation being Mahdi al-Maw'ud (AJ), which is the translation of Volume 13 from the 25-volume edition, focusing on the topic of Imam Mahdi (AJ). A software version of Bihar al-Anwar has also been developed to facilitate easier access for researchers.
Main Features of Bihar al-Anwar:
Organization and Compilation: Bihar al-Anwar is one of the largest and most comprehensive Shia hadith collections, organizing narrations from various hadith books into a nearly complete system.
Citing Quranic Verses at the Start of Each Chapter: Each chapter begins with relevant Quranic verses, and their interpretation is provided before presenting the hadiths.
Comprehensiveness on Various Topics: The collection covers a wide array of religious matters, encompassing almost every aspect of Islamic topics (at least those available in his time).
Independent Treatises Included: Allama Majlisi sometimes includes entire short books or treatises within Bihar al-Anwar, such as Imam Hadi’s treatise on Jabr wa Tafwid (Predestination and Free Will), Imam Sajad’s treatise on rights, and others.
Use of Rare Sources and Corrected Manuscripts: One of the book’s significant strengths is that Allama Majlisi had access to many books, some of which have since been lost, and he used the best and most authentic versions of each book.
Explanation and Interpretation of Hadiths: In many instances, Allama Majlisi provides detailed explanations and clarifications of difficult or obscure hadiths, using resources from various disciplines like language, jurisprudence, exegesis, theology, history, and ethics.
Report of Multiple Sources for Repeated Narrations: For repeated narrations, Allama Majlisi provides references from one or several sources and notes any differences in the narrations’ chains of transmission.
Presentation Method in Bihar al-Anwar: The book is divided into different volumes, each covering specific topics. Each volume contains general and specific chapters, with some chapters subdivided into sections. The arrangement is heavily influenced by the structure of the Al-Kafi book, although with some differences.
At the beginning of each topic, Quranic verses related to it are presented, often with explanations and interpretations, primarily relying on the exegeses of Majma' al-Bayan by Al-Tabarsi and Mafatih al-Ghayb by Fakhr al-Razi. Afterward, detailed hadiths are provided with complete references and sources.
Allama Majlisi began writing this 26-volume book in the year 1070 AH and completed it in 1103 AH. However, the volumes were not completed in order; for instance, Volume 2 was finished in 1077 AH, followed by Volume 5 and then Volume 11. The final volume of Bihar al-Anwar (Volume 14) was completed in 1103 AH. Unfortunately, Allama Majlisi did not have time to finalize the second part of Volume 15 until the end of the book.
Purpose of Writing Bihar al-Anwar: Allama Majlisi, after learning the famous hadith books, sought out neglected sources that had been overlooked for years. He sent individuals to various Islamic cities and countries to retrieve these books. After studying these invaluable resources, he worked tirelessly to copy and reproduce them. The challenge he faced was the vast number of topics and titles in these books, making it difficult to find specific information. Concerned that these books might be forgotten after a few decades, he decided to compile Bihar al-Anwar to preserve this vast treasure for future generations.
Allama Majlisi, who believed that all knowledge was found in the teachings of the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt, dedicated himself to their sayings after exploring other scientific fields. As he states in the introduction to Bihar al-Anwar:
"In my youth, I was eager to learn all kinds of sciences, and I spent some of my life studying them. However, after contemplating the fruits of these sciences and reflecting on what benefits the afterlife, I realized that the purest knowledge comes only from the source of revelation and the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)..."
Main Printed Editions of Bihar al-Anwar: There have been three major lithographic editions of Bihar al-Anwar: the first in India (1248 AH), which included one volume, the second in Tabriz between 1275 and 1332 AH, which included the complete set, and finally the Compagnie edition in Tehran, edited by Muhammad Hussein Compani, between 1303 and 1315 AH. A new 110-volume edition was later published in Iran (1376 AH) and in Beirut (by Al-Wafa Institute and Dar al-Ihya' al-Turath al-Arabi). The most recent editions are also available in electronic formats.
We hope that this article has been helpful to you. Please feel free to share your thoughts with us.
