The book Bihar al-Anwar (The Sea of Lights), also known as Al-Jami'a li-Durar Akhbar al-A'immah al-Athar (The Comprehensive Collection of the Pure Imams' Narrations), is the largest source of Shia hadith, compiled by Allama Majlisi.
Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami'ah li-Durar Akhbar al-A'immah al-Athar, known as Bihar al-Anwar, is the most detailed Shia hadith collection, compiled under the supervision of Allama Majlisi. The compilation of this book, a collection of Shia teachings and doctrines, took over 30 years and was assisted by a group of Allama Majlisi's students.
The author designed the book based on 25 general themes, distributed across 25 volumes (it is now published in 110 volumes). In each volume, related subtopics are gathered under different chapters. For each chapter, the Quranic verses related to the topic are mentioned first, followed by their interpretations, and then the hadiths related to that chapter are cited.
Allama Majlisi sought to cover all topics and issues in Bihar al-Anwar. For example, the collection begins with the book Al-'Aql wa al-Jahl (The Intellect and Ignorance) and then proceeds with discussions on theology, the oneness of God, divine justice, and the history of prophets. Volumes 15 to 53 of the 110-volume print focus on the history, virtues, and lives of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Lady Fatimah (AS), and the Shia Imams.
Bihar al-Anwar holds a distinguished position among researchers and scholars due to its extensive citations of reliable narrations from the Shia Imams, its thematic categorization, explanations of many hadiths, and its thorough research in various theological, historical, jurisprudential, interpretive, ethical, linguistic, and hadith sciences. Despite its enormous size, numerous manuscripts of it were written and, with the advent of the printing press, the complete or parts of it have been repeatedly published. Different volumes have also been translated into Persian, with the most famous translation being Mahdi Moudood (The Awaited Savior), which translates volume 13 of the 25-volume print focusing on the topic of Imam Mahdi (AS). A thematic software version of Bihar al-Anwar has been developed for easier access to the content of the book.
Key Features of Bihar al-Anwar
Arrangement and Categorization: This is one of the most comprehensive Shia hadith collections, compiling narrations from various hadith books with nearly perfect organization.
Mentioning Quranic Verses: Each chapter begins with relevant Quranic verses. If these verses require explanation, the interpretations of the scholars are provided, followed by hadiths related to the topic.
Comprehensiveness: The book covers almost all religious topics, and virtually no subject in Islamic sciences (at least in the time of Allama Majlisi) is left unaddressed.
Independent Treatises: Occasionally, Allama Majlisi includes full independent treatises in the collection, such as the treatise of Imam Hadi on the concepts of Jabr (coercion) and Tafwid (delegation), Imam Sajad's treatise on rights, Tawhid Mufazzal, and others.
Use of Rare Sources: Allama Majlisi had access to numerous rare books that were no longer available to others. By utilizing these rare sources, he preserved important narrations that would have otherwise been lost.
Explanation of Hadiths: In many cases, after narrating a hadith, Allama Majlisi provides detailed explanations of unusual or difficult words and concepts in the hadith, drawing from linguistic, jurisprudential, theological, historical, and ethical sources.
How Bihar al-Anwar is Organized:
The book is divided into multiple books, each with general chapters, and sub-chapters beneath them. Some of the sub-chapters also contain sections. The arrangement of Bihar al-Anwar is heavily influenced by the book Al-Kafi, though with some differences.
Each subject starts with relevant Quranic verses, followed by their interpretations if needed. Then the related hadiths are cited in detail with full references.
Allama Majlisi began the composition of this 26-volume book in 1070 AH and completed it in 1103 AH. However, the volumes were not completed in sequential order. For example, the second volume was completed in 1077 AH, followed by the fifth and eleventh volumes. The final volume, volume 14, was completed in 1103 AH. Unfortunately, Allama Majlisi did not have the opportunity to finalize the second part of volume 15.
Purpose of Writing Bihar al-Anwar:
After learning from famous hadith books, Allama Majlisi sought out rare sources that had been neglected for years. He sent individuals to various cities and Islamic countries to collect these books. Upon discovering their value, he took great care to copy and reproduce them. He recognized the diverse titles and topics in these books, which made it difficult to find specific subjects. He was also concerned that these books might be neglected again in the future, rendering his efforts fruitless. Therefore, he decided to compile Bihar al-Anwar to preserve this massive treasure for future generations.
Allama Majlisi, seeing everything in the light of the traditions of the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt, focused on their teachings despite his broad studies in various sciences. In his introduction to Bihar al-Anwar, he says:
"In my youth, I was eager to learn different types of sciences, and I spent some time acquiring them. But after contemplating their effects and reflecting on the beneficial knowledge for the afterlife, I realized that true knowledge only comes from the divine revelations and the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt."
Main Publications of Bihar al-Anwar:
There have been three major stone printings of Bihar al-Anwar. The first was in India in 1248 AH, consisting of one volume. The second was in Tabriz between 1275 and 1332 AH, covering the complete set. The third, known as the "Company Edition," was printed in Tehran between 1303 and 1315 AH by Mohammad Hussein Company. In recent years, the book has been printed in two 110-volume editions, one in Iran (Tehran, 1376 AH) and another in Beirut (by Al-Wafa Institute and Dar al-Haya al-Turath al-Arabi). The most recent editions have been published electronically in various formats.
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