The Shining Star of Philosophy

    Allameh Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Tabatabaei

Today, in modem psychology, there is great emphasis on role models. The role models in each individual's life assist in building their personality and affect them for the rest of their lives. Following this criteria, great personalities among the Muslim scholars can serve as excellent role models for those on this path. This article talks about the outstanding personality of the late Allameh Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Tabatabaei.

His Biography
On the 29 of Dhu-al-Hejja, 1321 AH (1898 AD), Allameh Sayyid Muhammad Hussein Tabatabaei opened his bright eyes to the world. He was born into a family of scholars, who were direct descendants of  the Holy Prophet (SAW),

in Shadabad, a small village out of Tabriz, Iran. His father was Sayyid Muhammad Qazi Tabatabaei who was a direct descendent of Imam Hassan Mujtaba (AS) from his paternal side and Imam Hussein (AS) on his maternal side. All of his family members were seekers of knowledge with special talents, and were not only famous in Tabriz, but throughout the Shiite world (for their work in religious sciences and mysticism).

At the age of only five, he lost his mother and, at the age of nine, his father. After being orphaned, people assumed that Sayyid Muhammad Hussein and his younger brother, Sayyid Muhammad Hassan Ilahi, would have hard and unacceptable lives. But Divine Wisdom had another path in store for them. The executor of their father's will took good care of them and hired servants for them until they were old enough to continue on their own.

Certain circumstances did not allow him to start school until he was nine. After learning the Holy Qur'an, which was taught more than anything those days, he went to school (in the new school system). He then went on, learning literature, mathematics, ethics, history, calligraphy, among other subjects, and sciences  for about  six years. Because the

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