A Brief Introduction to the Author and his Book

Jalaluddin Abdul Rehman Suyuti was born at Cairo and died there in 910 A.H. He travelled to various places in search of knowledge and visited Egypt, Syria, Hejaz, Yemen, India and Africa. His fields of specialisation were, the exegesis of the Holy Quran, Traditions, Jurisprudence and Arabic Grammar. At the age of forty years he withdrew from public life and spent all his time writing, compiling and translating books. At the time of his death he had completed nearly 600 books on a range of subjects, including poetry. He was one of the greatest scholars of his time in Cairo, and a well-known figure among his contemporaries. In his own home-town in the district of Isyut he was considered by the people to be a holy personality having miraculous powers.

The author of “Kashful zanoon as asami al kitab afnoon”, Mulla Katib Chalbi [Haji Khalifa] (Vol. 1, pg. 25) writes:

Ash Shaykh Jalaluddin Abdul Reman Suyuti is the author of the book, “Ahya-il Mayyit Be Fazaile Ahle Bayt”. He has collected sixty traditions in this book.

The Late Hazrat Ayatulla Al-Uzma Marashi Najafi (r.a.) writes in his preface to “Tafsir Durre Manthoor” :

“Ahya-il Mayyit Be Fazaile Ahle Bayt” is regarded as the second book of Jalaluddin Abdul Rehman Suyuti.

Similarly the “Lughatnaame Dahekhuda” (Vol. 1), under the letter (S=siin) also mentions that Shaykh Jalaluddin Suyuti is the author of “Ahya-il Mayyit Be Fazaile Ahle Bayt”. This book has been cited as a source on page 362 of Shab-haai Peshawar (Peshawar Nights). The respected scholar, Sultanul Waizeen Shirazi has quoted extensively from this work.