Muhammad Jamaluddin al-Makki al-Amili

Muhammad Jamaluddin al-Makki al-Amili (1334–1385) also known as Shahid Awwal (Arabic: ash-Shahid al-Awwal الشهيد الأول) was the first Islamic martyr and the author of Al-Lum'ah ad-Dimashqiya(اللمعةArabic: الدمشقية‎ "The Damascene Glitter"). He was one of the greatest Shi'a scholars.

Life

Shahid Awal was born in 734 A.H (ca. 1334 ) in Jabal 'Amel.He was killed on Thursday the ninth of Jumada al-awwal, 786 A.H. (ca. 1385).According to the fatwa of a jurisprudent from the Maliki sect which was endorsed by a jurisprudent of the Shaf'i sect, he was martyred.

He was a pupil of the pupils of Allamah Hilli, amongst them Allamah's son, Fakhr ul-Muhaqqeqin. The Shi'a schools were banned and almost detoriarated in Jabal 'Amel. When Mohammad bin Makki was 16 years old he ventured to al-Hilla in Iraq where he was certified by Fakhr al-MuHaqqiqin the son of the famous al-Hilli.

By the age 21, he returned to Jabal 'Amel and was already certified to narrate hadiths by many other famous scholars of Shi'a and Sunni doctrines of Najaf, Hebron, Makka, Medina, Quds, Damascus, and Baghdad. He also built good relations with Sultan Ali ibn al-Mu'ayyad (Arabic: علي بن المؤيد) of Khorasan.

He was killed by the sword then crucified and then stoned in Damascus in the days of the Sultan Barquq after he was imprisoned one full year. Due to the crusaders wars the area was suffering from poverty and ignorance was rampant as the Mamlukes took over and...
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