Autograph of Mullá Muḥsin-i-Fayḍ
Or. 4937 (Brit. Mus.), p. 84
To face p. 432

what appears to be an autograph copy, made in 1042/1632-3, now bearing the class-mark C. 18.

When Mullá Muḥsin wished to leave his home in Káshán and go to Shíráz to study under the celebrated theologian His travels in search of knowledge. Sayyid Májid of Baḥrayn, his father opposed this project, and it was finally agreed to take an augury (tafa”ul) from the Qur'án, and from the poems ascribed to the first Imám 'Alí ibn Abí Ṭálib. The former yielded the verse (ix, 123) “if a part of every band of them go not forth, it is that they may diligently instruct themselves in Religion”; the latter the following lines rendered An apposite augury. particularly apposite by the words ṣuḥbatu Májidi, “the society of some noble one,” which might in this case be taken as referring particularly to the above-mentioned Sayyid Májid:

“Go abroad from the home-lands in search of eminence, and travel,
for in travel are five advantages:
The dissipation of anxiety, the acquisition of a livelihood, know-
ledge, culture, and the society of some noble one (májid).
And if it be said, ‘In travels are humiliation and trouble, the
traversing of deserts and the encountering of hardships,’
Yet the death of a brave man is better for him than his continuance
in the mansion of abasement, between humiliation and an
envious rival.”

After these clear indications, Mullá Muḥsin's father no longer opposed his desire to go to Shíráz, where he pursued his studies not only with the aforesaid Sayyid Májid, but also with Mullá Ṣadrá. It is difficult to accept the statement of the Qiṣaṣ that this took place in 1065/1654-5, for this would make him nearly sixty years of age before he began his serious studies with Mullá Ṣadrá or married his daughter.

Mullá Muḥsin is described in the Qiṣaṣ as a “pure Akhbárí” (Akhbárí-yi-Ṣirf), a Ṣúfí, and an admirer of Antagonism between Shaykh Aḥmad Aḥsá'í and Mullá Muḥsin. Shaykh Muḥyi'd-Dín ibnu'l-'Arabí. Shaykh Aḥmad Aḥsá'í, who, as we have seen, * wrote commentaries on two of the books of his master Mullá Ṣadrá, detested him, and used to call him Musí' (“the ill-doer”) instead of Muḥsin (“the well-doer”), and to speak of the great Shaykh as Mumítu'd-Dín (“the Slayer of Religion”) instead of Muḥyi'd-Dín (“the Quickener of Religion”). According to an absurd story in the Qiṣaṣ, Mullá Muḥsin was chosen by Sháh 'Abbás to Mullá Muḥsin triumphs over a Christian missionary. confute a Christian missionary sent by the “King of the Franks” to convert the Persians. The sign offered by this missionary was that he would specify any article held in the closed hand of his opponent. * Mullá Muḥsin chose a rosary (tasbíḥ) made of clay taken from the tomb of the Imám Ḥusayn. The Christian hesitated to speak, but, when pressed, said, “It is not that I cannot say, but, according to the rule I observe, I see that in thy hand is a portion of the earth of Paradise, and I am wondering how this can have come into thy possession.” “Thou speakest truly,” replied Mullá Muḥsin, and then informed him what he held, and bade him abandon his own faith and accept Islám, which, according to the narrator, he was constrained to do. Though extremely pious in most respects, Mullá Muḥsin scandalized the orthodox by his approval and sanction of singing. His best-known Persian compilation is probably the Abwábu'l-Janán (“Gates of Paradise”) composed in 1055/1645, on prayer and its necessity, * but few of his numerous writings have been published or are now read, and at the present day, at any rate, his name is more familiar than his works.