Jalal al-Din Huma’i (Sana)

Huma’i, Jalal, Jalal al-Din (1899-1980), son of Abu al-Qasim Muhammad Nasir. Scholar, litterateur, university professor, historian, editor, translator, and poet with the nom de plume Sana. He was born in the Paqal’a quarter in Isfahan. His father, Abu al-Qasim, was a calligrapher, litterateur, and poet with the nom de plume Tarab. He received his preliminary education from his parents and also in the Haqa’iq and Qudsiyya schools. He learned the Naskhi and Thulth scripts from his father, Mirza Hasan Qudsi, and Mulla Muhammad Taqi Katib. He studied Arabic literature, jurisprudence, theology, and hadith transmission authorities under Shaykh ‘Ali Yazdi, Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Karwandi Isfahani, Mulla ‘Abd al-Karim Gazi, Mirza Ahmad Isfahani, and Mirza Muhammad Sadiq Khatunabadi. He studied under Shaykh Muhammad Khurasani for 18 years, beginning with Sharh-i Shamsiyya and proceeding to Sharh-i Hidaya by Mulla Sadra, Sharh-i Manzuma, and Isharat. He also learned astronomy, modern mathematics, astrolabe, calendar making by ancient astronomical tables from Mirza Sayyid ‘Ali Janab. Further, he also studied philosophy under Shaykh Muhammad Hakim and Mirza Abu al-Qasim Nasir Hikmat Ahmadabadi and astronomy and philosophy under Ayatullah Hajj Aqa Rahim Arbab Isfahani. He was authorized by Ayatullah Shaykh Murtaza Ashtiyani to transmit hadith, by Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Fisharaki to transmit hadith and issue jurisprudential verdicts, by Sayyid Muhammad Najafabadi Mudarris and Ayatullah Hajj Mirza ‘Abd al-Husayn Sayyid al-‘Iraqayn Khatunabadi Paqal’a’i to issue jurisprudential verdicts. He taught at seminaries and taught at the Sarimiyya School in Isfahan from about 1921. His students included Shaykh ‘Abbas Adib Habibabadi, Sayyid Hasan Mudarris Bidabadi, and Shaykh Mahmud Shari’at Rizi. He also taught at high schools in Tabriz, Dar al-Funun, Sharaf Muzaffari, the Military College, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Letters (University of Tehran) from 1928 onwards. Having taught at the high school in Tabriz for a while, he settled in Tehran where he taught at the Dar al-Funun and Sharaf high schools and also at the Military High School and the Military College. Then, he taught at the faculties of letters and law, the University of Tehran, in MA and PhD programs. He retired from teaching positions in 1966 and devoted himself, despite his failing health, to writing and conducting studies to his last days. He was a member of the Persian Academy and also the Society for Studies of Foreign Languages and Literature. He also collaborated with the Dehkhoda Lexicographical Institute (Mu’assissa-yi Lughatnama-yi Dihkhuda). He composed poetry in Persian and Arabic. His Arabic qasidas appeared in some literary periodicals. In composing Persian poetry, he followed the classical models and had mastery of composing chronograms. He contributed his articles to periodicals, like Armaghan, Ittila’at, Iranshinasi, Ta’lim wa Tarbiyat, Tamasha, Jawidan Khirad, Jawanan-i Rastakhiz, the Radio Iran, Aryan (Yearbook), the Sharq (Yearbook), the Sukhan, the Marz-ha-yi Danish, Ma’arif-i Islami, Mihr, Wahid, and the Yaghma. His works include: Tarikh-i Adabiyyat-i Iran az Qadimitarin ‘Asr-i Tarikhi ta ‘Asr-i Hazir; Ghazalinama, a biography of Imam Muhammad Ghazali; Asrar wa Athar-i Waqi’a-yi Karbala’; Tarikh ‘Ulum-i Islami, Khayyaminama, Funun-i Balaghat wa Sina’at-i Adabi; Mawlawinama; Tasawwuf dar Islam; Shu’ubiyya; Tarikh-i Isfahan; Sharh-i Mathnawi-yi Ma’nawi-yi Mawlawi; Diwan of poetry, entitled Diwan-i Sana. His editions include: Danishnama; Diwan-i Ghubar; Diwan-i Zargar-i Isfahani; Ghazaliyyat-i Diwana-yi Qumsha; Diwan-i Niyaz-i Jawshiqani; Nasihat al-Muluk (by Imam Muhammad Ghazali); al-Tafhim li-Awa’il Sina’at al-Tanjim (by Abu Rayhan Biruni); Misbah al-Hidaya wa Miftah al-Kifaya (by ‘Aziz al-Din Mahmud Kashani); Diwan-i Tarab; Mukhtarinama (‘Uthman-i Mukhtari); Diwan-i Mukhtari-yi Ghaznawi; Mathnawi-yi Waladnama (by Baha’ Walad); Muntakhab-i Akhlaq-i Nasiri (a selection of Nasirean Ethics by Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi); Muqaddima-yi Akhlaq-i Nasiri; Kunuz al-Maghribin dar ‘Ulum-i Ghariba (on occult sciences, attributed to Avicenna); Mi’yar al-‘Uqul; Risala-yi Shu’ubiyya; Barguzida-yi Diwan-i Sih Sha’ir-i Isfhani (Tarab, Suha, ‘Anqa); Risala-yi Isfahani-yi Pasdar; a collection of poetry entitled Surud-i ‘Ishq. He died on the night of 18 July 1980 in Isfahan where he was laid to rest in the Tekyih-yi Lisan al-Arz.

Asar-afarinan (6/ 145); Az Nima ta Ruzigar-i Ma (160-166); Danishmandan wa Sukhansarayan-i Fars (3/ 195-208).