Assistant Professor Ali Farhan Zwair The Meaning of Hillah The word Hillah has several meanings in the Arabic language, including a group of people who settle in a particular place and are numerous, or a collection of houses. Demographic Composition At the beginning of the establishment of Hillah, its population consisted primarily of three main groups: The Arabs, most of whom belonged to the Banu Asad tribe. The Kurds, who were organized under the banner of the Jawan tribe. The Nabataeans, who were considered the indigenous inhabitants of the region. The dominant religious character of the city of Hillah was Shiism. The famous traveler Ibn Battuta described the people of the city, stating: “The people of this city are all Imamiyyah.” Al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli Al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli (may God have mercy on him) was born in 648 AH. In 655 AH, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi accompanied Hulagu during his invasion and arrival in Iraq. When al-Tusi visited Hillah, he met with the scholars of the city. He said that the most learned among them was Yusuf ibn al-Mutahhar al-Hilli, known as al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli, and stated that all the scholars of Hillah were distinguished and virtuous. Al-Muhaqqiq was an exceptionally gifted and accomplished scholar from the age of fifteen or sixteen. He became a leading successor to the intellectual legacy of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. Al-Muhaqqiq devoted considerable effort to engaging with influential Mongol political and military figures and worked to introduce them to the beliefs of Shiism. He was a remarkable figure who, through his intellectual and scholarly influence, helped protect numerous communities and regions, including Iraq, from further harm. Among his important works related to this period are: Al-Nafi‘ fi Mukhtasar al-Shara’i‘ Fiqh al-Madhahib al-Khamsah (Jurisprudence of the Five Schools) During the aforementioned period, the world witnessed a massive nomadic movement that swept across China, Russia, present-day Georgia, Iran, and Iraq, culminating in the fall of Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. These forces were predominantly non-Muslim, and they succeeded in conquering vast territories. Through his intellectual and scholarly efforts, al-Muhaqqiq contributed to protecting the Islamic city of Hillah from the devastation that affected many other regions. Al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli was also related by marriage to the Banu Asad, who had played a prominent role in the Mazyadid state in Hillah. The Mazyadids had separated from the Abbasid Caliphate and, for a period of one year (450–451 AH), became affiliated with the Fatimid Caliphate. The Abbasid caliph al-Mustanjid reportedly displaced approximately four thousand people from Hillah to the area of present-day Nasiriyah, accusing them of cooperating with the Crusaders. According to this account, the accusation was false, given the considerable distance—approximately 1,000 kilometers—between Hillah and the Crusader territories. Following these events, al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli established a scholarly and religious institution in Hillah, which developed into a center of religious learning and marja'iyyah. It attracted students of religious knowledge from Karbala, Hillah, and Nasiriyah. Al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli and Öljaitü (Muhammad Khodabandeh) Among the Mongol rulers who embraced Islam were: Ahmad Khan, son of Hulagu. Ghazan Khan, son of Arghun, son of Abaqa, son of Hulagu. Muhammad Khodabandeh (Öljaitü). The Story of Khodabandeh A famous account relates that Khodabandeh had divorced his wife three times and wished to take her back. According to the jurisprudential ruling that was being presented to him, she would first have to marry another man, complete the required waiting period, and then marry Khodabandeh again. Khodabandeh was unwilling to accept this for himself, so he consulted a number of scholars. They told him that there was another group of Muslims—the Shiites, among whom was the scholar al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli. Al-Muhaqqiq was subsequently brought before Khodabandeh and was able to provide a different legal interpretation that allowed the ruler to resolve the matter. It is also related that during a gathering, al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli entered while carrying his shoes under his arm. Khodabandeh asked him why he was carrying his shoes in that manner. Al-Muhaqqiq replied that he was afraid they might be stolen by followers of the other schools of jurisprudence. When Khodabandeh questioned him about this statement, al-Muhaqqiq explained his legal argument by referring to differing interpretations concerning the testimony and conduct of the Companions, including Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abdullah ibn Umar, and used this discussion to demonstrate the Shiite legal position. This encounter is regarded in the traditional account as an important episode in al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli's life during this critical period. It is said that Khodabandeh subsequently adopted Shiism, thereby changing the religious orientation of the Mongol ruler. This is the story associated with al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli, a scholar whose intellectual influence extended far beyond the scholarly circles of Hillah. Sources Lisan al-Arab — Ibn Manzur. Mu'jam al-Buldan — Yaqut al-Hamawi. The Travels of Ibn Battuta. A'yan al-Shi'a — al-Amini. Al-Tuhfah al-Latifah — al-Sakhawi. Tarikh Mukhtasar al-Duwal — Ibn al-Ibri (Bar Hebraeus). Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli wa Daf‘ al-Mughul — Ali al-Kurani. #Al-Mustaqbal University – The first private university in Iraq