Not only in this book, but also in the letters that have been published from him, we can see numerous discussions regarding the Shia. What more could he have done? As mentioned earlier, the “Imam al-Kabir” (Great Imam) visited Mir Hamid Hussain—who was the *mujtahid* of his time among the Shia—without considering his own status and rank.
He said: His original name is Mahdi, and his kunya is “Abu al-Zafar,” but he became known as “Hamid Hussain,” because he saw his father’s grandfather, Mawlavi Hamid Hussain, in a dream, and upon waking up, he was given the good news of his birth; thus, he became famous by the aforementioned name. Then he traced his lineage back to Hamza bin the noble Imam, Abu Ibrahim Musa al-Kazim (peace be upon him).
The author of *Abqāt al-Anwār*, the most illustrious Sayyid, the profound scholar, the *Hujjat al-Islam*, and the propagator of the path of his pure forefathers, Janab Mir Hamid Husayn al-Musawi al-Hindi
He is al-Sayyid al-Amir Hamid Husayn ibn al-Amir Sayyid Muhammad ‘Ali (Muhammad Quli) ibn al-Sayyid Muhammad ibn Hamid Husayn al-Musawi al-Nishapuri al-Kunturi al-Hindi al-Lakhnawi. He is among the greatest Imami theologians and the most profound Shia scholars of the early 14th century. Born in Lucknow (1830), he grew up under his father’s guidance, mastering preliminary sciences. He studied *Kalam* (theology) under his father, Imam Sayyid Muhammad Quli, and *Fiqh* and *Usul* under “Sayyid al-‘Ulama’” Sayyid Husayn al-Naqawi.
He is al-Sayyid al-Mir Hamid Husayn, son of al-Sayyid Muhammad Quli, son of al-Sayyid Muhammad, son of al-Mir Hamid al-Nishapuri al-Kunturi. To this day, more than twelve volumes of his book, «عبقات الانوار فی مناقب ائمه الاطهار», have been published. Although the book is not specifically a subject of Ilm al-Rijal (the science of biographical evaluation), most of its pages contain biographies of individuals, whether common or elite, mentioning their dates, their works, and their *Jarh wa Ta’dil* (evaluation of reliability). Thus, it is one of those theological, historical, and biographical (Rijali) books that has achieved unparalleled depth.
Allamah Mir Hamid Husayn held an exalted status. It is narrated that after his passing, a righteous man dreamed that the Day of Judgment had arrived, the Prophet (PBUH) was on a pulpit, and the Allamah was seated one step below, interceding for the sinners, and the Prophet (PBUH) accepted his intercession.
It is narrated that one of the Sayyid’s sons passed away, and he was informed to attend the funeral. The Sayyid was deeply affected by the death of his son, yet he instructed them to proceed with the shrouding and burial themselves, as he had no time to participate in the mourning.
Allamah Mir Hamid Husayn Hindi is one of the very great Shia scholars and the author of important theological works in the field of defending the domain of Shiism against the attacks of opponents, especially the refutation written by Shah Abd al-Aziz Dehlavi against the Shia under the title «تحفه اثنی عشریه». Through writing these books, especially «عبقات الانوار فی مناقب ائمه الاطهار», he was able to leave a lasting work of his own in the history of Shiism.
