Abu Sa'd Waramini

Raḍī l-Dīn Warāmīnī, also known as Abū Saʿd Warāmīnī is one of the builders of Mecca and Medina in the 11th an 12th centuries who made much effort in the development and repair of al-Masjid al-Haram and al-Masjid al-Nabawi. Abu Sa'd and his family also made much effort in development of Varamin.

In Varamin

Radi al-Din Abu Sa'id Waramini was living in the late 11th and the first half of the 12th centuries in Varamin, but the dates of his birth and death is not known. Varamin has been a Shia city from 10th century and famous families including the family of Abu Sa'd Waramini are from the city. He is one of the famous Shias of Varamin. According to Qazwini because of him being a Shia, Sunni historians have rarely mentioned him. He and his descendants have made great efforts in development of Varamin. Building of Friday Mosque, Radawiyya and Fathiyya seminaries are among their works.

Development of Mecca and Medina

Abu Sa'd and his son Husayn were involved in repair and development of al-Masjid al-Haram and al-Masjid al-Nabawi and in serving the pilgrims. Al-Sam'ani has mentioned him among his great contemporaries and praised that he used his wealth in the development of Mecca and Medina. He has also mentioned Husayn, the son of Abu Sa'd, and his numerous hajjs and his generosity and charity and considered Husayn as a extremist is Shiism. 'Abd al-Jalil Qazwini, has mentioned him among the men of distinction and among the builders of al-Masjid al-Haram and al-Masjid al-Nabawi Muhaddith al-Urmawi named him among the founders of charitable activities in Medina. Building shrines of Imams (s) made some Sunnis to accuse him of Rafd and worshiping graves. Qazwini has also praised his children and mentioned his son, Husayn as an scholar and “ʿImād al-Ḥājj wa l-Ḥaramayn”. Ibn Jubayr has mentioned a great and wealthy man from Persia that spends for development of al-Masjid al-Haram and that he rebuilt the structure of Zamzam well. According to some clues, the Persian man is Abu Sa'd who did so in years after 518AH when he was in Mecca for Hajj. Razi, the Shia poet known by the pen name “Qawami”, has a poet with 116 verses in his praise. Also in another 44 verses poem, likely said when Husayn the son of Abu Sa'd was performing hajj, has praised him for his care to Ka'ba.

References

• Aṭlas-i Shīʿa: Rasūl Jaʿfarīyān, Tehran, Sāzmān-i Jughrāfīyāʾī-i Nīrūhāy-i Musallaḥ, 1387Sh.
• Al-Ansāb: ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Samʿānī (562AH), Beirut, Dār al-Jinān, 1408AH.
• Taʿlīqāt al-naqḍ: Mīr Jalāl al-Dīn Urmawī, Tehran, Anjuman-i Āthār-i Millī, 1358Sh.
• Dīwān sharaf al-shuʿarāʾ: Badr al-Dīn Qawamī Shīrāzī, ed. Husaynī Urmawī, Tehran, Chāpkhāna-yi Sipihr, 1334Sh.
• Raḥla Ibn Jubayr: Beirut, Dār Ṣādir, 1400AH
• Al-Naqḍ: Naṣīr al-Dīn Abū Rashīd ʿAbd al-Jalīl Qazwīnī Rāzī, Tehran, Anjuman-i Āthār-i Millī, 1358Sh.