Shi'ite Authors in the Fields of Rijaal
and Genealogical Record

As it has already been mentioned, Abu Mukhnif excelled all others in matters relating to Iraq and its current affairs and conquests while Al-Waqidi achieved the same position in respect to Hijaz and Sirah.
In the same way, Muhammad bin Sa'id al-Kalabi was superior to all other writers in respect of 'Ilm-ul-Ansab (Genealogy). Similarly his son Hisham achieved the same position for himself and was declared to the most accomplished person in this field as has been said during our discussion of Shi'ite Genealogists.

Shi'ite Genealogists
Foremost among them was 'Aquil bin Abi Talib. Ibn-un-Nadim
has said in his Al-Fahrist while discussing Muhammad bin Sa'id al-Kalabi, "Hisham bin Muhammad said that his father told that he received the genealogy of the Quraish from Abu Saleh while Abu Saleh got it from Aquil bin Abi Talib. According to Al-Asabah, he was the most well-versed in this respect among the Quraish. He died in the fifth or sixth decade of the first century.
Other persons who got famous on this account are:
1. Kumait bin Zaid al-Asadi-the Poet.
It is said about him that he used to genealogize. This has been said by As-Suyuti in Sharh-ush-Shawahid and taken up by Ibn 'Asakir.
He died in 126 A.H.
2. Muhammad bin Sa'ib al-Kalabi.
According to Ibn-un-Nadim, he was superior to all others in respect of genealogies. Similarly Ibn Qutaibah has admitted his being a genealogist in his book Al-Ma'arif.
He died in 146 A.H.
3.Abu Mukhnif Lut bin Yahya al-Azdi.
According to Al-Qamus, he was a Shi'ite and an historian.
Ibn Qutaibah has said in Al-Ma'arif that he was an historian as well as a genealogist but history occupied him more.
He died during the second century.
3. Abul Mandhar Hisham bin Muhammad bin Sa'ib al-Kalabi.
He was the first one to have written about genealogy. Ibn Sa'b has said in Tabaqat that he was well informed about the genealogies. Similarly Ibn Qutaibah has declared him to be the most accomplished of all in respect to genealogy. Ibn Khallakan has also expressed a similar opinion. The number of books written by him exceeds 150, but the best of them is Jamharah Fin Nasab which has no parallel in this field. Other books written by him are (i) Al-Manzul (or Al-Mudhil) Fin Nasab which is bigger than Al-Jamharah (ii) Al-Mujiz Fin Nasab and Alfarid which he wrote for Al-Mamum, and (iii) Al-Muluki which he prepared for Ja'far bin Yahya al-Barmaki. Ibn un-Nadim says that he had another book Jamharat-ul-Jamharah reported by Ibn Sa'd.
He died in 206 A.H.
4. Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Khalid al-Barqui'.
An-Najashi has said that he wrote Kitab-ul-Ansab while Ash-Shaikh says in his Al-Fahrist that he wrote Kitab-ul-Ansab-il-Umam. He died in 274 A.H.
5. Yayha Nassabah bin al-Hasan bin Ja'far bin 'Ubaidullah al-A'raj bin al-Husain bin Ali bin al-Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib. He died in 277 A.H.
6. Muhammad bin Yazid al-Mubarrad Nahawi
He prepared the genealogies of 'Adnan and Qahtan. He died in 285 A.H.
7.Sayyid Kazim al-'Amidi Sharif Najafi Nassabah. He died during the third century.
8. Husain Nassabah ibn Ahmad al-Muhaddith bin 'Umar bin Yayha bin al-Husain Dhid-Dam'ah bin Zaid ibn Ali bin al-Husain bin Ali bin Abi Talib.
He died during the fourth century.
9. Sayyid Najm-ud-Din Abul Hasan Ali bin Abil Ghana'im
Muhammad al'Alawi al-'Umari Nassabah. He was known as Ibn-us-Sufi and a contemporary of Al-Murtada and Ar-Radi. He died during the fifth century.
10. Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Abiwardi al-Ummawi was a poet as well as a genealogist who prepared treatises in this field.
He died in 508 A.H.
11. Sharif Abu Ali 'Umar bin al-Husain bin Abdullah bin Muhammad Sufi. He died during the sixth century.
12. Ahmad bin Ali al-'Alawi Nassabah was an extremist Shi'ite well known for it, as said by As-Sam'ani in Al-Ansab.
13. Yahya bin al-Husain bin Isma'il al-Husaini Nassabah al-Hafiz
He is the author of a book titled Ansab-u-Aal-i-Abi Talib.
He died during the sixth century.
14. Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ali al-'Alawi died during the seventh cetury.
15. Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad Dibaj al-Bukhari. He died during the seventh cetury and he might have been the same as the one given at No. 14 above.
16. Jalal-ud-Din Abul Qasim Ali bin Abdul Hamid bin Fakhkhar
He was the teacher of the author of 'Umdat-ut-Talib. He died during the seventh century.
17. Ahmad bin Muhammad bin al-Muhanna bin Ali bin Ali bin al-Muhammad al-Husaini al-'Ubaidali was a pupil of Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ali, Already mentioned. He wrote Tadhkirah Lil Ansab-il-Mutahharah and Al-Mashjar Fi Ansab-i-Aal-i-Abi Talib. He died towards the end of the seventh century.
18. Jalal -ud-Din Abu Ali Abdul Hamid bin Taqi al-Husaini
The genealogist Shaikh-ush-Sharaf Fakhkhar ibn Ma'd bin Fakhkhar bin Ahmad who was the grand-father of 'Ilm-ud-Din al-Murtada bin Jalal-ud-Din (next mentioned) reports on the authority of Jalal-ud-Din Abu Ali. He died during the Eighth century.
19. 'Ilm-ud-Din al-Murtada Ali ibn Jalal-ud-Din Abdul Hamid ibn Shaikh-ush-Sharaf Fakhkhar bin Ma'd bin Fakhkhar bin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Abil Ghana'im Muhammad bin al-Husain al-Musawi Al-Ha'iri.
He died during the eighth century.
20. Ash-Sharif Abu Abdullah Taj-ud-Din Muhammad bin Al-Qasim bin al-Husain al-Hasain Dibaji al-Hilli.
He is known as Ibn Ma'iyyah, was the highest authority on genealogy in his age.
He died in 779 A.H.
21. Jamal-ud-Din Ahmad bin Ali bin al-Husain al-Hasani
He was a pupil of Ibn Ma'iyyah and wrote 'Umdat-ut-Talib Fi Ansab-i-Aal-i-Abi Talib.
He died in 828 A.H.
22. Sayyid Raqi-ud-Din Muhammad Shirazi.
He died in 1019 A.H.
23. Sayyid Mahdi al-Bahrani al-Gharifi died in 1343 A.H.
There are still more and are unaccountable. Those who are interested and want to follow on should refer to different life-accounts.
There is group of genealogists from among the Shi'ite whom we could not place in any particular period. They are:
1. Sahl bin Abdullah;
2. Nassabah Abu Nasr al-Bukhari;
3. Sharif ibn Tabataba,Nassabah al-Isfahani; who has been mentioned by Ibn Shahr Ashub among the poets of the Ahl-al-Bait;
4. Sayyid Abul Ma'ali Isma'il bin al-Hasan bin Muhammad al-Hasani, who wrote a book titled Ansab-ut-Talibiyyah which has been mentioned by Shaikh Muhammad bin Ali Jaba'i __ the grand-father of Al-Baha'i and a pupil of Ash-Shahid -in his Majmu'ah;
5. Sayyid Abu Ja'far Muhammad bin Harun al-Musawi Naishapuri who has been described by the author of Ash-Shajarat-ut-Tayfyibah as the genealogist of the East and West;
6. Sharif 'Izzud Din Abul Qasim Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Abdur-Rahman ibn Zahrah al-Husaini al-Halabi who was a Hafiz, a genealogist and Naqib of Halab (Aleppo) and has been mentioned in Taj-ul-'Urus.
There are others who can be found by those who are interested and follow on with this account.