| Religion: | Islam |
| Era: | Islamic golden age |
| ʾAbū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq al-Kulaynī ar-Rāzī | |
| thiqatul islam ("The Trustworthy of Islam") | |
| Birth Date: | 250 AH /864 CE |
| Death Date: | 329 AH /941 CE |
| Region: | Iran and Iraq |
| Denomination: | Shia |
| Main Interests: | Ḥadīth |
| Influences: | Imām al-Mahdī, Mulla Yaʿqūb al-Kulayni |
| Influenced: | Shaykh Ṣadūq |
| Works: | Kitāb al-Kāfī |
Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq al-Kulaynī ar-Rāzī (Persian: محمد بن یعقوب بن اسحاق کلینی رازی; Arabic: أَبُو جَعْفَر مُحَمَّد ٱبْن يَعْقُوب ٱبْن إِسْحَاق ٱلْكُلَيْنِيّ ٱلرَّازِيّ; c. 250 AH/864 CE – 329 AH/941 CE)[1] was a Persian[2] Shia hadith collector.[3]
Al-Kulayni was born in Kulayn, a village or small town situated near Rey, Iran.[4] His father was Ya'qub al-Kulayni, who is buried at Rey. He lived in the era of the Minor Occultation of Hujjat-Allah al-Mahdi, the last of the Twelve Imams who, according to Shia belief, is currently in occultation and will appear before the Day of Judgment). He is claimed to have greatly benefited from al-Mahdi's divine knowledge by interacting with him through the Imam's Deputies.[5] [6]
Kulayni received his early religious education in his native town and went to Rey for further education. According to Shia view he is among a special class of muhaddithin known as Rihalah-ye hadith (which means those who travelled in order to collect a hadith and met the persons considered to be the authority on hadith).
He travelled to Baghdad for this reason and lived there for twenty years, engaged in teaching and pursuing academic work, until he died in 329 AH/941 CE. He is considered the foremost Shia compiler of hadith and was the author of Kitab al-Kafi.[7]
Although Shaykh al-Kulaynī is most famous for al-Kāfī, this opus was not his only accomplishment. The following is a list of his known works:
Of these only al-Kāfī has survived in its entirety.[8]