AhlulBayt News Agency: According to historical accounts, the late Grand Ayatollah Hossein Boroujerdi, a leading Shia authority of the time, came across this article in an issue of the magazine India-Iran Cultural Relations in 1951.
The article, written by Iranian scholar Abdolhossein Zarrinkoob, argued that Islamic teachings bore traces of Buddhism, citing passages from Kamal al-Din by Sheikh Saduq and Ayn al-Hayat as evidence.
Upon reading the article, Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi entrusted his distinguished student and advisor, Ayatollah Safi-Golpayegani, with preparing a scholarly rebuttal. After extensive research and careful review, Ayatollah Safi composed a detailed response, which was subsequently approved by Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi.
The article, published in the same magazine under the title The Life of Buddha, clarified the Islamic perspective and refuted the claim of direct influence from Buddhism.
Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani, who later became one of the foremost Shia authorities, had spent his early scholarly years under the tutelage of Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi, contributing both to jurisprudential debates and socio-political matters.
The incident is one of many examples of his intellectual contributions during his decades-long service to Islamic scholarship and the Shia seminary.
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