A study of the life of Ali b. Isa Erbili and Imam Reza's biographical account In Kashf al-Ghomma

The present article is a brief study of the life-story of Baha al-Din Ali b. Isa of Erbil, author of The Kashf al-Ghomma fi Ma‘refat al-A’imma, glancing through some of his most outstanding personal dimensions, such as his Kurdish descent, probable Shi’i orientation, and divani (governmental) standing. Since Erbili adopts a special approach, in one the chapters of the Kashf al-Ghomma, to Imam Reza’s life and his relations with the Abbasid Caliph Ma’mun, this part of the book is given special attention as a prominent chapter presenting Erbili’s views.